# Lightning Payroll — Full curated content Generated: 2026-09-05 Country: Australia Currency: AUD Latest version: 2014.2.0 (released 028/08/2013) Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au =============================================================== OVERVIEW =============================================================== Lightning Payroll is desktop and online payroll software for small to medium businesses in Australia. It handles Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2, ATO PAYG withholding, Superannuation Guarantee, payday super, employee setup, time and leave, pay slips, super or KiwiSaver, and end-of-year reporting. It is available as a Windows desktop install, macOS install, and increasingly via the online app at app.lightningpayroll.com.au. Lightning Payroll is owned and developed by Intellitron Pty Ltd, based in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. The product has operated since 2010. =============================================================== FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS =============================================================== Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq --- Category: Backup --- Q: How Do I Use Online Backups in the Web or Mobile App? A: The online (web/mobile) app includes a built-in Online Backups feature that lets you save your payroll data to Lightning Payroll's secure cloud server and restore it when needed. An active subscription is required; the feature is not available on trial accounts. Note: Online backups are an additional convenience feature. Always maintain your own local backups as well. Once the backup limit is reached, new backups automatically overwrite the oldest. For general backup advice, see How Can I Backup My Lightning Payroll Data? Getting to Online Backups Navigate to Tools >> Online Backups in the web or mobile app. The app automatically checks whether you already have an account and shows the appropriate screen. First Use - Registering If no online backups account exists for your subscription, a registration form appears. Create a password that meets all of the following requirements: At least 8 characters At least 1 uppercase letter At least 1 lowercase letter At least 1 number At least 1 special character Enter your password in the New Password field, confirm it in Confirm Password, then click Register. The app logs you in automatically after a successful registration. Subsequent Use - Logging In If an account already exists, a login form appears. Enter your Password and click Login. If you have forgotten your password, click Forgot Password? - a reset code will be emailed to your registered address. Enter the code together with a new password to regain access. See also I've Forgotten my Password for Online Backups. Sending and Restoring Backups Once logged in, the backup management screen appears. Enter a label in the Computer Name field to identify this device or this backup, then click Send Backup to upload the current data to the cloud. A table lists all existing backups with their creation date, computer ID, and file size. To roll back to an earlier backup, click the restore button next to that entry. Restoring replaces all current data with the selected backup, so only do this when you intend to revert to that point in time. Automatic Backup and Prompt Settings Two options appear below the backup list: Automatically backup every 7 days? - when ticked, the app sends a backup to the cloud automatically on a 7-day cycle. Prompt when a more recent backup is available? - when ticked, you will be notified if a more recent backup exists on the server than the data currently in the app. Changes to these settings are saved immediately. Logging Out Click Logout only if you want to disconnect this device from online backups entirely. Logging out disables automatic backups. To re-enable backups later, navigate back to Tools >> Online Backups and log in again. For the equivalent desktop app flow, see How Can I Set Up Online Backups? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-online-backups-in-the-web-or-mobile-app Q: How Can I Set Up Online Backups? A: Lightning Payroll has a built-in Online Backups feature which provides a way for you to easily save your important payroll data to the cloud. These online backups are encrypted and saved securely on our servers. In emergency situations this feature can help you to retrieve your data through your subscription. Note: You will need a reliable internet connection, an active Lightning Payroll subscription and to have registered for this service for the feature to work correctly. See below for more information. This additional online backup service can be misused and needs to be used responsibly. We offer this as a handy extra feature and cannot guarantee the data will always be available, nor accept liability for user error or loss of your data. For this reason it is always a good idea to manage your backups yourself in addition to using this online backup feature. Please see this FAQ for more info. To setup automatic online backups go to Tools >> Online Backups. If you haven't yet set up online backups you will be asked to Register and create a password before you can continue. Your password must be at least 8 characters long and include an uppercase letter, lowercase letter, a number, and a special character for security reasons this password is not the same as your website and/or password application. If you have already registered and need to connect another computer to your existing online backups you will be asked to Login and enter your password. If you have have forgotten your password, the Login screen contains a Forgotten Password area which can email through a password reset code to your nominated email address. Once you're logged in to your Online Backups you can send a backup to our secure server to save the data currently in your program, or you can restore a previously created backup file to continue working on it. The Computer Name field is where you can add a description of the computer you're working on, or a description of the backup file you're creating. The image below shows how backups might be shared between an office computer and home computer which share the same Lightning Payroll subscription. Only click Restore Backup if you wish to 'wind back the clock' and restore Lightning Payroll's data to an earlier point in time. We recommend you tick the box to Automatically Backup. Also, do not click Logout unless you wish to disable the online backups. Just click Close. Note: There is a FIVE backup limit for each active Lightning Payroll subscription. Once the limit has been reached, any new backups will automatically overwrite the oldest existing backup. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-set-up-online-backups Q: How Do I Undo A Backup Restore Using Revert Last Restored? A: The online (web/mobile) app automatically saves a snapshot of your data before every restore or sync. If you restore a backup and then realise you need to go back to how things looked before that restore, use the Revert Last Restored Backup tool. How to revert From the main menu, select Tools >> Revert Last Restored Backup. The screen shows the date and time of the snapshot that was taken before your last restore or sync. Confirm this is the state you want to return to. Read the warning: any changes made to the current database since the restore will be lost. Click Yes, let's revert to proceed. The app restores the snapshot and returns you to the entity selection screen. When this tool is not available If the screen shows There is no backup on file that can be reverted back to, no pre-restore snapshot exists. This typically means either no restore has been performed in the current session, or the snapshot has already been used. Important notes This tool is available in the online (web/mobile) app only. There is no equivalent tool in the desktop app. Only one pre-restore snapshot is kept. After reverting, the snapshot is consumed and the option will no longer be available until your next restore or sync. If you are concerned about accidentally overwriting data during restores, see How Can Restoring A Backup Delete Pay Data? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-undo-a-backup-restore-using-revert-last-restored Q: Why Did My Automatic Online Backup Stop Working? A: Automatic online backups can stop silently if the saved credentials become stale - for example, after you reset your online backups password on another computer or device. When the app attempts the scheduled backup and the login fails, it skips the backup for that session. If credentials were previously configured, the app opens the Online Backups wizard so you can re-authenticate. In the Desktop App The desktop app attempts an automatic backup at startup (if the Backup your data automatically option is enabled under Settings >> Backups and a backup is due). If the login attempt fails and credentials are stored, the Online Backups wizard opens automatically with a prompt to log in again. Enter your current password to re-authenticate. The next scheduled backup will then proceed normally. If the wizard does not appear, you can open it manually via Tools >> Online Backups. Log in there to restore the connection. Automatic backups run on a 7-day cycle, so the next backup will occur within 7 days of a successful login. If you have forgotten your online backups password, click Forgotten Password? in the wizard to receive a reset code by email. See I've Forgotten my Password for Online Backups for the full reset steps. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App In the web or mobile app, automatic backups are controlled by the Automatically backup every 7 days? toggle in Tools >> Online Backups. If you are logged out or your session has expired, the automatic backup cannot run. Navigate to Tools >> Online Backups, log in with your password, and confirm the toggle is enabled. Backups will resume from that point. For a full guide to setting up and using online backups in the web or mobile app, see How Do I Use Online Backups in the Web or Mobile App? Other Reasons Automatic Backups May Stop The Backup your data automatically checkbox (desktop) or the Automatically backup every 7 days? toggle (web/mobile) has been turned off. The subscription does not have full access (trial accounts are not eligible for online backups). A network or internet connectivity issue prevented the login or upload from completing. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-did-my-automatic-online-backup-stop-working Q: How Do I Restore a Backup? A: Lightning Payroll backup files use the .LPB extension. You can restore a local backup file or an online backup depending on where your backup is stored. In the Desktop App To restore a local backup file, click Tools >> Restore Backup. A wizard opens - select your .LPB file and follow the prompts. The app automatically saves a copy of your current data before restoring, so you can undo the restore if needed. To restore from an online backup, click Tools >> Online Backups. Log in to the online backups server, then click Restore next to the backup you want. See How Can I Set Up Online Backups? for details on registering and using this feature. To undo a recent restore, click Tools >> Revert Last Restored Backup. This rolls the data back to the automatic copy the app saved immediately before your last restore. