BAS Agent’s Blog

How to Series No 3 – How to Enter a Chattel Mortgage Asset Purchase & Loan

BAS Agent's Blog, How To / By / / , , / 2 minutes of reading

This is the third part in a series I’m calling “How-To”. The first part was about entering insurance bills and the second part was about how to enter a VicRoads registration bill. I will be using Xero to present the example, but don’t worry if you use another software, the basic rules will still apply. 

The third how-to is about how to enter a Chattel Mortgage asset and associated loan into your accounting software.

Step 1

Let’s say your business has purchased a new motor vehicle. The invoice from the vehicle dealer might look something like the below example. Grab your invoice now.

Step 2

The finance company loan schedule is also required. It may look something like the below example. Grab you loan schedule now.

Step 3

Create the following accounts in your software (check first because some may already exist):

  • Deposit Paid (Current Asset) – no tax code
  • Motor Vehicles at Cost (Non-Current Asset) – apply capital expense including GST tax code
  • Chattel Mortgage (Motor Vehicle) (Non-Current Liability) – no tax code
  • Chattel Mortgage Interest Charges (Expense) – no tax code
  • Chattel Mortgage Fees & Charges – tax code varies, could be Free or GST inclusive (check your documentation)
  • Motor Vehicle Registration (Expense) – apply GST Free tax code
  • Motor Vehicle Insurance (Expense) – apply GST inclusive tax code
  • Unexpired Term Interest (Non-Current Liability) – no tax code

Step 4

First enter a spend money transaction to record the payment of the deposit:

Step 5

Next, enter this journal to record the purchase of the new vehicle:

Step 6

When it comes time to make a repayment to the finance company, enter a spend money transaction like this:

Bonus Tip!

Sometimes it isn’t possible to obtain the loan repayment schedule for whatever reason. When this happens, you need to create your own. I use this amortisation calculator by Bret Whissel. It has served me well over the years. I hope you find it useful too.

Next week for part four of this How-To series, I will cover how to set up a Hire Purchase agreement in your accounts. Until then, happy bookkeeping!

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How to Series No 2 – How to Enter VicRoads Registration Bills

BAS Agent's Blog, How To / By / / , , , / 3 minutes of reading

Last week, I started a bookkeeping resource series called “How To”. Each week I will share instructions with you about how to enter some common transactions. I will be using Xero to present the example, but don’t worry if you use another software, the basic rules will still apply. Last week I explained how to enter an insurance bill.

The second how-to is about how to enter a VicRoads registration expense/bill into your accounts.

Step 1

Grab your VicRoads bill and go to the part where it shows you the breakdown of charges. It may look something like this:

Step 2

Log into your software and go to the area where you enter bills.

Step 3

Enter the VicRoads as the supplier, the relevant dates and the reference number or name as below:

Step 4

Enter a line in the bill for each charge shown on the bill. The registration fee is GST-free, the TAC charge includes GST and the insurance duty is BAS Excluded. If you are entitled to claim 100% of motor vehicle costs in your business, then you can claim the full GST amount on the TAC charge. Time and time again, I see clients entering the full amount of the registration expense as GST-free. While they are partly right, they are also missing out on claiming the GST of the TAC charge. Also, relevant here is the choice of account for expense coding – you may like a general account such as this one “Motor Vehicle Expenses”, or you may like to split your costs out in a more detailed manner and have an account for each type of car expense, in this case, “Motor Vehicle Registration”. It just depends on how much detail you want to see in your profit and loss report.

Step 5

Check that the GST amount agrees with the VicRoads bill. In this case, it is $40.00.

Step 6

Approve the bill to ensure the expense is added to the accounts correctly.

Final words…

So that’s it for this week’s “how-to”. I hope you learned something new. One thing I’d like to add about VicRoads “bills” before I close off this blog, is that to obtain an actual bill, you do have to have an account with VicRoads. They used to send out the document in the mail, but not anymore – it’s all online, like everything these days. Here’s the link to VicRoads where you can make an account if you haven’t already done so.

Bonus Tip!

For any bookkeepers out there who know the pain of not ever receiving an actual VicRoads bill from clients (who probably don’t know how to get it – see notes above), which makes data entry nearly impossible, here is the link to the TAC registration rates for FY24. This document provides the breakdown of TAC and insurance duty fees based on postcode and vehicle type. An excellent resource that I am sure you will use time and time again. There is also an online calculator you can use on the VicRoads website that will provide the figures you need easily. Here is the link for the calculator. Either resource will get you the information you need. You’re welcome by the way!

