Zoho Payroll's Product Updates | August 2024

Zoho Payroll's Product Updates | August 2024

At Zoho Payroll, our commitment goes beyond providing software—it’s about empowering you to focus on what truly drives your business: your people.

This August, we are delighted to introduce a set of updates for our users in India and the UAE, that not only refine payroll processes but also bring more clarity and ease to your daily tasks. From personalised earning calculations to secure handling of employee data, we are dedicated to supporting you every step of the way.

Join us as we dive deeper into these enhancements and discover how Zoho Payroll continues to evolve, keeping your needs at the forefront of our efforts.

Calculate Earnings Based on Percentage of CTC (India - Early Access)

At Zoho Payroll, we understand the complexities you face in managing diverse compensation packages of your employees. To simplify this, we’ve expanded the options we provide for you to calculate the fixed earnings of your employees. Now, you can calculate earnings based on a percentage of the CTC (Cost to Company).

Note: Earnings based on a percentage of CTC can only be calculated for fixed earnings, not variable earnings.
This feature is perfect for scenarios where employees have various allowances and incentives tied to their total compensation. 

To do this, go to Settings, select Salary Components, choose an Earning, and set the calculation based on CTC. When you preview an employee’s salary, the calculated values are displayed, offering complete clarity. This ensures fair, transparent, and easy-to-manage compensation.

Calculate Earnings Based on Percentage of Other Earnings (India, UAE - Early Access)

For our users in India and the UAE, we’ve provided the ability to calculate fixed earnings based on other earnings. 

Note: Earnings based on a percentage of other earnings can only be calculated for fixed earnings, not variable earnings.

Scenario: Think of Jalal, an employee in the UAE, whose earnings are based on various performance metrics. With the enhanced feature, you can now set his earnings to be a percentage of his bonuses or other performance-based earnings.

To set this up, go to Settings, select Salary Components, choose an Earning, and set the calculation based on earnings.Once these earnings are associated with an employee, you’ll be able to preview the calculation used to derive the earnings.  This ensures fair, transparent, and easy-to-manage compensation. 

Sample Formula:

Let's take the example of formula used to calculate the Travel Allownce earning below. 

Transportation Allowance=(Basic Amount+Travelling Allowance Amount) × 8%

Explanation: In this case, the other earning that was used to calulcate the Travel Allowance earning is the Basic. The Transportation Allowance is calculated as 8% of the sum of the employee's Basic Amount and Travelling Allowance Amount.


Custom Field Support for Loans Module

We’ve introduced custom field support for the Loans module, giving you the flexibility to capture additional loan details that are not available by default in Zoho Payroll. 

With this feature, you can now create and configure custom fields for loans, ensuring that every piece of critical information is recorded accurately. Whether you need to track specific notes, collateral details, or unique repayment conditions, custom fields allow you to personalize loan records like never before.

Setting up a custom field for loans is simple:
  • Navigate to Settings and select Preferences.
  • Go to Loans and choose Custom Field and configure it to fit your needs.
Loans - Custom Fields

Other Enhancements in UAE

Passport Number in Letter Templates
We have introduced the option to include passport numbers as placeholders in various letter templates, such as Salary Certificates, Salary Revision Certificates, Bonus Letters, and Salary Transfer Letters. By including passport numbers, you enhance the authenticity and compliance of your official documents.

To add the passport number to a salary certificate:
  • Navigate to Settings > Templates > Salary Certificate > Edit.
  • Click Manage Content, then select Insert Placeholders and choose Passport Number.

AL-Ansari Exchange House - SIF Format
We now support the AL-Ansari Exchange House SIF format, a standardised file format for salary information files used by AL-Ansari Exchange House in the UAE. This format simplifies payroll processing by ensuring that salary disbursement data is accurate and compliant with banking regulations. 

Enhancements in India

Allow Restricted Type EPF Contribution for Variable Earnings (Early Access)
We now allow variable earnings to be considered for EPF contributions, specifically when the PF Wage is less than ₹15,000. 
In many organizations, employees have variable components in their salary, such as bonuses, incentives, or overtime pay. Previously, these variable earnings were not considered for EPF contributions, which could limit the retirement benefits for employees earning less than ₹15,000 in PF wges. By allowing these earnings to be included, we ensure that employees' retirement savings are more comprehensive and reflective of their total income.

Include Conveyance Allowance in New Tax Regime
Conveyance allowances, which are typically provided to employees to cover travel expenses from home to the workplace, can now be included in the new tax regime calculations. This update ensures accurate tax deductions and helps employees benefit from tax exemptions on their travel allowances. 


That's all for now! We're always eager to hear your feedback and suggestions. If you have any feature requests, please share them in the comments below. For assistance, contact us at support@zohopayroll.com. 

Stay tuned for more updates from Zoho Payroll!

With a shared purpose,
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

    • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

      I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted

    • How to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?

      Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?

