How are supplier ABN and GST checked?¶

When the Business receipts workflow reads a receipt, it looks up the supplier's ABN on the Australian Business Register (ABR). The result decides whether the receipt can go straight through, whether GST is claimed, and whether the supplier is added to your contacts.

What is checked¶

For each receipt that carries an ABN, myaccountant checks:

• The ABN is valid: 11 digits that pass the ABN check-digit test.
• The ABN is active on the ABR.
• The supplier was registered for GST on the invoice date. If the receipt has no invoice date, the date it arrived is used.
• The supplier name matches the ABN. The name on the document is compared with the names the ABR holds for that ABN, including business names registered on the invoice date. Small spelling differences are allowed.

If the ABN is already saved on one of your contacts, a different name on the document does not stop the receipt. For example, a trading name printed on the invoice that differs from the legal name on the ABR is fine.

What the badges mean¶

The badges appear next to the ABN and GST on the receipt, and ABR verified also appears on the history row.

When a check fails¶

A receipt in Needs review is never posted automatically, even with Post automatically turned on.

When GST is claimed¶

GST is claimed on a posted receipt only when all of these are true:

• The business is registered for GST.
• Claim input tax credits is on in the workflow's settings.
• The document is a Tax invoice, Bill or Fuel receipt. GST is not claimed on a document read as a Receipt, a Credit note or Unknown.
• The receipt shows a GST amount.
• The supplier's ABN is on the document.
• The ABR confirms the supplier was registered for GST on the invoice date.

When GST is claimed, the amount claimed is the GST printed on the document, multiplied by the business-use percentage. When it isn't, the full amount goes to the expense account with no GST split.

Suppliers added automatically¶

With Create suppliers automatically on, the second receipt from the same ABN adds the supplier to your contacts. The receipts that count are those for the same business that have not failed and were not marked duplicate or personal.

A supplier is added only when:

• the ABN is active on the ABR and the name check didn't fail, and
• the receipt is not a duplicate, and
• no contact already holds the ABN, and no contact without an ABN already has the same name, and
• your plan's contact limit hasn't been reached.

The new supplier gets:

• the name registered with the ABR (the trading name if there is one, otherwise the legal name),
• the ABN, marked as verified,
• the receipt's expense account as its default account,
• the bank account or BPAY details printed on a receipt from that ABN, if any receipt carried them,
• the note "Added automatically from business receipts."

Earlier receipts from that ABN that had no supplier are filed under the new supplier too, including ones already posted.

If the only contact holding the ABN is a supplier you deleted, it is restored instead of creating a new one, and its bank and BPAY details are updated from the receipt.

On the receipt, the Supplier (optional) field then says: "New supplier — added to your contacts automatically because this ABN has sent more than one receipt. Check the details in Contacts." Check the bank details on the contact before you pay the supplier.

Related guides¶

• How do I review and post a business receipt?
• How do I automate business receipts?
• How do I pay supplier bills from receipts?
• How do I add a contact?