Next week I will show you how to enter a chattel mortgage loan. Until then, have a happy week.

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How to Series No 1 – How to Enter an Insurance Bill

BAS Agent's Blog, Bookkeeping, How To / By / / , , / 2 minutes of reading

This week, I am starting a bookkeeping resource series called “How To” (not very original, I know!). Each week I will share instructions with you about how to enter some common transactions. I will be using Xero to present the example, but don’t worry if you use another software, the basic rules will still apply.

So here goes, the first how-to is about how to enter an insurance bill into your accounts the right way.

Step 1

Grab your insurance bill and go to the part where it shows you the breakdown of charges. It may look something like this:

Step 2

Enter a line in the bill for each charge shown on the bill. In this case, there is one for the premium and one for the stamp duty component. Select the insurance account you want to use – you may have one for business insurance and another for motor vehicle insurance etc. Notice that the premium figure is plus GST, whereas the stamp duty is BAS excluded. This is because stamp duty does not attract GST. It is very important to break up your insurance bill like this and to never enter a bill 100% inclusive of GST. Doing so will mean that you overclaim GST in your BAS.

Step 3

Check that the GST amount agrees with the insurance bill. In this case, it is $38.25 which is one cent less than our bill, hence the rounding line I have added to agree the total amount with the supplier’s bill.

Step 4

Approve the bill to ensure the expense is added to the accounts correctly.

Final Words…

So that’s it for this week’s “how-to”. I hope you learned something new. Please note that this insurance example is pretty basic. Some insurance bills have extra charges which may or may not include GST. The trick to getting these sorts of more complex bills entered correctly is to ensure the GST figure in the bill agrees with your software entry. If it doesn’t, you need to check each charge for its GST status i.e. some items will include GST and others may be GST-free or GST-exempt.

Next week I will show you how to enter motor vehicle registration bills. Until then, have a happy week.

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Think you can get away with not paying your employees’ super? Think again!

BAS Agent's Blog, Payroll & Superannuation, Single Touch Payroll / By / / , , , , , / 3 minutes of reading

Employers intentionally not paying their employees’ super has always been a bugbear of mine. If you follow my Twitter (X) account, you may have seen the hashtag I use: “#notyourmoney“. I use this hashtag because I believe that employee superannuation is not your money and never will be and I want to enforce this concept. These irresponsible employers anger me. It is completely wrong to hire people and then fail to fulfill the contract you agreed upon, which includes paying their super. In my opinion, not paying super is equivalent to stealing.

In the past, employers were able to get away with this unacceptable behavior because the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) only found out about it when employees reported them. At that point, the ATO would investigate, audit, and penalise these employers. This reactive approach has resulted in an estimated $2.5 billion shortfall in unpaid super. This is a truly disgraceful situation.

But things are about to change…

In the 2023-24 Federal Budget, it was announced that the ATO will receive $40.2 million for super compliance measures. This funding includes $27 million for data matching capabilities to identify and take action on cases of Superannuation Guarantee (SG) underpayment, as well as $13.2 million for consultation and co-design.

So what does this mean? Who/what will the ATO be data matching with?

Firstly, it is now widely known that the ATO receives payroll data from employers through Single Touch Payroll events (STP). This data includes the superannuation amounts owed to employees’ super funds. The ATO also receives information about employees’ super from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) through the Member Account Transaction Service (MATS). MATS is a reporting service used for more frequent and detailed reporting of member super contributions and transactions. The ATO utilises the information from both sources to identify potential non-compliant behaviour by employers.

With increased funding from the budget, the ATO will intensify data-matching activities between STP and MATS. This shift from a reactive to a proactive approach means that the ATO will be able to initiate audits themselves instead of relying on employees to report non-compliance after the fact.

It is important to note that this data-matching activity is not new. It has been ongoing since 2019, with the ATO reporting a 24% increase in investigations of super non-compliance. What is new is the improved data matching capabilities enabled by better technology and more comprehensive STP data.

The ATO is now more focused than ever on addressing super non-compliance. They have the necessary tools and resources to conduct investigations and audits on a large scale.

