What's New in Zoho Payroll [Indian Edition]: June 2020

What's New in Zoho Payroll [Indian Edition]: June 2020

Hello users,
We hope all of you are staying safe in this crisis and are able to settle into some form of routine. Here, at Zoho Payroll, we've been keeping ourselves busy by coming up with a variety of features and updates. Read on to know all about them.

Custom employee fields

We have introduced custom fields for the Employee module to enable you to collect and store additional information about your employees. You can collect details like Aadhaar number, marital status, etc from your employees. This information will be available in the employee portal as well. To create, edit, disable, or delete a custom field, read our help document.

Once you create a custom field, it will be available in every employee’s profile under Personal Information > Other Details.


Zoho Payroll - Zoho People field mapping

While enabling the Zoho Payroll - Zoho People integration, you can now map the payroll fields with the fields in the employee forms of Zoho People and sync employee information easily. Apart from the mandatory fields, you can also map the custom fields.
Employee information includes:
  • Basic Information
There are 13 fields that can be synced under this section: First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Employee Number, Gender, Date of Joining, Designation, Work Email, Mobile Number, Department, Work Location, Date of Termination, and Status.
  • Personal Information
There are 9 fields that can be synced under this section: Personal Email, Date of Birth, Father's Name, PAN Number, Personal Address Line1, Personal Address Line2, Personal City, Personal State Code, and Personal Postal Code.
  • Payment Information
There are 6 fields that can be synced under this section: Payment Code, Bank Holder Name, Bank Name, Account Number, Routing Number, and Account Type. For this section, you have to map either all the fields or none of the fields to proceed with the integration. If you don't map the information when you set up, you can directly import the fields in Zoho Payroll.

Note: The default fields will be mapped automatically and you cannot edit them.

The fields that will be populated from Zoho People can be found under Zoho People > Settings > Customization > Forms > Employee. You can also add custom fields to this section.


New EPF rates

One of the financial measures announced by the Government of India in response to the COVID-19 crisis is the reduction in PF contribution rate from 12% to 10%. Employers and employees can contribute 10% of PF wages towards the EPF for May, June, and July. This provision will enable employees to have more cash in hand during the crisis.


You can directly enable the new EPF rate of 10% for all employees from Settings > Statutory Components. Or you can import individual EPF rates of either 12% or 10% as desired by the employees under Employees > Import Data > Employee Statutory Details.

Free plan in Zoho Payroll

Zoho Payroll caters to all types of businesses right from small businesses to large corporations. Small businesses can benefit a great deal from adopting the right technology to run their day-to-day payroll operations. As they grow, this can help them continue to manage their payroll process easily, since they're used to it from the beginning. Keeping this in mind, we've launched the Free Plan for organisations with 10 employees or less working from a single work location.

Once you've completed your trial run, you will be prompted with options to move to the Free Plan or upgrade your subscription.

Reminders for IT declaration & POI

Employees with portal access are required to submit their investment declarations and proofs each month. You can now remind your employees via email to submit their IT declarations and investment proofs before the deadline is up. You can send up to 5 reminders to your employees before you lock the IT/POI submission. Enable these reminders under Settings > Preferences > Income Tax Declaration.  Whenever you release the IT declaration/POI submissions, emails will be automatically sent to employees for whom portal access is enabled.

To enable reminders for POI submission, go to Settings > Preferences > Proof of Investments.

Loan opening balance

For loans disbursed and partially repaid in the prior payroll, you can now include the loan amount and perquisite balance for the remaining repayments and track them in Zoho Payroll.
After adding prior payroll details, add the Loan Opening Balance, and Perquisite Opening Balance along with the loan details. Once this is done, continue the repayments as post-tax deductions until the loan is fully repaid.


Monthly split-up of the HRA calculation in TDS slip

House Rent Allowance (HRA) is one of the partially tax-exempted allowances that employees can claim if they live in a rented accommodation.
The deduction available is taken as the least of the following:
  • Actual HRA received; or
  • 50% of Basic Salary for those living in metro cities (40% for non-metros); or
  • Actual rent paid minus 10% of Basic Salary
Once an employee submits the necessary proofs, HRA will be calculated for the financial year based on the above factors and deducted from the taxable income.
Now, you can find the monthly split-up of the House Rent Allowance (HRA) at the end of the monthly tax calculation in the employee's TDS slip.