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App To restore a local backup file, go to Tools >> Restore Backup. The Restore Local Backup screen lets you upload an .LPB file from your computer. Click Upload & Restore to apply it. This overwrites your existing company data. Restore Backup is not available on trial accounts. To restore from an online backup, go to Tools >> Online Backups, log in, and click Restore next to the backup you want. To undo a recent restore, go to Tools >> Revert Last Restored Backup and click Yes, let's revert. This returns your data to the state it was in immediately before the last restore or sync. If the Restore Backup option is unavailable or greyed out, see Why Can't I Restore a Backup File? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-restore-a-backup Q: How Do I Save a Local Backup of My Payroll Data? A: There are two ways to save a backup file locally to your computer. To create a single backup manually, click Tools >> Create Backup. This saves a compressed copy of your payroll data (all companies) into a file with an .LPB extension. To set up automatic backups, open Settings >> Backups and tick Backup your data automatically. You can choose a folder and Lightning Payroll will save a backup to that folder each time the program closes. Local backups are a good first line of defence, but we also recommend keeping a copy off-site. See How Can I Set Up Online Backups? for details on our free cloud backup service. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-save-a-local-backup-of-my-payroll-data Q: How Do I Back Up and Restore My Data in the Online App? A: The online (web/mobile) app includes its own backup tools under Tools >> Create Backup and Tools >> Restore Backup. Backups are saved as .LPB files and contain all companies and employees in your account. Creating a Backup Navigate to Tools >> Create Backup. Click Create Backup. The app generates a timestamped .LPB file and downloads it to your computer automatically. Restoring a Backup Navigate to Tools >> Restore Backup. Select a .LPB backup file from your computer. Click Upload & Restore. The restore process will overwrite all existing company data. Once complete, you are redirected to the entity selection screen. Note: Backup restore is not available on trial accounts. Reverting a Restore If you need to undo a restore, go to Tools >> Revert Last Restored Backup. This rolls your data back to the snapshot taken immediately before your last restore or sync. The option is only available if a pre-restore snapshot exists. Cloud-Based Online Backups In addition to local backup files, the app supports saving backups to our secure cloud server. Go to Tools >> Online Backups to register, send a backup, or restore from the cloud. See How Can I Set Up Online Backups? for details. If you use the desktop app, see How Can I Backup My Lightning Payroll Data? for the desktop backup workflow. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-back-up-and-restore-my-data-in-the-online-app Q: Why Is The Program Freezing When I Restore A Backup? A: If the program freezes when restoring a backup, the cause is usually an invalid auto-backup location. Please try the following steps:Go to Settings >> Backups.Either untick the Backup your data automatically checkbox, or update the backup directory to a valid location on your computer.Save the setting.Try restoring the backup file again.If the problem persists, please contact the support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-the-program-freezing-when-i-restore-a-backup Q: How Can Restoring A Backup Delete Pay Data? A: By default, Lightning Payroll opens up to look like it did when it was last closed down. If you share data between two computers (as each subscription allows) you will need to be responsible with managing your data's continuity. If your colleague does some work and you fail to restore their data before continuing, it may get lost. Please see below for a demonstration of how this problem may arise. How to Avoid Losing Data The safest way to share payroll data across two computers is to use the Online Backups feature, which keeps a copy of your data on Lightning Payroll's secure servers and lets both computers stay in sync. In the desktop app, go to Tools >> Online Backups and enable Automatically backup every 7 days?. On each computer, also enable the Prompt when a more recent backup is available? option - this way the software will warn you before you work on older data. Follow this discipline when moving between computers: Before finishing work on Computer A, open Tools >> Online Backups and click Send Backup to push your latest data to the cloud. When you start work on Computer B, open Tools >> Online Backups and restore the most recent backup so you are always working from the latest copy. Repeat this process every time you switch computers. For full instructions on registering and configuring online backups, see How Can I Set Up Online Backups?. If you have already restored a backup and realised it was the wrong one, the online app includes a Revert Last Restored Backup option under Tools that can roll your data back to the state it was in immediately before the restore. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-restoring-a-backup-delete-pay-data Q: How Do I Set Up and Use Web Sync Across My Devices? A: Lightning Payroll includes a web synchronisation feature that keeps your data in step between your Lightning Payroll installations and the web application. (Before setting this up, we strongly recommend making sure every device holds the same, up-to-date data by using the Online Backups feature, or Create Backup / Restore Backup under the Tools menu.) To turn web synchronisation on, go to Settings >> Other Settings in the desktop program. You will see three options: After ticking any one of these options you are asked to log in to enable the feature. Use the same login details you use for the website's Client Login. Note: this is separate from your application password, your subscription ID and your Online Backups password. If you have trouble with your password on this screen, use the Forgotten Password? option below the fields. After logging in, you are emailed a 6-digit two-factor authentication (2FA) code to enter on the next screen. If your account is secured with Google Authenticator, use the 2FA code generated by that app instead. Once the code is accepted, web sync is active. Sync Data Up To Web App? When enabled, this detects changes you make inside Lightning Payroll and uploads them to the web application. Sync Data Down To Desktop App? This detects more recent changes made online and downloads and restores them into your Lightning Payroll desktop application. With these first two options, checks run automatically every 5 minutes, and a refresh button appears at the bottom-right of the program. Use that button to check manually in between the 5-minute intervals. Manually Control Web Sync Uploads/Downloads? This option does not synchronise automatically, leaving you in control of when backups are created and restored. Instead of the refresh button used by the previous two options, separate upload and download buttons appear at the bottom-right. The diagrams below show how the feature works between the web application and one installation, and between the web application and two installations: Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-and-use-web-sync-across-my-devices Q: Why Can't I Restore a Backup File? A: A backup (.LPB) file is normally restored under the Tools menu of Lightning Payroll. If the Restore Backup option is greyed out or unavailable, you are either on a trial licence or unlicensed (your licence may have expired). Creating and restoring backups is only available to users on a paid subscription. If you only need to restore a backup to view old data, you can open Lightning Payroll in a read-only (unlicensed) mode. You cannot make any changes in this mode, but you can restore backups. To switch from trial mode to unlicensed (read-only) mode, delete the trial licence file manually while the application is closed. This file is called license.txt and lives in the following location depending on your operating system: Windows: C:\Users\<your user folder>\AppData\Roaming\Lightning Payroll\license.txt Mac: ~/.LightningPayroll/license.txt An easy way to reach the data folder is to click the ? in the lower-left corner of the start-up screen when you open the program, then choose Open Data Folder. Right-click the license.txt file and delete it. Note: the picture below is for a Windows user. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-cant-i-restore-a-backup-file Q: How Can I Backup My Lightning Payroll Data? A: Because Lightning Payroll is a desktop application, your data is stored on your own computer, not with us. We recommend you become familiar with the program's backup features. Online Backups are a great way to keep a secure, off-site copy of your payroll information using the cloud storage we provide for customers. Only you can access this data. It is also an easy way to pass data between two Lightning Payroll systems that share the same subscription. To create a backup file on your computer, click Tools >> Create Backup. This saves a complete copy of your payroll data (for all companies) into a single compressed file with an .LPB extension. You can restore these files later via Tools >> Restore Backup. Lightning Payroll can also make regular automatic backups to a folder you choose. Turn this on under Settings >> Backups >> Backup your data automatically. We recommend you regularly keep a backup on an external storage device, or online, in case your local hard drive fails. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-backup-my-lightning-payroll-data --- Category: End-of-Year --- Q: How Do I Include an Employment Termination Payment (ETP) in End of Year? A: When an employee has been terminated during the financial year, their ETP amounts are automatically carried through from the termination pay into the End of Year Assistant. A separate PAYG payment summary – employment termination payment is generated for that employee in addition to their regular payment summary. Reviewing ETP Amounts in the End of Year Assistant Open the End of Year Assistant from the Reports section of the desktop app. Work through the wizard until you reach the Payment Summaries step. Select the terminated employee from the list on the left. Their regular payment summary is shown on the right. Click the Advanced button to make the payment summary fields editable. A confirmation prompt will appear before edits are allowed. In the editable view, locate the Total ETP Tax field and click its button to open the Edit ETP Payment Summaries dialog. Working With the Edit ETP Payment Summaries Dialog The dialog displays a table of ETP entries for the selected employee. Each row contains: Payment Date – the date the ETP was paid. ETP Code – a code that identifies the nature of the payment (see below). Tax Withheld – the PAYG tax withheld on this ETP. Taxable Component – the taxable portion of the ETP amount. Tax Free Component – the tax-free portion of the ETP amount. Amendment? – tick this if the entry is amending a previously lodged ETP payment summary. To add an ETP entry, use the add-row control at the bottom of the table. To remove an entry, select the row and use the delete-row control. Click OK when finished to save the changes. ETP Codes Select the code that matches the reason for the ETP. The ATO defines the following codes: R – Genuine redundancy or early retirement scheme payment. O – Other ETP (e.g. gratuity, golden handshake, compensation for loss of employment). S – Payment in lieu of notice (where the employment contract specifies an amount). P – Invalidity payment (due to ill health). D – Death benefit paid to a dependant. B – Death benefit paid to a non-dependant (capped component). N – Death benefit paid to a non-dependant (non-capped component). T – Death benefit paid to a trustee of a deceased estate. If you are unsure which code applies, refer to the ATO website or consult your tax adviser. The ETP Payment Summary Document Once ETP amounts are present, Lightning Payroll produces a separate PAYG payment summary – employment termination payment for that employee when you print or email payment summaries from the Payment Summaries step. This document shows the taxable component, tax-free component, total tax withheld, and the ETP code, and must be provided to the employee. For general guidance on editing payment summaries, see How Can I Edit Payment Summaries?. For processing the termination pay itself, see How Can I Terminate an Employee (Detailed)?