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Starting the new tax year - FAQs

Bright Support
  • Updated

Important - For the best experience, we recommend keeping your company/employer files instead of deleting them. As long as you have a valid license for the specific year, you can access your employer records anytime. To stay protected, please make sure to back up your files to an external drive or a cloud service. After backing up, you may delete the files if absolutely necessary, but we generally suggest retaining them to avoid any inconvenience.

 

To assist users in transitioning to tax year 2025-26, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions below.

 

 

a) Is it ok to import my data into 2025-26 BrightPay before my payroll is finished for the 2024-25 tax year?

 

  • We advise waiting until your payroll is fully completed for the current tax year before importing into the new tax year version. This will ensure the most accurate and up-to-date information is being imported from the previous tax year.

 

b) Why is 2025-26 BrightPay downloading as a 60-day free trial - I have already purchased a licence?

 

  • BrightPay will initially download as a 60-day free trial (with full functionality). On purchasing a 2025-26 licence, you will have received a licence key on the invoice that was emailed to you. Simply select 'Upgrade Licence' on the 'Open Company' screen of your 2025-26 BrightPay software and enter and activate your licence key here. Your software will no longer show as a free trial and instead will indicate your purchased licence type. 

 

c) How do I install 25-26 BrightPay for the new tax year?

 

  • Every tax year we release brand new software in line with the new budgetary requirements. Thus, to move your payroll on to a new tax year, simply download the new tax year version of BrightPay that is available on our website here.
     
  • Once downloaded, this will install separately to your previous year’s software and you will see a new BrightPay icon appear on your desktop. You can still access the information for the previous tax year in 2024-25 BrightPay.

 

*Please note BrightPay for Windows 2025-26 will be the last year available and BrightPay will be exclusively available in cloud from April 2026.

 

d) How do I import my data from 2024-25 BrightPay into 2025-26 BrightPay for the new tax year?

 

  • First, check the location of where your 2024-25 employer data file is saved to - you can do this by hovering your mouse over the employer name on your 'Open Employer' screen in 2024-25 BrightPay and making a note of the location that will appear.
     
  • Next, on the 'Open Company' screen in 2025-26 BrightPay, select Import Employer(s) > Import BrightPay 2024-25 file(s)

     
  • Browse to the location of your 2024-25 employer data file and double click on the file name to commence the import.
     

  • Your employer and employee details will now be imported into 2025-26 BrightPay and your employer name will be added to your 2025-26 Open Company screen.

    Please note: if the employer file is password protected, the password will be the same as the previous year.



     

e) Do I need to send a new Employer Payment Summary to HMRC to claim the Employment Allowance?

 

  • Yes. Since 6th April 2020, Employment Allowance does not auto renew for an employer as it did in previous tax years.
     
  • An employer now has to submit an Employer Payment Summary to HMRC every tax year to notify HMRC that they will be claiming the Employment Allowance.
     
  • Once this EPS is sent to HMRC, the employer can then enable the Employment Allowance in the first tax period within the 'HMRC Payments' utility in BrightPay.
     
  • Please note: HMRC must also be notified via an Employer Payment Summary if you are no longer eligible for the Employment Allowance.
     
  • Further guidance on operating the Employment Allowance in BrightPay is available here .


 

f) How do I sign into Connect for the new tax year?

 

  • Please select the 'Connect' tab on your 2025-26 BrightPay 'Open Company' screen and sign into your Connect account using your Connect username and password. * Please note Connect is no longer available for Standard licence users for 2025-26.