FAQ - Single Touch Payroll (STP)

Please refer to the list of frequently asked questions below.

Our Single Touch Payroll (STP) Guide is now available.

If you're looking for information on how to report via STP then click through to the guide now.

When does STP come into effect?

Single Touch Payroll was rolled out with the 2018/2019 financial year for 'substantial employers'. Starting 2019/2020, all employers (regardless of the number of employees) must start reporting via STP on or before the 1st of September 2019.

How do we register for STP?

There is no need to explicitly register for STP. If you aren’t already though, then you must register for PAYG withholding.

You also need to notify the ATO that you are using Infinet Cloud Payroll.

As an employer, what are our obligations under STP?

The ATO provides the Single Touch Payroll employer reporting guidelines - it is your responsibility to read this document and to understand your obligations. Our software solution will assist you with all your mandatory reporting requirements.

How do we get ready for STP?

If you haven't done so yet, then register with the ATO for PAYG withholding.
Make sure all your employee data is up-to-date (see below)
Notify the ATO that you are using a hosted SBR software Service (Infinet Cloud Payroll).

What Employee details need to be updated?

Your employee data will be sent to the ATO with each STP submission, and the ATO will use the information you send to match up employees on their end. To ensure a smooth transition to STP, it is critical that the info on your employee records in NetSuite is correct. Please check all the fields below for all your employees:

Name (first and last name fields)
Tax Info > Tax File Number
HR Tab > Birth Date
Address
- Each employee must have a Home address defined.
- For Australian based employees and addresses, the following fields must be correct: Country, Address line 1, City (Suburb), State and Postcode
- For non-Australia addresses, ensure the following fields are correct: Country, Address line 1, and City

Are we a 'substantial employer'?

If you have 20 or more FTE (full-time equivalent) employees then you are considered a 'substantial employer' and need to report through Single Touch Payroll from 1 July 2018. All employers must report through STP starting by the 1st of September 2019.

Should we be worried about complying with the new regulations and incurring a penalty?

No, our STP solution is already in your account regardless of your company size. When you start reporting through STP, the first 12 months will be a transition period. The ATO will be working closely with employers (and if required their Digital Service Provider, aka us) to help ensure submitted information is correct. Employers will also likely be exempt from administrative penalties for failures to report on time. For further information see the ATO's website, especially the Get ready for Single Touch Payroll pages.

Will we need to issue Payment Summaries for the 2018/2019 FY?

If you reported via STP in 2018/2019 then you may be exempt from providing Payment Summaries to some employees. For more information please read the ATO's Finalising you Single Touch Payroll Data. If you did not report via STP then your end-of-year process will be unchanged - you will need to distribute Payment Summaries to employees and submit the relevant Payment Summary Annual Report (PSAR file) to the ATO.

Once using STP, will we need to issue Payment Summaries?

For detailed information on this topic see Finalising your Single Touch Payroll Reporting. You will not have to provide payment summaries for the following payments if you reported them voluntarily through Single Touch Payroll:

payments under voluntary agreement
payments under a labour hire arrangement
death benefit employment termination payment.

You will need to provide a payment summary for any payments not reported through STP.

Will our pay run process need to change?

Since you need to submit pay event information to the ATO on or before each pay date - there is an additional step to the pay run process. For more information see the Single Touch Payroll (STP) Guide.

Is Infinet Cloud's STP solution an integration?

No, our STP solution - much like our Payroll solution - is built-in within NetSuite. No external integration(s) are necessary and your NetSuite account connects directly to the ATO's servers to submit STP information.

Are there any additional security concerns with STP?

No, at Infinet Cloud we take security very seriously. All your payroll data will continue to reside within your NetSuite account. When submitting pay data via STP, your NetSuite account connects securely directly to the ATO's servers and communicates directly - your data will not be transported through any other 3rd party. Further to this and prior to any STP submission, you will have an opportunity to review the data being submitted.

What is Infinet Cloud's relationship with the ATO?

We have a long-standing relationship with the ATO and ABSIA. Under their definitions, we are a Software Provider and Digital Service Provider (DSP) of STP-enabled payroll software. If you like, you may view our ABSIA Product Listing.

Once using STP, how will employees view their Payment Summary information?

Pay information submitted through STP will be visible to individual employees through the ATO's online services (accessible through MyGov). Obviously employees will need to register for MyGov access and link their ATO Online Services if they haven't done so already.

Can we report data for employees via STP even if they haven't signed up to MyGov?

Yes, you must report pay data for all employees as required, regardless of their MyGov access. MyGov and ATO Online Services access is each employee's individual responsibility.