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-include-an-employment-termination-payment-etp-in-end-of-year Q: How Can I Enter an Additional RESC/Super amount for EOFY? A: If you need to make a one-off top-up of RESC (Reportable Employer Super Contribution) before the end of the financial year (EOFY), there are two ways to do it. For most employers, Method 1 is more popular — creating an extra pay with RESC only — because it lets you pay the extra super now and leave the compulsory Super Guarantee (SG) until the July 28 due date. Note: The July 28 SG due date only applies to the 2024–25 financial year. From July 1st 2026, the ATO's Payday Super measure will require Super Guarantee amounts to be paid on payday. Method 1 — Pay RESC Only This method suits anyone who simply wants to pay the RESC amount before 30 June and leave June's SG until the new financial year. Navigate to the desired pay run in Pays. Select Create Pays Wizard. Tick the relevant employees, then untick Create Full Pay?. This creates an additional $0.00 pay for each employee. Edit each new pay and click Edit beside Super. Enter the RESC amount only (leave SG at $0.00). Pay the contribution via the Payday Super section: Go back to the pay run list and click Payday Super (top-right of the screen). Select the RESC pays you just created and click Create. Follow the prompts to lodge the SuperStream file and make payment. Need more detail? See our dedicated Payday Super FAQ. If you prefer the older workflow you can still use Super Fund Deposits, but Payday Super is faster for a single pay run. The deposit screen remains best for quarterly or other bulk payments. Method 2 — Pay June SG + RESC Together If you wish to pay both SG and RESC for June before EOFY, use this method instead. Edit the employee's last pay of the year under Pays >> Edit Pay/s. Click Edit beside Super. Add the extra RESC amount to the RESC field, leaving the SG amount as calculated. The additional super is immediately available for payment in Super Fund Deposits (or via Payday Super, if you prefer) and will be reported in your next Single Touch Payroll (STP) lodgement. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-enter-an-additional-rescsuper-amount-for-eofy Q: How Do I Process End of Year and Print or Email Payment Summaries in the Online App? A: The online app includes an End of Year Assistant - a short wizard that lets you generate, download, and optionally email PAYG Payment Summaries (group certificates) for your employees. Since the introduction of Single Touch Payroll (STP), payment summaries are no longer required, as employee income is reported directly to the ATO and is visible in their myGov income statements. However, the assistant is available if you wish to provide a summary to your staff. For lodging your end-of-year finalisation with the ATO via STP, see How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? Starting the Assistant Click End Of Year in the left-hand navigation menu. The End of Year Assistant page opens. Use the Select Financial Year drop-down to choose the financial year you want to process. If you would like to email payment summaries to employees as part of this process, tick the Email payment summaries to employees? checkbox before proceeding. Click Next. Select Employees The wizard moves to the Select Employees step, which lists all employees who have payment summary data in the chosen financial year. Select or deselect employees as needed, then click Next. If no employees appear, no pay data was found for the selected period. Payment Summaries The Payment Summaries step shows a summary of the calculated figures for each employee. Select an employee in the table on the left to review their individual figures in the Summary Display panel on the right. To download PDFs, use the two buttons at the bottom of the employee table: Payment Summaries - downloads a combined PDF containing an individual payment summary for each selected employee. Summary Report - downloads a single-page summary report across all selected employees. Email Pay Summaries (Optional) If you ticked the email option in the first step, an additional Email Pay Summaries step appears after the download step. This screen lists only employees who have the Email Payment Summaries option enabled in their employee record. Select the employees you want to send to, then click Send Emails Now. A confirmation message will appear once the emails are sent. To enable or disable email payment summaries for an individual employee, go to their employee record and adjust the Email Payment Summaries Enabled? setting under their email options. Finishing Once you have downloaded and/or emailed summaries, click Next on the final step to exit the wizard. The assistant does not lock or close off any data - you can return to it at any time during the year to re-generate summaries. For a general overview of all EOFY lodgement options, see How Do I Process EOFY and Lodge With the ATO? For information on whether payment summaries are still required under STP, see Do I Still Need To Provide Payment Summaries With the Transition to Single Touch Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-end-of-year-and-print-or-email-payment-summaries-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Add or Edit Year-To-Date Adjustments for an Employee? A: A YTD adjustment records prior-year or mid-year earnings, tax, and super figures for an employee without creating individual pays. This is useful when migrating from another payroll system part way through a financial year and the CSV import method is not available. For the recommended approach to carrying over opening balances, see How Do I Enter Existing Year-to-Date Figures. Adding a YTD Adjustment (Desktop App) Open the employee record and select Year to Date from the employee navigation. Click Adjust YTD Totals. Adjust Year To Date Amounts — Enter the cumulative gross, tax, net, ordinary time earnings, overtime earnings, and super figures. Set the Date to the last day the prior figures apply to, and confirm the STP Income Stream. The gross figure shown includes itemised allowances and excludes Reportable Employer Superannuation Contributions (RESC). Adjust Year To Date Bonus Amounts — If the employee has bonuses configured, this page appears. Enter any prior bonus amounts. Adjust Year To Date Leave Amounts — Enter any prior leave paid amounts for annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, or custom leave types. Adjust Year To Date Allowances — If the employee has allowances configured, enter prior allowance totals. These amounts are informational and do not reduce the gross or net entered on the first page. Adjust Year To Date Deductions — If the employee has deductions configured, enter prior deduction totals. These amounts do not reduce the gross or net entered on the first page. Adjust Year To Date Post Tax Superannuation — If post-tax super contributions exist, enter prior totals here. These amounts do not reduce the gross or net entered on the first page. Adjust Year To Date Salary Sacrifices — If salary sacrifice arrangements exist, enter prior totals here. These amounts do not reduce the gross or net entered on the first page. Confirm Year To Date Adjustments — Review the summary, then click Finish to save. Use Back to correct any figures before finishing. Viewing or Removing an Existing Adjustment (Desktop App) On the Year to Date screen, click View YTD Adjustments to open the adjustment list. The Other Adjustments? column indicates whether the record also includes allowance, deduction, bonus, post-tax super, salary sacrifice, or leave entries. Warning: Removing an adjustment will also remove all other adjustments that are associated with it. Viewing or Removing an Existing Adjustment (Online App) In the online (web/mobile) app, open the employee record and navigate to Year to Date >> YTD Adjustments. The table shows each adjustment with its date, STP income stream, gross, tax, net, HELP/TSL, SFSS, CDEP, ordinary time earnings, overtime earnings, exempt foreign income, super guarantee, RESC, and whether other adjustments are attached. To delete an adjustment, use the delete action on the row. Deleting one adjustment removes all associated adjustments for that record (allowances, deductions, bonuses, post-tax super, salary sacrifices, and leave). Adding new YTD adjustments is available in the desktop app only. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-or-edit-year-to-date-adjustments-for-an-employee Q: How Can I Submit End of Year PSAR via EMPDUPE? A: Submitting end of year using the EMPDUPE method. Using the ATO's Online Services for Business by submitting an EMPDUPE/ECI file. Here's a tutorial video demonstrating how to generate an EMPDUPE file using Lightning Payroll's End of Year assistant. Step-by-Step: Generating the ATO ECI File EMPDUPE/ECI file generation is available in the Lightning Payroll desktop app only. Open the app and follow these steps: Click End of Year in the main navigation. On the Overview page, select the relevant financial year from the drop-down, then choose Generate ATO ECI File under ATO Submission. Tick Enter different company information only if your company details changed during the financial year (for example, you changed ABN or address mid-year). Tick Submit as Supplier if you are lodging on behalf of another entity (for example, a tax agent or bookkeeper). You will be prompted for your supplier ABN, name, address, and file reference. Tick Email payment summaries to employees if you would like Lightning Payroll to email summaries directly to employees after the file is saved. Click Next to proceed through the wizard steps. On the Company Information page (shown only if you ticked the option in step 3), verify or update the company's tax name, ABN, address, contact name, phone, and Location ID, then click Next. On the Supplier Information page (shown only if you ticked Submit as Supplier), enter the supplier ABN, name, address, phone, email, and file reference, then click Next. On the Select Employees page, choose the employees to include in the submission, then click Next. On the Payment Summaries page, review each employee's figures. Use Refresh to recalculate values from pay records, or Advanced to make manual adjustments. Click Next when the figures are correct. On the Save ATO ECI File page, confirm or change the save location using the folder icon, then click Next. Lightning Payroll generates and saves the EMPDUPE file and shows an ATO ECI File Saved Successfully confirmation. If you ticked the email option, the Email Summaries page appears next - review the list of recipients and send. The final Summary page confirms the assistant is complete. If you later edit any pay information, re-run the assistant to regenerate the file before lodging. Lodging the File with the ATO Once the EMPDUPE file is saved to your computer, log in to ATO Online Services for Business and upload it using the Lodge PAYG withholding annual report (ECI) option. For an overview of all available end-of-year lodgement methods, see How Do I Process EOFY and Lodge With the ATO?. To edit payment summary figures before generating the file, see How Can I Edit Payment Summaries?