> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.visualcare.com.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Exporting payroll data
> Step-by-step guide to exporting timesheet data from Visualcare to your payroll software
Visualcare exports payroll data by matching the accounting code on each worker's profile to the employee or supplier contact in your payroll software. The worker's pay level (set in their **Finance** section) determines which pay item is exported based on the service they provided.
Pay rates entered in Visualcare are not exported to your payroll software. The pay rate or pay template configured in your payroll software (for example, Xero) is the rate that gets paid. Visualcare's role is to match the worker, service level, and hours to the correct pay item.
## What you'll need
* Confirmed timesheets for the period you want to export
* Worker profiles with accounting codes matching employee or supplier contacts in your payroll software
* Pay levels set in each worker's **Finance** section
* Your payroll software integration configured in **Settings** → **Data Export**
## Setting up payroll export
Before running your first payroll export, you need to configure pay levels, assign them to workers, and map each worker to their corresponding record in your payroll software.
### Configure pay levels
Pay levels are set up once and then assigned to workers. By default, the labels are generic (R1, R2, and so on). Adding descriptive labels makes it easier to identify the right level when assigning to workers.
1. Go to **Settings** → **Settings** → **Finance** → **Pay Levels**.
2. Click **Edit** next to a pay level.
3. Enter a descriptive label, for example "CAS Level 1 - Pay Point 3".
4. Save the changes.
Pay level labels are descriptive only. They don't affect calculations - they're there to help you identify the right level when setting up workers.
### Assign pay levels to workers
Each worker needs a pay level assigned in their profile before their timesheets can export correctly. There are two ways to set a worker's pay level:
**From the Finance tab:**
1. Open the worker's profile and go to the **Finance** tab.
2. Click **Update Pay Levels and Rates**.
3. Select the appropriate pay level for the worker.
4. Choose a **From Date** for when the pay level takes effect.
5. Click **Update**.
**Using the Update Pay Level button:**
1. Open the worker's profile and go to the **Finance** tab.
2. Click **Update Pay Level**.
3. Select the pay level from the drop-down.
4. Choose the effective date.
5. Click **Save**.
### Map workers to your payroll software
Each worker profile also needs an **Accounting Code** linking it to the matching employee or supplier in your payroll software.
1. In the worker's **Finance** tab, click the **Accounting Code** drop-down.
2. Select **Employees** if the worker is paid as an employee in your payroll software, or **Suppliers** if they're a contractor.
3. If the worker doesn't appear in the list, click **Sync Code from Xero** to import them.
## Exporting timesheets for payroll
Navigate to **Timesheets** → **Data Export**.
Configure the date range for the payroll period and click **Reload**.
Select the timesheets you want to export by ticking individual items or selecting all. Then click **Export Timesheets** → **Export to Xero** (or your payroll software).
The export summary pop-up shows any errors for the data you're exporting. Click **Process Export** to proceed to the export status page.
Click **Start Import** to send the data from Visualcare to your payroll software. If errors appear on this page, they typically indicate a setup issue in the payroll software.
## Exporting kilometres for payroll
After you've exported timesheets, approved them, and started a pay run in your payroll software, you can export kilometre data. On the same data export page, click **Export Timesheets** and select the **Export KMs** option.
The KM export follows the same process as the timesheet export. For help setting up kilometres, see [Kilometres sync](/finance/kilometres-sync).
## Exporting expense reimbursements
To reimburse workers for out-of-pocket expenses:
On the Data Export page, click **Expenses** at the top. All expenses in the selected date range appear.
Select the expenses you want to reimburse, then click **Export Reimbursement** → **Export to Xero** (or your payroll software).
Click **Process Export** on the summary pop-up, then **Start Import** on the export status page.
## How payroll matching works
Visualcare matches payroll data using this logic:
| Visualcare field | Payroll software field |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Worker accounting code | Employee or supplier contact |
| Worker pay level | Pay item or pay template |
| Service pay level | Pay rate level for that service |
When a worker provides a service, their pay level is matched to the service's pay level to determine which pay item to export. The actual dollar rate comes from the pay item configuration in your payroll software, not from Visualcare.
If a worker provides services at different pay levels, set up service-level pay rate overrides in their **Engagement Details**. See [Award interpretation and pay rules](/finance/award-interpretation-and-pay-rules) for more details.
## Award interpreter settings
The award interpreter section in **Settings** → **Data Export** controls how overtime and broken shift calculations are included in payroll exports.
| Setting | Description |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Award Hours** | Set to 38 for weekly pay cycles or 76 for fortnightly. This tells the system which threshold to use for overtime calculations |
| **Export award interpretation results to payroll software** | Set to **Yes** to include overtime and broken shift conditions in payroll exports. Set to **No** if you use Pay Cat as your payroll software (conditions still appear in the Awards - Calculate on Roster report) |
| **Broken Shift Threshold** | When using rosters for award calculations, gaps between shifts equal to or less than this threshold are not treated as broken shifts. For timesheets, the system uses travel time instead |
| **Use threshold to fill travel time** | When set to **Yes**, gaps between shifts equal to or less than the broken shift threshold are filled entirely with travel time when using **Calc KM** on the timesheets page. When set to **No**, travel time is calculated using the Google Maps API |
## Running into issues?
See [Finance troubleshooting](/troubleshooting/general) for common errors and fixes.
## Related articles
Overview of all billing and export options in Visualcare
Export invoices to your accounting software
How Visualcare interprets awards and applies pay rate overrides
Export and manage kilometre data for billing and reimbursement