If you are using our payroll classic platform to report STP, you will need to connect it to your ATO platform. The connection to the ATO relies on communicating your software ID to the ATO. This is displayed during the STP registration process as well as clicking on Payroll Settings and then clicking on the ATO Settings select Electronic Lodgement and STP tab. The method used to connect to the ATO depends on who is lodging STP for the business.
Scenario 1: STP events lodged by the employer
- Identity: You must sign in using a myID (formerly myGovID) linked to your organisation’s ABN in the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).
-
Employment Hero Details:
- Business Name: "Employment Hero HR Pty Ltd"/"Webscale Pty Ltd"
- ABN: 11 160 047 709
- Time to complete: Approximately 5 minutes.
Step 1: Sign in and select your business
- Navigate to the ATO Access Manager.
- Sign in using your myID.
- From the list of available businesses, select the ABN you wish to set up for stapled super lookups.
- Click Continue.
Step 2: Appoint Employment Hero
- From the left-hand menu, select Business appointments.
- Click Who has access to my business.
- Click the Appoint new business button.
- In the ABN field, enter:
11 160 047 709 - Check that the business name appears as Employment Hero HR Pty Ltd.
- Click Continue.
Step 3: Grant ECF permissions
Simply appointing the business is not enough; you must grant specific permissions for the automated lookup to function.
- Locate the row labelled Employee Commencement Form (ECF).
- Tick all three permission boxes:
- View
- Prepare
- Lodge
- Click the Save button.
Helpful Hint
To allow Employment Hero to perform stapled super fund lookups, the ECF permission must have all three boxes (View, Prepare, and Lodge) selected. If any are missing, the lookup will fail even if the appointment appears active.
Step 4: Confirm setup in Employment Hero
Once you have finalised the appointment in the ATO portal, you must notify the Employment Hero platform to trigger the verification.
- Log in to Employment Hero.
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Select Payroll Settings and click ATO Access Manager.
- Select the option that matches your role:
- I am the Principal Authority: Click I’ve completed the appointment.
- I am a Delegate: Click I’ve confirmed it’s done (after your owner/accountant confirms they have finished the ATO steps).
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Potential Solution |
|---|---|
| ECF not found | Ensure you are viewing the appointment for ABN 11 160 047 709 and that you have expanded all permission sections. |
| ABN not recognised | Double-check the ABN is entered as 11 160 047 709 with no spaces. Ensure you are in the 'Appoint new business' section. |
| Not the Principal Authority | If you are a payroll admin, use the Delegate option in Employment Hero Settings to email these instructions to your Business Owner. |
What is the ATO Access Manager?
The ATO Access Manager is a secure government portal that allows business owners (Principal Authorities) to manage who can access their business's tax and superannuation information online.
Within the context of Employment Hero, it is the tool you use to "appoint" us as an authorised provider. This authorisation is what allows our platform to communicate with the ATO and automatically retrieve stapled super fund details for your new employees.
Key Information
- Managed By: Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- Access Requirement: You must use myID (formerly myGovID) and be linked to the business in the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).
- Primary Function: Controlling permissions for staff, tax agents, and SBR-enabled software (like Employment Hero).
Useful Resources
For further technical assistance or to understand more about your obligations, please refer to the following official government links:
- ATO Access Manager Home: The main landing page for managing your business permissions.
- Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM): Use this to link your myID to your business ABN before using Access Manager.
- Stapled Super Funds for Employers: An overview of your legal requirements when onboarding new staff.
- Access Manager Permissions Guide: Detailed definitions of what each permission (like ECF) allows a third party to do.
Helpful Hint
Only a Principal Authority (the person legally responsible for the business) or a Full Access Delegate can appoint a new business in Access Manager. If you are a payroll admin and cannot see the "Appoint New Business" button, you will need to ask your business owner to complete this step.
FAQs
Why is the ABN called Employment Hero HR Pty Ltd?
When you enter the ABN 11 160 047 709 into the ATO Access Manager, you will see the name Employment Hero HR Pty Ltd. This is the correct legal entity for our payroll and HR services.
Note: In some older ATO records or historical searches, you may see a reference to Webscale Pty Ltd. This was our previous legal name. Rest assured, both names refer to the same entity, and as long as the ABN matches 11 160 047 709, you are appointing the correct organisation.
What if I’m unable to access ATO Access Manager?
If you cannot log in, it is usually because your myID is not currently linked to your business ABN. You will need to:
- Log in to the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).
- Check that your status is listed as "Associated" or "Authorised."
- If you are not the business owner, contact the person who manages your company's ATO portal (usually the Business Owner or Director) and ask them to grant you "Full Access" or to complete the appointment steps themselves.
Who is the 'Principal Authority' for my business?
The Principal Authority is the person legally responsible for the business, such as a sole trader, director, or public officer. They must be the one to first link the business in RAM. Only the Principal Authority or a Full Access Delegate can appoint Employment Hero as a service provider.
I’ve already appointed Employment Hero; why is the lookup failing?
The most common cause for failure is missing permissions. Ensure that the Employee Commencement Form (ECF) row in Access Manager has all three boxes ticked: View, Prepare, and Lodge. If any are missing, the ATO will block the automated request.
Helpful Hint
If you are a payroll admin but not the Principal Authority, you can use the Delegate feature within Employment Hero Payroll Settings to email these instructions directly to your business owner or accountant.
Scenario 2: Phone the ATO
You can phone the ATO on 1300 85 22 32
You must be prepared with the following information:
- proof of record ownership (for example personal TFN, date of birth, address, recent ATO-generated notice);
- your Australian business number (ABN) or, if you are a registered tax agent, you can use your registered agent number (RAN);
- the name or ABN of your software provider, and
- your unique software ID (provided by your software provider).
Scenario 3: STP events lodged by a registered Tax/BAS Agent
If a registered Tax/BAS Agent is lodging STP events on behalf of the business, the software id MUST be linked with the registered agent number (RAN) and ABN, not the employer’s ABN. To set up the ATO connection correctly, the registered agent must log in to Access Manager using their myGovID credentials. They will need to be the principal authority or authorisation administrator in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to use Access Manager.
Complete these steps:
- Select My hosted SBR software services from the left hand menu.
- Select Notify the ATO of your hosted service.
- Search for Employment Hero Payroll (ABN: 70 154 693 955) in the list.
- Select the ABN link of Employment Hero Payroll (ABN: 70 154 693 955).
- Enter the software ID and select Next;
- Read the Notification statement then select Save;
- A green success message will appear on the next screen to confirm success.
Brands and Partners acting as registered agents
By default, each business has its own unique software ID. A Brand or Partner can change this configuration and rather elect to use the Brand's software ID or the Partner's software ID for any business that uses a registered Tax/BAS Agent when lodging STP events.
If an intermediary is being used to lodge STP events on behalf of multiple employing entities created within the one business, the software id will need to be linked against the ABN of the intermediary entity, not the employer’s ABN. To set this up, log in to Access Manager using your myGovID credentials. You will need to be the principal authority or authorisation administrator in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to use Access Manager.
- Go to Access Manager’.
- Click Who Has Access to My Business from the left-hand menu.
- In the blue band near the top, click Appoint New Business.
- Enter the intermediary entity's details
- Under ATO Transactions, tick the Lodge and View checkboxes for "Payroll event form."
Please take note of the following:
- In some instances, linking to other businesses may take overnight to process your request.
- If the business is appearing on your client list and is not a restricted client, you may need to remove and re-add the business and try to lodge again.
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