- Hong Kong payroll software should handle MPF, eMPF submission and IR56 forms.
- Only Talenox and Workstem list a per-employee price on their Hong Kong pages.
- Workstem is the only tool here whose own pages describe a direct eMPF API connection.
- The employer stays responsible for MPF, even when software or an accountant runs payroll.
Most payroll software in Hong Kong can calculate MPF. Where the tools differ is what happens next: how the data reaches eMPF, whether leave is in the plan, and whether the price you see is the price you’ll pay.
We compared six systems on their own pages: Talenox, Workstem, Info-Tech, JustLogin, SimplePay and Odoo. Talenox and Workstem publish prices, from HK$17 and HK$71 per employee a month on annual billing. If no one in-house will run payroll, outsourcing it with your accounts is often simpler than any of them.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What Hong Kong payroll software has to handle, including the 2025-2026 rule changes
- How the six systems compare on eMPF, IR56 forms and price
- What to ask a vendor before you sign
- When outsourced payroll fits better than software
What is the best payroll software for a Hong Kong SME?
There’s no single winner. The right choice depends on who will run payroll and how your staff are paid.
| If you… | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Have a few staff and no one in finance or HR | Outsourced payroll, ideally with your accounts | No system to learn and no deadlines to track yourself |
| Only need payroll for a small team | Talenox (PAYROLL plan) or SimplePay | Low price and a light set-up |
| Run shifts, hourly pay or attendance tracking | Workstem (薪酬Pro plan) | Rostering, attendance and overtime bundled with payroll |
| Are growing and want a full HR suite | JustLogin or Info-Tech | Wider HR features, quoted by headcount |
| Want payroll, HR and accounting in one system | Odoo | Hong Kong payroll localisation inside a wider business system |
How do Hong Kong payroll systems compare?
Six payroll systems side by side, plus outsourced payroll, based on each vendor’s own pages.
| Option | Best for | eMPF | IR56 forms | Xero | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talenox | Payroll-only plans for small teams | Exports MPF files; eMPF not named | B, E, F, G, M | Yes | HK$17 per full-time employee a month, billed annually; HK$85 monthly minimum |
| Workstem | Shift, hourly and attendance-heavy teams | Direct eMPF API, plus file upload | B, E, F, G, M | Yes (API) | HK$71 per employee a month, billed annually; minimum 5 employees |
| Info-Tech | Teams wanting an HR suite with a guided set-up | eMPF batch import (mentioned on its blog) | B, E, F, G | Not named | Not published; free demo |
| JustLogin | Growing teams wanting HR and payroll together | eMPF submission (in its help centre) | B, E, F, G, M | Yes | Quote only; free trial |
| SimplePay | A low-cost, payroll-only set-up | Not named; MPF remittance PDF | B, F, G | Yes | Price calculator on its site; 30-day free onboarding |
| Odoo | One system for HR, payroll and accounting | eMPF reports | B, E, F, G | Uses its own accounting | Not stated on its Hong Kong payroll page; 15-day free trial |
| Outsourced (Sleek) | No one in-house to run payroll | Monthly MPF e-submission by your accountant | BIR56A and IR56B; E, F, G as add-ons | Yes | Included in accounting plans from HK$5,880 a year; no per-employee fees |
IR56 forms: B = yearly employer’s return, E = new hire, F = leaving, G = leaving Hong Kong, M = payments to non-employees.
Checked on 23 October 2026. Vendors change prices and features, so confirm with each one before you buy.
Which payroll software should you shortlist in Hong Kong?
All six cover MPF and the main IR56 forms. They differ in how they reach eMPF, what’s in the plan and whether the price is public.
Talenox: best for small teams that want payroll only
A cloud payroll and HR system built for Hong Kong, which says you don’t need to know payroll terms to start.
- MPF and eMPF: calculates employer and employee contributions, including the contribution holiday and mid-month joiners, and exports MPF files for online submission. Its pages don’t name eMPF.
- IR56 forms: B, E, F, G and M, according to its payroll page.
- Pricing: the PAYROLL plan is HK$17 per full-time and HK$8.50 per part-time employee a month, billed annually, with an HK$85 monthly minimum. Monthly billing costs more. New subscribers get a 30-day trial of the SUITE plan.
