I hope you are doing well. We are currently reviewing the process for setting up Single Touch Payroll (STP) Reporting as a business intermediary, and we have encountered a couple of questions that require clarification. Given the importance of these issues for our client communication and FAQ document, we would greatly appreciate your expertise on the following points:
1. Contact Details in the STP File
When submitting the STP file to the ATO, we need to understand whose contact details should be included. Specifically, should we include our company's contact details (as the business intermediary providing the service), or should we include the customer's contact details?
As per the ATO's guidelines, business intermediaries are not authorized contacts, and we are concerned that under a Managed Service, the customer may expect the ATO to contact us directly for any STP-related issues. Could you provide clarity on whether it is acceptable for us to use our company's contact details in the STP file submission?
2. Registered Agent Nomination (ABN Linking)
There is some confusion regarding the Registered Agent Nomination process for ABN linking when acting as a business intermediary. The ATO guidelines seem to suggest this is required if we are the customerβs registered BAS/Tax agent, but they also mention it is needed for payroll service providers.
In a recent discussion with Green, it was confirmed that the nomination is only required if we are reporting STP as a registered agent. However, since the ATO guidelines mention payroll service providers as needing this nomination, we would appreciate further clarification on whether our company is required to make a Registered Agent Nomination for ABN linking when acting solely as a business intermediary, and not as a registered BAS/Tax agent.
For reference, we have reviewed the ATOβs article here.
We would be grateful for your guidance on these matters to ensure we are aligned with the ATOβs requirements.
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