How do I outsource payroll in Myanmar?

What this looks like in practice

Outsourcing payroll in Myanmar means engaging a payroll bureau, accounting firm or HR consultancy to handle the monthly processing — collecting attendance, computing PIT and SSB, generating payslips, preparing IRD and SSB returns, and (sometimes) filing them on the employer's behalf. The employer remains the legal employer for ESDL, SSB and PIT; only the processing is outsourced.

Step-by-step setup

1. Choose the provider type — payroll bureau (specialist), accounting firm (broader services), or HR consultancy (HR + payroll).
2. Sign a service agreement with clear scope: PIT calc, SSB calc, payslip, IRD return prep, SSB return prep, filing on behalf, year-end reconciliation.
3. Set up data hand-over — monthly attendance, OT, leave, new joiners and leavers via secure file or cloud portal.
4. Maintain employer responsibility for ESDL contracts, SSB registration and remittance authorisation; outsource processing not authority.
5. Run monthly approval gate — review the payroll register and statutory amounts before payment.
6. Audit annually — request the bureau's IRD and SSB acknowledgement copies; reconcile to GL.
7. Plan transition if switching bureaus — full handover including history, statutory IDs and outstanding items.

Tools, templates and costs

• Bureau fee: MMK 30,000–60,000 per employee per month for 5–50 employees.
• Accounting firm fee: MMK 40,000–80,000 per employee per month, often bundled with bookkeeping.
• HR consultancy fee: MMK 50,000–100,000 per employee per month with HR advisory layered on.
• One-off setup: MMK 500,000–2,000,000 typical onboarding fee.
• Templates: service agreement, monthly data hand-over template, monthly approval log, year-end reconciliation checklist.

Bureau vs EOR — different things

A payroll bureau processes the employer's payroll. An EOR (Employer of Record) becomes the legal employer on paper for the workers — handling all statutory filings under its own DICA entity, with the client paying a markup. EOR is typically USD 200–500 per employee per month in Myanmar; bureau is typically MMK 30,000–60,000 per employee per month. Choose bureau if you have a Myanmar entity; choose EOR if you don't.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Treating bureau as the legal employer — they're not; statutory liability stays with you.
• No monthly approval gate — bureau errors propagate to filings.
• Switching bureaus mid-year without history transfer — annual reconciliation breaks.
• Confusing bureau and EOR — different price points and legal structures.
• No payslips delivered to employees — bureau may generate, employer must distribute.

Related: cheapest way to run payroll, EOR in Myanmar, and switching payroll providers.