Premier ESS allows employees to view payslips and tax certificates online. Follow these steps to distribute employee tax certificates through ESS.

Step 1 - Export the IRP5 live run file from payroll

1. Complete the IRP5 Live Run export on your tax year-end copy system.
2. Tick the Employee Self Service checkbox (selected by default).
3. Choose whether to include or exclude certificates for ESS employees to print to paper.
4. Select the export location for your IRP5 import and ESS files.
5. During export, the system creates ESS certificate files.
6. Confirm the following files exist in the selected location:
   • IRP5.xx (where “xx” is the tax year, for example, IRP5.25 for 2025)
   • VPDTXnnn.PAY and VPDTXnnn.VIX (where “nnn” is the company number, for example, VPDTX001.PAY for Company 001)

Step 2 - Complete EMP501 submissions

• Submit your EMP501 reconciliation by 31 May each year
• Review submission status on SARS e@syFile or eFiling
• Once accepted, you can distribute tax certificates

Step 3 - Copy ESS files to your live payroll directory

1. Locate the VPDTXnnn.PAY and VPDTXnnn.VIX files in your tax year-end system folder.
2. Copy the files.
3. Open your live payroll system folder.
4. Paste the files into the live directory (for example, V:\Premier).

Step 4 - Import IRP5 files into ESS

• ESS automatically checks for new IRP5 files every 20 minutes (unless changed)
• To import manually:
  1. Log in to ESS.
  2. Go to Manage and select Import Payslips and IRP5s.
  3. Select the IRP5s tab.
  4. Choose the files to import.
  5. Click Import Selected IRP5s.

Step 5 - Confirm successful IRP5 import

1. Log in to ESS.
2. Go to Views > Payslip Service Audit Trail Entries.
3. Look for entries such as:
   • Checking for existing IRP5 files
   • Processing file “VPDTX001.PAY”
   • Finished processing file “VPDTX001.PAY”
   • Renaming file “VPDTX001.PAY”
   • Processed Files\VPDTX001.PAY.20250602_160353.Processed

These entries confirm the IRP5 files imported successfully and are available to employees.