Page tree

Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.
HTML Wrap
classsection group
HTML
<span data-swiftype-index="true">
HTML Wrap
classcol span_3_of_5

AccountRight Plus and Premier (v2018.2 and later), Australia onlySo that the ATO knows , Australia only

UI Text Box
sizemedium
typetip

Need some guidance?

Check out our end of payroll year tasks MYOB Academy course or the EOFY hub for key end of year dates and resources.


UI Text Box
sizemedium
typenote

You must be reporting to the ATO via STP Phase 2

If you haven't already, you need to move to STP Phase 2 to stay compliant with the ATO. But we have you covered – see how easy it is to move.

You need to assign an ATO reporting category to each of the payroll categories you use. This lets the ATO know how to treat each type of payment you're reporting through Single Touch Payroll (STP).

STP Phase 2

STP Phase 2 is the ATO's expansion of their payroll reporting requirements. This includes expanding the list of ATO reporting categories to better define the amounts paid to employees. For example, the ATO reporting category Gross payments has been split into more specific payment types, like overtime and bonuses.

To learn more about STP Phase 2, visit the ATO website.

If you need to assign an ATO reporting category to each of the payroll categories you use.These categories are similar to the ones used when doing payment summaries in previous yearsset up STP since mid-December 2021, you'll likely be set up for STP Phase 2. You can see if you're reporting on STP Phase 2 via the STP reporting centre (Payroll command centre > Payroll Reporting > Payroll Reporting Centre).

Image Added

When you move to STP Phase 2, you'll need to confirm the ATO reporting categories you've assigned to your payroll categories. For example, payroll categories previously assigned to Gross Payments might now need to be assigned to a new specific reporting category, like overtime or bonus.

Which ATO reporting category should I assign?

As your business, award and employee agreement agreements are unique, we can't specify what tell you which ATO reporting categories you should assign to your payroll categories.

However, you can use the descriptions of reporting categories below to guide you.

For additional information and advice:

HTML
</span>
HTML Wrap
width15%
classcol span_1_of_5
 
HTML Wrap
floatleft
classcol span_1_of_5
Panelbox
namemagenta
titleRelated topics
HTML Wrap
classsidebarlinks

About Single Touch Payroll reporting

Setting up Single Touch Payroll reporting

Notify the ATO you're using MYOB for Single Touch Payroll reporting

Payroll categories

Anchor
assigning
assigning
What is each ATO reporting category for?

Use this information to work out which reporting categories you need to assign to your payroll categories. The STP Phase 2 reporting categories will apply when your business is reporting via STP Phase 2.

UI Expand
titleWages
New
ATO reporting category (Phase 1)ATO reporting category (Phase 2)More informationATO links
Gross Payments
Include all

Gross payments
Overtime Image Added
Bonuses and commissions Image Added
Director's fees Image Added
Cash out of leave in service Image Added
Unused leave on termination Image Added
Paid parental leave Image Added
Workers' compensation leave Image Added
Ancillary and defence leave Image Added
Other paid leave Image Added

Include payroll categories you use for paying salary and wages.

This

For STP Phase 1, this includes categories for:

  • holiday pay
  • sick pay
  • overtime
  • bonuses
  • commissions
.

There are more categories and some exceptions to these.  

Do not include salary sacrifice payroll categories. Gross payments are reduced automatically when you assign pre-tax deductions and pre-tax superannuation categories such as salary sacrifice.

The rules of reporting through Single Touch Payroll - Gross Payments
  • director's fees

For STP Phase 2, payments that don’t sit into any of the main categories, assign them to Gross payments (but check this with the ATO).

Expanding STP (Phase 2)

STP Phase 2 employer reporting guidelines

Allowance - Car
Allowance - Transport
Allowance - Travel
Allowance - Meals
Allowance - Laundry
Allowance - Other

Allowance - cents per km
Allowance - award transport payment
Allowance - travel and accommodation
Allowance - overtime meals
Allowance - laundry
Allowance - tools Image Added
Allowance - tasks Image Added
Allowance - qualifications/certificates Image Added
Allowance - other

This includes payments you

made

make to cover your employees’ work-related expenses

, like tools or phone

.

For allowances that don’t sit into any of the main categories, assign them to

Allowances

Allowance – Other

.Typically, you wouldn't include amounts you paid for living-away-from-home allowance because these amounts are not assessable income

(but check this with the ATO).

Withholding for allowances  

The rules of reporting through Single Touch Payroll - Allowances

STP Phase 2 employer reporting guidelines

Lump Sum A - Termination
Lump Sum A - Redundancy
Lump Sum B
Lump Sum D
Lump Sum E

Lump Sum A - Termination 
Lump Sum A - Redundancy 
Lump Sum B 
Lump Sum D 
Lump Sum E
Lump Sum W Image Added

Lump sum payments may include payroll categories such as:

  • redundancies
  • payments in lieu of notice
  • payments of annual leave on termination.