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-submit-end-of-year-psar-via-empdupe Q: Can I Manually Edit or Recalculate an Employee's Payment Summary Values? A: During the End of Year Assistant, the Payment Summary Edit step lets you review each employee's calculated figures. Two buttons on this screen let you adjust those figures: Advanced and Refresh. Manually Editing Values Click Advanced to unlock the editable fields for the currently selected employee. A confirmation dialog - Edit Calculated Values? - will appear asking whether you want to edit the calculated End of Year values. Click Yes to proceed. The fields become editable and you can change gross income, tax withheld, lump sum amounts, reportable fringe benefits, and other values as required. You can also tick the Amendment? checkbox here if this payment summary is an amendment to one already lodged with the ATO. Once an employee's summary has been manually edited, their name in the employee list is shown with the suffix (Manually Edited) so you can see at a glance which records have been changed. Recalculating (Refreshing) Values If you want to discard any manual changes and let Lightning Payroll recalculate the values from the pay history, click Refresh. A confirmation dialog - Recalculate End of Year Values? - warns that this will overwrite any manual changes that have been made. Click Yes to confirm. The summary is recalculated and the (Manually Edited) marker is removed. Note that if you later edit or add pay information for an employee after running the End of Year Assistant, you will need to return to this step and use Refresh to pick up those changes for any summaries that have not been manually edited. For a general overview of editing payment summaries and lodging amendments, see How Can I Edit Payment Summaries? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-manually-edit-or-recalculate-an-employees-payment-summary-values Q: How Do I Correct and Relodge EOFY Figures With the ATO? A: If you need to correct previously submitted year-to-date (YTD) totals and resend the data to the ATO, you can do so at any time. Step 1 - Correct the Figures First, make sure the underlying payroll data is correct. In the desktop app: edit the pay directly under Pays, or use the YTD adjustment wizard at Employees >> Year to Date >> Adjust YTD Totals. In the online (web/mobile) app: edit the pay under Pays, or go to Employees >> YTD >> YTD Adjustments to add a YTD adjustment for the employee. Step 2 - Resubmit to the ATO Once the figures are correct, resubmitting follows the same process as a normal STP lodgement. Go to the last pay run of the relevant financial year and select Single Touch >> Submit Payroll To ATO. Because the pay run has already been reported, Lightning Payroll will offer an update event (refresh YTD figures) rather than a new pay event. Tick Final pay for the financial year? if you are finalising employees for the year, then preview and submit as normal. For full details on the STP lodgement process, see How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? For an overview of all EOFY lodgement options, see How Do I Process EOFY and Lodge With the ATO? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-correct-and-relodge-eofy-figures-with-the-ato Q: How Do I Process EOFY and Lodge With the ATO? A: At the end of each financial year, you must report your annual PAYG payroll activity to the ATO. There are two methods available in Lightning Payroll, depending on how you have been submitting throughout the year. Single Touch Payroll (STP) - the required method for almost all employers. If you have submitted at least one STP event during the financial year, finalise employees via STP. See How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? for the full steps. The ATO requires STP finalisation to be completed by 14 July for most employers. EMPDUPE (ATO ECI file) - for employers who have not submitted STP during the year. Use the End of Year Assistant in Lightning Payroll to generate an EMPDUPE/ECI file, then upload it via the ATO's Online Services for Business. See How Can I Submit End of Year PSAR via EMPDUPE? for the full steps. For the complete EOFY checklist, see the Lightning Payroll EOFY checklist. Note: paper/post lodgement is no longer available for most employers. It applies only to employers with a current ATO exemption from STP. See End of Year via Paper Form Submission if this applies to you. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-eofy-and-lodge-with-the-ato Q: Why Don't My Group Tax Totals Match With End of Year? A: If your End of Year totals are not matching your Group Tax report, here are the most common reasons and how to fix them. Refreshing End of Year Data This is usually the cause when only one or a few employees are not matching. Corrections may have been made to pays after the End of Year section was already opened, so the figures need to be refreshed. In the desktop app: In the End of Year Assistant, on the Payment Summary Edit step, highlight the affected employee and click Refresh to update their payment summary figures. In the online (web/mobile) app: Re-run the End of Year Assistant for the affected employee. The assistant regenerates payment summary figures each time it runs, so it will automatically include any corrections made to their pays. ETP Payment If an Employment Termination Payment occurred during the year (redundancy, wages in lieu, etc.), it appears on a second page of the employee's payment summary. This amount is separate from the main gross figure, which can cause the totals to look different when compared to the Group Tax report. Financial Year Boundaries Are Incorrect If every employee is not matching, a pay run may be left out or an extra one included in either the report or the financial year being processed. Run the Group Tax report again and confirm the dates match the financial year you are processing. If you need to adjust financial year boundary dates, this can be done under Company >> Financial Years in the desktop app, or under Financial Years in the Company section of the online app. See How Do I Change Financial Year Dates? for more information. Itemised Allowances If an employee's allowance is marked as Itemised under Employees >> Allowances & Deductions >> Allowances, it will be separated from the gross figure on their payment summary in the End of Year section. The gross amount shown under Employees >> Year to Date is inclusive of any itemised allowances, similar to the gross YTD amount on a payslip. This is why the two figures may differ. See Why Doesn't An Allowance Appear Separately On An Employee's PAYG Figures? for steps to correct itemised allowances retrospectively. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-dont-my-group-tax-totals-match-with-end-of-year Q: Where Can I View Past End of Year SBR Submissions to the ATO? A: SBR (Standard Business Reporting) was the method used to lodge End of Year figures with the ATO before Single Touch Payroll replaced it. The SBR Submissions screen lets you review these historical lodgements and access ATO reference numbers and response messages. Desktop App Go to Company >> SBR Submissions and click View beside any submission to see an overview of what was lodged, including the ATO receipt identifier and any success or error responses returned at the time. Online (Web/Mobile) App Navigate to Company >> SBR Submissions. The table shows each submission with its processed date, service type, and receipt identifier. Click View beside any row to open the full submission detail, which lists the employee figures that were sent and the ATO responses. A Download PDF button is available on the detail screen to save a copy of the submission. If you need to lodge End of Year figures with the ATO today, SBR is no longer supported. See How Do I Process EOFY and Lodge With the ATO? for current lodgement options including Single Touch Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-view-past-end-of-year-sbr-submissions-to-the-ato Q: End of Year via Paper Form Submission A: Important: Since the introduction of Single Touch Payroll (STP), almost all employers are required to finalise employees through STP rather than submitting a paper report. Paper submission is only available for employers who have a current ATO exemption from STP. If you are not exempt from STP, see How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? instead. Submitting on paper (by post) If you hold an ATO exemption from STP and wish to lodge your annual PAYG payment summary report on paper, you must use the ATO’s official stationery. The ATO does not accept documents printed from Lightning Payroll for lodgement purposes. If you have not received a stationery pack from the ATO, contact the ATO directly to request one, or visit the ATO annual reporting page for current lodgement options. Note: Lightning Payroll can produce printed payment summaries suitable for giving to your employees. These are accessible via the Payment Summaries button in the End of Year section of the program. They are not valid for lodgement with the ATO. For a full overview of all EOFY lodgement options, see How Do I Process EOFY and Lodge With the ATO? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/end-of-year-via-paper-form-submission Q: How Can I Tell If My Employees Are STP-Finalised or Tax Ready? A: Lightning Payroll has a Single Touch report to give you quick information on which employees have been marked as finalised with the ATO for a financial year under Reports >> (General) STP Finalised Employees. This report has many other functions for gathering historical STP data. The most common use is demonstrated below. Note that the tax readiness of each employee's most recent STP submission is visible, along with some basic totals for quick reference.Note: For more detailed information on your STP submission history (including all amounts submitted) please see the Single Touch Mailbox within the Pays screen. Please see our FAQ on fixing an employee's tax readiness status to learn what to do next. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-tell-if-my-employees-are-stp-finalised-or-tax-ready Q: Do I Still Need To Provide Payment Summaries (PAYG Summaries) With The Transition To Single Touch Payroll? A: Payment Summaries, also known as group certificates, have been an important document for employees in Australia, summarising their income and tax withheld. But with the introduction of Single Touch Payroll (STP) by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), this is no longer the case. STP revolutionises payroll reporting. Employers now electronically report salary, wages, and tax withheld to the ATO with each pay cycle, removing the need for traditional Payment Summaries. Instead, employers provide employees with income statements through their final STP submission, which offer a detailed breakdown of their income information, including salary, wages, tax withheld, and superannuation contributions. These income statements serve as the essential document for employees when preparing and lodging their tax returns. To stay informed about STP and income statements, visit the ATO website or reach out to the ATO directly. