The ATO is urging employers with 20 or more employees to act now and prepare for Single Touch Payroll (STP) – the next step in streamlining payroll reporting.
From 1 July 2018, employers will need to report their employees’ tax and super information to the ATO through payroll software that is STP ready.
ATO Assistant Commissioner John Shepherd said this was the next step in connecting businesses to the ATO through their existing software.
“Single Touch Payroll is a game-changer for both employers and the ATO. We want employers to be able to meet their reporting obligations to us by using their own payroll or accounting software,” he said.
“Many employers will be able to update their existing payroll software to a version that is Single Touch Payroll ready. Employers with 20 or more employees who do not use payroll software will need to choose a product that offers STP by 1 July 2018.
“Employers need to start preparing now in order to be ready for this important reporting change,” Mr Shepherd said.
The next steps to get ready for STP: – Visit www.ato.gov.au/stp and download the ‘Get ready checklist’
– Do a headcount of your employees on 1 April 2018 to find out if you have 20 or more
– If you have software: talk to your provider to find out how and when your product will be ready
– If you don’t have software: choose a product that offers STP. You can ask your tax or BAS agent for advice on choosing a product that suits your business needs
– Update your payroll software when it’s ready
– Start reporting to the ATO through STP
“Some payroll software providers have asked us for more time to get ready – employers should ask if their provider has been given a deferral which will cover them, and also check when their product will be updated to offer Single Touch Payroll reporting,” said Mr Shepherd.
“We’ve been working closely with payroll software providers, tax and BAS agents and payroll specialists from concept through to design and now deployment of solutions to ensure that Single Touch Payroll can be successfully implemented.
“The ATO is here to make the transition as smooth as possible for employers to ensure they meet their obligations. We have developed a number of helpful information resources including fact sheets, checklists, information packs, and advice on how to manage headcount. These are all available to download on the ATO website.”
Employers with 19 or fewer employees have another year to prepare, however, they can choose to start reporting through STP prior to 1 July 2019 if their software is updated.
Visit www.ato.gov.au/stp for information, resources, news and detailed guidelines.
where do you get a single touch payroll system without it costing more than current cost ?
I have my own in-house payroll system – costs me nothing more than my own time to run and keep updated.
now I am being forced to spend extra money – who is going to pay for that ?
SME’s especially with 20 or less employees need to make some profit – not be forced to give it to Software Developers at the request of the ATO
Agreed with John. STP sounds more gimmicky than revolutionary. My low-cost payroll software still eliminates a ton of duplicate data entry while making it easy to report payroll data.