- Integrations: Xero and QuickBooks Online.
- Watch out if: you need leave management, which sits in SUITE (HK$30 per employee a month, billed annually) or a separate plan. Ask how MPF files reach eMPF.
Workstem: best for shift, hourly and attendance-heavy teams
HR, attendance and payroll in one system. Its 薪酬Pro plan supports hourly, daily and monthly pay.
- MPF and eMPF: a direct connection to the eMPF API, submitting up to 4,000 employee records at a time, plus CSV upload.
- IR56 forms: B, E, F, G and M. It also calculates statutory leave pay from average daily wages.
- Pricing: HK$71 per employee a month on annual billing, with a minimum of five employees. Monthly billing costs more.
- Integrations: an API connection to Xero.
- Watch out if: you only need payroll. The plan bundles rostering, attendance and claims, so compare it with all-in-one plans, not payroll-only ones.
Info-Tech: best for teams wanting an HR suite with a guided set-up
Payroll software aimed at start-ups, SMEs and enterprises, with leave balances feeding straight into payroll.
- MPF and eMPF: generates MPF data in trustee-supported formats. Only its blog mentions eMPF batch import, so confirm how contribution data reaches the platform.
- IR56 forms: B, E, F and G, with online submission options, according to its payroll software page. Staff see payslips in a portal or app.
- Pricing: not published; free demo.
- Integrations: mentions accounting integration without naming products.
- Watch out if: you want to compare prices before a sales call.
JustLogin: best for growing teams that want HR and payroll together
An HR suite covering leave, claims, attendance and payroll for Hong Kong employers.
- MPF and eMPF: calculates MPF, and its help centre covers submitting through eMPF.
- IR56 forms: B, E, F, G and M, with IR56B uploadable to the IRD, according to its payroll page.
- Pricing: quote only; free trial and demo.
- Integrations: Xero, QuickBooks Online and Oracle NetSuite.
- Watch out if: you want a published per-employee price to compare.
SimplePay: best for a low-cost, payroll-only set-up
A cloud payroll tool for small businesses, listed in the Xero app store.
- MPF and eMPF: calculates MPF and ORSO contributions and produces an MPF remittance PDF. Its pages don’t name eMPF.
- IR56 forms: B, F and G, with an IR56B XML export, according to SimplePay Hong Kong.
- Pricing: a calculator on its site prices by headcount; 30-day free onboarding.
- Integrations: Xero and QuickBooks.
- Watch out if: you need IR56E or IR56M from the system, or direct eMPF submission. Neither is named on its pages.
Odoo: best for one system covering HR, payroll and accounting
An all-in-one business system with a Hong Kong payroll localisation.
- MPF and eMPF: supports all 24 MPF schemes and generates eMPF reports, according to Odoo’s Hong Kong payroll page.
- IR56 forms: B, E, F and G.
- Pricing: not stated on that page; 15-day free trial.
- Integrations: payroll posts into Odoo’s own accounting.
- Watch out if: you already keep your books in Xero or another tool and only want payroll. Odoo makes most sense when you run the wider system.
How were these payroll software tools selected?
We shortlisted tools that sell to Hong Kong employers and confirm on their own Hong Kong pages that they handle MPF and IR56 forms. We then compared each one on the same five points:
| What we checked | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong compliance: MPF calculation, how contribution data reaches eMPF, and which IR56 forms it generates | These are the filings with penalties if they’re late or wrong |
| Pricing: whether a per-employee price is published, plus minimums and billing period | A low headline price can hide a minimum charge or an annual commitment |
| Plan scope: whether leave, attendance and claims are included or cost extra | Add-ons can double the real cost for a small team |
| Integrations: connections to accounting software, especially Xero | Without one, someone re-enters every pay run into the books |
| Fit: the team size and pay patterns each tool suits | Hourly, shift and commission pay need features a salaried team doesn’t |
- Sources: every detail comes from the vendor’s own pages, checked on 23 October 2026. We didn’t use reviews, star ratings or third-party roundups.
- Left out: tools whose Hong Kong pages didn’t confirm MPF and IR56 support.
