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Compliance clarified

Payroll Assistant

Meet Payroll Assistant - the AI payroll expert built for Australia. Ask a question, cite the clause, move on with confidence.

Compliance clarified

Datapay Payroll Assistant is an AI-powered tool built for New Zealand payroll compliance. Type any payroll question and get a clause-linked answer in seconds—no more PDF searches or conflicting interpretations.

A live knowledge base combines the Holidays Act, Income Tax Act and your own policies. Our local compliance team updates it as regulations change, so today’s guidance matches tomorrow’s audit needs.

  • Every answer cites its legal source for easy use in reports, emails, and audit trails. 
  • Data stays in an ISO 27001-certified cloud, encrypted end-to-end and protected by relationship-based access controls.
Illustration of the AI assistant interface
what-it-can-do

The Payroll Assistant helps Australian enterprise payroll teams cut research time and stay on top of compliance requirements and changing legislation.

Payroll is complex. The Payroll Assistant helps you manage complexity by delivering clarity, speed and accuracy to Australian payroll legislative and regulatory related questions, directly inside Datapay.

  • Ask using natural language

    Get instant, succinct, and trusted answers. No legal jargon required.
  • Linked to source material

    See exact clauses in legislation, EBAs or policies.

  • Context-aware

    Answers align with your organisation’s unique settings.
  • Copy, share and report

    Generate explanations you can paste into tickets, emails or audit logs.
  • Constantly updated

    Reflects changes in NZ payroll legislation as they happen.
  • Secure and compliant

    Built on enterprise-grade infrastructure.
prompt-ideas

Our Payroll Assistant can answer a wide range of payroll legislation questions, helping you maintain compliance with Australian laws.

Types of questions you can ask:

  • What is the minimum wage in AU?

  • What information must be stored when an employee changes their tax file number declaration (TFN Declaration)?
  • What is the definition of 'contracting out' under the Fair Work Act 2009?
  • How is pay calculated for an employee on the 'H' tax code in Australia?
  • What is the difference between an employee and a contractor under Australian law?
  • How is annual leave calculated for employees while on parental leave under the Fair Work Act?
Man and woman sitting at desk with laptop
use-cases

AI support designed for Australian payroll teams

Our Payroll Assistant transforms the way payroll leads, analysts, support staff, finance and HR teams operate by streamlining complex processes, reducing manual effort, and supporting accuracy. Empower your teams to focus on decision-making and employee engagement, enhance collaboration across departments and accelerate payroll cycles.

Book a demo of the Payroll Assistant
Connect with our team to see the Datapay Payroll Assistant in action.
security-and-compliance

Trust and security - compliance secured

  • ISO 27001-aligned

  • Customer-controlled data sources

  • Encrypted in transit and at rest

  • Responses are fact-based, not generative

datapay-capabilities

Enterprise payroll software for medium to large Australian organisations, backed by Datacom

  • Keep your payroll compliant

    Safeguard against costly penalties, enhance operational efficiency and improve employee experience. Stay payroll compliant
  • Configure your bespoke payroll solution

    Empower your people, processes, and payroll to work in harmony with extensive API capabilities and strategic partnerships. Explore integrations
  • Keep your data secure

    Stay compliant with data protection regulations and protect your employee and payroll data from breaches. Secure your payroll data
  • Outsource your payroll management

    Our payroll experts oversee your payroll complexities to ensure you stay compliant and your employees are paid on time, every time. Explore Managed Payroll
  • Give your employees direct access to their payroll

    Make payroll management accessible, easier and faster for your payroll team and employees via a self-service portal. Explore Direct Access
  • Simple payroll reporting

    Clear and concise reporting and regular updates from our expert team providing your organisation with actionable insights. Payroll reporting
  • Easily manage your payroll from anywhere

    Give your employees instant access to their pay and personal information anytime, anywhere – exclusively available with Datapay. Explore MyPay
  • Hands-on payroll onboarding and implementation

    Modernise your payroll with expert support from our local payroll team at every step of your onboarding journey. Implement payroll
payroll-you-can-trust

Leverage the power of Datapay's payroll software

Datapay is designed to meet the complex payroll demands of medium to large enterprises, integrating with your existing systems to drive productivity and accuracy while providing ongoing support from our team of experts.

  • Compliance: A dedicated team of experts regularly reviews and updates Datapay to align with Australian legislation.
  • Cloud-native: Built on Datacom Cloud infrastructure, our multi-tenanted SaaS platform is secure and scalable.
  • Security: ISO 27001:2022 and ISAE 3402 Type II certified, with annual penetration testing and disaster recovery protocols.
  • Proven track record: 60 years of delivering payroll solutions across Australia and New Zealand.
our-experience

 

Our payroll service experience

  • 1 out of 6

    employees in New Zealand has their pay processed by Datacom
  • 60 years

    of delivering payroll solutions across Australia and New Zealand
  • 1300+

    organisations currently using Datapay to manage payroll
book-a-demo
Book a demo of the Payroll Assistant
Connect with our team to see the Datapay Payroll Assistant in action.
faqs

Frequently asked questions

What is the Payroll Assistant?

