Where to get help with payroll¶

Payroll touches a few different areas — tax, pay rates, super, entitlements — and each has a body whose job it is to help. Knowing who handles what saves you time and gets you a reliable answer instead of a guess. This lesson is a simple map of where to go.

The short version: the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for tax matters, Fair Work for pay and entitlement matters, a registered agent (a tax or BAS agent, accountant or bookkeeper) for advice on your own situation, and your software's support for how-to questions about the app.

Why this matters¶

Sending a question to the wrong place is slow and can lead you astray. Payroll also has parts where a wrong answer affects real money or compliance — so knowing which body governs which topic, and when to get professional advice, protects both you and your employees.

What you will learn¶

• Which payroll questions the ATO handles, and which Fair Work handles
• What a registered agent and your software support are each best for
• When it is worth getting professional advice

Understanding the concept¶

The ATO handles the tax side of payroll. That includes PAYG withholding (the tax taken out of pay), Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting, and superannuation — the super you pay for eligible employees. If your question is about tax figures, reporting to the ATO, finalising the year, or super obligations, the ATO is the right body.

Fair Work handles the employment side — the rules about what an employee should be paid and receive. That includes pay rates, awards (the documents that set minimum pay and conditions for an industry or job), and entitlements such as leave. It also covers pay slip and record-keeping obligations. If your question is "what should this person be paid?" or "what leave do they get?", Fair Work is the right body.

A registered tax or BAS agent, accountant or bookkeeper helps with your specific situation. The general information from the ATO and Fair Work tells you the rules; a registered agent applies them to your business and can act for you on many things. Tax and BAS agents must be registered, so you are getting qualified help.

Your software's support helps with how-to questions — how to run a pay, where to find a payslip, how to finalise. That is different from a tax or entitlement question: the software shows and does the steps; the ATO and Fair Work say what the rules are.

For anything complex or compliance-sensitive — something that affects real money, reporting, or an employee's entitlements, and where you are not sure — it is worth getting professional advice rather than guessing.

Example¶

Marco has three payroll questions one week. First: "Is this employee's hourly rate right for their award?" — that is a pay-and-entitlement question, so it goes to Fair Work. Second: "How do I finalise my STP data for the year?" — that is tax reporting, so it goes to the ATO. Third: "Where do I click to email a payslip?" — that is a how-to question, so he asks his software's support. When a fourth question comes up that is tangled and specific to his business, Marco takes it to his bookkeeper for advice.

Common mistakes¶

• Asking the ATO about award pay rates, or asking Fair Work about tax figures — each body covers a different side.
• Treating a how-to question as a tax question — the software shows the steps; the ATO and Fair Work set the rules.
• Guessing on a complex or compliance-sensitive matter instead of getting professional advice.
• Taking payroll advice from a non-official website — stick to the ATO, Fair Work, or a registered agent.

How this works in myaccountant¶

Key points¶

• The ATO handles tax, PAYG withholding, STP and super.
• Fair Work handles pay rates, awards and entitlements.
• A registered tax or BAS agent, accountant or bookkeeper advises on your situation.
• Your software's support helps with how-to questions about the app.
• Match the question to the body that governs it.
• For complex or compliance-sensitive issues, get professional advice.

Learn next¶

• What to do when payroll goes wrong
• An employee questions their pay
• Fixing a mistake after finalising the year

General information only — not tax, super or financial advice.