This makes me feel more positive about this problem. I sincerely hope the ATO succeeds in its efforts. I have a strong aversion to employers who think they can evade paying super. It is essentially stealing, a white-collar crime. Thanks to the ATO’s real-time monitoring, the likelihood of getting away with non-payment of super is rapidly decreasing. And that is a very good thing!

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Bookkeeping & tax podcasts I love!

BAS Agent's Blog, Bookkeeping, Business Topics / By / / , , , , / 3 minutes of reading

Over the last couple of years, I’ve moved away from written content to podcasts as my preferred choice of learning and research. Podcasts are great because you can listen to them at any time, doing anything, and privately, too, if you use earphones or earbuds. I usually walk daily and listen to a podcast at the same time – getting my exercise and racking up CPE points simultaneously – win-win!

I have many interests and there are podcasts for just about any topic you can imagine. Being a bookkeeper, I have found several podcasts about tax and bookkeeping, and over the years, have narrowed the list down to three podcasts that resonate with me the most. Here is my list:

  1. Two Drunk Accountants: This podcast is hilarious! If you thought that accounting and tax topics could never be interesting or even funny, you are in for a big surprise!  Tim Garth and Dan Osborne of CATS Accountants are the voices behind this thoroughly entertaining podcast. I find that I am laughing from beginning to end but am being educated at the same time. I enjoy this podcast and you will too! Here is the link to hear the boys bang on about their industry and their lives in general.
  2. ICB News Channel: The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers has a podcast that is published monthly, based on topics from their newsletter. Rob Marshall, the Support and Resource Manager at ICB, runs the podcast which often includes interviews with current stakeholders involved in the bookkeeping industry. If you want to keep up with the changing face of bookkeeping and also top up your CPE points, this podcast is the one to choose. Find this podcast here.
  3. Tax InVoice: This podcast is delivered by the ATO. Certainly not as entertaining as the Two Drunk Accountants (because let’s face it, “Two Drunk ATO Tax Specialists” doesn’t have the same ring!), the podcast will dot the i’s and cross the t’s so far as covering many tax issues and topics. Covering everything from working from home to crypto assets, Tax InVoice is a purely tax-based podcast but I find it is an easier platform to use to try and understand tax topics which can be difficult to do via written text only. You can find the 50-plus episodes of Tax InVoice here.

I’m sure if you search, you’ll find many other bookkeeping/tax podcasts. As I said earlier, I did follow about 6 or 7 back in the day but have slowly removed the ones that I didn’t find useful or enjoy. There aren’t too many Australian tax podcasts really, so if you do a search, you’ll probably find several American-based ones. These ones have their place, but if you’re after Australian tax information, you need to ensure you choose Australian podcasts. I hope you find this information useful and if you haven’t delved into the world of podcasts yet, perhaps you can start with one or two from my list.

Do you listen to a bookkeeping podcast that you think is great? Why not share it with other readers in the comments section below?

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10 Ways Bookkeepers Can Use ChatGPT

BAS Agent's Blog, Bookkeeping, Useful Apps / By / / , , / 4 minutes of reading

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would undoubtedly have heard the term artificial intelligence or “AI”. AI is the new buzzword and seems to be everywhere you look. In particular, most accounting software, and many other apps have embraced AI and have made it a part of their interface.

While some may be dubious about AI (even afraid), the fact is, that it is here to stay and has been a part of the way we use technology for a long time. Google apps including Gmail and GDrive, apps like “Grammarly” and other apps that make suggestions as you type, for example, are all using AI to enhance the user experience and basically make life easier. 

Given AI is already here and we use it daily (even though we may not be aware of it), I have started to wonder how bookkeepers can use it to assist with daily tasks. To that end, I have done some research into how we can use ChatGPT for this purpose.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer. It was launched in November 2022 and is a remarkable text-based chatbot. It enables users to effortlessly type queries and receive accurate answers, as well as efficiently complete tedious tasks. This advanced chatbot is trained with extensive data, allowing it to generate responses that closely resemble human-like interactions. You can download the ChatGPT apps from your favourite app store.

So now that we know what it is, how can bookkeepers use ChatGPT? There are actually many ways to use it, but here are 10 ideas to get you started. 