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/do-i-still-need-to-provide-payment-summaries-payg-summaries-with-the-transition-to-single-touch-payroll Q: Why Do My Report Amounts Not Match My STP Submission? A: You may notice that some amounts in the STP reports (Detailed and Summary) do not match gross totals in the Group Tax or Pay Summary reports. This is likely due to one of the following reasons: Since STP 2.0 (released in January 2022), gross amounts are 'disaggregated' so to match the STP reports with regular reports (pay summary, group tax, etc) you should match the total (exc sacrifice) column in the STP report with the gross in a traditional report. Missing employees? Remember that sending a new event only includes employees from that pay run. You'll need to go back around for a second STP lap, and submit an update event to finalise with everyone at the same time. Please ensure you are running your comparison reports by processed date from 1/7/XXXX to 30/6/XXXX as STP/YTD amounts are gathered using these parameters by default. Ensure your pay runs are marked with the correct processed date (date of payment), as the FY should only include pays made within those dates. Use the Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run tool at the bottom of the Pays screen to quickly correct any mistakes in the processed date. For more info on how Lightning manages pay dates see our FAQ here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-do-my-report-amounts-not-match-my-stp-submission Q: How Can I Run End of Year via SBR? A: Lightning Payroll no longer includes the ability to submit End of Year figures via SBR as this technology has now been replaced by Single Touch Payroll. Please see here for more information on STP and other lodgement options. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-run-end-of-year-via-sbr Q: How Can I Edit Payment Summaries? A: If you need to make adjustments to payment summaries, click the Advanced button on the Payment Summaries screen. You can then change the values as needed. If you wish to undo any manual adjustments made in this screen, simply click on the Refresh button. If you have already lodged this payment summary to the ATO, and then need to resubmit your edited version make sure to tick the Amendment? box before resubmitting. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-edit-payment-summaries Q: How Can I Print Payment Summaries/Group Certificates? A: Normally you'd print or email payment summaries at the same time as you lodge with the ATO, but they can be accessed separately any time of the year, and as many times as you like. Lightning Payroll doesn't 'close anything off' in the End of Year section. Retrieving payment summaries (group certificates) is very similar to retrieving payslips. To do this, simply click End of Year, select your financial year (FY) and click next. You will then be prompted to select the employees you wish to view/print Payment summaries for, and follow the prompts. Once you are looking at the Payment Summaries screen, click the Payment Summaries button and Lightning Payroll will generate your employees PAYG summaries in a printable PDF format. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-print-payment-summariesgroup-certificates Q: How Do I Change Financial Year Dates? A: By default, Lightning Payroll takes care of your financial year start and end dates. These default to 1/7 -30/6 each year. Whether a pay falls into one financial year or another should typically be determined by the pay's processed date. Please see our FAQ on processed dates and how they affect financial year to date figures. If a pay is processed on June 30th (or earlier) all of its figures will fall into the older financial year. If a pay is processed on July 1st (or later), all of its figures will appear in the newer financial year. If you need to split or shift financial year start and end boundary dates, this can be done under Company >> Financial Years. These dates act like fence posts which section off all pays within a period of time, rounding them up to be processed in the End of Year and Single Touch Payroll sections of Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-change-financial-year-dates Q: Why Doesn't An Allowance Appear Separately On An Employee's PAYG Figures? A: If an allowance an employee has been receiving throughout the financial year is not showing up in their PAYG figures as itemised, this can be amended with the following steps: Firstly, the allowance should be marked as Itemised under Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Allowances. Then, to fix the allowances in earlier pays, go to Tools on the top left hand corner of the screen and select Retrospective Tool from the dropdown. In the new window, set the date range for which you want to adjust pays that include allowances. In this case, we have set it to cover the whole financial year. You can then select the employee or employees whose allowances you wish to adjust. As you can see here, we will be adjusting David's allowances retrospectively so that they are correctly itemised. On the next screen, make sure Allowances is selected from the dropdown. Below, you will be shown all the pays within the previously set date range for the selected employee/s that include allowances. Tick the boxes on the left to select the pays individual you'd like to adjust allowances for. If you want to edit allowances for all pays, click Select All/None. Once you have selected the pays with allowances that you wish to adjust, hit Confirm Pay Selection. On this screen, you will be able to select the allowances to edit and view their current settings. Firstly, select the allowance you wish to adjust from the Must be filtered by description dropdown. You will then see all instances of that allowance during the date range you originally set. You can then select the ones you wish to change and click Edit. An Add/Edit Allowance window will now open for you to make adjustments. Tick Itemised? and then click Save. Once this is completed, you will now see that the selected allowances show True in the Itemised? column. You can complete the previous step for any other allowances that need to be adjusted. Once you're finished adjusting the required allowance, click Close on the bottom right to finish. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-doesnt-an-allowance-appear-separately-on-an-employees-payg-figures Q: Where Can I Find The Latest End Of Year Checklist? A: Click here to see the latest Lightning Payroll EOFY checklist mailer. This gets emailed out to all active users each June. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-find-the-latest-end-of-year-checklist --- Category: General --- Q: Where Do I Find An Employee's Start Date? A: An employee's employment start date is on the Employment Dates tab of their record, in both the desktop and the online app. It is not on the Personal tab, which is the first tab you land on when you open an employee. Looking up one employee In the desktop app: go to Employees >> Details >> Employment Dates. The field is labelled Start Date. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees >> Details >> Employment Dates. The field is labelled Start Date. The termination date, if there is one, sits on the same tab. Getting start dates for all your employees at once Use the custom report builder rather than a standard report: Open Reports and choose the custom reports area, then select the Custom Employee Report type. Tick the Start Date column, along with any other employee details you need. Run the report to see every employee's start date in one list. If the start date looks wrong The Employment Dates tab shows the employee's current start date. If an employee was terminated and later rehired, the rehire process replaces the start date with the new one, so the original date is no longer shown in that field. You can still see the earlier dates in the Employment History list on the same tab, which records when the employee was terminated and when they were reinstated. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-do-i-find-an-employees-start-date Q: How Can I Import Data Into Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll supports several types of data import. The options available depend on whether you are using the desktop app or the online (web/mobile) app. Importing Employee Records You can import employee records from a CSV file. The easiest way to create an import-ready file is to export employees from an existing Lightning Payroll database using Export For Import (CSV), then import them into the new company. In the desktop app: open the Employee List and use the Import employee data from CSV file button. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees >> Actions >> Import Employees / Historic Gross CSV. For full instructions, including the required CSV columns and how to prepare your file, see: How Do I Import Employee Records Into Lightning Payroll? Importing Time and Attendance Data Lightning Payroll can import time and attendance data from an external CSV or JSON file to create pays. This is useful when you use a third-party rostering or time-tracking system. In the desktop app: use Import/Manage Time And Attendance Data from the Rosters screen or the Pays screen. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Pays >> Import Pay Data (JSON/CSV). For full instructions on file formats, CSV columns, and the JSON schema, see: How Do I Use the Import Time & Attendance Wizard? Importing Timeclock and Employee Portal Shifts If you use the Lightning Payroll timeclock app or the Employee Portal, employees' clocked shifts and timesheet entries are synced automatically. Access these via Import/Manage Shifts on the Pays or Rosters screen (desktop), or the Timeclock/Portal Sync option in the online app. Entering Year-To-Date Figures From a Previous System Lightning Payroll does not import payroll history directly from other payroll software. If you are switching mid-year, the recommended approach is to include your employees' year-to-date (YTD) figures directly in the CSV file when you import them (see Importing Employee Records above). The manual per-employee YTD adjustment in the Employees section is only available in the desktop app - it is not available in the online (web/mobile) app. