Hello, this is S from Sayu Certified Public Accountants.
Today, I would like to introduce freee HR & Payroll, a cloud-based HR management system, focusing on its main features and my impressions from actual use. With freee HR & Payroll, you can handle not only payroll and bonus calculations, but also onboarding and offboarding procedures, attendance management, year-end adjustments, and social insurance filings—all within a single platform.

＜Benefits of Cloud-Based HR Management Software＞
We have previously introduced cloud-based software for accounting and other back-office functions. In the HR field as well, there are convenient cloud-based tools available, with freee HR & Payroll being one of the most popular.
Unlike traditional desktop-installed software, these systems typically provide dedicated portals not only for HR staff but also for employees themselves. Employees can log in to access their payslips or enter personal information, while HR managers can review and confirm those details.
Traditionally, HR staff had to distribute payslips on paper, collect information from employees, and manually enter the data into the system. With freee, employees can access their own portal to directly download payslips and tax forms, as well as submit personal information—streamlining both data collection and processing.
Another key advantage is the direct integration with freee Accounting, allowing payroll data to be transferred seamlessly into the accounting system.

＜Employee Registration＞
As with any payroll or HR software, the first step is registering employees. With freee HR & Payroll, employees can be invited to the system directly. They can then input their own personal details, family information, bank account details, and previous employment data. Meanwhile, HR staff enter company-side information such as employment contracts, salary structure, and social insurance data.
This division of responsibility makes sense, since employees themselves are the most accurate source of their personal information, and it helps reduce errors and duplicate work.

＜Payroll & Bonus Calculation＞
Payroll calculation in freee is straightforward. Once employee details (employment type, pay structure, allowances/deductions, etc.) and attendance data are registered, the system automatically calculates salaries, overtime, and deductions.
The actual payroll process is simple—select the month, click “Start Calculation,” and the system generates results instantly. After reviewing and confirming the figures, payroll can be finalized. Payslips are generally distributed online through freee, though PDF export is also available. You can even schedule the release date and notify employees by email.
Integration with freee Accounting is seamless: once payroll is finalized, a single click creates and records the payroll journal entries. Even if corrections are made later, re-synchronization automatically updates the accounting records. This has been particularly helpful when handling bookkeeping for clients who use both freee HR & Payroll and freee Accounting.

＜Year-End Adjustment＞
Year-end adjustment—a traditionally time-consuming task—is also streamlined by freee’s cloud-based features.
Employee information is collected entirely online through a user-friendly questionnaire format. Unlike the old paper-based method, where employees had to navigate complicated tax forms and HR staff had to check for mistakes, freee simplifies the process. Employees answer only the relevant questions, with unnecessary ones skipped automatically (for example, questions about home loans are skipped if the employee indicates they did not purchase a home).
Key amounts, such as total annual salary and social insurance contributions, are automatically drawn from payroll records in freee. Employees only need to verify the figures, significantly reducing mistakes and resubmissions. Tax forms and year-end certificates can be downloaded directly by employees via their personal portal, eliminating the need for paper distribution.

＜Other Related Tasks＞
In addition to payroll and year-end adjustment, freee HR & Payroll also supports resident tax and withholding tax payments, as well as preparation of social insurance documents. These amounts are automatically calculated from payroll data, allowing quick generation of required reports.
Notifications and alerts are built in for social insurance procedures such as “Standard Remuneration Determination” and “Monthly Revision Filings,” helping HR teams avoid missing deadlines. This is especially valuable for businesses with multiple employees or busy back-office staff, reducing both workload and stress.

＜Conclusion＞
freee HR & Payroll is more than just a payroll calculator. It covers the full spectrum of HR and labor management tasks—payroll, bonuses, year-end adjustments, social insurance, and tax filings—all in one system. By automating processes and shifting employee interaction online, it offers a clear efficiency advantage over traditional paper- or Excel-based methods.
At our firm, we provide support not only with payroll and accounting operations but also with the introduction and operation of cloud-based systems such as freee. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.