What is the purpose of the 12-month History Screen?

You can use the History Screen to update past values during the current tax year.

The system uses these values in South African companies to:

• Create IRP5/IT3a tax certificates
• Generate the EMP501 Reconciliation Report
• Fix validation issues during the Interim Employer Reconciliation 

It’s a handy tool for making corrections before final submissions.

How do I open the History Screen?

Go to any employee’s payslip screen, then click the HS icon in the menu bar.

What values shows on the History Screen?

The History Screen shows values for the past 12 months—that’s the previous 11 months plus the current one.

You can only change values for the current tax year.

What happens when you change values on the History Screen?

If you change anything on the 12-month History Screen, the system updates the year-to-date figures right away. That means if you adjust an employee’s values, their year-to-date totals will recalculate in the current period.

The system also kicks off a forced average tax calculation, which updates PAYE. Depending on what you change, Skills Development Levy (SDL) will recalculate.

 NOTE: Only change values if you haven’t paid your employees or printed any reports for the current period. 

How do I change values on the History Screen?

To update a value, just click the cell for the month and definition you want to change. You can only change values in the current tax year.

 CAUTION: Before you make any changes, create a company backup and make sure no one else is using the system. 

Which values can you change on the History Screen?

You can update most values for the current tax year on the History Screen. But there are a few exceptions—you can’t change:

• Reimbursive Travel
• Medical Aid
• Company Car
• Lease Car
• Retirement Fund perks (like Pension, Provident Fund, and Retirement Annuities—except Private Retirement Annuities)

If you see a message saying the system doesn't allow changes, you’ll need to fix the year-to-date values in the current period.

What if I need to change a line that you can’t edit?

If you need to fix a value that the History Screen doesn’t allow, and it affects year-to-date totals, do corrections before you start September. That’s because the Interim Employer Reconciliation covers March to August.

Already rolled into September?
If you’ve moved into September—especially for non-monthly companies—you’ll need to:

1. Restore a backup into a copy system from before the rollover.
2. Make the year-to-date corrections in the copy system.
3. Run the Interim Reconciliation from there.
4. Then, redo those changes in your live system.

Which parts of the system don’t change when you update the History Screen?

When you change values on the History Screen, the system recalculates and updates the year-to-date figures.

However, some sections stay the same because the system stores their values in different files. These include:

• BCEA screen values
• 12-month report
• Period Analysis report
• Previous period values on the payslip screen
• Month-to-date (MTD) screen on the payslip
• Equity Remuneration

Which reports show History Screen values?

You can print the History Report (Real Number 698) to see the values from the History Screen.

The report is similar to the 12-month report, and it gives a clear view of the past values stored in the system.

Why can’t I use the 12-month or Period Analysis reports after changing the History Screen?

If you update values on the History Screen, the changes won’t show in the 12-month report or the Period Analysis report.

These reports get information from other system files not affected by changes on the History Screen.