Choosing payroll software for 2026 — what to look for

Why does 2026 compliance matter?

Hungarian payroll changes every year: minimum wage, guaranteed wage minimum, contribution rates, tax credits, filing forms. A single miscalculated payslip can trigger a tax authority penalty, additional payments, or employee complaints.

Key 2026 changes affecting payroll:

• Minimum wage and guaranteed wage minimum — updated figures from 1 January.
• First-marriage allowance — extended eligibility and revised amounts.
• Family tax credit — clarified dependent classifications.
• ÁNYK filing forms — updated versions of the 08, M30, T1041 forms.

Good payroll software handles all of this automatically — no manual parameter updates required.

What to check when choosing payroll software

1. Speed of legislation updates

Ask the vendor: when does a regulatory change appear in the system? Ideally before 1 January — not after. The best systems update tax tables and contribution rates automatically, without manual maintenance.

2. Official filing export (ÁNYK-compatible)

Monthly filings, annual summaries, and leaver certificates need to export in the official electronic format. This avoids manual data re-entry in the filing interface.

3. Multi-company support

If you run a payroll bureau or accounting firm, it is essential that unlimited companies and users are manageable in a single installation — with separate data stores and role-based access.

4. Time and attendance integration

The ideal payroll system connects to access-control hardware, time-clock apps, or attendance logs — so data doesn't have to be entered twice.

5. Employee self-service portal

Most employee queries (payslip, certificate, leave balance) can be answered by a self-service portal. This significantly reduces HR admin load.

6. Cloud vs. on-premise

If data sovereignty is important: look for a vendor who offers on-premise deployment, not only SaaS. Cloud solutions, however, have the advantage of automatic updates and accessible support.

What to look for as a payroll bureau

If you process payroll for multiple clients rather than a single company, these are especially important:

• Batch processing — export filings for multiple companies in one run.
• Deadline tracking — monitor submission deadlines across all client companies.
• Client portal — clients upload attendance data; you validate and process.

DevTools payroll software

The DevTools payroll system includes 2026 legislation tracking, official filing exports, an employee self-service portal, and a multi-tenant mode for payroll bureaus. Request a demo and see the 2026 compliance handling live.

Related pages:

• Payroll software details
• Accounting software