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How do I lodge STP?

Single Touch Payroll (STP) is how you report each pay run to the ATO. You do this after finalising the pay run.

Before your first lodgement

If any company details the ATO needs are still missing, the Payroll Overview shows an amber banner — for example "3 company details needed for STP lodgement — ABN/WPN, email, phone". Click Complete setup → to open Settings → Business, where the "Almost ready to lodge STP" checklist lists what's outstanding (business registration, contact details, address, branch code) with a Fix → link that opens the right field. When everything is complete the card turns green: "Profile ready for STP".

Step 1. On the finalised pay run, click Submit to ATO. (You can also click Lodge with ATO next to the pay run on the Pay Runs list.)

Step 2. In the declaration, check your Declarer name, tick I confirm this declaration is true and correct, and click Lodge with ATO.

Lodging for a client? If you're an accountant working in a client's payroll, the declaration also asks "Who is making this declaration?" — choose Lodge as registered agent (you declare, the default) or Lodge as the business — client declares (enter the name of the person at the business making the declaration).

Step 3. The status shows Lodging and the app checks with the ATO for you — you'll see "Automatically checking with the ATO…" next to the status. Once the ATO accepts it, the status changes to Accepted on its own; there's nothing more to click. (If automatic checking stops before the ATO has answered, a Check ATO status button appears so you can check manually.)

If the ATO returns errors

If the submission is rejected, a short message pops up with the first error, and the pay run shows the full list under ATO Submission Errors — each row has the employee, an error code and a description. Below the list, a card explains each error and suggests a fix (with an apply button where the fix can be made for you). Correct the details and lodge again.

Making a correction

To fix something after a pay run has been Accepted, click Edit & Send Update. The pay run goes back to Draft so you can correct it; re-finalise it, then click Send Update. An update sends the latest year-to-date figures — the ATO treats the most recent update as the correct one, so it's the right choice for almost any correction. The declaration lists Employees in this update so you can choose exactly who's included.

There's also Edit & Send Replacement, which wipes the original submission from the ATO's records — only use it if the whole submission was sent in error.

Understand the concepts (Academy):

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