Are you the employer?
GOV.UK says you are the employer if you hire someone to work in your home and they are not self-employed or paid through an agency. It also says you cannot ask your employee to become self-employed.
What employing someone at home involves
According to GOV.UK, as an employer you must:
- Register as an employer.
- Set up and run payroll.
- Deduct and pay your employee’s Income Tax and National Insurance.
- Give them payslips, an employment contract, and at least the National Minimum Wage.
- Get employers’ liability insurance and check their right to work in the UK.
Making the payslip
Your payroll gives you the figures: gross pay, Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and net pay. GOV.UK’s payroll guidance says that if your payroll software can’t produce payslips, “You can use different software if it does not.” Enter the figures in PayDocs, check the preview, and give the payslip to your employee on or before payday.
PayDocs works out PAYE income tax, National Insurance and supported deductions for 2026/27 pay dates. Either way, PayDocs doesn’t report to HMRC or run pensions. Your payroll still does that.
Questions
What must a nanny’s payslip show?
Their pay before and after deductions, the deductions that can change each payday such as tax and National Insurance, and the hours worked if their pay depends on hours.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Employing someone to work in your home
- GOV.UK — Running payroll: payslips
- GOV.UK — Payslips: employee rights
Official sources checked 23 September 2026. This guide explains how pay documents work; it is not tax or legal advice.
