Where payroll software projects and pay runs go wrong in Canada, the penalties that follow, and the official sources to check.
Most payroll problems are not software bugs. They are set-up errors, missed deadlines, wrong year-to-date balances after a switch, or a contract that renews at a higher price before anyone notices. This section collects those patterns so you can avoid them.
Start with common payroll mistakes and the official sources to check. Then read about switching payroll providers mid-year, CRA penalties for late remittances and late or paper filing, record retention and employee privacy, contract renewal and exit terms and the implementation failure patterns that cause most go-live trouble.
The patterns described are general, not stories about named companies. When a rule matters to a decision, go to the source: the Canada Revenue Agency, Service Canada, the Justice Laws website, Revenu Québec, your provincial employment standards office and the privacy commissioners. When the amounts at stake are large, an accountant or a payroll professional is worth the fee.
Payroll Mistakes, Switching Problems and Official Sources
Payroll software contract terms that cost most later: auto-renewal, renewal uplifts, minimum headcount, error liability and data export at exit.
Payroll Mistakes, Switching Problems and Official Sources
Recurring patterns behind painful payroll software go-lives in Canada, from rushed dates and bad data to missing pay rules, with warning signs and fixes.
Payroll Mistakes, Switching Problems and Official Sources
The payroll errors Canadian employers make most often, with or without software, how to catch them early, and which official source answers what.
Payroll Mistakes, Switching Problems and Official Sources
How CRA payroll penalties work for late remittances, failure to deduct, late T4s and paper filing, with worked examples and how software helps.
Payroll Mistakes, Switching Problems and Official Sources
How long to keep payroll records in Canada (ITA s. 230, ROEs, employment standards), which privacy law covers employee data, and vendor terms.
Payroll Mistakes, Switching Problems and Official Sources
How to switch payroll software mid-year in Canada without double deductions or duplicate T4s: start dates, YTD balances, ROEs and parallel runs.
