Single Touch Payroll (STP) is the Australian Tax Office's (ATO) system for reporting payroll information. PaySauce automatically creates and submits an STP file to the ATO each time you process a pay run, ensuring your reporting obligations are met without additional work.
What is Single Touch Payroll (STP)?
Single Touch Payroll is a government initiative that requires employers to report payroll information to the ATO in real-time. Instead of providing annual payment summaries at the end of the financial year, you report employee salary, wages, PAYG withholding, and superannuation information to the ATO each time you pay your employees.
Why STP exists
STP helps:
Simplify reporting obligations for employers
Reduce end-of-year paperwork
Provide employees with real-time access to their payment information through myGov
Help the ATO identify and address payroll issues earlier
Streamline tax return processing for employees
How PaySauce handles STP
PaySauce makes STP reporting automatic and seamless:
You process a pay run in PaySauce
PaySauce automatically creates an STP file with all required information
The STP file is submitted to the ATO immediately
The ATO processes the file
You can view the filing status and details in PaySauce
Note: You don't need to do anything extra—STP filing happens automatically with every pay run.
What information is included in an STP file
Each STP file contains the following information for each employee:
Employee details
Name
Tax file number
Date of birth
Employment start and end dates (if applicable)
Payment information
Gross wages and salary
Allowances
Overtime
Bonuses and commissions
Leave payments
Lump sum payments
Other earnings
Tax information
PAYG tax withheld
Taxable income
Tax-free components
Student loan (HELP/HECS) deductions
Medicare levy adjustments
Superannuation information
Superannuation guarantee contributions
Ordinary time earnings (OTE)
Salary sacrifice amounts
Year-to-date totals
All amounts are reported as year-to-date figures (from July 1 to the current pay date), giving the ATO and employees a running total throughout the financial year.
Viewing your STP filings
To view the STP filings for a pay run:
Select Payroll from the navigation menu
Go to Previous pay runs
Select the pay run you want to review
Scroll to the Filings section
Locate STP_Submit
What you'll see
Status: Shows whether the filing was successful or if there were errors
Dates: Shows when the file was created and submitted
View file: You can view the exact STP file that was sent to the ATO (primarily used for troubleshooting)
View response: You can view the exact response received from the ATO (primarily used for troubleshooting)
STP filing statuses
Your STP filing will show one of the following statuses:
Successful
The STP file was accepted by the ATO and processed successfully. No action is required.
Pending
The file has been submitted and is waiting for the ATO to process it. This is usually resolved within a few minutes.
Failed
The STP file was rejected by the ATO. This requires attention.
Common reasons for STP failures:
Incorrect or missing Tax File Numbers (TFNs)
Invalid employee details (e.g., incorrect date of birth)
Duplicate submissions
Missing required information
Incorrect ABN or business details
If an STP filing fails, review the error message in the response details and correct the underlying issue. You may need to update employee records or company settings, then contact PaySauce support to resubmit the filing.
STP Phase 2 (STP2)
PaySauce supports STP Phase 2, which includes additional reporting requirements such as:
Disaggregated pay information (separating different types of payments)
Employment conditions (full-time, part-time, casual)
Country codes
Income types
Tax treatment codes
Note: These additional details provide the ATO with more comprehensive payroll information and are reported automatically by PaySauce.
Annual STP finalisation
At the end of each financial year (June 30), employers must finalise their STP reporting. This is similar to the old payment summary annual report but is done through STP.
Annual finalisation confirms:
All pay runs for the financial year have been reported
All year-to-date totals are correct
No further changes will be made to the financial year's data
PaySauce will support annual STP finalisation (coming soon), allowing you to finalise your STP reporting directly through the platform.
⚠️ PaySauce does not currently support STP finalisation. Until this feature is available, you may need to finalise through the ATO business portal or contact PaySauce support for assistance.
Employee access to STP information
When you submit an STP file, the ATO makes the information available to your employees through myGov. Employees can:
View their year-to-date income
Check their PAYG withholding
Access their payment information for tax return purposes
See their superannuation contributions
This replaces the old payment summary (group certificate) system. Employees no longer need to wait for a payment summary at the end of the financial year. They can access their information in real-time through myGov.
Common Questions
My STP filing failed—what should I do?
My STP filing failed—what should I do?
View the error message in the filing response
Identify the issue (usually related to employee details or missing information)
Correct the underlying problem in the employee's record or company settings
Contact PaySauce support to resubmit the STP filing
I processed a pay run but forgot to include something—will the STP be wrong?
I processed a pay run but forgot to include something—will the STP be wrong?
If you create an adjustment pay for the same period, PaySauce will submit an updated STP file that includes the adjustment. If you make the required changes in the next normal pay you run, the new STP file will contain the update and override the old one submitted to the ATO. All new STP files submitted negate the previous ones, right up until the STP finalisation at the end of the Financial Year.
Can I edit an STP file after it's been submitted?
Can I edit an STP file after it's been submitted?
You cannot edit a submitted STP file directly. However, if you process a new pay or an adjustment pay, PaySauce will submit an updated STP file that corrects the information.
Do I need to do anything at the end of the financial year?
Do I need to do anything at the end of the financial year?
You'll need to finalise your STP reporting at the end of each financial year. PaySauce will support this feature soon. Until then, you may need to finalise through the ATO business portal or contact PaySauce support.
What if I need to see exactly what was sent to the ATO?
What if I need to see exactly what was sent to the ATO?
You can view the exact STP file sent to the ATO in the Filings section of each pay run. This is typically only needed for troubleshooting or detailed reconciliation.
Need help?
If you have questions about STP requirements, filing errors, or accessing your STP information, contact PaySauce support or visit the ATO's STP guidance at ato.gov.au.