Our e-PayDay Single Touch Payroll initial release is now available.

We have been working closely with the ATO for several years on the implementation of Single Touch Payroll (STP). Since July 2017, we have successfully submitted our Payroll information each pay day.

Working with the ATO is a collaborative effort that sees them fully engaged with the Industry, resulting in outstanding outcomes. I have been involved in the Payroll Industry for over 30 years, and to date, I have not experienced this level of engagement. As a result of the ATO's efforts, they are providing a solid foundation to enable us to meet the desired outcomes in a more timely manner.

We have now released a version of e-PayDay (V18.20) that supports the currently documented STP requirements, including the most recent file specification (PAYEVNT.0003 2018). Single Touch Payroll is a huge change for everyone involved and an extensive undertaking for all Digital Service Providers (DSP). Phase 1 required many thousands of hours of consultation with the ATO, which is still ongoing.

Are we there yet?

No, Single Touch Payroll is a work in progress and will be for a number of years. The version we are releasing now is not finished, but it is a great starting point, enabling real-time reporting of Payroll information directly to the ATO. From this point forward, we will be releasing frequent updates to e-PayDay to meet the never-ending changes required to meet the ongoing requirements.

As a DSP, I see it as our job to ensure that the introduction and design of Single Touch Payroll are as seamless as possible. Our design, where possible, should follow the natural business process and not involve any unnecessary steps or additional work. The introduction of STP should require minimum changes to the natural payroll process; therefore, a nominal amount of training is required.

Using this philosophy, there has been very little change, and to date, there has been a minimum of requirements within the STP design that do not fit into the existing functionality of e-PayDay. The natural payroll processes previously within our design are what STP is all about and are a perfect fit. We have endeavoured to make the implementation of STP as seamless as possible to minimise the impact for all involved.

Since the introduction of Single Touch Payroll, some changes have occurred that may affect your existing payroll processes. Please spend time reading about STP to learn how it affects you.

We are here to help you through the transition and ensure the optimum level of service from our support team. All STP Support Requests can be logged online.

Find out what's included in the latest Single Touch Payroll enabled version of e-PayDay.

---

We recommend reviewing our disclaimer concerning the content of this post to remain informed and make suitable decisions for your circumstances.