Template
Free Payroll Template: Streamline International Payroll Processing
Global payroll
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Managing global payroll is complex. Ensuring every employee—from salaried staff to contractors—is paid accurately and on time is the foundation of a healthy business. While an all-in-one payroll and HR solution like Deel simplifies compliance and tax withholdings, many small businesses and startups begin with a manual payroll tracking document.
Download this free payroll template to consolidate core employee data, calculate pay cycles, and organize international payroll records in one secure spreadsheet.
Why use a payroll template?
Using a structured payroll register template helps minimize manual errors in tax calculations and ensures you have a clean audit trail. This template is designed for:
- Small business owners managing manual payroll for the first time
- Finance managers who need a compatible payroll report template
- HR professionals overseeing international compliance and payroll processing
- Startups looking for a customizable payroll budget template for financial planning
How to use this free payroll template
This template includes over 30 customizable fields to help you calculate every aspect of a pay cycle, whether you operate on weekly, biweekly, or monthly payroll cycles.
1. Structure your global data
Organization is the first step toward compliance. Use the template to categorize your team by employment type (EOR, contractors, or local hires) and record essential entity data like contract reference numbers and unique employee IDs.
2. Master complex deductions
Go beyond simple base salaries. The template includes dedicated rows to help you calculate:
- Varied pay drivers: Track salary changes, signing bonuses, and recurring allowances
- Benefit management: Log monthly employer health benefits and insurance premiums based on dependent counts
- Employer obligations: Stay on top of pension contributions and social security to see your true total payroll burden
3. Manage time off and termination payouts
Manual payroll often breaks during offboarding. This template provides a robust framework for:
- Vacation accruals: Track annual entitlements vs. days taken to ensure accurate vacation accrual payouts
- Severance compliance: Calculate severance amounts in both currency and time while maintaining detailed records of contract end dates and reasons
4. Export to Excel or Google Sheets
This is natively a Google Sheets payroll template, but it is fully compatible with Microsoft Excel. Simply go to File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) to use it as an Excel payroll template.
Technical specifications: What’s included?
| Category | Key Fields Included |
|---|---|
| Employee Identity | Name, ID, Hire Date, Work Location |
| Earnings | Base Salary, Bonuses, Allowances |
| Taxes & Deductions | Pension, Local and Federal Taxes, And More |
| Time Tracking | PTO Accrual, Days Taken, Unpaid Leave |
| Total Cost | Employer Contributions, Total Payroll Burden |
FAQs
Is there a free payroll template in Google Sheets?
Yes. This template is built in Google Sheets for real-time collaboration. It can also be downloaded and used as an Excel payroll template for businesses that prefer offline management.
Can I do payroll myself for my small business?
Yes, business owners can manage payroll manually using a payroll spreadsheet. However, manual entry increases the risk of compliance errors. As you scale, using payroll software or a payroll service like Deel is recommended to automate payroll calculations, payouts, and reporting.
Learn more: How to Do Payroll for Small Businesses
Does Microsoft Word or Google Docs have a payroll template?
While Google Docs and Word offer basic invoice templates or timesheets, they lack the formulaic power required for payroll calculations. A spreadsheet-based payroll register is the industry standard for calculating taxes and net pay.
How do I run payroll for a single employee?
To run payroll for one person:
- Determine gross pay: Multiply hours worked by pay rate or use a fixed salary
- Calculatedeductions: Subtract local tax withholdings and benefits
- Issue payment: Distribute net pay via bank transfer or check
- File records: Generate a pay stub and update your payroll report
Scale beyond spreadsheets with Deel
As your team grows, manual spreadsheets become a bottleneck. Deel Payroll replaces fragmented systems with one global product and one intuitive experience.
- One platform, one product: Whether you’re paying a local team or a global workforce, you can manage everything on a single platform
- Run payroll your way: Choose the level of support that fits your operational confidence. Run payroll independently or opt for managed payroll to get expert guidance from Deel’s payroll managers
- Real-time payroll processing: In 50+ countries, our native payroll engine provides instant results, faster processing, and seamless integrations
- Unified ecosystem: Connect payroll with HR, benefits, and IT. Enrollments and deductions flow automatically into every pay cycle, providing one source of truth for your people and spend