Investment declaration for prior payroll terminated employee

You can now declare investments for employees terminated in the prior payroll. These investment details are essential while generating Form 16. To declare investments for prior payroll terminated employees:
  • Go to the Employees module.
  • Select Terminated Employees from the dropdown menu.
  • Select the employee for whom you want to add investment details.
  • Within the employee's profile, click the Investments tab.
  • Click Submit IT Declaration and declare the employee's investments.
  • Click Save.
Alternatively, you can import the investment details of one or more terminated employees. To do this:
  • Go to the Employees module.
  • Click the More icon and select Import Data.
  • From the dropdown menu, select the type of investment (Section 6A, HRA Details, Let-out property details, etc.)
  • Upload the file containing the investment details and click Next.
  • Map the respective fields and click Next.
  • Review the field mapping and click Import.
Once you've imported these details, you can use them to generate Form 16.

Arrear PF reports

Arrear PF reports can be used to review the PF credited as arrears after salary revision. To access the report:
  • Go to the Reports module.
  • Select EPF-ECR Report under Statutory Reports.
  • Select the month for which you want to view the report.
  • In the top right corner, click View Arrear EPF-ECR Report.



Let us know how these features are useful to you and what other new features you'd like to see. If you need any assistance using Zoho Payroll, drop us an email at support@zohopayroll.com.

Sincerely,
Supriya A
The Zoho Payroll Team

    • Sticky Posts

    • Zoho Payroll | Quarterly Product Updates For 2024

      As we navigate through the ever-changing payroll landscape, we bring you the latest updates that span the first quarter of 2024, tailored to meet the diverse needs of employers and employees in India, the UAE, and the US. From useful integrations to refined

    • Introducing Academy 🎉: your go-to hub for all things payroll

      Hello! We're thrilled to launch our newest payroll resource hub - Academy by Zoho Payroll [for India] - the information repository where you can go to learn everything about payroll. Introducing Academy by Zoho Payroll Why did we build Academy? Payroll

    • Recent Topics

    • User

      If user is already part of manage engine endpoint central , what hapens when i try to add them to another Zoho org / directory? Are these users added as external users?

    • Adding a new section to the related details sidebar when creating a new ticket.

      Hello, I was wondering if you can add a new section to the related details sidebar when creating a new ticket. I was wanting to have it to where it also shows the account information related to the contact chosen as well. This is the section I am referring

    • Posibility to add Emoticons on the Email Subject of Templates

      Hi I´ve tried to add Emoticons on the Subject line of Email templates, the emoticon image does show up before saving the template or if I add the Emoticon while sending an Individual email and placing it manually on the subject line. Emoticons also show

    • Displaying only unread tickets in ticket view

      Hello, I was wondering if someone might be able to help me with this one. We use filters to display our ticket list, typically using a saved filter which displays the tickets which are overdue or due today. What I'd really like is another filter that

    • Ticket layout based on field or contact

      Hi! I want to support the following use-case: we are delivering custom IT solutions to different accounts we have, thus our ticket layouts, fields and languages (priority, status field values should be Hungarian) will be different. How should I setup

    • Where is the settings option in zoho writer?

      hi, my zoho writer on windows has menu fonts too large. where do i find the settings to change this option? my screen resolution is correct and other apps/softwares in windows have no issues. regards

    • Business Day Logic Update: More Accurate Scheduling for Your Workflows

      Hello everyone, We’re improving how business-day calculations work in workflows, especially when triggers happen on weekends. This update ensures that offsets like +0, +1, and +2 business days behave exactly as intended, giving you clearer and more predictable

    • Holidays - Cannot Enter Two Holidays on Same Day

      I have a fairly common setup, where part-time employees receive 1/2 day's pay on a holiday and full-time employees receive a full day's pay. Historically, I've been able to accommodate this by entering two separate holidays, one that covers full-time

    • CRM project association via deluge

      I have created a workflow in my Zoho CRM for closing a deal. Part of this workflow leverages a deluge script to create a project for our delivery team. Creating the project works great however, after or during the project creation, I would like to associate

    • How to manage task lists in Zoho Desk?

