Large language models like ChatGPT have transformed the way people access information. They are fast, clever, and often impressively accurate. But when it comes to payroll, "close enough" isn't good enough. The risks of relying on generic AI tools for payroll advice are too great.
That's why comparing ChatGPT with Beryl, Australia's smartest payroll assistant, misses the point. They are fundamentally different.
Outdated information can cost you
Even the paid version of ChatGPT is still using last financial year's rates and thresholds, despite it being September. In payroll, this can mean incorrect rates relating to terminations and superannuation miscalculations leading to compliance breaches.
Beryl, on the other hand, has real time access to up to date rates and thresholds. Every answer she provides is linked to the most current information available.
Trained on payroll, learning every day
Unlike ChatGPT, Beryl isn't a generalist. She's trained on over 30,000 payroll questions and answers from Australian Payroll Association members, and she learns daily from human feedback.
Ross Heron, CEO of Australian Payroll Association, explains:
"The difference is that Beryl is built for payroll. She doesn't just repeat what's been said before, she fact checks, validates assumptions, and escalates if she's unsure. That's something generic AI tools simply don't do."
Getting the assumptions right
Payroll questions often contain assumptions that aren't correct. ChatGPT takes these at face value. Beryl doesn't. She asks clarifying questions, fills in missing details, and fact checks before giving an answer.
This is especially critical for complex scenarios such as long service leave, redundancies, and terminations, areas where missing one piece of information can completely change the outcome.
Real examples of errors
Leave payout when moving from full time to casual: ChatGPT frequently assumes this is a termination. It's not. It's a leave cash out scenario, which has different tax and superannuation rules and different STP coding.
Employment Termination Payments (ETPs): ChatGPT is still using outdated FY25 thresholds, regularly gets redundancy tax free rules wrong, and fails to check key factors such as the employee's age or type of termination.
Beryl knows to validate these details before providing an answer.
Guardrails that matter
Beryl has been taught to know her limits. She won't give financial or legal advice. If she isn't certain of an answer, she escalates to a human colleague for review.
ChatGPT, by contrast, will often "guess" when it doesn't know. In payroll, that's not just unhelpful, it's dangerous.
The bottom line
Payroll is too important to leave to chance. A misstep can cost an employer not just money, but also their reputation.
As Ross Heron says:
"Payroll is too important to leave to chance. Beryl combines the power of AI with the specialist knowledge and oversight of payroll professionals. That's why she's Australia's smartest payroll assistant."
✅ Ready to see the difference for yourself?
Click here to meet Beryl today and discover how she can give you confidence in every payroll decision you make.
