Default behaviour
If Overwrite existing Payslips is enabled in Settings under Payslip Preferences, the new upload overwrites existing payslip entries in the category you are loading, so whatever you upload becomes what remains for that category (other than earnings created from timesheets and system-generated lines such as tax). For example, if you upload earnings, any existing earnings are overwritten but the rest of the payslip stays. If you load ‘Ordinary Hours’ you also overwrite any ‘Overtime Hours’ or ‘Allowances’ (and similar) that are not loaded via an approved timesheet. This also affects leave accruals. If Xero has already calculated Annual Leave or Long Service Leave from approved timesheets, then a later payslip upload that includes leave accrual lines can replace the existing leave accrual section on the payslip. This is most important when you upload additional accrual lines after timesheets, such as RDO accruals created by Smart Formulas. For example, loading an Ordinary Hours line (10 Hours × $100): Payslip before
Payslip before upload (default behaviour)
Payslip after upload – default overwrites all earnings
Alternative behaviour
You can change this in Settings under Payslip Preferences. If Overwrite existing Payslips is disabled, the upload keeps existing payslip lines that are not part of the new upload. Revalidate your file after changing the setting. With this setting turned off, if you load ‘Ordinary Hours’ you only replace existing ‘Ordinary Hours’. Existing ‘Overtime Hours’, ‘Allowances’, and other categories (reimbursements, deductions, and similar) are kept. For leave accruals, this means a later upload can add or replace only the specific leave accrual types in your file while keeping other accruals already calculated by Xero. For example, if you upload an RDO accrual after timesheets, Xero’s Annual Leave and Long Service Leave accruals stay on the payslip unless those same leave types are also part of the upload. For example, loading an Ordinary Hours line (10 Hours × $100): Payslip beforePayslip before upload
Payslip after upload – keeping existing types not included in the upload