See the FAQs below for more info on each lump sum type.

For STP Phase 2:

Lump Sum W — this has been added which is for return to work payments.

Lump Sum E — you'll only be able to set this up after your business moves to STP Phase 2. Learn more about Lump sum E payments.

Lump sum payments are a complex area. Chat to your advisor or check with the ATO for more guidance.

The rules of reporting through - Employment termination payments
  • Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) scheme wages
  • CDEP scheme participant supplement from a Centrelink payment.

    (Phase 2)

    CDEP Payments

    Assign payroll categories for:

    No longer required

    The CDEP payment scheme has ended. For STP Phase 2 these payments are not reportable.

    CDEP payments
    Exempt Foreign IncomeExempt Foreign Income

    This could be assigned to payroll categories such as salary, wages, commissions, bonuses and allowances that are exempt from Australian tax.

    Exempt foreign employment income
    ETP - Taxable component
    ETP - Tax free component
    ETP - Taxable component  
    ETP - Tax free component

    These are payroll categories used to track the taxable and tax-free components of employment termination payments.

    ETPs are concessionally taxed up to a certain limit, or 'cap'.

    Certain types of termination payments are tax free up to a certain limit, for example, if the ETP is because of redundancy or early retirement.

    Taxation of termination payments

    payroll category. The ATO reporting categories you can choose from is based on the superannuation Contribution Type.

    Image Added

    Here's the available ATO reporting categories for superannuation.

    UI Expand
    titleSuperannuation
    The

    An ATO Reporting Category is

    automatically assigned

    required for each superannuation

    categories set up with the following Contribution Types :
    • Superannuation Guarantee (expense)
    • Employee Additional (deduction)
    • Redundancy (expense)
    • Spouse (deduction)

    For superannuation categories that handle reportable superannuation payments (as classified by the ATO reporting guidelines), you need to assign the Reportable Employer Super Contributions (RESC) category. This can include salary sacrifice categories.

    SGC category with locked ATO reporting category highlightedImage Removed

    New ATO reporting categoryOld Payment Summary field name
    ATO reporting category (Phase 1)ATO reporting category (Phase 2)More information

    Superannuation Guarantee

    New
    Superannuation Guarantee

    This

    is the first time employers have been required to report this information to the ATO. It's requried to check

    information is reported to the ATO to ensure that employee super funds are receiving the correct amounts.

    UI Text Box
    sizemedium
    typenote

    Helping you stay compliant with ATO super reporting

    The ATO reporting category for superannuation payroll categories with a contribution type of Superannuation Guarantee (expense) will be automatically set to Superannuation guarantee.

    Reportable Employer Super ContributionsReportable Employer Super Contributions

    Used to assign superannuation payroll categories that are classified by the ATO as Reportable Employer Super Contributions (RESC)

    Step 5 in the Payment summary assistant

    .

     

    Salary Sacrifice and RESC Image Added

    Use this to assign
    superannuation categories which handle 'reportable' superannuation payments (as
    salary sacrifice super payroll categories. These are classified by the ATO
    guidelines
    as reportable employer super contributions (RESC).
    This can include salary sacrifice categories.

    Note that this option only appears for Employer Additional (expense), and Salary Sacrifice (deduction) contribution types.

     

     

    Not ReportableNot Reportable

    Use this to assign superannuation payroll categories which are not reportable to the ATO for STP purposes. To clarify if a super category is reportable, check with your accounting advisor or the ATO.

    UI Expand
    titleDeductions
    New ATO reporting
    ATO reporting category (Phase 1)ATO reporting category (Phase 2)DescriptionATO reference

    Deduction - Work Place Giving

    Deduction - Work Place GivingAssign payroll categories that are donations made under a workplace giving arrangement.Workplace giving programs

    Deduction - Union/Professional Assoc Fees

    Deduction - Union/Professional Assoc Fees

    This might include payroll categories for:

    • union fees
    • memberships to professional associations.
    Union fees, subscriptions to associations and bargaining agents fees
    ETP - Tax WithholdingETP - Tax WithholdingUse this reporting category when an ETP has been made to an employee.Taxation of termination payments
     

    Salary sacrifice - other employee benefits Image Added

    For deductions that are for benefits from an effective salary sacrifice arrangement, including those exempt from FBT.Salary sacrifice arrangements
    Not ReportableNot Reportable

    All other deductions are usually considered not reportable. This includes payroll categories like

    :
  • salary sacrifice that is exempt from fringe benefits tax
  • child support
  • loan or car payments

    . This is because they may not need to be itemised on an employee's tax return.

