Many businesses risk missing the April deadline for real time information (RTI) implementation because they are relying too much on their payroll providers, despite concerns that some are yet to finalise their compliant software, according to research from PwC.

PwC's survey of around 200 HR and payroll professionals found that virtually all employers (99%) anticipated they will need some level of support to ensure they are ready for RTI reporting, with around half (52%) expecting this to come from their payroll provider. However, a quarter (24%) of companies believe their payroll provider has not yet finalised their RTI compliant software, while half (53%) are unclear whether their payroll provider has any such software.

A third of respondents (34%) cite the need for system changes and interfaces under RTI as their biggest concern, followed by data collection, storage and transmission (24%), and resource constraints (22%).

John Harding, human resources director at PwC, warned that employers should not underestimate the challenge of meeting the requirements of both RTI and auto-enrolment by April. He also highlighted particular challenges for organisations with employees who spend time abroad.

Harding said: "'Our survey reveals that companies with internationally mobile employees will need to review their payroll operations as a priority due to the lack of clear guidance in this area. HMRC have recently begun to communicate to employers their concerns around RTI and internationally mobile employees, but over half of employers surveyed were unsure of how the changes required under RTI would impact their internationally mobile employees.'