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Payroll software for small businesses in Sri Lanka
Humanised is payroll software for Sri Lankan small businesses with 5 to 50 employees. Upload your staff list, and it calculates EPF, ETF and APIT, issues Sinhala or English payslips and creates the bank transfer file each month, with no payroll officer needed. From LKR 10,000/month for up to 15 employees, with a free trial and no setup fee.
Updated September 2026
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A small-business payroll has to get three things right every month: the EPF, ETF and APIT figures, the payslip, and the bank file. Humanised does all three from one screen, produces the returns from the same run, and costs a flat LKR 10,000 a month for up to 15 staff.
Sri Lankan compliance, handled for you
EPF and ETF
8% and 12% EPF and 3% ETF on total earnings every run; C-form and R1/R4 generated.
EPF guide →APIT
The current IRD tables applied automatically; T10 and annual statement after 31 March.
APIT guide →Gratuity and returns
Provision tracked; minimum wage checked; stamp duty applied.
Minimum wage guide →| Each month, you | Each month, Humanised |
|---|---|
| Confirm changes: new hire, advance, overtime, no-pay | Calculates gross, EPF, ETF, APIT, stamp duty and net |
| Approve the run | Issues payslips in Sinhala or English to the app or email |
| Upload the bank file to your banking portal | Creates the bank transfer file in your bank’s format |
| Pay EPF, ETF and APIT | Produces the C-form, R1/R4 and APIT schedule |
Run payroll without a payroll officer
First-month setup, including the import and a parallel run against your current spreadsheet, usually takes a few days of elapsed time and an hour or two of yours.
- Start the pay run. Upload a CSV of staff and salaries once, then repeat last month in one click. About ten minutes the first time, one the next.
- Edit and confirm. Add this month’s changes and approve. Five minutes for a 15-person team.
- Pay staff. Download the bank file, send payslips, file the returns. Five minutes.
Everything a small team needs, nothing you will never use
- Payslips in Sinhala or English, emailed, in the app or bulk-printed, in the format the Shop and Office Regulations require.
- Bank files for Sampath Bank, BOC, Commercial Bank, HNB and other local banks.
- EPF and ETF files for the e-return and the Board.
- Simple reports for your accountant: pay summary, deductions, statutory totals, exportable to Excel.
- Salary changes and one-off items with an audit trail.
- Employee app for payslips and leave (employee app).
What a 10-person team pays
| Team | Humanised | Per employee | Better HR (LKR 399/user, annual) | Gallery HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 staff | LKR 10,000/month (Startup) | LKR 1,000 | LKR 3,990 | On request |
| 15 staff | LKR 10,000/month (Startup) | LKR 667 | LKR 5,985 | On request |
| 30 staff | LKR 25,000/month (Small Business) | LKR 833 | LKR 11,970 | On request |
| 50 staff | LKR 25,000/month (Small Business) | LKR 500 | LKR 19,950 | On request |
Built for Sri Lanka
- Bank files for the main local banks
- Sinhala and English payslips
- Poya and mercantile holiday calendar
- Shop and Office Act leave rules and overtime at 1.5×
- LKR pricing, no setup fee
- Phone and WhatsApp support from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on working days, and usually later
When you outgrow this page
At 50 to 300 staff, attendance devices, rosters and multi-level approvals matter: see payroll software for Sri Lanka and HR and payroll in one system. Accountants running several clients: payroll software for accountants.
How Humanised compares for small businesses
| Feature | Humanised | Simplebooks payroll | Better HR | hrpayroll.lk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | LKR 10,000/month flat | Service from LKR 3,000; software from LKR 10,000/month | LKR 399 per user/month (annual) | Not published (pricing page not readable) |
| Pricing model | Flat tiers | Scales with headcount | Per user | Not published |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes (1 month) | Yes | Not published |
| EPF/ETF/APIT | Yes, with returns | Yes | Yes, C-form named | Yes, gratuity named |
| Sinhala payslips | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Bank files | Named banks | Not listed | ETF bank format named | CSV/Excel |
| Employee app | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Web portal |
| Accounting integration | QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books | Own ledger | Not listed | Not listed |
Competitor facts as published on each vendor’s website on 3 September 2026; “on request” where no price is published. Full comparisons: Humanised vs Simplebooks, Humanised vs Better HR, Best payroll software in Sri Lanka.
Who this is for
A good fit if you
- Pay 5 to 50 people and do payroll yourself or with an outside accountant
- Are on Excel and dread the C-form and T10
- Want payslips your staff can read and a bank file your bank accepts
Not the right fit if you
- Need attendance devices, rosters and approvals across departments (see the full payroll page)
- Pay staff outside Sri Lanka
How it works
Import the CSVNames, NIC, EPF numbers, salaries and allowances; ten minutes.
First pay runIn parallel with your spreadsheet; reconcile EPF, ETF, APIT and net.
Send payslips and the bank fileFrom the confirmed run; the returns come with it.
Run one month free, with your own numbers
Book a call now to:
- Bring your current payroll spreadsheet to a 20-minute demo.
- We show a full pay run and answer your EPF, ETF and APIT questions.
- Our team sets up your company and imports your staff.
Affordable HR Software Pricing for Sri Lankan Businesses
Small Business
Check out our quick contract templates and payroll features, and realise the Humanised advantage for small businesses.
LKR25,000/month
- Basic Contract Templates
- Basic Onboarding
- Up to 50 profiles
- Basic Reports
Enterprise
Request a demo now and leverage our full-scale HRM suite, with advanced reports, analytics and custom integrations for your business.
Custom
- Custom Contract Templates
- Onboarding Workflows
- Unlimited Profiles
- Custom Reports
- Custom Integrations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest payroll software for a small business in Sri Lanka?
On published prices on 3 September 2026, Better HR at LKR 399 per user per month is cheapest on licence for small teams; Humanised is LKR 10,000 a month flat for up to 15 employees and includes the returns, Sinhala payslips, bank files and accounting posting.
Do I need payroll software if I only have 5 employees?
Not strictly. Five simple monthly salaries can run on our free payslip template. The software pays for itself when overtime, no-pay, EPF returns and the T10 start taking an afternoon.
Do I have to register for EPF and ETF with fewer than 10 staff?
Yes. EPF and ETF apply from the first employee; register with the Labour Department within 14 days of the first hire. See the EPF employer guide.
Does a small business need to deduct APIT?
Only for employees earning above the personal relief (LKR 150,000 a month in 2025/26). The software applies the tables and shows zero where no tax is due.
Can I run payroll myself without an accountant?
Yes. The calculations, payslips, bank file and returns come from the confirmed run; many owners then have their accountant review it.
How long does it take to set up payroll software for a small team?
An Excel import and one parallel run: a few days of elapsed time and an hour or two of yours.
Can I keep using Excel for salary changes and upload it?
Yes. Upload a CSV of this month’s changes, or repeat last month and edit.
Does it produce a bank transfer file for Sampath, BOC or Commercial Bank?
Yes, and for HNB and other local banks, in each bank’s bulk upload format.
Can my staff get payslips on their phone in Sinhala?
Yes, in the employee app or by email.
What happens when my team grows past 50 employees?
You move to the Enterprise tier, quoted per team, with your data and settings intact.
Is there a free trial, and what does it include?
Yes: seven days, with your company set up by our team, your staff imported and a full pay run, no card required.
Is Simplebooks payroll or Humanised better for a small business?
Simplebooks suits a small office team that wants books and basic payroll from one vendor. Humanised suits a business with shifts, devices, leave rules or an employee app, posting to QuickBooks or Xero. See Humanised vs Simplebooks.