How do I start processing 2026 payroll?

Every tax year we release brand new software in line with the new budgetary requirements. Thus, to move your payroll on to a new tax year, simply download the new tax year version of BrightPay which is now available for 2026  at www.brightpay.ie/download/ 

 

Once downloaded, this will install separately to your previous year’s software and you will see a new BrightPay icon appear on your desktop. Your software for the new tax year will contain a seamless import facility to bring across your employee details from the previous tax year. In doing so, your previous year’s information will remain untouched and accessible.

 

As per our End User Licence Agreement, a new licence is required each tax year to continue with the software after 60 days trial use.

Installing the 2026 Payroll on to your PC

To download and install BrightPay, simply click here . Both the current year's version and previous years' versions are available for download on the Download page.

 

1) If you are asked whether you would like to run or save the software, select ‘Run’ when prompted.

 

2) On the ‘Welcome to BrightPay Setup Wizard’, click ‘Next’ to continue.

 

3) Read the license agreement carefully and if happy to accept the terms tick the box provided.  Then click ‘Next’.

 

4) On the next screen, you will be asked where you would like to install the software. The recommended default location for the installation will be displayed in the box. To install to this folder, simply click ‘Next’. Alternatively, if you wish to install the software to a different location of your choice, click the ‘Change’ button and browse to your destination folder. 

 

Please note: the software is designed to be installed and run from the local C drive of each user’s PC.  

 

5) Click ‘Next’ to continue.

 

6) You are now ready to begin the installation. Click ‘Install’ when ready.

 

7) As soon as the Setup Wizard has completed, simply click ‘Finish’.

 

8) BrightPay installs as a trial version, which can be used licence-free for 60 days.  The software can be licensed at any time during or after the trial period.

 

9)BrightPay will detect if you have any 2025 employers on this PC - and then ask if you would like import them all - you can choose to do this or import one by one
 

The BrightPay icon should now be present on your Desktop in order to access the software.

 

10) In the event that an icon hasn’t been created on your Desktop, one can be created by browsing to your BrightPay installation folder and right clicking on the ‘BrightPay.exe’ file that can be found here. Selecting the option ‘Send to > Desktop (create shortcut)' will now place the BrightPay icon on the Desktop for you.

All employee data records will be reset for the start of the new tax year and all associated budgetary changes will be applied as per Revenue instruction.

 

Importing your 2025 Employer Files into 2026
 

On completing the installation of BrightPay 2026, on the Open Company screen:

 

• Select Import Employer(s) 
  
   

• Choose Import from BrightPay 2025...
   

  
   

• Browse to the location of your 2025 BrightPay data file, highlight it and click Open. 
  
  Alternatively, if you have more than one employer file to import, highlight them all by holding down the Shift key on your keyboard and left clicking on each one. 
• Click Open when ready.
   

BrightPay will now commence the import function, setting up the employer data file and importing all employees with active employment records.

• BrightPay will indicate when the import is complete.
   
• The employer(s) you have chosen to import will now be added to the Open/Create Employer Tab

Please note the following:

 

• the password to open the file remains the same as it was in the previous year.
   
• employees who were made a leaver in the previous tax year will not be imported.
   
• any active employee who received no pay in the previous tax year will be imported over. 

For video guidance on importing into 2026 and week 53 please see link below:

Screen Recording 2025-12-15 at 15.10.01.mov