Payroll and STP

Have you lodged a finalisation event for your employees but now need to adjust an employee/s' earnings? If so you will need to lodge an Amended Finalisation Event. 

Note: Amendments are required to be lodged within 14 days of identifying the discrepancy.   

This article will guide you through how to lodge an amended finalisation event for businesses reporting through STP. 

How to create an Amended Finalisation Event

1. Select Employees from the left-hand menu 
2. Select the Reports tab 
3. Select Single Touch Payroll (Located under ATO Reporting)
4. Select the dropdown arrow next to Start Finalisation Process and choose Create an amended Finalisation Event

Note: The Create an amended Finalisation Event option will only appear after you have successfully lodged a finalisation event with the ATO.

An Amended Finalisation Event wizard will now launch

1. Select the relevant Pay Schedule 
2. Select the relevant employees under the Amended Employees dropdown 

Note: The Amendment Employees will include all active and terminated employees assigned to that specific pay schedule as their  Default Pay Schedule that have a start date earlier than the current financial year. If the employee you are looking for is not available it is likely they have a different default pay schedule.  

Confirming Payroll Data

On this screen, you should:

• Ensure the year to date earnings are correct and compare them to the year to date payroll reports 
• Fix any validation issues prior to lodging (to avoid a failed lodgement).

Note: The amended finalisation event automatically marks all employees in the event as Is Final.

 You can also download an excel spreadsheet of the payroll data being reported in the event by selecting Actions and then Excel. To download an excel document containing all employees' YTD payroll data reported through STP, select Actions and then Excel (YTD). 

If you have validation issues you should correct them before proceeding, Learn how to troubleshoot validation warnings for STP

Once fixed, you can refresh the data in this step by selecting Actions and then Refresh Data. 

Now select Next

Entering Reportable Fringe Benefits

This step is only applicable if you need to enter reportable FBT. If this is not the case, skip this section by selecting Next

There are two methods with entering FBT:

Enter FBT Amounts manually

1. Select the Pencil icon next to the relevant employee 
2. Enter the amount and then select the Tick icon           
3. Repeat this process for each relevant employee
4. Select Next 

Import FBT Amounts through Excel 

If you have numerous employee's it may be quicker to enter the amounts through the import feature.  

1. Select Actions and then Export RFBA Template
2. Select Download to download a excel template
3. Open the excel sheet and enter the RFT amount for each relevant employee, then save the document.
4. Now return to payroll, select Actions and then Bulk Import RFBA 

Notes:

• If you have multiple pay schedules, there will be separate tabs in the excel document for each pay schedule.
• Use whole dollar amounts when reporting FBT, do not enter any cents
• Remember to not include FBT amounts in the employee's gross earnings
• The amount entered should be the Year to Date amount. If a FBT amount has been previously entered in other events, the amount will already be included in the export. If you need to update an employee's YTD amount simply edit the relevant field.  
• You must only enter the grossed-up taxable value of these benefits

Requesting Client Authority (for Registered Tax/BAS Agents only)

This option will only appear for businesses who have indicated that a registered tax/BAS agent will be lodging reports to the ATO (based on what has been set up under the ATO Settings).

You will need to obtain authorisation from your client before proceeding, You can assign one or more approvers and then add a note to indicate the purpose of the amended finalisation event. The user/s  will be notified via email that there is a finalisation event waiting to be actioned.

Now select Save for later, while you wait for the approval.  

If you have set up Email me when a pay event is approved or rejected through My Notifications you will receive an email when the STP event approver has provided authorisation otherwise you can return to this later once the authorisation has occurred.  

Lodging the Amended Finalisation Event

The next step is to complete a declaration. Simply read the declaration then select Lodge Finalisation Event.

 You then have the option of either returning to the Payroll Dashboard or to the Amended Finalisation Event 

Note: If you have the notification setting Email me when there is a Lodgement error switched on (located in My Notifications) you will be sent an email if there is an error with the lodgement.

Additional setting for tax/BAS agents

Before you are able to lodge the amended finalisation event:

1. Select the 'Registered Tax Agent' option when choosing who is lodging
2. Assign the authority who has approved the event. If the selected authority's status is showing as awaiting authorisation, the Lodge Finalisation Event button will be disabled until authorisation has been approved, you can reach out to your client to remind them if required.  

Sending Employee Notifications

Once the amended finalisation event has been successfully lodged with the ATO, the employee’s myGov display will be updated with the amended information which will be available to pre-fill the employee’s income tax return.

You also have the ability to send system-generated email notifications to the employees included in the amended finalisation event.

1. Select Employees from the left-hand menu 
2. Select the Reports tab
3. Select Single Touch Payroll (Located under ATO Reporting) 
4. Select the relevant Amended Finalisation Event 
5. Select Actions and then Send Notifications