The Event

On March 5th 2026, I attended the GPA Payroll Summit in London, one of the leading events for payroll professionals in the UK and globally. Organised by the Global Payroll Association, the summit brings together industry experts, technology providers, and payroll practitioners to discuss the latest challenges and innovations shaping the profession. (GPA)

Having worked with GPA for over five years, this was the first time I had attended one of their events in person, so I was really looking forward to experiencing it firsthand.

The event was held at Convene, 155 Bishopsgate, a fantastic venue in the heart of London, located right next to Liverpool Street Station. With over 200 delegates attending, the summit provided a full day of presentations, discussions, and networking with many of the leading payroll software providers and service companies in the industry.

Throughout the day, speakers covered a wide range of topics including employment tax, cybersecurity, global payroll reporting, AI readiness, and the future of the payroll profession.

Keynote Speaker – Cecilie Fjellhøy

One of the most memorable sessions of the day was the keynote talk by Cecilie Fjellhøy.

Many people will recognise Cecilie from the Netflix documentary “The Tinder Swindler.” In the documentary she shares her personal story of being scammed by someone she met on the Tinder app.

Before the talk I wasn’t familiar with her story, but it quickly became clear why she was invited to speak at a payroll conference.

Cecilie spoke openly about how she was manipulated and financially exploited through an extremely sophisticated scam. What made her story powerful was how believable the scammer appeared, and how easy it was for trust to be built through technology and social platforms.

Her message was clear: anyone can become a victim of fraud.

Today Cecilie uses her experience to raise awareness of online fraud, financial scams, and social engineering attacks.

What Does This Have to Do With Payroll?

At first glance, you might wonder what a personal fraud story has to do with payroll.

In reality, payroll fraud and cyber-crime are growing risks for organisations.

Payroll departments handle some of the most sensitive data within a company, including:

• Employee personal details
• Bank account information
• Salary payments
• Tax data

Scammers are increasingly targeting payroll teams using sophisticated phishing emails and impersonation tactics. These emails can look almost identical to genuine internal messages, making them difficult to detect.

For example, payroll teams regularly receive requests such as:

• Bank detail change requests
• Urgent payment instructions
• Executive payment approvals

If these requests are not properly verified, organisations can quickly become victims of payroll fraud.

Cecilie’s keynote served as a powerful reminder that human trust is often the weakest link in cybersecurity, and that awareness is one of the most important defences.

Managing Employment Tax in the Gig Economy

Another insightful session was delivered by Lee McIntyre-Hamilton, who discussed the challenges of employment tax in the modern gig economy.

The way people work has changed dramatically over the past decade. Companies increasingly engage workers through a mixture of:

• Full-time employees
• Contractors
• Freelancers
• Platform workers

Companies such as Deliveroo and Uber have brought these challenges into the spotlight, particularly when determining whether someone is truly self-employed or should legally be considered an employee.

Lee walked through several real-world examples and legal cases demonstrating how worker classification continues to evolve.

The key takeaway was that employment status is becoming more complex.

Governments and tax authorities want workers to be classified correctly for tax and employment rights purposes. In the UK, HMRC places the responsibility on employers to determine the correct employment status.

If a worker is misclassified, organisations may face:

• Backdated tax liabilities
• National Insurance penalties
• Employment rights claims

This makes it essential for payroll and HR teams to work closely together when determining worker status.

The Growing Importance of Payroll Data

Another major theme discussed during the summit was data reporting and payroll transparency.

Payroll sits at the centre of organisational data flows. Departments across the business rely on payroll information, including:

• Finance
• HR
• Compliance
• Government reporting

As regulatory requirements increase, payroll teams must ensure that data is accurate, secure, and readily available.

Speakers highlighted how organisations must now be prepared to report more payroll-related data than ever before, both to regulators and internal stakeholders.

For global organisations this becomes even more complex.

Running payroll across multiple countries means navigating different tax systems, employment laws, reporting requirements, and currencies.

In the United States alone, payroll rules vary by state, creating additional complexity for global payroll teams.

One example shared during the discussion was from Major League Baseball (MLB), where payroll errors can have immediate consequences. If there is an issue with a player’s pay, it can even lead to disputes that affect whether a player participates in a game.

While most companies do not face that level of visibility, the example highlights how accurate payroll is critical to business operations.

The Value of the GPA Summit

Events like the GPA Payroll Summit highlight how much the payroll profession has evolved.

Payroll is no longer just about processing salaries. Modern payroll teams must also understand:

• Employment law
• Tax compliance
• Data security
• Global workforce management
• Technology and automation
• AI and digital transformation

The summit provided a valuable opportunity to hear from industry experts, learn about emerging trends, and connect with other payroll professionals facing similar challenges.

With over 200 delegates and a wide range of speakers and exhibitors, the event demonstrated just how important payroll has become in supporting modern businesses.

Overall, the GPA Summit 2026 was an informative and engaging event, offering valuable insights into the risks, challenges, and opportunities facing payroll professionals today.

For anyone working in payroll, HR, or workforce management, it is definitely an event worth attending.