    1. Writing those “difficult” emails to clients. Sometimes as bookkeepers, we need to tell our clients they have to go, or we are putting our prices up or we found something dodgy in their accounts, etc. Ask ChatGPT to write the email for you by telling it what the email is about. You will receive a professionally written email script in seconds.
    2. Creating Excel formulas. Tell ChatGPT what you want to calculate in a cell or column and provide the data to work with and it will create the formula for you. Here is an example of how this might work.
    3. Creating journal entries. ChatGPT can extract information from receipts, such as dates, seller names, and amounts. Just provide the dataset, and ChatGPT will analyze it and input the client information for you. More specifically, the prompt you would use would be: “Use the following transaction details (add transaction text) and amount to create a journal using these account names (Add accounts) using (Add accounting system)”
    4. Creating checklists and subtasks. Ask ChatGPT to create a list of steps to complete any bookkeeping process. The result can be modified to suit your needs and business. You can also ask it to create subtasks for each of the steps inside a checklist.
    5. Creating client questionnaires. Ask ChatGPT to suggest a list of questions to ask new clients during client onboarding.
    6. Creating client onboarding checklists. Ask ChatGPT to create a checklist for you when onboarding a new client. You can tell it some basic details like number of employees and business structure.
    7. Creating an engagement letter. Ask ChatGPT what to include in an engagement letter for a client with XYZ requirements. Adjust to suit your business requirements.
    8. Staff onboarding checklist and letters of offer. Ask it to create a checklist for onboarding staff either for your business or for a client. Also, ask it to create letters of offer based on the details you provide. Adjust to suit your business.
    9. Creating email templates. Make a list of the type of emails you write continuously e.g. a request for information. Ask ChatGPT to write these emails for you. Update the details to suit your business and then save them as templates.
    10. Creating copy for your blog or website. Tell ChatGPT what you want to write about e.g. ideas for your About Page. Ask it to write you the copy for this page. You can do the same thing for your blogs. Simply provide it with some basic information e.g. how GST applies to food sales in Australia, and ask it to provide you with copy for your blog. Of course, you should check the details it delivers for accuracy and currency before publishing.

    I hope these ideas, or “prompts” as they are known, give you the motivation to start to play around with ChatGPT in your bookkeeping business. Obviously, the sky is the limit regarding what you can do with ChatGPT. I’m sure once you get started, you will discover many more ways to use it in your business. If you would like to share any prompts you currently use with ChatGPT, please add them below in the comments. I’m sure other bookkeepers would love the extra motivation!

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    Managing myGovID when devices are upgraded or added

    BAS Agent's Blog, Business Topics, Useful Apps / By / / , , , / 2 minutes of reading

    myGovID is an app that allows you to securely access ATO online services. It proves to the ATO that the person attempting to access a service/info is who they say they are – super important in this day and age of constant cyber attacks etc.

    Setting up the app for the first time requires quite a few steps and can be slightly complicated. Sadly, if you buy a new mobile or tablet, or wish to use your myGovID on multiple devices, you will need to set up your myGovID again and re-verify your identity. You cannot just install the app on your new device and expect it to work. Below are the steps you need to follow to solve this issue.

    How to set up myGovID on a new device

    Firstly, you need to select “reset the app” within your myGovID app’s settings.
    Then, select “I am an existing user”.
    Then, follow the prompts to:

    • enter your latest myGovID email address – this is linked to the identity documents you previously verified. Setting up with a different email address will lock your myGovID on all devices and you’ll be unable to use it.
    • re-verify your identity – ATO recommends using the identity documents you previously used.

    For security purposes, you’ll receive an email letting you know your myGovID is active on another device. You can view your myGovID setup history in your app.

    Each time you set up your myGovID, its identity strength is unique to that device. This means if you set up your myGovID on multiple devices, the identity strength will only reflect what identity documents you’ve verified on that device. For example, you could have one device with a Strong identity strength and another device with a Standard identity strength. To access a service with your myGovID, that device needs to meet the minimum identity strength required of that service. Where you’re setting up on a new device, you need to take additional steps if you transferred your app.

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    Upcoming Changes to Workplace Laws

    BAS Agent's Blog, Payroll & Superannuation / By / / , , , / 3 minutes of reading

    Fair Work often updates the rules regarding payroll and right now is no different! Several aspects of payroll have or will change in the very near future. Read below for the details.

    1. Small Business Employers Must Offer Paid & Domestic Violence Leave from 1st August 2023

    All employees in the Fair Work system, including part-time and casual employees, will soon have the right to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave within a 12-month period.