      Hello, I use Zoho Desk for IT customer support. I have a list of standard operating procedures (SOPs), including SOPs for onboarding new users, offboarding users, losing a device, etc. These are lists of tasks to be performed depending on the situation.

    • How to compare a subform lookup field that allows multiple entries when edited

      I have a form with a subform with multiple fields. One of the fields is a lookup field that allows a multi select. On edit validation, I want a workflow to execute only when the entries in that subform field has changed. The old. function is not working

    • Is Zoho Shifts included in the Zoho One plan?

      In case the answer is no: there's any plan to make it available via One? Thank you

    • Creating a Chart from a Report

      In Zoho Analytics, is it possible to create a chart from a Pivot View report? We are looking to use Zoho Analytics to replace Excel for Sales reports and would like to be able to show both the table and the chart together.

    • No funcionan correctamente el calculo de las horas laborales para informe de tickets

      Hola, estoy intentando sacar estadísticas de tiempo de primera respuesta y resolución en horario laboral de mis tickets, pero el calculo de horas en horario laboral no funciona correctamente cree los horarios con los feriados : Ajusté los acuerdos de

    • Zoho Tracking Image location

      So we've been having an issue with tracking email opens. Specifically in Gmail. Our emails are not that long either, maybe 4 sections of image/250 characters of text/button per section.  But all my test accounts I used via Gmail we're showing opens. But then come to find out the tracking image is at the very bottom of the email. So If the message is clipped (It always just clips our social icons on the bottom) and the user doesn't click the show more button it never tracks the open.  Looking at other

    • How create a draft via workflow?

      I wish to create a workflow rule for specific emails that creates a draft response - not an automatic email reply, but just a draft with a set response ready to be verified by an agent who can then manually select recipients. Alternatively, the workflow

    • Zoho → ShipStation Integration – Sales Order–Driven Fulfilment Workflow

      Hello All, I’m reaching out to explore the best way to integrate a shipping tool into our inventory which will speed our process up. We are looking to integrate ShipStation into our existing order-to-fulfilment workflow, as we’re keen to standardise on

    • Is there a plan to integrate zoho voice with zoho books?

      Hello, Is there a plan to integrate zoho voice with zoho books? Right now we are using the Twilio SMS integration into zoho books, but have recently decided to switch to zoho voice for calls and sms. Is there a plan to integrate zoho voice natively into

    • Zoho Tables is now live in Australia & New Zealand!

      Hey everyone! We’ve got some great news to share — Zoho Tables is now officially available in the Australian Data Center serving users across Australia and New Zealand regions! Yes, it took us a bit longer to get here, but this version of Zoho Tables

    • Introducing Dedicated Modules for Plans, Addons, and Coupons in Zoho Billing

      We’ve enhanced the way you manage Plans, Addons, and Coupons in Zoho Billing. Previously, all three grouped together under Subscription Items. Now, each one has its own dedicated module, giving you a cleaner and more intuitive experience. This update

    • Sortie de Zoho TABLE ??

      Bonjour, Depuis bientôt 2 ans l'application zoho table est sortie en dehors de l'UE ? Depuis un an elle est annoncée en Europe Mais en vrai, c'est pour quand exactement ??

    • Zoho Forms API

      Is there any way to get all form entry list using API? Looking forward to hear from you

    • Issue with WhatsApp Template Approval and Marketing Message Limit in Zoho Bigin

      We are facing issues while creating and using WhatsApp message templates through Zoho Bigin, and we request your clarification and support regarding the same. 1. Utility Template Approval Issue Until December, we were able to create WhatsApp templates

    • How to install Widget in inventory module

      Hi， I am trying to install a app into Sales Order Module related list, however there is no button allow me to do that. May I ask how to install widget to inventory module related list?

