Payroll guide

Crypto payroll for companies: running a monthly USDT payout

Paying people in USDT is quick to start and easy to get wrong. This guide covers the operating side: who approves what, which records to keep, where contractors and employees differ, and what to check on every monthly run.

Updated October 17, 2026

Decide who does what before the first run

A payout run has three jobs: preparing the amounts, approving them and signing the transaction. Give them to different people. The one rule worth writing down on day one: whoever adds a payee or changes an address is never the only person approving a payment to it.

  • Requester: prepares each payout with the invoice and the period it covers.
  • Approver: checks the amount against the contract or invoice, and that the payee is who it should be.
  • Signer: signs the Safe transaction from their own wallet. In a 2 of 3 Safe, two of them must sign.
  • Reviewer or auditor: read-only access to the history, for finance and the accountant.

Keep the records an accountant will ask for

A transaction hash proves that money moved. It does not say why, for which month or under which contract. Keep that context next to the hash from the start, because rebuilding it at year end is slow and unreliable.

  • The invoice or statement of work, and the contract it falls under.
  • The payee's legal name, country and tax status as they gave it to you.
  • The network, the address and the amount in USDT.
  • The rate you used to value USDT in your book currency on the payment date, from the same source every month.
  • The transaction hash, who approved and when.

The monthly run, step by step

The same six steps every month. Doing them in order is what keeps a fast payment from becoming a wrong one.

  1. 1

    Collect invoices by a fixed date

    Ask every contractor to send their invoice by the same day each month, with the amount in USDT or in the currency their contract names.

  2. 2

    Check payees and addresses

    Confirm each payee is in the address book with a verified BEP20 address. A new or changed address gets a small test payment and a second admin's approval first.

  3. 3

    Raise one request per payee

    Enter the amount, attach the invoice and tag the project or cost centre. The fee shows on each request before anyone approves.

  4. 4

    Approve against the paperwork

    Approvers compare each request with its invoice and contract, and send back anything that does not match.

  5. 5

    Fund the Safe and sign

    Make sure the Safe holds the run total plus fees, then the signers sign. Approved requests can be signed together as one batch.

  6. 6

    Confirm and file

    Check each transaction hash on the explorer, tell payees the money is on its way, and export the month's records for your accountant.

What the WorkTGT fee adds to a run

0.1% of each executed payout, at least 0.5 and at most 5 USDT, added on top in the same Safe transaction so the payee receives the full amount. A payout that never executes costs nothing.

What the WorkTGT fee adds to a run
PayoutFeeFrom SafeFee %
100 USDT0.5100.50.50%
500 USDT0.5500.50.10%
1,000 USDT11,0010.10%
3,000 USDT33,0030.10%
10,000 USDT510,0050.05%

Weighing USDT against a bank wire or Wise for a payee abroad? The calculator uses the day's reference rate and each provider's published fees.

Transfer cost calculator

Cheapest here: USDT via WorkTGT. The recipient gets 62,810.77 PHP.

  • USDT via WorkTGTCheapest

    Recipient gets
    62,810.77 PHP
    Fees
    1.00 USD
    Lost vs mid-market
    −157.33 PHP
    Total cost
    0.25%

  • Wise

    Recipient gets
    62,578.45 PHP
    Fees
    6.19 USD
    Lost vs mid-market
    −389.64 PHP
    Total cost
    0.62%

  • PayPal

    Recipient gets
    59,857.47 PHP
    Fees
    20.00 USD
    Lost vs mid-market
    −3,110.62 PHP
    Total cost
    4.94%

  • Bank wire (SWIFT)

    Recipient gets
    59,666.73 PHP
    Fees
    28.13 USD
    Lost vs mid-market
    −3,301.37 PHP
    Total cost
    5.24%

How these numbers are worked out

  • Every method assumes you spend exactly the amount above, with fees taken out of it, and is measured against the mid-market rate.
  • Bank wire: 25 EUR in sending and intermediary fees, plus a 2.5% markup on the exchange rate.
  • Wise: 1.5 EUR plus 0.45% of the amount, converted at the mid-market rate.
  • PayPal: 2% of the amount, plus a 3% markup on the exchange rate.
  • USDT via WorkTGT: 0.1% of the payout (min 0.5, max 5 USDT), network gas included. USDT is counted at 1 USD, plus a 0.15% spread when the recipient converts USDT to local currency.

Provider fees surveyed on 2026-07-27. They vary by country, bank and amount, so check with your provider before a large transfer. Exchange rate: ECB reference rate of 2026-10-16.

Pay your team the cheaper way

WorkTGT runs team payouts in USDT from your own Safe multisig, with approvals before anything moves. Free to use; each executed payout costs 0.1%, gas included.

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Contractors and employees are different cases

Paying an independent contractor who invoices you is usually a supplier payment. Paying an employee is payroll: in many countries the employer must withhold income tax and social contributions, report wages in local currency, and may be limited in paying wages in anything other than legal tender. Some places allow part of a salary in crypto with written consent; others do not.

Calling someone a contractor does not make them one. If the relationship looks like employment, local rules may treat it as employment whatever the contract says. WorkTGT moves the USDT and keeps the approval record. It does not calculate withholding, file payroll taxes or issue payslips.

Tax and compliance: check the local rules

Both sides usually have obligations. The company may need to report payments to foreign contractors, apply withholding or treaty rules, and follow its own country's rules on buying and holding crypto. The recipient usually owes income tax on the value received, and converting it later can create a separate gain or loss.

These rules differ by country and change often. Agree the treatment with a qualified local adviser before the first run, and again when you add a new country.

Monthly run checklist

  • Every invoice received and matched to a contract.
  • No payee address changed since last month without a second approval.
  • Safe balance covers the run total plus WorkTGT fees.
  • Book-currency rate recorded for the payment date.
  • Every request approved by someone other than the person who raised it.
  • Transaction hashes saved and the month's records exported.
  • Payees told the payment has gone out, with the network named.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by country and change often, so check with a qualified local adviser.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to pay employees in USDT?

It depends on the country. Some allow part of a salary in crypto with the employee's written consent, some require wages in local currency, and most still require withholding and reporting in local currency either way. Check with a local employment or payroll adviser before paying employees this way.

Do contractors pay tax on USDT payments?

Generally yes. In most countries a payment for services is income whatever form it takes, usually valued at the rate on the day it is received, and converting it later can create a separate gain or loss. Contractors should check with a local tax adviser.

What records should we keep for each payout?

The invoice, the contract it belongs to, the payee's legal name and country, the network and address, the amount and the book-currency rate you used, the transaction hash and who approved it. WorkTGT keeps the request, approvals, attachments and hash together and exports the audit log to CSV.

How much does a monthly run cost on WorkTGT?

Using WorkTGT is free. Each executed payout carries a 0.1% fee, at least 0.5 and at most 5 USDT, added on top so the payee receives the full amount. Network gas for payouts is paid by WorkTGT's relayer.

Can we pay everyone in one transaction?

Yes. Approved requests can be collected into one Safe transaction and signed as a batch, so signers do not have to sign once per person.

Does WorkTGT handle payroll tax?

No. WorkTGT moves USDT from your Safe and keeps the approval and payment record. It does not calculate withholding, file tax returns or issue payslips, so keep your accountant or payroll provider for that.

Run your next payout through a Safe

Free to use. Each executed payout costs 0.1%, at least 0.5 and at most 5 USDT, and network gas is covered. WorkTGT never holds your funds or keys.

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