Single Touch Payroll (STP) is a government initiative to streamline business reporting obligations. All Uniting Church organisations who process payroll for their employees will need to urgently review the below information and act accordingly. Single Touch Payroll started from 1 July 2018 for employers with 20 or more employees. UCA Organisations of this size should either be reporting through STP, or have a deferral in place (a later start date).

Employers with 5-19 employees (small employers)

The parliament has passed legislation to extend STP to include all employers from 1 July 2019.

This will be a gradual start, and not all employers will start reporting at the same time.

Determine when you need to start reporting from one of the following options:

  • Start reporting early. If you use payroll software which offers STP, you can update your product and start reporting any time. Talk to your software provider, or visit their website, to find out what you need to do. See the ATO checklist get ready checklist for some important steps you need to take to connect your software to the ATO.
  • Start reporting any time from 1 July to 30 September 2019. See how to report to find out about STP solutions.
  • Apply for more time to get ready. If you won’t be ready to start reporting by 30 September 2019, use our online form to apply for a deferred start date deferral. The form will be available from April 2019.
  • Ask us for an exemption if you meet the criteria. If you live in an area with intermittent or no internet connection, you can use our online tool to apply for an exemption. This will be available from April 2019.

Employers with 1-4 employees (micro-employers)

If you have four or fewer employees (micro-employer) and you don’t currently use payroll software, there will be other ways to report STP information.

The ATO have asked software developers to build no-cost and low-cost STP solutions for micro employers including simple payroll software, mobile phone apps and portals. The ATO have published a list of the companies intending to offer these solutions.

You will also have the option for your registered tax or BAS agent to report your STP information quarterly, rather than each time you run payroll. This option will be available until 30 June 2021.

 

Alternatively, the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod also offers the option of using our Payroll Bureau Service. For more information regarding our payroll services please contact our Payroll Team via email payroll@ucaqld.com.au.

For more information on STP, please visit the Single Touch Payroll website or contact our Payroll Team via email payroll@ucaqld.com.au.