The Payroll Assistant is a specialized tool designed to assist with questions about New Zealand and Australian payroll, tax, and legislation. It provides detailed responses about New Zealand and Australian legislation and other relevant Ministry provided specifications.

How do I sign up for the Payroll Assistant?

Please contact us and we’ll be in touch with next steps.

Is there a user guide on how to use Payroll Assistant?

Getting started is simple. We've created a step-by-step user guide to walk you through everything you need to know. You can access it here.

What should I do if I encounter an issue during the sign-up process?

If you experience any issues, please reach out to our support team via email.

Can I use the Payroll Assistant to inform responses to employees/ make business decisions?

The Payroll Assistant is intended as a decision support tool (using authoritative sources) to inform you about different payroll scenarios and what factors are relevant to them in a compliant way. The following disclaimer applies: "Please be aware that this service uses artificial intelligence to interpret and provide information based on your queries and the data available to it. While we strive to keep the AI's knowledge current with New Zealand payroll legislation, we cannot guarantee complete accuracy due to the potential for laws and interpretation to change. Please note that this service does not offer or constitute legal advice, and we are not qualified lawyers. For specific concerns, particularly if your situation is unusual or you seek complete peace of mind, we recommend consulting with a professional legal advisor or contacting Employment New Zealand directly at 0800 20 90 20.  To the extent permitted by law, Datacom disclaims any and all liability arising in any way from the use of this service."

Can I use the Payroll Assistant to write emails, letters or other documents?

Yes this is one of the most useful features of the product. The Payroll Assistant always products draft documents which a payroll professional must review before using. All communications drafted by the Payroll Assistant come with a disclaimer.

The following disclaimer applies: "Please be aware that this service uses artificial intelligence to interpret and provide information based on your queries and the data available to it. While we strive to keep the AI's knowledge current with New Zealand payroll legislation, we cannot guarantee complete accuracy due to the potential for laws and interpretation to change. Please note that this service does not offer or constitute legal advice, and we are not qualified lawyers. For specific concerns, particularly if your situation is unusual or you seek complete peace of mind, we recommend consulting with a professional legal advisor or contacting Employment New Zealand directly at 0800 20 90 20.  To the extent permitted by law, Datacom disclaims any and all liability arising in any way from the use of this service." 

Should I expect the Payroll Assistant to give me a complete answer after only one question?

Sometimes but often this is not the case. In some circumstances where the answer is a simple fact then it can do that, but for more complex questions it is intended that a Payroll Professional will interact several times to get the answer they need. This is intended behaviour.

Can I tell the Payroll Assistant what to look for if I don’t get what I want first time?

Yes, if you think that a specific piece of legislation is relevant to your question then tell it to look at it. If it is relevant it will respond and include it. 

Does the Payroll Assistant have access to real-time payroll information?

Not at this time although we are considering this for our roadmap.

How does the Payroll Assistant answer questions?

The Payroll Assistant answers questions by interpreting your question and considering four core perspectives: Employment Relations, ACC, TAX, Leave, and Payroll in the New Zealand context.

Can the Payroll Assistant assist with coding or software-related questions?

No, the Payroll Assistant is not equipped to assist with coding in any programming language. If you have questions related to code or software, the Payroll Assistant will not be able to assist.

What happens if the Payroll Assistant can't find an answer in the legislation or specification?

If the Payroll Assistant is unable to find an answer in the legislation or specification, it will issue a disclaimer and ask you for further clarification.

Can the Payroll Assistant provide real-time information?

No, the Payroll Assistant does not have the ability to access real-time information or browse the internet. Any query about real-time information must be categorised as an out-of-domain question.

Can the Payroll Assistant draft emails?

Yes, if you request an email draft, the Payroll Assistant will ensure it is professional, kind, and includes clear references to relevant sections of legislation or specifications.

Does the Payroll Assistant provide follow-up questions?

Yes, after each response, the Payroll Assistant may provide potential follow-up questions that you might be interested in, keeping in mind the four core perspectives. These questions are clearly labelled.

What kind of documents does the Payroll Assistant use to provide answers?

The Payroll Assistant uses specific documents and legislative acts to provide answers. Please note that where the response mentions specifications these are drawn from Ministry provided guidance or interpretation of the Acts not legislative acts themselves.