- Not ranked: inclusion isn’t an endorsement. Sleek runs its clients’ payroll on Talenox, which is why Talenox is listed first.
- Check before you buy: prices and features change, so confirm the details with each vendor.
What must Hong Kong payroll software handle?
MPF, IR56 forms and Employment Ordinance pay, every month and every year. Check these before you compare prices. If you’re hiring your first employee, they’re also the jobs you take on from day one.
| Task | Deadline |
|---|---|
| MPF contributions | Generally by the 10th of each month |
| MPF pay-record to each employee | Within 7 working days of paying contributions |
| IR56E (new employee) | Within 3 months of the start date |
| IR56F (employee leaving) | At least 1 month before they leave |
| IR56G (employee leaving Hong Kong) | At least 1 month before they depart |
| BIR56A employer’s return, with an IR56B for each employee | Within 1 month of the IRD issuing it on the first working day of April |
MPF contributions and eMPF
- Calculate contributions: employer contributions start from an employee’s first day. Employee contributions start after the 30-day contribution holiday.
- Send them through eMPF: all MPF schemes now run on the eMPF Platform, which has integrated the systems of all 12 MPF trustees, according to the MPFA’s May 2026 release. The eMPF deadlines for employers apply whichever tool you use.
- Use a format eMPF accepts: eMPF takes contribution data by API or by file upload in its own standard format. The formats trustees used before no longer apply, according to the eMPF employer FAQ.
- Know who submits: a payroll vendor can submit by API for you, but it can’t upload files itself. If your tool only exports a file, you upload it.
IR56 forms and the employer’s return
- Joiners and leavers: the software should generate IR56E, IR56F and IR56G when people start, leave or leave Hong Kong. Our guide to IR56 forms explains which one applies.
- Year end: an IR56B for each employee, filed with the BIR56A employer’s return.
- Payments to non-employees: some tools also prepare IR56M, which reports certain payments to people who aren’t your employees, such as freelancers.
Leave, final pay and records
- Holiday and annual leave pay: based on average daily wages over the previous 12 months, under the Employment Ordinance. This is the calculation most worth automating.
- Final pay: severance and long service payments, which changed after MPF offsetting was abolished on 1 May 2025. Software needs to split service before and after that date.
- Payslips and records: itemised payslips, the monthly MPF pay-record, and a wage and employment record for each employee.
If your system can't produce IR56 data files, the IRD's free IR56 Forms Preparation Tool can. Software you build yourself needs written IRD approval before its IR56 files can go through the Employer's Return e-Filing Services.
What changed in Hong Kong payroll in 2025 and 2026?
Four rule changes since May 2025 affect what your payroll system calculates. Older set-ups, and spreadsheets, may not handle them.
| Change | In force | What your payroll system must do |
|---|---|---|
| MPF offsetting abolished | 1 May 2025 | Split each employee’s service at 1 May 2025. Employer MPF can’t offset severance or long service payments for service after that date. The earlier portion is based on wages before the change and can still be offset. |
| All MPF schemes on eMPF | Last scheme joined April 2026 | Send contributions by eMPF API or in eMPF’s standard file format. Trustees’ old formats no longer apply. |
| Continuous contract test changed | 18 January 2026 | Track hours over rolling four-week periods, not only each week. Staff who meet the new test qualify for Employment Ordinance benefits such as rest days, holiday pay and annual leave. |
| Statutory minimum wage rises to HK$43.1 an hour | 1 May 2026 | Check every pay period that hourly and low-paid staff earn at least the new rate. |
From 18 January 2026, an employee is on a continuous contract after four weeks if they work at least 17 hours a week, or 68 hours over four weeks when a week falls short. Part-timers who missed the old 18-hour test may now qualify for paid leave and holiday pay, so your system has to track hours, not just weeks.
What should you ask a payroll software vendor before you buy?
Ask how MPF reaches eMPF, what’s in your plan, and what you’ll pay for your real headcount. Use these questions in a demo or trial.
Compliance
- eMPF: does MPF data go to eMPF by API, or do you export a file and upload it yourself?
- 2025-26 rule changes: does it split service at 1 May 2025 for severance and long service payments, track hours for the four-week continuous contract test, and check pay against the new minimum wage?
