How easy this is depends on the licensing you have. If you purchased from a retail store like Staples originally, you probably have a perpetual license (at least you did originally). In this case, you can just stop paying each year and the payroll module would be shut down, the rest is still active forever.

If you were on a subscription license at any time (may happen when you renewed through Sage even if you originally purchased a perpetual license), then you would likely need to purchase a new perpetual license version from a retail store (you would purchase the Pro version without payroll), uninstall the old copy, reintstall the new one and the update, and re-register with Sage to get a new Keycode. Both versions of 2016 cannot run on the same computer, but if you purchased 2017 (due out in about a month), then both could be installed on the same computer.

It is my understanding, on subscription licensing, if you don't continue to pay, the software reverts to read-only for everything, not just payroll.

Thank you Richard,.

Your answer was very useful.
We are on a subscription base with Sage and have been for 14 years. With that long history with Simply Accounting and longer at a previous employer I have no interest is switching to a competitor.
You have given me ideas on a work around

Barrie

Interesting, I thought subscription pricing (ie. renting your software, not to be confused with subscribing to payroll updates) had only been around since about 2009 or 2010 (that's roughly when consultants were forced onto it). But it is still possible you were switched to it at some point since then during renewals.