The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is implementing a new systems for the capturing of data in relation to employee payroll so as to provide real time visibility over the accuracy and timeliness of organisations’ payroll processes. Nicknamed “STP” (which stands for Single Touch Payroll) the ATO proposes to streamline the administration of employee payroll, tax and superannuation obligations for employers.

YES.  It applies to all employers!

But there is a staggered approach to implementation with employers who have more than 20 employees as at 1 April 2018 being implemented from 1st July 2018. Employers with fewer employees can still report voluntarily, although this is not a requirement until 1st July 2019.

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The first stage is to ensure you are ready for STP. To establish if you have the right information and a plan in place to meet the ATO deadlines.

Bizwize can help review all manual or automated payroll processes and controls, as well as provide advice on software changes that may be needed to ensure you will comply with future STP requirements.

You need to include the following employees in your headcount:

• full-time employees
• part-time employees
• casual employees who are on your payroll on 1 April 2018 and worked any time during March
• employees based overseas
• any employee absent or on leave (paid or unpaid)
• seasonal employees (staff who are engaged short term to meet a regular peak workload, for example, harvest workers).

Do not include:

• any employees who ceased work before 1 April 2018
• casual employees who did not work in March
• independent contractors
• staff provided by a third-party labour hire organisation
• company directors
• office holders
• religious practitioners

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