    If you're not sure if a deduction is reportable, check with your accounting advisor or the ATO.

     
    ui-text-box
    sizemedium
    typenote

    Child support deductions

    You can't currently report your child support deductions to the ATO via STP from AccountRight. This means you can assign Not Reportable as the ATO Reporting Category in your child support deduction payroll categories.

    ui-expand
    titleTaxes

    The ATO Reporting Category

    is automatically assigned (and can't be changed)

    for the PAYG Withholding payroll category can only be set to PAYG Withholding.

    Payroll Category Liust window showing ATO reporting category set to PAYG withholdingImage Removed

    Image Added

    New
    ATO reporting category
    Old Payment Summary field name
    ATO reporting category (Phase 2) More information

    PAYG Withholding

    Total Tax Withheld

    PAYG Withholding

    This is automatically assigned and can't be changed.

    This category reports all tax withheld from the employee, including any extra PAYG that may be deducted.

    Assigning ATO reporting categories

    Before using Single Touch Payroll, you need to run a check which shows you which payroll categories you need to assign an ATO reporting category to.

    ...

    You need to assign ATO reporting categories to all wage, deduction and superannuation payroll categories you've used in the current payroll year, and whenever you

    ...

    create new ones.

    If you're setting up STP for the first time or moving from STP Phase 1 to STP Phase 2, your AccountRight company file is checked to find any payroll categories that don't have an ATO reporting category assigned—so you can then assign one.

    You can also manually check your payroll categories and, if required, assign an ATO reporting category.

    assign
    UI Expand
    expandedtrue
    titleTo
    check for unassigned ATO reporting categories
    1. Go to

    the 
    1. the Payroll command centre and click Payroll Reporting.

    2. Click Check Payroll Details. Employees paid in the current payroll year (including terminated employees) are included in the payroll check.

    UI Text Box
    sizemedium
    typenote

    Getting an error saying "AccountRight can't do this now"? 

    If you're using AccountRight Server Edition 2019.1, you'll need to install .NET Framework 4.7.2 on your server.

    Once installed, a restart is required for the changes to take effect, so you may need to organise an appropriate time for this to take place.

    After clicking Check Payroll Details, you'll
    1. You'll see a list of

    items
    1. payroll categories you need to fix before you can connect to the ATO and start reporting using Single Touch Payroll.
      Image Modified

    2. Click the arrow next to a payroll category in the errors list. The payroll category Information window appears.
    Select
    1. Choose the appropriate category from the ATO Reporting Category list. See above for information to help you select it, or speak to your accounting advisor or the ATO.
    2. Click OK.
    3. Repeat for all other payroll categories listed in the Check Payroll Details window.
    Correct any employee cards company information details listed in the
    1. Click Check Payroll Details
    window. See Task 1 - Check payroll details for Single Touch Payroll reporting for more information.Click Check Payroll Details
    1.  to refresh the list
    to see if everything is done
    1. .
    You'll then be ready to connect to the ATO.
    HTML
    <h2><i class="fa fa-comments"></i>&nbsp;&nbsp;
    ATO reporting category
    FAQs</h2><br>
    UI Expand
    titleWhich payroll categories are not reportable?

    Which payroll categories are not reportable?

    In most cases, payroll categories that don't need to be included on an employee's tax return, are not reportable. Depending on your circumstances. this may include payroll categories for post-tax deductions and deductions that are exempt from fringe benefits tax. For example

    :
  • salary sacrifice that is exempt from fringe benefits tax
  • child support
  • , loan or car payments

    If you're not sure what reporting category to assign, talk to your accounting advisor or the ATO.

    You need to assign the
    • For STP Phase 1 the ATO reporting category Reportable Employer Super Contributions
    (RESC) categoryto superannuation categories which handle 'reportable' superannuation payments (as classified by the ATO guidelines). Don't assign Not Reportable as this wont reduce the gross amount of wages
    • can be used for Salary Sacrifice (deduction) superannuation categories.
    • For STP Phase 2 the ATO reporting category Salary Sacrifice can be used for Salary Sacrifice (deduction) superannuation categories.

    If you're not sure what reporting category to assign, talk to your accounting advisor or the ATO.

    UI Expand
    titleHow do I assign salary sacrifice superannuation?

    How do I assign salary sacrifice superannuation?

    When reporting payroll amounts using Single Touch Payroll, gross wage amounts are reduced automatically by deduction amounts that are marked as a before-tax deductions. This includes salary sacrifice superannuation deductions.

    Previously, to reduce taxable gross amount on payment summaries, you needed to assign the relevant payroll category (for example, salary sacrifice) to gross payments. You don't need to do this for single touch payroll reporting.

    UI Text Box
    typenote

    How do ATO reporting categories differ from payment summary categories?

    While ATO reporting categories are similar to how ATO payment summary categories were assigned to payment summary fields, there are important differences.

