Single Touch Payroll (STP) can reduce duplicate reporting and year-end paperwork by sending employee pay, tax withholding and super information to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) through payroll software as part of the pay process. The savings are administrative, not automatic: employers remain responsible for correct pay calculations, withholding, super and reporting. The ATO has not published a typical number of hours or dollars employers save.
What Single Touch Payroll reports
STP is the way employers report employee salary and wages, PAYG withholding and super information to the ATO using payroll software when they pay staff. STP reporting began for employers with 20 or more employees on 1 July 2018 and extended to employers with 19 or fewer employees from 1 July 2019, subject to exceptions. ATO STP overview
Phase 2 expanded the information reported, including payment components and allowances. Depending on the employee’s circumstances, an income statement may show gross pay, overtime, paid leave, bonuses and commissions, directors’ fees and salary sacrifice. The ATO uses reported totals to prefill tax returns. ATO STP overview Employer reporting guidelines
Where STP can save time
Report as part of the pay run
STP-enabled software sends payroll information to the ATO as part of paying employees. This avoids preparing a separate report to the ATO for that payroll event. ATO STP overview
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Reduce repeat data entry
Correct, timely STP information can support prefilled electronic activity statements, so employers may not have to enter the same payroll figures again. This depends on lodging accurate information on time; it is not a guarantee that every activity-statement task disappears. ATO employer reporting guidelines
Cut down on year-end summaries
For amounts reported and finalised through STP, employers do not need to give employees payment summaries or lodge a payment summary annual report. Payments that were not reported and finalised through STP still require the applicable separate summary and reporting process. ATO STP finalisation guidance
Give employees online access to income information
Employees and their tax agents can access reported year-to-date income information through ATO services, reducing reliance on paper summaries for covered payments. After a pay event, the information can take a few days to appear. ATO income statement guidance
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What STP does not fix automatically
STP transmits payroll information; it does not verify that the employer calculated the pay correctly. The employer must still configure pay codes and allowance mapping properly, withhold the right tax, calculate super correctly, and pay liabilities in full and on time. If the underlying payroll data is wrong, sending it through STP can report that error rather than correct it. ATO employer reporting guidelines
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Finalise STP data at year end
Finalisation is the employer’s declaration that STP data for an employee is fully reported for the financial year. The ATO guidance says the usual deadline is 14 July, with extensions available in some circumstances; because that guidance is dated 2022, check current ATO instructions for the applicable year and any extension rules. Once finalised, the employee’s income statement becomes “Tax ready” in ATO online services and is made available for tax return prefill. ATO finalisation guidance
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Employees should wait until the income statement status is “Tax ready” before relying on it to lodge a tax return; amounts on an unfinalised statement may change. ATO income statement guidance
Correct an STP reporting error
If an STP report is wrong, use the ATO correction process for the relevant pay event. If you need help using that process, contact your payroll software provider. Correcting a report does not by itself establish that any underlying underpayment has been fixed; review and correct the payroll calculation as well. ATO error guidance
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ATO guidance published in 2026 says employers need to include year-to-date qualifying earnings and super liability in STP reporting each payday from 1 July 2026. It also describes a transition approach for employers unable to report those amounts from that date, advising them to start as soon as possible. Confirm current ATO instructions and your software provider’s implementation guidance before relying on a transition arrangement. ATO Payday Super guidance
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Choose and configure payroll software for fewer problems
STP support is a starting point, not a substitute for sound payroll setup. When assessing a payroll solution or reviewing the one you already use, check:
- Whether it supports current STP requirements, including applicable Phase 2 reporting and the 2026 changes.
- How pay codes, allowances and employee records are configured and reconciled.
- How it flags rejected reports and supports corrections.
- Whether STP reporting is integrated into each payroll run and whether it provides useful reconciliation or activity-statement data.
- Whether its total cost and support model fit your workforce and payroll complexity.
The ATO material explains relevant reporting and correction requirements but does not rank payroll vendors or establish a best product for every employer.
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