    • Admin asked me for Backend Details when I wanted to verify my ZeptoMail Account

      Please provide the backend details where you will be adding the SMTP/API information of ZeptoMail Who knows what this means?

    • Unable to remove the “Automatically Assigned” territory from existing records

      Hello Zoho Community Team, We are currently using Territory Management in Zoho CRM and have encountered an issue with automatically assigned territories on Account records. Once any account is created the territory is assigned automatically, the Automatically

    • Kaizen #223 - File Manager in CRM Widget Using ZRC Methods

      Hello, CRM Wizards! Here is what we are improving this week with Kaizen. we will explore the new ZRC (Zoho Request Client) introduced in Widget SDK v1.5, and learn how to use it to build a Related List Widget that integrates with Zoho WorkDrive. It helps

    • Set connection link name from variable in invokeurl

      Hi, guys. How to set in parameter "connection" a variable, instead of a string. connectionLinkName = manager.get('connectionLinkName').toString(); response = invokeurl [ url :"https://www.googleapis.com/calendar/v3/freeBusy" type :POST parameters:requestParams.toString()

    • Possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox with Zoho Creator's Sandbox?

      We are making some big changes on our CRM so we are testing it out in CRM's Sandbox. We also have a Zoho Creator app that we need to test. Is it possible to connect Zoho CRM's Sandbox to Zoho Creator's Sandbox so that I can perform those tests?

    • I Need Help Verifying Ownership of My Zoho Help Desk on Google Search Console

      I added my Zoho desk portal to Google Search Console, but since i do not have access to the html code of my theme, i could not verify ownership of my portal on Google search console. I want you to help me place the html code given to me from Google search

    • Timeline Tracker

      Hi Team, I am currently using Zoho Creator – Blueprint Workflows, and I would like to know if there is a way to track a timeline of the approval process within a Blueprint. Specifically, I am looking for details such as: Who submitted the record Who clicked

    • Primary / Other Billing Contacts

      If you add an additional contact to a Zoho Billing Customer record, and then mark this new contact as the primary contact, will both the new primary and old primary still receive notifications? Can you stop notifications from going to the additional contacts

    • Missing Import Options

      Hello, do I miss something or is there no space import option inside of this application? In ClickUp, you can import from every common application. We don't want to go through every page and export them one by one. That wastes time. We want to centralize

    • CRM x WorkDrive: File storage for new CRM signups is now powered by WorkDrive

      Availability Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: Released for new signups in all DCs. It will be enabled for existing users in a phased manner in the upcoming months. Help documentation: Documents in Zoho CRM Manage folders in Documents tab Manage files

    • Is it possible to enforce a single default task for all users in a Zoho Projects ?

      In Zoho Projects, the Tasks module provides multiple views, including List, Gantt, and Kanban. Additionally, users can create and switch to their own custom views. During project review meetings, this flexibility creates confusion because different users

    • [Free Webinar] Zoho Creator webinars - Learning Table and Creator Tech Connect Series in 2026

      Hello everyone, Wishing you all a wonderful new year! May 2026 and the years ahead bring more opportunities, growth, and learning your way 🙂 We’re excited to kick off the 2026 edition of the Learning Table Series and Creator Tech Connect Series ! Learning

    • Reply and react to comments

      Hi everyone! We're excited to bring to you a couple of new features that'll make your sprint process simpler. A cloud application brings with it an array of social media features that can be efficiently used in your organizational setup. As an agile scrum

    • Restrict Users access to login into CRM?

      I’m wanting my employees to be able to utilize the Zoho CRM Lookup field within Zoho Forms. For them to use lookup field in Zoho Forms it is my understanding that they need to be licensed for Forms and the CRM. However, I don’t want them to be able to

    • Module Customisation - Lookup function not available

      Good evening, Within my business, I can have multiple customers, who have multiple mobile assets. When I set these assets up, I enter information such as vehicle registration, Vehicle identification number (VIN), Unit number, YOM, in addition to others.

    • zoho click, and nord VPN

      Unfortunately, we've been having problems with Zoho Click, where essentially the line cuts off after about a minute's worth of conversation every time we are on VPN. Is there a way we can change this within the settings so it does not cut the line off

    • Zoho Calender

      a) does the clanender in zoho project allow you to see the name of the event in the celnder view, it currently says either "Task (1) or "Milestoen (1)" b) Alternatively does the calender in Zoho project integrate with zoho calender?

    • Matching ZOHO Payments in Banking

      Our company has recently integrated ZOHO Payments into our system. This seemed really convenient at first because our customers could pay their account balance by clicking on a link imbedded in the emailed invoice. Unfortunately, we can't figure out how

    • Team Gamification

      Would love to motivate, engage and encourage our team with our social media posts. Would like to include Gamification features of Social Media in Zoho Social or Marketing Automation. And also bring in Social Advocacy tools/tracking/management to these,

    • Power up your Kiosk Studio with Real-Time Data Capture, Client Scripts & More!

