Answer
The payslip shows pay-period amounts in the This Pay column and, when year-to-date display is enabled, a YTD column alongside each line item. The YTD figures accumulate every completed pay for the employee in the current financial year and are the amounts reported to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll.
What the YTD column shows
- Gross Pay: total gross earnings before tax, including ordinary time, overtime, leave pay, leave loading, bonuses, back payments, and allowances.
- Tax: total PAYG withholding deducted. If the employee has a HELP/TSL or SFSS obligation, the payslip also shows the component included within that tax total (for example, incl. STSL $x.xx).
- Pre-tax deductions and salary sacrifice: where applicable, the YTD gross before these deductions is also shown so the employee can see their pre-sacrifice earnings.
- Post-tax deductions and post-tax super: any voluntary post-tax deductions or additional super contributions the employee has authorised.
- Super: when Show super YTD? is enabled, the payslip shows the employer super total. If the pay includes a mix of Super Guarantee (SGC), salary sacrifice into super (VOL), or reportable employer super contributions (RESC), those components are itemised below the super total.
- Net Pay: take-home pay after all deductions, year to date.
Financial year boundary
YTD totals reset at the start of each new financial year (1 July). The financial years used are configured under Company >> Financial Years. If you joined Lightning Payroll part-way through the year, any opening figures entered at setup are included in the YTD totals from that point forward. See How Do I Enter Existing Year-to-Date Figures?
Enabling or disabling YTD on payslips
YTD display is controlled per employee. To turn it on or off:
- In the desktop app: go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Payslip Options and tick or untick Show YTD totals? and Show super YTD?.
- In the online (web/mobile) app: open the employee, go to Pay Settings >> Payslip Options and toggle Show YTD totals? and Show super YTD?.
Viewing the full YTD summary
For a detailed breakdown of the employee's year-to-date earnings, tax, allowances, deductions, and leave - including the income stream breakdown required for STP Phase 2 - go to Employees >> YTD >> Year To Date Summary in the online app, or Employees >> Year To Date in the desktop app. You can filter by financial year and income stream.
For the NZ equivalent, see How Do I Read The Year-To-Date Totals On A Payslip?