- IR56 forms: which forms are in your plan, and can you file them electronically with the IRD?
Plan and price
- Leave: is leave management in the plan, or a separate module or plan?
- Full price: what will you pay for your headcount, including minimums, part-time rates and the billing period?
Your data
- Accounting: does it connect to your accounting software, or will someone re-key the figures?
- Leaving: can you export your full payroll history if you switch, so your year-end IR56B figures stay complete?
- Data protection: where is payroll data stored, and does the contract cover the vendor’s duties as your data processor under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance?
Payroll software or outsourced payroll: which should you choose?
Choose software if someone in-house has time to run it; outsource if no one does. Compare the fee plus the time someone spends on each pay run and every deadline, not the fee alone.
| Payroll software | Outsourced payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | You, or your HR or finance staff | Your accountant or payroll provider |
| What you still do | Enter changes, approve each pay run, submit MPF data, pay salaries and MPF, and file IR56 forms | Send changes and approvals on time, and fund salaries and MPF |
| Who’s legally responsible | You, as the employer | Still you, as the employer. The provider does the work, but MPF and IRD duties stay with you |
| Cost model | A fee per employee per month, usually with a minimum | A monthly or yearly fee, sometimes bundled with accounting |
| Best when | Someone in-house has time, pay changes often, or you need attendance and leave tools | Your team is small, no one in-house can run payroll, or you want payroll and accounts handled together |
What the price per employee doesn’t show
- Fees grow with headcount: at published annual-billing prices, 10 full-time staff cost HK$170 a month on Talenox’s PAYROLL plan, or HK$710 a month on Workstem’s 薪酬Pro.
- Someone’s time: each pay run needs changes entered, checked and approved, and MPF data sent to eMPF.
- The cost of a missed deadline: late MPF contributions can bring a 5% surcharge, and IR56 forms and the employer’s return have their own deadlines.
- Getting figures into your accounts: payroll figures still need to reach your books, your audit and your profits tax return.
What about Xero users?
Xero no longer runs Hong Kong payroll itself. Its built-in Global Pay Run was retired on 28 November 2025, according to Xero’s developer changelog, so Hong Kong businesses on Xero need a connected payroll app or an outsourced service.
- Connect a payroll app: Talenox, Workstem, JustLogin and SimplePay all list a Xero connection on their own pages.
- Or outsource payroll: your accountant runs each pay run and posts the figures to your books.
- Still choosing your books? Most tools in our accounting software comparison leave payroll to an add-on, so choose the two together.
How does Sleek run payroll for Hong Kong SMEs?
We run payroll on Talenox, as part of our accounting plans. We don’t sell payroll on its own: if you only want payroll, a standalone bureau or one of the tools above is a better fit.
With Sleek, you can:
- Hand over the monthly run: salary calculations, itemised payslips and expense reimbursements through payroll.
- Get MPF submitted on time: monthly MPF calculation and e-submission, with your existing MPF set-up moved across at onboarding.
- File the year-end forms: the BIR56A employer’s return with an IR56B for each employee, plus IR56E, F and G as add-ons.
- Keep payroll and accounts together: accounting with payroll included from HK$5,880 a year on the Standard plan, with no per-employee fees.
If you’re weighing software against handing payroll over, count the hours your team would spend each month before you decide.
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FAQs about payroll software in Hong Kong
Am I still responsible for MPF if someone else runs payroll?
Yes. The MPFA’s eMPF briefing for payroll systems says employers are required to submit the remittance statement and pay the contributions, and that the arrangement between employers and payroll vendors stays unchanged under eMPF. A provider can do the calculation and submission, but the legal obligation stays with you.
How many statutory holidays does Hong Kong payroll need to cover?
15 in 2026. Easter Monday was added from 2026, Good Friday follows in 2028 and the day after Good Friday in 2030, taking the total to 17, according to the Labour Department’s 2026 holiday list. Check your system’s holiday calendar updates on its own.
How long do you need to keep payroll records in Hong Kong?
At least seven years for tax, and a rolling 12 months under the Employment Ordinance. The IRD says to keep employees’ payroll records for at least seven years, and employers must always hold each employee’s wage and employment record for the preceding 12 months. If you switch software, export your history first.