    • Zoho Social - Feature Request - Reviewer Role

      Hi Social Team, I've come across this with a couple of clients, where they need a role which can review and comment on posts but who has no access to create content. This is a kind of reviewer role. They just need to be able to see what content is scheduled

    • Zoho Social - Feature Request - Non-US Date Format

      Hi Social Team, I have noticed that there is no option to change the date format from US mm/dd/yyyy to others like dd/mm/yyyy. It would be great to see this added as the platform matures. Thanks for considering this feedback.

    • Drop Down Value

      Hi, May I know why Zoho Flow treat this drop down as number and not as string. If so, how can I fetch the right value for filtering. This field is from Creator, in Creator upon checking by default it is a string since it's not a lookup field.

    • Zoho CRM's mobile apps: A 2025 Recap

      2025 marked a year of steady progress for Zoho CRM's mobile apps. We rolled out several updates and features to improve usability and make everyday CRM work a lot easier to manage. Here’s a look back at some of the key releases from 2025. Android releases

    • Dependent / Dynamic DropDown in ZohoSheets

      Has anyone figured out a way to create a Dropdown, the values of which is dependent on Values entered in the other cell ?

    • Facebook follower count doesn't match FB Analytics

      Hi all, I am wondering if anyone else has issues with follower counts for Facebook not matching FB's native analytics tool. On the Zoho dashboard, it's showing 1,007, but FB shows 1,060. All the other channels match up. Any insights are much appreciated!

    • Unable to mass update a picklist field

      Hello, I have the records within our Accounts module divided between two account types: Parent Accounts & Member Accounts. I am attempting to mass update accounts from one picklist value to the other (within other specific criteria in our custom fields)

    • Meta and Facebook data report discrepancy

      I have been currently gathering manually facebook follower data thru meta. In zoho marketing plus the social media reporting only allows for page likes, and so there is a discrepancy with the data. please the difference in files attached. Is there way

    • Develop and publish a Zoho Recruit extension on the marketplace

      Hi, I'd like to develop a new extension for Zoho Recruit. I've started to use Zoho Developers creating a Zoho CRM extension. But when I try to create a new extension here https://sigma.zoho.com/workspace/testtesttestest/apps/new I d'ont see the option of Zoho Recruit (only CRM, Desk, Projects...). I do see extensions for Zoho Recruit in the marketplace. How would I go about to create one if the option is not available in sigma ? Cheers, Rémi.

    • Unlocking New Levels: Zoho Payroll's Journey in 2025

      Every year brings its own set of challenges and opportunities to rethink how payroll works across regulations and teams. In 2025, Zoho Payroll continued to evolve with one clear focus: giving businesses more flexibility, clarity, and control as they grow.

    • Can I export all attachments from Zoho CRM?

      Can I export all attachments from Zoho CRM?

    • Please can the open tasks be shown in each customer account at the top.

      Hi there This has happened before, where the open tasks are no longer visible at the top of the page for each customer in the CRM. They have gone missing previously and were reinstated when I asked so I think it's just after an update that this feature

    • What's new in Zoho Sheet: Simplify data entry and collaboration

      Hello, Zoho Sheet community! Last year, our team was focused on research and development so we could deliver updates that enhance your spreadsheet experience. This year, we’re excited to deliver those enhancements—but we'll be rolling them out incrementally

    • Community Digest — Noviembre y Diciembre 2025

      ¡Hola, Comunidad de Zoho en Español! Cerramos el año de la mejor forma con nuestro último Community Digest de 2025, donde podrás encontrar las últimas novedades de nuestros productos. ¿Todo listo para empezar 2026 con el mejor pie? ¡Vamos a ello! Zoho

    • Passing the CRM

      Hi, I am hoping someone can help. I have a zoho form that has a CRM lookup field. I was hoping to send this to my publicly to clients via a text message and the form then attaches the signed form back to the custom module. This work absolutely fine when

    • Zoho Projects Plus’ 2025- the year we launched

      We’ve been building project management tools for the past 19 years, and a question we often hear is: Different teams in our organization prefer different project management methods; while the development team prefers agile, the marketing and sales teams

    • Next Page