      Hello Everyone, We’re thrilled to announce a powerful set of enhancements to Kiosk Studio in Zoho CRM. These new updates give you more flexibility, faster record handling, and real-time data capture, making your Kiosk flows smarter and more efficient

    • New Enhancements to Zoho CRM and Zoho Creator Integration

      Hello Everyone, We’ve rolled out enhancements to the Zoho Creator and Zoho CRM integration to align with recent updates made to the Zoho Creator platform. With enhancements to both the UI and functionality, This update also tightens access control by

    • Work Type - Limitation

      Hello, I'm setting up work types and have noticed, a limitation on the parts area to 10 lines. Can this be increased to 20 or greater? In addition to this, when I attempt to add the work type to a work order, the correct labour hours doesn't flow through.

    • Emails sent through Bigin are not posting in IMAP Sent folder

      I have set up my email to work from within Bigin using IMAP.  I am using IMAP so I can sync my email across multiple devices - phone / laptop / desktop / iPad / etc.  I want all my emails to populate my email client (outlook & iphone email) whether or

    • Turning the page for Zoho SalesIQ: 2025 to 2026

      As we wrap up 2025, we would like to take a moment to reflect on what we set out to achieve this year, what we’ve delivered, and where we’re headed next. What we focused on in 2025 This year was all about strengthening the core of engagement and AI, making

    • Stage-probability mapping feature in custom module

      Hi, I'm building a custom module for manage projects. I would like to implement the stage-probability feature that Potentials has. Is this possible?

    • Temporary Outage in Zoho Cliq Affecting US Users – July 23, 2025

      We experienced a service disruption in Zoho Cliq that impacted core functionality for users in the US region. The issue occurred between Jul 23, 2025, 06:54:00 PM IST and 07:13:13 PM IST, lasting approximately 19 minutes. To restore service stability,

    • Why Sharing Rules do Not support relative date comparison???

      I am creating a Sharing Rule and simply want to share where "Last Day of Coverage" (Date field) is Greater than TODAY (Starting Tomorrow). However, sharing rules don't have the option to compare a date field to a relative date (like today), only to Static

    • Zoho Cliq not working on airplanes

      Hi, My team and I have been having this constant issue of cliq not working when connected to an airplane's wifi. Is there a reason for this? We have tried on different Airlines and it doesn't work on any of them. We need assistance here since we are constantly

    • Problem with Workdrive folders

      I'm having a problem a problem accessing files in a Zoho work drive folder when using the Zoho writer app. The problem folder appears grayed out in the Zoho work drive window in both the online and writer application. However I can open the folder in

    • Multi-currency and Products

      One of the main reasons I have gone down the Zoho route is because I need multi-currency support.  However, I find that products can only be priced in the home currency, We sell to the US and UK.  However, we maintain different price lists for each. 

    • Create an Eye-Catching Announcement Widget for Your Help Center

      Hello Everyone! In this week’s edition, let’s explore how to keep your customers updated with exciting news in the Help Center. See how ZylkerMobile wowed their customers by bringing updates right to their portal. ZylkerMobile, the renowned brand for

    • Send Whatsapp with API including custom placeholders

      Is is possible to initiate a session on whatsapp IM channel with a template that includes params (placeholders) that are passed on the API call? This is very usefull to send a Utility message for a transactional notification including an order number

    • Customer Management: #6 Common Mistakes in Customer Handling

      Managing customers doesn't usually fall apart overnight. More often, slight gaps in the process slowly become bigger problems. Incidents like missed follow-ups, billing confusion, and unhappy customers will lead to revenue loss. Many businesses don't

    • Zoho Desk iOS app update: UI enhancement of picklist and multi picklist fields

      Hello everyone! We have enhanced the UI of the picklist and multiselect picklist fields on the Zoho Desk iOS app to provide a more refined, efficient, and user-friendly experience. We have now supported an option to Search within the picklist and multiselect

    • Zoho Desk iOS app update: Revamped scribbles with Apple pencil kit

      Hello everyone! We’re excited to introduce a revamped Scribble experience, rebuilt from the ground up using Apple PencilKit for smooth strokes, proper scaling, and seamless image uploads. Please update the app to the latest version directly from the App

    • Zoho Desk Android app update: Norwegian language support

      Hello everyone! In the most recent Android version of the Zoho Desk app update, we have brought in support to access the app in Norwegian language. We have introduced the Norwegian language on the IM module of the Zoho Desk app as well. Please update

    • Field Description is very small

      Hello, The field Description in the activity is very small. Why don't try open a new window, or a bigger popup, or increase the width of the "popup".  Example:

    • Function #53: Transaction Level Profitability for Invoices

      Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! We have previously provided custom functions for calculating the profitability of a quote and a sales order. There may be instances where the invoice may differ from its corresponding quote or sales order.

    • Next Page