Meta Description: Manage church payroll effortlessly with Buddy’s user-friendly Payroll Software. Discover how Buddy outperforms competing tools and streamlines your faith-based organisation’s payroll.

Why Church Payroll Needs Special Attention

Running payroll for a faith-based organisation isn’t the same as in a typical office. You have:

Ministerial allowances and housing benefits
Auto and phone reimbursements
Complex tax exemptions for clergy
Volunteers with stipends or one-off payments
Group timesheets for ministry teams

A single mistake can delay payments or trigger a compliance issue. So, choosing the right Payroll Software is essential.

Side-by-Side: Realm vs Buddy

Many churches use Realm® to manage staff pay. It offers useful features but isn’t designed for the UK or Malta. Let’s see how it stacks up against Buddy’s cloud solution tailored for faith-based organisations.

Realm’s Payroll Tool Overview

Realm® is a popular church management suite in the US. Key features include:

Automated payroll runs with tax withholding
Timesheet entry for individuals or groups
Job assignment (full-time, part-time, one-off)
Tracking adjustments like benefits or deductions
Printing physical checks and posting to general ledger
Predefined reports, tax eFiling, W-2 printing

Strengths
– Built into a wider church management system
– Includes paid time off accrual and custom reports

Limitations
– US-only tax calculations (federal, FICA, state)
– Limited analytics and real-time dashboards
– Minimal integration with non-Realm HR tools
– No dedicated training platform for legislative updates

Buddy Cloud Payroll Software Overview

Buddy’s Payroll Software is cloud-based and built for the UK and Malta market. Its focus is on collaboration between your finance team, HR and ministry leaders.

Core capabilities
– Real-time payroll processing with automatic compliance updates
– Seamless integration with existing HR and accounting systems
– Custom allowances for clergy housing, auto and phone reimbursements
– Self-service portal for employees and volunteers
– Robust data analytics via Buddy Analytics
– Continuous training through BuddyLearn

Advantages
– User-friendly interface reduces errors
– Dedicated customer support and onboarding
– Scalable for small parishes or multi-site ministries
– Secure cloud infrastructure with role-based access controls

Key Benefits of Buddy for Churches

Tailored Compliance
Buddy handles UK and Maltese tax rules out of the box. No manual rate updates.
Intuitive Design
You don’t need a payroll expert to run pay runs. The dashboard guides you.
Collaborative Workflow
Assign roles: finance reviews, HR approves, ministry leaders sign off.
Detailed Analytics
Track labour costs by department or project with Buddy Analytics.
Employee Empowerment
Volunteers and staff view payslips, tax details and leave balances online.
Ongoing Training
Stay current on payroll legislation via BuddyLearn’s resources.

Use Cases: Churches Leveraging Buddy

A local parish automates monthly stipends and P60 filings.
A diocese coordinates payroll across six sites, splitting teams by job codes.
A charity church offers volunteer stipends and tracks special allowances.

In each case, Buddy adapts to your structure – whether it’s a handful of staff or hundreds.

Getting Started with Buddy Cloud Payroll

Sign up at https://www.buddy.hr/uk.
Import employee and volunteer records via Excel or integrated HR tools.
Configure ministerial allowances, auto reimbursements and pension settings.
Invite approvers: finance, HR and ministry leads.
Run your first pay cycle. Buddy calculates taxes and posts to your accounts.

Training and Insights: BuddyLearn & Buddy Analytics

BuddyLearn provides on-demand courses on payroll legislation, best practices and software tips.
Buddy Analytics turns payroll data into visual charts and custom reports. Spot trends, forecast costs and optimise budgets.

You’ll never wonder if your payroll is accurate or compliant. You’ll know.

Conclusion

While Realm® offers church-focused payroll in the US, it falls short for organisations in the UK and Malta. Buddy’s cloud-based Payroll Software fills the gaps with real-time compliance, collaboration tools and powerful analytics. Whether you’re a small parish or a large ministry, Buddy makes payroll clear, accurate and stress-free.

Ready to streamline your church payroll?
Visit https://www.buddy.hr/uk and see how Buddy can simplify your faith-based organisation’s payroll today.