Who needs payroll in Latvia
Any company that employs a person in Latvia has to run Latvian payroll, regardless of where the company’s owners sit. The obligation follows the employment, not the ownership. In practice this page is written for two kinds of company.
The first is a foreign group with a Latvian subsidiary - sometimes with one or two employees and no other activity in the country. The second is a Latvian company that has grown past the point where the director can run payroll in a spreadsheet without risk.
The requirements are the same for both. So are the deadlines.
What an employer pays on top of gross pay
Latvian payroll has one employer cost above the gross salary: the employer’s share of state social insurance contributions.
- State social insurance contributions, employer’s share - 23.59% of gross pay in 2026. This is paid by the company in addition to the gross salary.
A gross salary of €2,000 therefore costs the company €2,471.80 per month before any other benefit. This is the number to use when budgeting a hire, not the gross figure in the employment contract.
What is deducted from the employee
Two deductions come out of the employee’s gross pay in 2026.
- State social insurance contributions, employee’s share - 10.5% of gross pay.
- Personal income tax - 25.5%, applied to gross pay after social contributions and after any allowances the employee is entitled to.
A higher rate of 33% applies to annual income above €105,300. It is not withheld in the monthly payroll run; it is settled through the employee’s annual income declaration.
Allowances that change the net figure
Two employees on the same gross salary can take home different amounts. The allowances below apply only where the employee has filed a wage tax book with the State Revenue Service and named this employer as the place of its application.
- Tax-free minimum - €550 per month in 2026. Unlike the arrangement that applied until 2024, the amount is fixed and is not reduced as income rises.
- Dependant allowance - €250 per month for each dependant.
- Disability allowance - €154 per month for group I or II, and €120 per month for group III.
Where no wage tax book has been filed, none of these apply, and the net figure drops accordingly. This is the single most common source of confusion when a foreign parent compares payslips.
To see the effect for a specific salary, use the free salary calculator with 2026 rates.
Minimum wage
The statutory minimum monthly wage for full-time work is €780 in 2026, up from €740 in 2025. Employment contracts written before the increase need checking against the new figure - the obligation is on the employer, and it is not applied automatically.
What the service covers
- Monthly payroll calculation - gross to net, social insurance contributions and personal income tax, with allowances applied where the employee is entitled to them.
- Holiday and sick pay - average earnings calculated to statutory rules, including the split between the employer’s obligation and state sickness benefit.
- The employer’s monthly report - prepared and filed in the Electronic Declaration System by the 17th of the following month.
- Registering and deregistering employees - filed with the State Revenue Service before the person starts work, and on departure.
- Payslips - issued to employees, in Latvian or English.
- Payment instructions - a payment file or a schedule of amounts and deadlines, so the company knows exactly what to transfer and when.
- Group reporting - monthly payroll cost in the format the parent company uses, alongside the statutory filings.
The monthly payroll cycle
- Before the run. The company reports hires, leavers, absences, holidays and sick leave certificates.
- Early in the month. Payroll is calculated for the previous month and the figures are agreed with the company.
- By the 17th. The employer’s report for the previous month is filed with the State Revenue Service.
- By the 23rd. Payroll taxes for the previous month are paid into the single tax account.
Salary payment dates are set in the employment contract and are the company’s decision; the filing and payment deadlines above are not.
Employment basics a foreign employer should know
- Registration before the start date. An employee has to be registered with the State Revenue Service before starting work, not after the first payroll run.
- Annual leave. The statutory minimum is four calendar weeks of paid leave per year, in addition to public holidays.
- Sick leave. The employer pays for the first days of incapacity; after that the state pays sickness benefit. Both parts are calculated from average earnings as part of the payroll run.
- Written contracts. An employment contract must be in writing before work begins.
What payroll outsourcing is not
This needs saying plainly, because the two services are often confused when a company is hiring in a country for the first time.
Payroll outsourcing means the company employs the person itself, under its own Latvian entity, and an accountant calculates and reports the payroll. The employment relationship, and the obligations that come with it, stay with the company.
An employer of record is a different arrangement: a separate provider legally employs the person on the company’s behalf, so no Latvian entity is required. That is not the service described here, and it is not one SMAIDA provides.
If the company already has a Latvian entity - or is setting one up - payroll outsourcing is the relevant service. If it does not intend to have one, an employer of record is the right thing to look for, and it is worth comparing that cost against the cost of running a small entity before deciding.
What the employer provides
- Employee data before the start date - the employment contract, personal identity details and the agreed salary.
- Absences on time - holidays, sick leave certificates and unpaid leave, before the payroll run rather than after it.
- Notice of leavers - with the termination date and the reason, since these affect the final settlement.
- A named contact - one person to confirm the figures each month.
Payroll is the part of accounting with the least tolerance for late information. A document that arrives after the run means either a correction or an employee paid the wrong amount.
Pricing
Payroll is priced by the number of employees and is normally part of a wider accounting engagement, which starts at €149 per month. Payroll alone, without the accounting cycle, is possible for companies whose only activity in Latvia is employment. A precise quote follows a conversation, with no obligation. See the price comparison →
For the full accounting cycle - bookkeeping, VAT and the annual report - see accounting services in Latvia.
Frequently asked questions
What does an employee cost an employer in Latvia?
Gross salary plus the employer’s share of state social insurance contributions, which is 23.59% in 2026. A gross salary of €2,000 costs the company €2,471.80 per month.
What is deducted from an employee’s gross pay?
State social insurance contributions of 10.5% and personal income tax of 25.5%, the latter applied after social contributions and any allowances. A rate of 33% applies to annual income above €105,300 and is settled in the annual declaration, not monthly.
What is the minimum wage in Latvia in 2026?
€780 per month for full-time work, up from €740 in 2025.
When are payroll taxes due?
The employer’s report is filed by the 17th of the following month, and the taxes are paid into the single tax account by the 23rd.
Can a foreign company run payroll in Latvia without a Latvian entity?
Not through payroll outsourcing. Payroll outsourcing assumes the company employs the person under its own Latvian entity. Employing without a local entity requires an employer of record, which is a different service and is not provided by SMAIDA.
Can payroll be handled in English?
Yes. Correspondence, payslips and reporting to a parent company are available in English. Statutory filings are submitted in Latvian, as the law requires.
How is data protection handled?
Payroll data is processed under the General Data Protection Regulation. Access is limited to the company’s authorised people and the service provider.
When can the service start?
The full service is available from 1 September 2026. A conversation and a booking can be arranged now.