EOFY Payroll reports on closed data file

[SergC]

Hi there,

I recently started a new company data file in September 2022 due to a shift in business legal structure. Now that STP Reporting is due I need to access the old company data file to finalise EOFY Payroll. What are my options?

Thanks, Serge

[gavin12345]

Hi @SergC 

Your options are complicated I would suggest, or not, depending on a number of factors. Depends if both files have the same serial number and file ID (you used a copy for the new structure), how many files you can have online, old file would be Phase 1, new file likely Phase 2.

If you can open the old file locally, you could try to access the Payroll Reporting centre and see what happens. This assumes you still have a subscription for the old file.

It may be simpler to use STP Creator to 'finalise' the EOFY Payroll in the old file. STP Creator can extract the existing data in your old file, allowing you to generate an Update event with Final Indicator etc.

The company that makes STP Creator has a Temp licence option for such one-off reports and corrections, they also provide (paid) remote assistance to help sort it all out for you, so you don't need to learn how to use new software for a one off task. And it doesn't matter that the original reports were lodged by MYOB software, there is a feature to sort that issue. 

So if you can't get it done with MYOB, perhaps look into this.

Regards

Gavin

[SergC]

Hi @gavin12345,

Thanks for your reply. The old data file has a seprate serial number and it is a read only file. Our business went from a partnership type legal structure to a company legal structure. New ABN, new name, etc. 

I have decided I will have to re subscribe to the old data file, access my.myob and finalise the payroll.

But once I get to that point I will have a new problem. It took me a while to transfer over all the data to the new file. So I was using the old file for processing invoices, bills and payroll even though my new company ABN was active. So, there are double ups of multiple payroll events.

Is there a way (once I re activate the old data file) to delete (or reverse) the offending payroll events and notify the ATO of the updates?

Hope you can help, thanks.

[gavin12345 · Accepted solution]

Hi @SergC 

It depends on how you reported pay between July and Sep 2022, and whether the pay after that time (the pay that was for a different entity) was also reported. Re-activating the file is a start, but whether there will be anything in the Payroll Reporting Centre for this abn and file ID combinations depends on whether MYOB kept the data there. After a subscription is ended, they only keep the data for a limited time. I suspect you will need a detailed conversation with a MYOB moderator to look into these things and advise best way forward.

MYOB can only report what is in the company file, so ideally if all the stars line up, you could reverse the unneeded pays and submit an Update event and finalise. It may be simply and straight forward. 

Another thing to think about is whether you should finalise with Phase 1 or Phase 2 - again without knowing what MYOB systems can do, speaking to MYOB would be the best thing. I will tag a couple of moderators, one will be in touch hopefully soon. @Celia_B @Princess_R 

From what I know of the 2 systems, personally I think the offline option would be far easier and cheaper. Making the changes in the MYOB file to delete the extra payroll transactions is easier when not constrained by what MYOB's Payroll Reporting Centre will allow you to do. Just have a read here of problems many are having with the Payroll Reporting Centre who haven't been through the changes you have.

Regards

Gavin