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-import-data-into-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Purchase Lightning Payroll? A: To purchase a Lightning Payroll subscription, go to the 'Buy Now' page of our website and choose a licence to suit your needs from the options available, then register an account with us and make payment.Once your payment has been confirmed, you will receive an email with a subscription ID number which needs to be entered into the program when you open it for the first time. You can go to Tools >> Licence Assistant in the program to get to the Online Licence Install screen if it doesn't appear automatically. Please note — When using a trial version, you have not yet registered an account with Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-purchase-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Load Demo Data When Starting A Lightning Payroll Trial? A: When you first sign in to a new Lightning Payroll online trial, a welcome dialog appears automatically. It walks you through three steps before you start using the app. Step 1 - Licence Agreement Read the licence agreement displayed in the dialog, then tick I have read and agree to the licence agreement above and click Continue. Step 2 - How Did You Hear About Us? Select how you found Lightning Payroll from the How did you hear about us? drop-down. If you choose Other, a text field appears for a short description. Click Continue when done, or Back to return to the licence step. Step 3 - Load Demo Data The final step asks whether you would like to load demo data. Clicking Load Demo Data creates a sample company pre-filled with example employees, pays, and settings so you can explore the app straight away. The demo company is separate from any real payroll data. When you are ready to process actual payroll, you will need to create a new company - do not continue using the demo company for live data. If you prefer to skip the demo and set up your own company immediately, click No Thanks. The dialog closes and you can create a new company from scratch. For general information about starting a free trial, see Can I Try Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-load-demo-data-when-starting-a-lightning-payroll-trial Q: How Do I Change The Sort Order Of The Employee List? A: On the Employees screen, tick Show employee sorting options above the employee list to reveal the sorting controls, then choose a Sort by field — Last Name, First Name, or Employee Number — and an ascending or descending direction. The same controls are available in the desktop app and the online (web/mobile) app. Your choice is saved for the company, so the employee list keeps the same order next time you open it, in either app. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-change-the-sort-order-of-the-employee-list Q: How Do I Use the Change History Report in the Online App? A: The Change History tool records additions, deletions, and modifications made to your payroll data. You can filter and print a report, or permanently delete the stored history to reduce database size. In the desktop app: go to Tools >> Change History, set the date range and category, then click Print Report. See What History Tracking Tools Are Available In Lightning Payroll? for an overview of all desktop history tools. In the online (web/mobile) app: navigate to Tools >> Change History. Generating a Report Set the Start Date and End Date for the period you want to review. Tick one or more Categories in the list. The available categories update automatically based on the change types you have selected, and the report prints a separate section for each selected category. If you have ticked an employee-related category, an optional Filter by Employee list appears so you can narrow the report to specific employees. Tick Show Terminated Employees? to include terminated employees in that list. Choose a Sort By order: Date and Time, Description, or Type. Use the Include ADD Changes?, Include DELETE Changes?, and Include UPDATE Changes? checkboxes to filter the change types included in the report. Click Print Report. The report downloads as a PDF named with the selected date range. Your selections (categories, employee filter, sort order and change types) are saved per user and pre-filled the next time you open the report. The date range always starts fresh. Deleting the Change History Change history can take up a significant portion of your database. Clearing it may improve performance but makes historical investigation harder. To delete it permanently: Click Delete Entire Change History?. A confirmation prompt appears. Click Yes to proceed. A success message confirms how many rows were deleted. Click Close. Deleting the change history does not affect your payroll data in any way. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-change-history-report-in-the-online-app Q: How Can I Update to the Latest Version of Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll is a desktop program for Windows and Mac OSX, plus a web/online application and a mobile app. We update the software regularly with new features, performance improvements and bug fixes, usually every four or so weeks. Updates install themselves via an automatic download. When a desktop update is available, you are prompted to update the moment you open the program. You can also check at any time by clicking Check for Updates Now? at the bottom of the program window. The web and mobile apps always keep themselves up to date automatically. (Mobile app updates depend on your app store being set to update apps automatically.) For the desktop version, reinstalling or updating the software resolves most issues should they arise. If updating from within the program fails, you can download and install the latest version directly from the links below. Your data is safe and is not affected by reinstallation. Please make sure Lightning Payroll and any error messages are completely closed before reinstalling. Download for Windows 64-bit (Windows 8.1 and above, with the latest Windows updates installed) Download for Windows 32-bit (Windows 8.1 and above, with the latest Windows updates installed) Download for Mac OSX (version 10.14 Mojave and above) To turn updates on or off, or to change other update preferences, go to Settings >> Updates. Legacy Versions (Windows 7, Mac OSX 10.12 / 10.13) Legacy versions no longer receive any updates, including tax tables and super rate changes, so they must not be used to run pays. Please move to a current version of Lightning Payroll on a supported operating system, or switch to Lightning Payroll online. Newer versions of Lightning Payroll were rebuilt on the latest base software and libraries to stay secure and perform well on current Windows and Mac releases. As part of that work we had to drop support for Windows 7, Mac OSX 10.12 and Mac OSX 10.13. If you still need to open older data on one of those systems, the final legacy installers remain available below for reference only: Legacy installer for Windows 7 Legacy installer for Mac OSX 10.12 & 10.13 Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-update-to-the-latest-version-of-lightning-payroll Q: Can I Connect to the Lightning Payroll API? A: The Lightning Payroll API is live and available to approved integration partners. It enables programmatic access to payroll data and functions, including creating employees, reading pay records, and managing company settings on behalf of connected customers. Access is not open to individual customers directly. If you are a software provider or reseller seeking to integrate with Lightning Payroll, please contact our support team to discuss a partnership arrangement. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-connect-to-the-lightning-payroll-api Q: How Can I Pay For My Annual Subscription? A: You can pay for your subscription - whether monthly or annual - via auto-renewal, or through our website via Client Login >> My Account >> View your current subscriptions. We accept Visa or MasterCard credit card payments. You can save your card details for automatic renewal; full card details are stored securely by our payment partner Till Payments (only the last four digits and expiry date are visible in your account). To update or remove a saved card, go to My Account >> Update credit card & auto renewals. Alternatively, you can pay by direct deposit bank transfer. If you choose this option, select Direct Deposit as the payment type when placing your order on our website. For a full list of your past orders and tax invoices, see Where Can I View Order History and Tax Invoices for Licence Payments? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-pay-for-my-annual-subscription Q: Windows Download A: Download the latest version of Lightning Payroll for Windows from the link below: Download Lightning Payroll for Windows If you are on a Mac, use the Mac download instead. After downloading, run the installer and follow the prompts. If this is a new or replacement computer, see How Do I Install Lightning Payroll on a New or Replacement Computer? for the full setup steps including restoring your data and licence. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/windows-download Q: Different Registered Email A: You can change your registered email address by logging into your client account on our website at lightningpayroll.com.au/account/login. If you do not know what your registered email address is, you can find it in either app: In the desktop app: go to Tools >> Licence Details. Your registered email appears next to Licenced Email. In the online (web/mobile) app: select Licence Details from the top navigation bar. Your registered address is shown in the Subscription section next to Subscription email. If you can no longer access the email address linked to your subscription, see How Can I Access My Account If I Cannot Access The Registered Email? for the identity verification process, or contact our support team directly. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/different-registered-email Q: Where Can I Download the Latest Instruction Manual? A: The printed instruction manual has been retired, as it quickly became outdated as the software evolved. The most current support information is available on the Support page of this website, where the team can update articles quickly and easily. Use the Search box to find articles by keyword, or use the Filter By Category dropdown to browse by topic area. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-download-the-latest-instruction-manual Q: What Are the System Requirements and/or Limitations of Lightning Payroll? A: Compatible Operating Systems Lightning Payroll desktop application is compatible with Windows 10 (and above) and Mac OSX 10.14 (Mojave) and above. We only support these operating systems for desktop; the software is not designed for, or tested on, server-based operating systems. Lightning Payroll web version is available on any computer/device with internet access, and the mobile app can be used on any smart phone where the app is available for download in the phone's app store. System Minimum system requirements for using Lightning Payroll are: Intel Core i5 (sixth generation or newer) or equivalent 8 GB RAM 500 GB internal storage drive Screen/Monitor Size Lightning Payroll is not recommended for screen sizes below 15 inches as some screens will appear squished or very hard to see. For ultra hi-res and 4k monitors you may need to configure these for clarity in the program. Pay Run Schedules Lightning Payroll accomodates the following pay schedules in line with the ATO's tax tables: Weekly Fortnightly Monthly You can use any combination of these three pay schedules on any of the business entities within the software, however only one schedule of a type per company is possible (i.e. you cannot run two simultaneous weekly schedules ending on different days of the week). Approved Income Streams Lightning Payroll is certified by the ATO for the following Single Touch Payroll (Phase 2) income streams: Salary and Wages Working Holiday Maker Closely Held Payee Voluntary Agreement Withholding Payer Number Lightning Payroll does not support WPNs for reporting parties. All businesses/companies require an ABN to pay their staff within Lightning Payroll. Support Team Boundaries Lightning Payroll support is free to our subscribers, however certain topics are outside of what our team may assist you with: Teamviewer/Remote access - Our support team do not currently 'remote in' to customer's systems. This is not usually necessary when helping solve issues, as backup sharing with support is built-in to the software. Email configuration and troubleshooting - Lightning Payroll includes a basic SMTP server settings search feature under the Company >> Email tab which finds common email settings. This uses a third-party API to obtain settings. Beyond this you'd have to contact your email account provider for gaining or adjusting those settings, as our support team are unable to provide settings for email providers. Note that you now have the option of having Lightning Payroll send emails from the program for you instead. ATO myID app - Our support team are unable to provide support for the ATO's myID app, which is a requirement to be able to download and manage your machine credentials for sending Single Touch Payroll. For ATO technical support please contact their Technical Helpdesk on 1300 287 539 / Option 2 / Option 1. