The Include in Gross Pay setting lets you control exactly which pay elements count toward an employee's Gross Pay total on payslips and payroll reports. Rather than relying solely on CPF-payable rules, this gives you granular, element-by-element control over what makes up Gross Pay. This feature is available for Singapore payroll only.
How to Configure Include in Gross Pay
Company level:
- Go to Payroll → Configuration → Payroll → Pay Elements.
- Click the eye icon on a pay element that should count toward Gross Pay.
- Tick the Include in Gross Pay checkbox.
- Save your changes.
- Repeat for all relevant pay elements.
Tip: As a starting point, consider ticking Include in Gross Pay for all elements already marked as CPF Payable. This produces a Gross Pay figure consistent with standard payroll practice. |
Employee level:
- Go to Payroll → Administration → Employee Pay Details.
- Click the pencil icon on the name of the staff you are editing.
- Click the settings icon of the pay element.
- Tick the Include in Gross Pay checkbox.
- Save your changes.
- Repeat for all relevant pay elements.
Note: The employee-level setting overrides the company-level default for that specific employee only. All other employees continue to follow the company-level setting. |
What It Affects
- The Gross Pay total on employee payslips
- The Gross Pay column on the payrun summary screen
- Gross Pay figures in payroll reports (e.g., Monthly Payroll Detail Report, Monthly Salary Report)
What It Does NOT Affect
This setting has no impact on the following items, each of which uses its own separate configuration:
| Item | Controlled by |
|---|---|
| CPF contributions | CPF Payable setting on each element |
| SDL (Skills Development Levy) | SDL Payable setting on each element |
| Other statutory contributions (SINDA, CDAC, ECF, MBMF) | Their respective payable settings |
| Tax filings (IR8A / IRAS) | Each element's tax code classification |
| Net Pay | Calculated independently |
| Benefits-in-Kind items | Always excluded from Gross Pay regardless of this checkbox |
Typical Pay Elements by Gross Pay Treatment
| Include in Gross Pay | Exclude from Gross Pay |
|---|---|
| Basic Salary | Reimbursements |
| Housing allowance | Employer CPF contributions |
| Transport allowance | Certain ad-hoc deductions |
| Bonuses | |
| Commissions | |
| Leave encashment |
Important Things to Know
- Independent from CPF Payable. These two settings do not affect each other. An element can be CPF-payable but excluded from Gross Pay, or included in Gross Pay but not CPF-payable. Changing one setting never changes the other.
- New pay elements default to unticked. When you create a new pay element, Include in Gross Pay is not automatically enabled. You must tick it manually if you want it counted toward Gross Pay.
- Gross Pay will show 0.00 if nothing is ticked. The system only counts elements that are explicitly ticked — it does not assume any defaults.
- Both additions and deductions can be included. Gross Pay adds all ticked allowances and subtracts all ticked deductions. If you tick deductions without ticking the corresponding additions, Gross Pay may appear as zero or negative.
- Changes apply from the next payrun only. Already-completed payruns are not retroactively updated. To reflect a setting change in a processed payrun, you must undo and re-process it.
- Supported element types. The checkbox is available for Allowance, Reimbursement, and Deduction type elements. It is not available for Employer Contribution type elements.
- Not copied when cloning a company. If you clone a company, the Include in Gross Pay settings are not carried over. You will need to configure them manually in the new company.
- Changes are tracked. Any change to this setting is recorded in the system's audit log, including who made the change, when, and the old versus new value.