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Don't forget to assign categories to your superannuation categories!

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 set 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).

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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 agreements are unique, we can't 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:

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  1. Go to the  Payroll command centre and select Payroll Reporting .
  2. Select View Payroll Categories. A list of your Wages categories appears.
    The ATO Reporting Category column shows the category assigned.

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AccountRight Plus and Premier, Australia only

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The functions described on this page are available in AccountRight 2018.2. Get the latest version

 

Before you can report payroll and super information to the ATO, you need to
tip

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.


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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 your each of the payroll categories you use. This includes wages, allowances, deductions and superannuation categories. The ATO category indicates the lets the ATO know how to treat each type of payment you're reporting (is it a gross wage amount or an allowance?)

While it's similar to how 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.

Below is a summary of the new ATO reporting categories. To help you assign the right category, we've included a comparison to the previous payment summary reporting fields.

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Need help assigning ATO reporting categories?

Note that we can only provide general information. If you're unsure of what's appropriate for you, talk to your accounting advisor or the ATO. You can also refer to the ATO website for more information (the ATO's info applies to payment summaries, but the same rules apply for ATO reporting categories).

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The default category assigned is To be assigned. This is to let you know what payroll categories you haven't assigned.

Payroll Category List window with ATO reporting category column highlightedImage Removed

  • Double-click a category to open it.
  • Select the appropriate category from the ATO Reporting Category list.
  • Click OK.
  • Repeat for all wage payroll categories.
  • Select the Superannuation tab and repeat the steps to assign categories.
  • Repeat for all categories in the Deductions and Tax tabs.
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    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

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    assigning
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    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.

    Old Payment Summary field name
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    titleWages
    New ATO reporting category
    ATO reporting category (Phase 1)ATO reporting category (Phase 2)More information
    Gross Payments
    ATO links
    Gross Payments

    Gross payments

    are reduced by a calculation that happens behind the scenes. You don't need to map any pre-tax deductions to gross payments to reduce gross. We'll be providing more details about how this works soon.


    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.

    For STP Phase 1, this includes categories for:

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

    Allowances 1 through to 9

    Certain types of allowances and deductions need to be itemised as they were on Payment Summaries (like the type of allowance).

    However, for Single Touch Payroll reporting, each item needs to be grouped and reported using a specific category. Amounts in these payroll categories may be used to prefill your employees' tax returns.

    Withholding for allowances (ATO website)

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

    This includes payments you make to cover your employees’ work-related expenses.

    For allowances that don’t sit into any of the main categories, assign them to Allowance – Other (but check this with the ATO).

    Withholding for 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

    Payments

    A

    (Termination)

    - Termination 
    Lump Sum

    Payments

    A

    (Redundancy)

    - Redundancy 
    Lump Sum

    Payments B


    Lump Sum

    Payments D


    Lump Sum

    Payments

    E

    (Accrued in 2016-2017)


    Lump Sum

    Payments E (Accrued in 2015-2016)
    Lump Sum Payments E (Accrued prior to 1/7/2015) 

    CDEP Payments

    CDEP Salary or Wages

     

    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.

    STP Phase 2 employer reporting guidelines

    Expanding Single Touch Payroll (Phase 2)

    CDEP Payments

    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
    Old Payment Summary field name

    An ATO Reporting Category is required for each superannuation payroll category. The ATO reporting categories you can choose from is based on the superannuation Contribution Type.

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    Here's the available ATO reporting categories for superannuation.

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    Some of these ATO reporting categories are automatically assigned based on the contribution type selected.

    New ATO reporting category
    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.

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    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 Contributions
    (RESC)Step 5 in the Payment summary assistantUse this
    Reportable Employer Super Contributions

    Used to assign superannuation

    categories which handle 'reportable' superannuation payments (as

    payroll categories that are classified by the ATO

    guidelines

    as Reportable Employer Super Contributions (RESC).

    Only available for contribution types: Employer Additional (expense), and Salary Sacrifice (deduction).

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    Did you previously report salary sacrifice amounts on payment summaries?

    You don't need to assign the Gross wages category to salary sacrifice amounts. Salary sacrifice is now calculated behind the scenes. More information to come.
     

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    Use this to assign salary sacrifice super payroll categories. These are classified by the ATO as reportable employer super contributions (RESC).
    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.

    More information
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    ATO reporting category (Phase 1)ATO reporting category
    Old Payment Summary field name
    (Phase 2)DescriptionATO reference

    Deduction - Work Place Giving

    Deduction - Work Place Giving
    1
    Work Place Giving 2
    Work Place Giving 3 
    Assign payroll categories that are donations made under a workplace giving arrangement.Workplace giving programs

    Deduction - Union/Professional Assoc Fees

    Deduction
    1
    - Union
    Fees
    Deduction 2 - Prof Assoc 

    Any other deductions, including salary sacrifice (exempt from FBT) are Not Reportable.

    /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
     

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    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 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.

     

    Did you previoulsly report salary sacrifice amounts on payment summaries?

    You don't need to assign the Gross wages category to salary sacrifice amounts. Salary sacrifice is now calculated behind the scenes. More information to come.
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    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.

    Old Payment Summary field name

    The ATO Reporting Category for the PAYG Withholding payroll category can only be set to PAYG Withholding.

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    titleTaxes
    New ATO reporting category
    ATO reporting categoryATO reporting category (Phase 2) More information

    PAYG Withholding

    Total Tax Withheld

    PAYG Withholding

    This is automatically assigned
    .
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    Task 1 - Check payroll details  

    Task 2 - Connect to the ATO

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    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

    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.

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    1. Go to 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. You'll see a list of payroll categories you need to fix before you can connect to the ATO and start reporting using Single Touch Payroll.
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    3. Click the arrow next to a payroll category in the errors list. The payroll category Information window appears.
    4. 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.
    5. Click OK.
    6. Repeat for all other payroll categories listed in the Check Payroll Details window.
    7. Click Check Payroll Details to refresh the list.
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    <h2><i class="fa fa-comments"></i>&nbsp;&nbsp;FAQs</h2><br>
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    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, loan or car payments

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

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    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.

    • For STP Phase 1 the ATO reporting category Reportable Employer Super Contributions 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.

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    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.

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    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.
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    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.

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    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).

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    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.

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    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?

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