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-system-requirements-andor-limitations-of-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Access Database Recovery Tools And Other Advanced Data Folder Operations for Lightning Payroll Desktop? A: This guide is for advanced users who need to reach the utility tools built into the Lightning Payroll desktop app. These tools help you manage your data and troubleshoot issues. Opening the Utility Options When Lightning Payroll desktop starts, a splash screen appears with the application logo. Click the small help (question mark) icon in the lower-left corner of the splash screen to open the hidden Utility Options dialog. Folder Operations From the Utility Options dialog you can open these folders: Open Data Folder: the directory containing your payroll data files. Open ATOMAS Folder: the ATO keystore folder. Open Installation Folder: the Lightning Payroll installation directory. Database Recovery Utilities If you run into database problems, these tools can help with recovery and repair: Download Database Repair Utility: attempts a repair of the current database. Download Auto Restore Utility: restores your last automatic backup made prior to today. Manual Recovery Tool: lets you recover from a list of the most recent backups made on this computer. Caution: these tools are intended for advanced users. Incorrect use may lead to data loss, so make sure you understand each function before proceeding. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-access-database-recovery-tools-and-other-advanced-data-folder-operations-for-lightning-payroll-desktop Q: Will I Lose The Data I've Entered When My Trial Expires? A: No. Any data you enter during your free trial is saved, so you can pick up where you left off after subscribing. Desktop app Your trial data is stored on the computer you have been working on. Once you have purchased a subscription, use the Licence Assistant (accessible from within the program) to download and install your new licence. The program will then run as the full paid version using your existing data — nothing is lost. See I Have Paid For My Licence — What Happens Next? for the step-by-step activation process. Online (web/mobile) app Your data is stored securely on our servers. When your subscription is active, it is picked up automatically the next time you log in — no manual licence entry is required. Your data remains intact throughout the transition from trial to paid subscription. For more information on starting a trial, see Can I Try Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/will-i-lose-the-data-ive-entered-when-my-trial-expires Q: How Do I Share My Payroll Data With Another Lightning Payroll Account? A: The Data Sharing screen in the online (web/mobile) app lets you grant another Lightning Payroll account the ability to download a backup copy of your payroll data. This is useful when sharing data with an accountant or bookkeeper who already has their own Lightning Payroll subscription. Granting Access to Another Account Go to Settings >> Data Sharing in the online app. In the Enter other user's email to share field, type the email address associated with the other Lightning Payroll account. Click Submit. The other account now appears in the Who can access your payroll data? table. They will be able to log in to their own Lightning Payroll account and download a backup file of your data from their Settings >> Data Sharing screen. Downloading a Shared Backup If another account has granted you access to their data, that account appears in the Whose payroll data can be accessed by you? table. Click the download icon next to their entry to save a backup file to your computer. To load the data, go to Tools >> Restore Local Backup in the online app and select the downloaded file. Note that restoring a backup will overwrite any existing company data in your account. Removing Access To revoke access you have granted, find the account in the Who can access your payroll data? table and click the delete icon. To stop accessing another account's data, find them in the Whose payroll data can be accessed by you? table and click the delete icon. For other ways to share payroll access - including adding users within your own account or sharing data with someone who does not have a Lightning Payroll subscription - see How Can I Give Payroll Access To My Accountant Or Another Person? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-share-my-payroll-data-with-another-lightning-payroll-account Q: What Pricing Options are Available? A: A full breakdown of packages and pricing is available on the Pricing page. Plans are available as monthly or annual subscriptions, across a range of employee limits to suit businesses of different sizes. Agent plans are also available for accountants and bookkeepers managing payroll for multiple clients. To compare plans side by side or get a price for your employee count, visit the Pricing page and use the monthly/yearly toggle to see both billing options. For information on how to purchase, see How Can I Purchase Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-pricing-options-are-available Q: What's Involved in a Training/Consultancy Session? A: Our support team is happy to help with day-to-day questions, troubleshooting, and product guidance at no extra cost. A full payroll setup review or in-depth walkthrough of your file is outside standard free support - for that, we offer paid one-on-one remote training and consultancy sessions. What Free Support Includes Q&A: help using the software. Troubleshooting: help with common errors and workflow issues. Product guidance: help finding the correct screen, report, or feature. Our team can confirm how the software behaves, the current version, and where to enter settings, but employers remain responsible for the correctness of pay rates, entitlements, classifications, and compliance choices in their own payroll. To check for common setup issues yourself, use the built-in Data Validation tool under Tools >> Data Validation in the desktop app. Book a Training or Consultancy Session We offer one-on-one remote training sessions to help you make the best use of your time while processing payroll and to prevent future issues. Sessions are tailored to your preferred platform - desktop app, online/web app, or mobile app (iOS/Android). Book a Session What's Included? 1. General Setup Confirm company details: ABN, address, banking, and contact information. Set up pay schedule(s) with your preferred dates. Review employee profiles: TFN, bank account, super fund, and tax settings. Configure pay categories, allowances, and deductions. 2. Time & Attendance Set up the Employee Portal: payslips, timesheets/timeclock, leave requests, and banking details. Use the portal timeclock or our mobile timeclock app (iOS/Android). Import clock data from BundyPlus. Approve timesheets/timeclock shifts and import them into pay runs. 3. Pay Runs & Processing Walk through processing a standard pay run. Handle bonuses, terminations, leave taken, and corrections. Adjust and re-report past pays. 4. Leave & Entitlements Annual, sick, long service, and custom leave setup (e.g. RDOs). Track balances and automate accruals. Process leave taken in pays. 5. Superannuation Set up super funds and attach them to employee profiles with their member number. Lodge super via SuperStream (using Payday Super or Super Fund Deposits). Set up salary sacrifice as super. Review contribution history and resolve issues. 6. STP (Single Touch Payroll) Confirm whether Online Services credentials for Single Touch Payroll are set up and valid. Lodge STP and handle rejections. Use Adjust events to report changes made to past pays. EOFY finalisation process. 7. Tax & Withholding Review tax tables and TFN declarations. Apply tax variations like HECS/HELP and Working Holiday visas. Adjust PAYG manually if needed. 8. Payslips & Reporting Customise payslips (logo, notes, email settings). Run reports: PAYG, super, leave, and journals. Create custom employee and pay reports if needed. 9. Security, Backups & Access Set up automatic backups (desktop and online backup options are available). Review access permissions. Set up users if needed. Follow secure backup routines. 10. EOFY / BAS / Reconciliation Pre-EOFY cleanup and lodgements. Export BAS-ready reports. Use STP Adjust events to update BAS pre-fill. Reconcile super and PAYG. Process EOFY finalisation. 11. Tips, Tricks & Support Avoid common pitfalls that cost you time. Use batch tools and keyboard shortcuts. Access help and FAQs. Why Book a Yearly Training or Check-Over Session? Sharpen your skills and reduce payroll errors, saving you time. Stay on top of compliance with the ATO and Fair Work. Keep up with new Lightning Payroll features so you can take full advantage of them. Receive personalised advice and a setup review. Reduce time spent on support calls, as well as accounting costs. Gain peace of mind that your payroll setup is accurate and configured to suit your business. Book a Session Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/whats-involved-in-a-trainingconsultancy-session Q: How Do I Copy or Duplicate Employees? A: You can easily copy employees between companies in Lightning Payroll to save time and avoid re-entering data. This is useful when hiring a new employee who is similar to an existing one, or when an employee works across multiple businesses and needs to appear in more than one payroll entity. To copy or duplicate an employee: Open the Employees screen. Click Actions >> Copy Employee/s (or simply Copy Employee/s if using the web or mobile version). Select the employee(s) you want to copy and choose the destination company or entity. Click Copy. A success message will appear once the process is complete. When you copy an employee, Lightning Payroll will duplicate their: Pay items (such as allowances and deductions) Leave balances Pay rates Bank accounts Super fund details Note: Pay and super history will not be copied. The success message will remind you that bank accounts, leave balances, and super fund details have also been copied - delete these from the copied employee's record if you did not intend for them to be brought over. If the duplicated employee is not needed, they can be deleted from the Employees screen. The new copy will have "Copy of " added to the beginning of their surname to help you easily identify the duplicate. You can edit this at any time in the employee's personal details. