Welcome to the final stages of your launch preparation. Your hard work and dedication have brought you to this point, where most of the configuration tasks within the payroll platform have been successfully completed. As you approach the final stretch, a few crucial actions require attention to ensure a seamless and successful launch.
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Once complete, we will remove all parallel testing data. This action ensures that your live payroll environment remains pristine, organised, and ready for operation.
By attending to these essential steps, you are poised to embark on a successful journey with Employment Hero Payroll, equipped with the necessary preparations to navigate the transition confidently and efficiently.
Important
We recommend completing the following steps only after you have successfully conducted parallel testing and once you have processed your final pay run in your current software. This will ensure your transition is smooth and seamless.Considerations for EOFY: If you are preparing to launch in the new financial year, ensure your awards are updated and your superannuation guarantee percentage is adjusted to the new rate of 12%. (2025/2026) Information on the Superannuation Guarantee updates can be found here: Annual Increases to SG.
Set up your ATO/STP settings
The payroll platform utilises your ATO settings when lodging a pay event or update event to the ATO portal. These settings specify the entity that is submitting these events for your organisation and provide the necessary information for the ATO to process your requests. You have the option to choose from three submission types, depending on how your organisation submits lodgements to the ATO.
How to Prepare/Dependencies
The ATO reporting process in Employment Hero Payroll offers three distinct options based on your organisation's structure and ATO lodgement practices. It's essential to select the appropriate option that aligns with your circumstances:
- Lodge reports to the ATO as the employer: This option is suitable if your organisation doesn't have an external TAX/BAS Agent to handle ATO lodgements and if you have only one employing entity within your organisation.
- Lodge reports to the ATO as a registered Tax/BAS Agent: If your organisation has enlisted the services of an external TAX/BAS Agent to manage ATO lodgement submissions, this option is the right choice. Even if your business has multiple employing entities, select this option if your TAX/BAS Agent handles your ATO lodgements.
- Lodge reports to the ATO as an intermediary for multiple employing entities: If your organisation is responsible for submitting all ATO reports and has multiple employing entities set up, this is the suitable selection.
Choosing the correct option guarantees accurate and compliant ATO reporting based on your organisational structure and practices.
Instructions on how to enable the ATO integration for single touch payroll are here.
Important
By clicking "Copy from Business Settings," the business fields will be automatically populated with the information previously entered on the business details screen. This feature is available regardless of the chosen ATO setting.
Set up your Beam/Superannuation Settings
Setting up a default super fund and Beam integration provides seamless management of superannuation contributions for your employees. ATO Legislation requires that you must add default super fund. This is a preferred fund to which superannuation contributions are directed if an employee does not specify their own fund. The fund's name, ABN, and USI are automatically populated for convenience.
With Beam integration, superannuation payments are streamlined, as contributions are directly sent to the fund electronically. This integration reduces manual effort and enhances accuracy, contributing to efficient superannuation management.
By configuring these settings, you ensure that your organisation adheres to regulatory requirements while simplifying the process of managing employee superannuation contributions.
Instructions on how to register with Beam to automate your superannuation payments are here.
Important
Please check your business details to ensure they are correct before you register, as the system will pre-fill these details in Beam.Important
If you have more than one entity on your platform you will need to register each one with Beam seperately.Tips:
- Beam transactions will appear as Precision CH (clearing house) or Precision Administration Services Pty Ltd.
- Any bank account added here will also be automatically available for selection as a Refund Bank Account when submitting a super batch. You are able to add other bank accounts for refunds from the Superannuation Settings Page back in payroll.
- If you change the ABN on a payroll account (which we do not recommend - this should only ever be done after very careful consideration of the repercussions, especially re STP) then you will also need to re-enter the bank account details for direct debit.
Import your opening Balances
Loading opening balances into Employment Hero Payroll is a crucial step in making sure the accuracy of your financial records and payroll calculations. Opening balances represent the existing financial positions of your employees before transitioning to the new payroll system.
Important Info: Changing Your Payroll System
The ATO reporting process in Employment Hero Payroll offers three distinct options based on your organisation's structure and ATO lodgement practices. Below is a summary, with more details available in the article: Transition Options for STP.
It's essential to select the appropriate option that aligns with your circumstances:
- Utilise the current BMS ID from your current payroll system:
- You'll be required to import employees' payroll IDs and Year-to-Date (YTD) figures from your present payroll platform into the employees' Opening Balances section. Before the inaugural live pay run in Employment Hero, make sure to submit an 'update event' in your existing payroll platform to report YTD totals. This task must be accomplished prior to the commencement of your new payroll platform.
- Employ the new BMS ID and refrain from transferring the YTD figures:
- Opt to 'Mark as final' for all employees while submitting the final pay event in the former system under the initial BMS ID (this action informs the ATO that there will not be subsequent payments for these employees from the old BMS ID).
- Avoid importing YTD earnings into the new system; you can initiate STP reporting from the initial pay run.
- During the initial financial year of transition, employees will observe two earnings lines in their income statement.
- Opt to 'Mark as final' for all employees while submitting the final pay event in the former system under the initial BMS ID (this action informs the ATO that there will not be subsequent payments for these employees from the old BMS ID).
Instructions on how to import and export opening balances are here.
Leave Balances
If importing leave balances only, complete columns that start with LC (Leave Category).
Helpful Hint
Only the hours are required in these fields, not the dollar value of the leave liability being imported into the platform. To add manually please go here
YTD Earnings
If importing year to date earnings, all other columns will need to be completed, ensuring correct allocation per the ATO STP requirements.
- Once file is completed select Import.
- Select file and confirm upload.
Helpful Hint
You have the option to load opening balances through individual employee profiles as well. This provides a more granular approach to entering accurate year-to-date (YTD) figures directly for each employee. To do this go
Opening Balances
Loading opening balances into Employment Hero Payroll is a crucial step in making sure the accuracy of your financial records and payroll calculations. Opening balances represent the existing financial positions of your employees before transitioning to the new payroll system.
Important
Changing your Payroll System Information: The ATO reporting process in Employment Hero Payroll offers three distinct options based on your organisation's structure and ATO lodgement practices. Below is a summary, with more details available in the article: Transition Options for STP.Scenario 2 Options Table
| Option | Existing Payroll Platform | New Employment Hero Platform | BMS ID / Payroll ID’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Export YTD earnings and Leave balances data. | Import YTD Earnings and Leave balances data | No ID’s required to be transferred |
| 2 | Export YTD earnings and Leave balances data | Import YTD Earnings and Leave balances data | Will require BMS ID and Payroll ID’s from current system to Employment Hero Payroll |
| 3 | Export YTD earnings and Leave balances Data - however will need to clear existing data in your current system and notify ATO | Import YTD Earnings and Leave balances data. Will be using new Employment Hero BMS ID | No ID’s required to be transferred |
| 4 | Export Leave balances Data only. You can use the “mark as final” in your pay event to the ATO so they are aware no more payments will be coming from that BMS ID. | Import Leave balances data. Will be using new Employment Hero BMS ID | No ID’s required to be transferred *Employees can access YTD figures from current system through their MyGov Account. *During the initial financial year of transition, employees will observe two earnings lines in their income statement. |
Instructions for Import/Export feature using Spreadsheet are here, or you can manually add them directly into the platform here.
YTD Earnings
If importing year to date earnings, all relevant columns will need to be completed ensuring correct allocation per the ATO STP requirements.
- Once file is completed select Import.
- Select file and confirm upload.
Leave Balances
If importing leave balances only, complete columns that start with LC (Leave Category) or you can also add these manually as well - see this article here.