    This new entitlement will be available to employees of small business employers (employers with less than 15 employees on February 1, 2023) starting from August 1, 2023. Employees of non-small business employers have already been able to access this leave since February 1, 2023.

    Employees will receive the full 10 days of leave upfront, without needing to accumulate it over time. To help you understand and manage your new responsibilities, access the Fair Work fact sheet here. You can also find a summary of the details in our blog.

    2. Paid Parental Leave Scheme Changes

    From July 1, 2023, there will be some changes to the paid parental leave scheme. One of these changes is that the current 18 weeks of paid parental leave pay will be combined with the current 2 weeks of Dad and Partner Pay. This means that partnered couples and single parents will now be able to claim up to 20 weeks of pay. For more details go to this Fair Work page.

    3. Right to Superannuation in the National Employment Standards (NES)

    Starting January 1, 2024, the National Employment Standards (NES) will have a new provision that guarantees superannuation contributions for employees. This means that employees, employee organisations, and the Fair Work Ombudsman can make sure that employers pay the correct amount of superannuation or address any unpaid amounts under the Fair Work Act. 

    Employers are already required to contribute to superannuation for eligible employees according to existing laws. As long as employers meet their obligations under these laws, they will not be in violation of the NES provision.

    The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will continue to oversee employer compliance with superannuation guarantee laws.

    4. Changes to Unpaid Parental Leave

    Starting July 1, 2023, the Fair Work Act will bring in more flexibility for employees who take unpaid parental leave. This change is in line with updates to the Paid Parental Leave scheme. Now, employees can take up to 100 days of their 12-month leave entitlement flexibly within 24 months after their child is born or placed with them. This is a significant increase from the previous allowance of 30 days.

    Pregnant employees will also have the choice to access their flexible unpaid parental leave up to 6 weeks before their expected due date.

    Furthermore, employees will no longer be limited to taking a maximum of 8 weeks of unpaid parental leave at the same time as their spouse or de facto partner. Both parents can now take up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave within 24 months of their child’s birth or placement, and they can even apply for a 12-month extension beyond the initial leave period.

    5. Authorised Employee Deductions

    Starting on December 30, 2023, employees will be able to authorise recurring salary deductions from their employers, even if the deduction amounts change. Before, they had to provide a new written authorisation every time the deduction amount changed. With the new law, employees can give a single written authorisation that allows their employer to deduct varying amounts from their salary. The employee can still withdraw this authorisation in writing at any time. It’s worth noting that deductions for specific amounts can still be authorised if they mainly benefit the employee and are provided in writing.

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    Xero Tips and Tricks

    BAS Agent's Blog, Xero / By / / , , / 5 minutes of reading

    Xero accounting software is intuitive, fun to use, and an integral piece in the financial arsenal of many small businesses.

    Xero has many features and functions and being able to understand them and utilise them correctly is crucial to getting the most out of the product. While most of these features can be learned via Xero’s many blogs, videos, and webinars, it’s often those little unknown tricks and shortcuts that can make all the difference. These tips and tricks not only speed up your work, they just make your bookkeeping life easier – and we all want that!

    Here is my list of useful tips and tricks that I use when wrangling Xero. I’ll try to keep adding new tips etc as I discover them. I hope you find them useful. Feel free to share your favourite tips/tricks in the comments below.

