Employing in Europe
How we check the facts.
The rules behind every fact in Employing in Europe: where it comes from, how it is checked and dated, and how errors are corrected.
What does Employing in Europe cover?
Nine statutory payroll and employer facts for each of Octagon's nine entity markets (the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Cyprus, Spain, Poland and Portugal): minimum wage, employer social security contributions, payroll tax withholding and filing, salary payments a year and holiday allowance, paid annual leave, sick pay, running payroll without a local entity, pension, and probation and notice. Each fact gives the 2026 value, the date it applies from and its official source.
Where do the facts come from?
Only from official sources: government ministries, tax authorities, social security institutions, official gazettes and legislation databases, and a few other public bodies, such as Acas (statutory body) in the United Kingdom, the AGIRC-ARRCO complementary pension scheme in France and the official PPK portal in Poland. No fact rests on a guide published by a payroll, employer of record or law firm, and the directory links to none.
How is each fact checked?
Octagon reads the source and records the value, the date it applies from, the page's own date where the page shows one, and the date of the check, shown as "Checked" next to the fact. The minimum wages for the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain and Poland, including the published 2027 values for Germany and Poland, were read a second time on 11 November 2026 and matched.
What does "Our sum of the published rates" mean?
Some authorities publish each contribution rate but no total. Where a page shows a total, such as an employer social security rate, it is Octagon's own sum of the published rates, labelled "Our sum of the published rates", with the components listed next to it.
What does "Being confirmed with the authority" mean?
Where official guidance covers only part of a rule, the page shows the confirmed part and names the part that is still open, instead of filling the gap. Today this applies to running payroll without a local entity in Italy, Cyprus and Portugal. The fact is updated when the authority has answered.
What do "published", "announced", "proposed" and "expected" mean?
Published: the change is fixed in a legal instrument or by the authority. Announced: the government has decided it, but the instrument is not yet made. Proposed: a draft, bill or consultation. Expected: the authority has not yet published the next value.
How often are the facts updated?
The facts are re-checked on the first working day of each month and on the known change dates, such as 1 January, when new rates take effect in most of the nine countries. The "Checked" date moves only when the source has been read again.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. General information on statutory rules, not legal or tax advice. Collective agreements and contracts often give more. Check the linked official source before acting.
How do I report an error?
Write to info@octagon.nl. Corrections are made within one working day.
Can I reuse the data?
Yes. The facts are free to reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, with credit to "Octagon Professionals International, Employing in Europe". The open data page has them as CSV and JSON.
Where does Octagon appear?
Only in one block at the end of each country page, labelled "From Octagon", about Octagon's own payroll and employer of record services. The facts themselves come from official sources and name no firm.
Change log
- November 2026: First release: 81 facts for nine countries, checked 11 November 2026.
Not legal or tax advice. General information on statutory rules, not legal or tax advice. Collective agreements and contracts often give more. Check the linked official source before acting.
Employing in Europe lists statutory facts with their official sources, checked by Octagon Professionals International. Corrections go to info@octagon.nl and are made within one working day.