The below are the steps you need to follow to enable and to run an STP report for submission to the ATO.
To Enable STP:
DATA ENTRY>ACCOUNTING VALUES
Select "Yes" Against Single Touch Payroll (the final option in the accounting values menu)
You will see two new menu items:
- Generate STP
- Delete STP
Generate:
You can create a file, as long as you have generated pay slips to add to STP. Any files that have a pay slip will be included in the STP report.
Delete:
You should never need to delete a generated STP submission post lodgement in the STP portal. As the system is self correcting, any errors made will be automatically corrected in the following submission after the adjustment has been made. The only valid reason to delete an STP file is to regenerate it after error correction and BEFORE BANKING. Once the banking files have been run, the STP report should be left until the next submission.
To Generate an STP File
Option 1 – Submission
The submission option will be what you need to run each pay run, The ATO want employers to submit the STP file the same day as the pay file is run, and it is best practice to do so, to allow corrections up to the point of submission (through deletion and recreation). Once a pay file is submitted, the STP file should not be altered, as it reflects the truth of what transactions took place at that specific point in time. Any corrections that take place after the pay run is complete should be done in the form of pay adjustments. DO NOT DELETE PAY SLIPS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN PAID, This Planet will be unable to assist in trouble shooting corrections if you do, you will need to approach your accountant regarding the correct procedure if this occurs. The STP report will pick up and report on updated year to date values, each new generation. So error correction, if correctly using pay adjustments, will be automatic.
Option 2 – Update
Update should be used in situations where staff details may have changed, or corrections applied between pay runs and you want to notify the ATO before the next submission. Which is not necessary but is there if you want to clear the adjustments before the next pay run for your own peace of mind.
Select Transmission Date (and end of year when appropriate)
Transmission Date must be identical to the banking date, if you are submitting your final report for the year, please tick the “Final Payroll…” box, and select the final payment date, if you forgot to tick this box in your final submission for the year, that is okay, you can generate it again without having to remove the previous generation. If you have already submitted your final report and have corrections to make after the initial "Final" report has been submitted in error, you need only process the changes in system, and then re-run the STP report as an "Update" file, with the same final pay date as the original submission selected (In colladium, if generating an "Update" from Venus/Jupiter, you need to select "Update" in the colladium submission screen also.).
Then Confirm Payees
Address the Validation Check Errors
The validation check screen checks for items such as the validity of the data fields being submitted, you will see a report in here identifying which nurse and which item of data needs to be corrected to form a valid STP report. Issues identified will include incorrect formatting of birth dates, phone numbers, tax file numbers etc.
Then you are ready to submit
The STP file to upload will be found in a subfolder of your accounting directory titled “STP (Year)”
Items to assist
STP Exemption
Each staff member will have the option to include or exclude from STP. This relates to staff who possibly require alteration to be contracting pty ltd entities who are incorrectly entered, for example.
Branch Numbers
If you have multiple databases under the same ABN, you will need to identify one of them as branch “1” and the other as branch “2”