    • Inbuilt Calculator – when inside an invoice or bill, and you are entering figures in a numeric field, you can enter a calculation and press tab or enter and Xero will calculate the result. For example, entering 3+7 and then “Enter” will display as the number 10 in the field.
    • Due Dates – Following on from the above tip, when creating a sales invoice or a bill use the + button in the due date box followed by a number to calculate dates in the future. For example, if the terms are 30 days from the date of the bill enter +30 into the due date box and Xero will calculate the date.
    • Keyboard Shortcuts – To go to bills, invoices, contacts, and other sections quickly, enter the forward slash (/) to open the global search field. Then enter b for bills, or c for contacts, or i for invoices etc. Xero will provide you with a quick link to go to all bills, or all invoices etc.
    • Navigating Reports – To quickly get to the bottom of a page, use the End key. To return to the top of the page, use the Home key. If you have a Mac keyboard without the Home and End keys, use Command and the Up and Down arrows instead.
    • Accounts Watchlist – Keep a closer eye on accounts that matter to you e.g. super to pay, by adding them to your dashboard. Do this by going to the Chart of Accounts, opening the relevant account, and selecting “Add to Dashboard Watchlist”.
    • Accounts Watchlist View – This list is organised alphabetically in Xero but that may not be what you want to see. If you want to see a particular account on the top of the list, simply add an asterisk (*) to the front of the name of the account, and voila, it will move to the top.
    • Find and Recode – If you own your Xero file or have advisor access, you will have access to Xero’s Find and Recode function. You can find this at the bottom of the “Accounting” tab. This function allows you to make changes to transactions in bulk – a great time saver!
    • Rectify Wages & Super Transactions Quickly – Use Find & Recode to quickly identify transactions that have been allocated to Wages and Superannuation expense accounts in error. Payroll entries are not picked up so any transactions that are returned are usually misallocated. Quickly finding and reallocating these can save hours of work reconciling the Wages Payable and Superannuation Payable accounts.
    • Xero Issues – keep the Xero Status page in your favourites list. If you are having any issues with Xero functionality, you should check there first to see if there are any known problems. This will save you from submitting a support query unnecessarily.
    • View Multiple Pages – Sometimes you need to view different reports or pages at the same time. You can do this by opening each page or report in separate tabs. Do this by right-clicking the “Dashboard” tab and selecting “Open in new tab”.
    • Prepayments – Rather than trying to remember to enter a monthly journal to take up expense payments for prepaid assets or liabilities, use repeating journals to release the prepayments. This will keep your management accounts current. One less thing to do!
    • Notes – All sales invoices, bills, and contact cards have an area where you can add notes about a transaction or contact. This is best practice in terms of record keeping. Making notes will also assist you or your advisor to understand or remember why an action was taken when accounts are reviewed in the future.
    • Annotations – Related to the above tip about notes, you can also make annotations to your reports which will assist others in understanding what has happened during a specific period or a transaction. To add annotations, simply click on the “add note” icon next to a cell and start typing. Find out how to use annotations here.
    • Split Transactions in Cash Coding Screen – Select a transaction when in the cash coding screen and from the right-hand side click the drop-down menu and select “split”. This will open the Spend Money function (you can also type the forward slash key “/” to achieve the same thing). Type a percentage for the split you require e.g. 50% in the “amount” cell and Xero will calculate the amount for you. Then complete the fields for each split line as necessary and click save. Your transaction will now be split between 2 lines (or as many as required).
    • Using Placeholders in Repeating Journals – if you use repeating journals, you can automatically include information about the period the journal relates. From a draft repeating journal, complete the Narrative box, then click Add placeholder to set up the placeholder you need. See more details here.
    • Share Xero Sales Invoices with WhatsApp and WeChat – Select an approved invoice, click Options, then Share, and then choose your app to share it.

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    ATO STP Filing Error Codes – what do they mean and how do you fix them?

    BAS Agent's Blog, Payroll & Superannuation, Single Touch Payroll / By / / , , , / 2 minutes of reading

    At the time of writing this blog, most employers are actively submitting payroll events via Single Touch Payroll (STP). STP has been around since July 2018 and has now evolved into STP Phase 2. Most software companies used by small businesses to file STP reports, are now STP 2-enabled, so many employers will be reporting payroll via this mode.

    While the process of filing or reporting payroll via STP is fairly straightforward, there can be occasions where things may go wrong. This is particularly true now, given the setup for STP Phase 2 is quite involved and onerous. Should the setup for STP 2 not be done correctly, this will most certainly lead to filing errors.

    If a pay event is returned after filing it, the ATO will provide an error code that describes the issue. While these codes are useful in terms of helping the lodger understand what is wrong, they do not assist in providing details about how to fix the error within the software you may be using.  Luckily, there is help available from each of the main software providers. 

    Here is a list of the software providers and the links to their help pages, should your filing return an ATO error code:

    MYOB

    QBO

    Xero

    Also, from Reckon, here is a list of the most common submission errors via the ATO. Each error code is explained and a reason behind the error is given. This can be a helpful starting point when trying to rectify any STP errors.

    I hope this blog has been helpful to you if you are an employer or bookkeeper. It would be a good idea to add the link for your chosen software to your favourites list for future access, should you encounter an STP filing error.

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