2020.3 Cannot delete a payroll transaction - System.ArgumentNull Exception

[Jesh_D]

Hi @EJY 

Could I get you to send me a private message with your full name, email address and serial number, including letting me know your users role (i.e. administrator) and we will look into this further for you. 

[DFGBookkeeper]

Can anyone provide link to ATO's page where ATO says nobody is allowed to delete any payroll transaction in their software??    Many other STP software still allow deleting!!!!

[TLS571]

Great point!

I've worked out though that you can still delete a payroll if you don't lodge the ATO declaration until after you've done the banking.  You wouldn't want to delete after you've processed the payment anyway, so this is working for me.

[EJY]

Hi @TLS571 

Sounds like we are on the same page - that is what I am doing as per my earlier post.  I am just holding off reporting to the ATO until everything is finalised and I've completed the banking - as you say after that you wouldn't delete anyway.

I just find it extremely frustrating that we get these changes in MYOB without any warning or explanation and often without things working properly and somewhere in this forum the users have to nut it out and find work arounds!  Nothing seems to be fixed quickly!

Anyway like you I am making this work too :-) 

[Steven_M]

Hi Everyone

From AccountRight 2020.3 onwards, payroll transactions that have been processed and reported through to the ATO through the Payroll Reporting Centre will not be able to deleted, only reversed. However, with our next release AccountRight 2020.4 we have addressed certain cases of the "Code: System.ArgumentNullException Message: Value cannot be null. Parameter name: format" error log occurring when that pay reversal does occur.

AccountRight 2020.4 was initially made available last week, however, due to factors we have suspended that update at this time, however, it will be returning and be made available for all users shortly. 

[EJY]

@Steven_M 

Hi Steven

You've told us again that we cannot delete pays reported via STP but you don't seem to have not answered the multiple questions in this blog asking 'why' this change has been made and why it was implemented without notice?  

[DFGBookkeeper]

Good point Steven!!!

I am using other STP software elsewhere.   I can delete pays.  If it is a requirement from ATO,  it should at least appear in ATO's newsletter.

[Steven_M]

Hi Everyone

To my knowledge, there is no provision stipulated by the ATO for STP reporting that indicates that payroll events can or can't be deleted.

However, from an MYOB point of view, from AccountRight v2020.3 onwards reversal of those reported pays have been made mandatory for two reasons:

• Provides a better audit trail of the pay events sent through to the ATO
• Aids in the prefilling of BAS amounts

We do understand this is a change from previous versions and can have some other implications within the software, to which we shared that feedback. However, it is currently a reversal process with AccountRight 2020.3 and our next release AccountRight 2020.4 (which does include that System.ArgumentNull Exception fix for certain reversal cases).

[DFGBookkeeper]

If it was initiated by MYOB not by ATO,  this should be presented to users accurately.    Not only user-consultation has been missing in this decision making process, not to mention all of the problems came with this rushed decision.   

Bear in mind that accounting personnels always recomend software to business owners based on their own experience .

[EJY]

Well said @DFGBookkeeper - couldn't agree more!