Direct link: https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/hiring-and-paying-your-workers/single-touch-payroll
Responsible agency: Australian Taxation Office
Single touch payroll (STP) streamlines employers' reporting to government agencies.
With STP, businesses can report employees' payroll information to ATO each time businesses pay employees through STP-enabled software.
Payroll information includes:
- salaries and wages
- pay as you go (PAYG) withholding
- superannuation liability information.
STP enhances transparency, compliance and efficiency in workforce management. It eliminates the need for separate reporting of payment summaries and reduces administrative burden by integrating payroll reporting into existing systems.
This real time data transmission supports more accurate and timely tax and superannuation records for employees.
The expansion of STP, also known as STP Phase 2, further reduces the reporting burden by expanding reporting information to include additional details such as employee conditions, income types and tax treatment codes. This enables better alignment with Services Australia and other agencies by improving data sharing and reducing duplication.
Government agencies must ensure their payroll software is STP-compliant.