    For example, some ATO reporting categories have been renamed and you now need to report superannuation amounts
    UI Expand
    title
    How do ATO reporting categories differ from payment summary categories?
    Why can't I choose an ATO reporting category for a payroll category?

    Why can't I choose an ATO reporting category for a payroll category?

    Some payroll categories that exist in AccountRight by default, like Superannuation Guarantee, have the ATO reporting category set for you and cannot be changed. This ensures those critical payroll categories are reported correctly to the ATO.

    UI Expand
    title
    Why am I getting the error "WagesPayrollCategory_ExemptionsNotDeduction" when assigning an ATO reporting category?

    Why am I getting the error "WagesPayrollCategory_ExemptionsNotDeduction" when assigning an ATO Reporting Category?

    Image Removed

    This error can occur in recently upgraded company files, and our experts are working on a permanent solution. Until then, here's a workaround that'll fix the issue:

    1. Click Exempt (at the top of the wage category).
      Image Removed
    2. Take note of which categories are selected.
    3. Deselect all categories. If none are selected, select all.
    4. Click OK, then click OK again to save the changes.
    5. Open the wage category again and select the applicable ATO Reporting Category.
    6. Click Exempt and select the categoriues noted at step 2 (if none were selected, deselect all).
    7. Click OK then click OK again to save your changes.
    HTML Wrap
    classcol span_3_of_5

     

    HTML
    </span>
    HTML Wrap
    width15%
    classcol span_1_of_5
     
    HTML Wrap
    floatleft
    classcol span_1_of_5
    Panelbox
    namemagenta
    titleRelated topics
    HTML Wrap
    classsidebarlinks

    About Single Touch Payroll reporting

    Setting up Single Touch Payroll reporting

    Task 1 - Check payroll details  

    Task 2 - Connect to the ATO

    Error: "PayrollCategory_InvalidStpCategory"

    Payroll categories

    Panelbox
    nameyellow
    titleFrom the community

    RSS Feed
    titleBarfalse
    max5
    showTitlesOnlytrue
    urlhttp://community.myob.com/myob/rss/search?q=set+up+employees&filter=labels%2Clocation%2CsolvedThreads&location=forum-board%3AEssentialsAccounting&nospellcheck=true&search_type=thread&solved=true

    HTML Wrap
    classmorelinks
    More »
    What are the types of lump sum payments?

    What are the types of lump sum payments?

    Here's a brief description of each type of lump sum payment. For more details, or to clarify if a payment you're making is a lump sum, check with your accounting advisor or visit the ATO website.

    TypeDescription
    Lump Sum A - redundancy

    Payments of unused long service leave accrued after 17 August 1993 or unused holiday pay and other leave-related payments, where the amount was paid in connection with a payment that includes (or consists of) either – a genuine redundancy payment – an early retirement scheme payment – the invalidity segment of an ETP or super benefit.

    Lump Sum A - termination

    Payments of unused long service leave that accrued after 15 August 1978, but before 18 August 1993, or unused holiday pay and other leave-related payments that accrued before 18 August 1993.

    Lump Sum BPayments for unused long service leave that accrued before 16 August 1978.
    Lump Sum DThe tax-free component of a genuine redundancy payment or an early retirement scheme payment.
    Lump Sum EAn amount of back payment that accrued, or was payable, more than 12 months before the date of payment and is $1200 or more. Learn more about lump sum E payments
    Lump Sum WA return to work amount that's paid to induce an employee to resume work. For example, to end industrial action or to return from working for another employer.
    UI Expand
    titleWhere can I see a list of assigned ATO reporting categories?

    Where can I see a list of assigned ATO reporting categories?

    When you view your list of payroll categories (Payroll > Payroll Categories), you'll see which ATO reporting categories have been assigned on the Wages, Superannuation and Deductions tabs.

    This is a handy way to see if any ATO reporting categories are yet to be assigned.

    Image Added

    UI Expand
    titleWhere do I assign an employee's income type?

    Where do I assign an employee's income type?

    To be compliant with the ATO's rules for STP Phase 2, you need to assign each of your employees an income type (Card File command centre > Cards List > Employee tab > open the employee's card > Payroll Details tab > Taxes section > Income Type).

    Image Added

    The available choices are Salary and wagesClosely held payeesWorking holiday makerSeasonal worker program or Labour hire. If you're not sure what to choose, check with your accounting advisor or the ATO.

    If you choose Working holiday maker, you also need to choose the employee's Country of origin.

    UI Expand
    titleHow can I tell if I'm on STP Phase 2?

    Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2 is an expansion of the ATO's payroll reporting system, and it started on 1 January 2022.

    You'll see whether you're reporting on STP Phase 1 or Phase 2 in the STP reporting centre (Payroll command centre > Payroll Reporting > Payroll Reporting Centre > STP reports tab). How do I move to STP Phase 2?

    Image Added