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-copy-or-duplicate-employees Q: Mac Download A: Lightning Payroll desktop is available as a macOS installer (.pkg). Click the link below to download the latest version: Download Lightning Payroll for macOS The current release requires macOS 11 Big Sur or later. To check compatibility or minimum hardware requirements, see What Are the System Requirements and/or Limitations of Lightning Payroll? Installing the .pkg file Open the downloaded .pkg file. Follow the on-screen installer prompts to complete the installation. Launch Lightning Payroll from your Applications folder once installation finishes. Updating an existing installation Lightning Payroll checks for updates automatically each time it opens. When an update is available you will be prompted to install it. If you need to reinstall manually, download the current installer using the link above - your data is not affected by reinstallation. For more detail, see How Can I Update to the Latest Version of Lightning Payroll? Older macOS versions If you are running macOS 10.12 or 10.13 (Sierra or High Sierra), the main installer will not run on your system. A legacy installer is available for reference only - legacy versions no longer receive tax or super updates and must not be used to run pays. Consider moving to a supported macOS version or switching to Lightning Payroll online, which works in any modern browser. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/mac-download Q: Why Am I Getting An Error When Using Credit Card To Pay For Licence? A: Lightning Payroll accepts credit and debit card payments from Visa and MasterCard, processed securely by our payment partner Till Payments. If you are receiving an error when trying to pay for your licence with a card, the error message displayed on the checkout page should indicate the reason. The most common causes of a card error are: Insufficient funds on the card at the time of the transaction. Exceeding your daily transfer or spending limit set by your bank. Using a card type that is not accepted, such as American Express or Diners Club. An expired card — check that the expiry date on your card has not passed. Your bank blocking the transaction as a security measure — contact your bank to authorise the payment. If the error persists and none of the above apply, please contact Lightning Payroll support with the error message you are seeing so we can assist. For information on managing a saved card or setting up auto-renewals, see How Can I Manage Saved Credit Card Details and Auto Renewals? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-getting-an-error-when-using-credit-card-to-pay-for-licence Q: Can I Use Lightning For Record Keeping Only? A: You are welcome to use Lightning Payroll for record keeping purposes only. Lightning Payroll does not interact with your bank account unless you choose to use features that do so. No payments will leave your bank account simply by recording and processing pays. To use Lightning Payroll for record keeping only, avoid using the following features: Single Touch Payroll - reports pay, tax and super information to the ATO. SuperStream - submits and pays superannuation contributions electronically to super funds. End of Year - lodges annual payment summary data with the ATO. Direct Entry - generates a banking file to pay employees through your bank. You can still process pays, print payslips, run reports and manage employee records without triggering any of these reporting or payment steps. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-use-lightning-for-record-keeping-only Q: Can I Purchase Lightning Payroll For Less Than A Year? A: Yes, Lightning Payroll is available as either a monthly or annual subscription. You can choose the subscription term that best suits your needs when purchasing or renewing. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-purchase-lightning-payroll-for-less-than-a-year Q: Do You Have Any Bookkeepers Or Accountants You Can Recommend Who Are Familiar With Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll includes extensive free support and optional paid training delivered directly by our team. These services are usually the best first step if you are feeling stuck, need guidance, or want to better understand the software. Some businesses may prefer additional specialist help from a bookkeeper or accountant who can provide broader accounting or advisory services alongside their Lightning Payroll knowledge. We maintain a register of customers who have asked to be listed for this purpose. Please note that we do not vet, endorse, or certify any listed service providers, and we reserve the right to add or remove listings at our discretion. To request the current register, or to have your own accounting or bookkeeping practice added to it, please contact our support team with your details. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/do-you-have-any-bookkeepers-or-accountants-you-can-recommend-who-are-familiar-with-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Contact Support? A: The Lightning Payroll support team is available by phone and email during business hours. Phone: 1300 515 895 Email: support@lightningpayroll.com.au Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (QLD time), excluding Queensland public holidays. For the fastest response, have your registered email address and a description of the issue ready before calling or emailing. For information on what standard support covers and when paid training sessions apply, see Can You Check Over My Whole Lightning Payroll Setup? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-contact-support Q: What Options Are Available When Emailing Employees? A: Lightning Payroll lets you set extra preferences for emailing each employee's payslips and payment summaries. The options are available in both the desktop and online apps under Employees >> Details >> Email Options. Desktop App Open the employee record and select the Email Options tab. The following options are available: Alternate Email — enter a secondary address here to send this employee's payslips to. If an alternate email address is entered, it becomes the default address used for this employee. Email Payslips? — choose whether this employee receives their payslips by email. Email Payment Summaries? — email PAYG payment summaries directly to the employee at end of financial year. Send to both email addresses? — send documents to both the primary email address and the alternate email address. Online (Web/Mobile) App Select the employee, go to the Details section, and choose the Email Options tab. The following fields are available: Email Address — the employee's primary email address. Alt. Email Address — enter a secondary address here to send this employee's payslips to. If an alternate email address is entered, it becomes the default address used for this employee. Email Payslips Enabled? — choose whether this employee receives their payslips by email. Email Payment Summaries Enabled? — email PAYG payment summaries directly to the employee at end of financial year. Send To Both Addresses? — send documents to both the primary email address and the alternate email address. Note: PAYG payment summaries are generally no longer needed for most employees. End-of-financial-year finalisation is done through Single Touch Payroll, and the information goes directly to your employees' myGov accounts. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-options-are-available-when-emailing-employees Q: Browse FAQs A: Browse the full list of Lightning Payroll FAQs to find answers across all topics, including setting up employees, processing pays, leave, superannuation, Single Touch Payroll, and more. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/browse-faqs Q: Where Can I Access Early Releases of an Upcoming Lightning Payroll Desktop Version? A: Occasionally we provide users with early beta access to upcoming versions of Lightning Payroll desktop. These future releases can be downloaded from the following links: Windows Prerelease Download (64 bit) Mac Prerelease Download Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-access-early-releases-of-an-upcoming-lightning-payroll-desktop-version Q: What are the Different Employment States? A: Employees can have different states in Lightning Payroll: Active, Inactive, Terminated and Deleted. Each is explained below. Active — an active employee is currently working and being included in pays. This is the default state when you add an employee, indicated by the Active pay recipient? box being ticked under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. Active employees count towards the total employee number for your licence. Inactive — an inactive employee has not been terminated but is not currently working or being included in pays. This is indicated by the Active pay recipient? box being unticked under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. Inactive employees still count towards the total employee number for your licence. Terminated — a terminated employee has been officially terminated in the program. This is done during the employee's final pay in the Edit Pay screen by clicking Terminate Employee. Terminated employees appear in red in the Employees list once you tick Show Terminated Employees? above the list. Terminated employees do not count towards the total employee number for your licence. See here for more on terminating employees. Deleted — a deleted employee has been completely removed from Lightning Payroll. If you delete an employee using the Actions button in the Employees section, all of their past and present data is removed, which is almost never needed. Deleted employees do not count towards the total employee number for your licence. Note: deleting employees is not recommended. If an employee has left your company, terminate them through the Pays screen instead. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-different-employment-states Q: Can I Install The Desktop Version of the Program On Multiple Computers? A: A Lightning Payroll subscription lets you install the desktop version on two separate computers. The two installations do not talk to each other automatically and cannot be used at the same time, because the desktop application stores its data locally on each machine rather than online. If you need to work across more devices, the web/online version of Lightning Payroll and the mobile app for Android and iOS are also available to subscribers. These are not limited to any number of devices and do not require backing up, because the data is live and online. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-install-the-desktop-version-of-the-program-on-multiple-computers Q: How Can I Set Birthday Reminders? A: To create birthday reminders for your active employees, go to Settings >> Reminders. Tick the Birthday Reminders On? box at the bottom-left of the screen, choose how many days' notice you want, then click Create Birthday Reminders For Active Employees. This adds a birthday reminder for every active employee. You can edit an individual reminder by clicking the pencil icon and saving your changes, or remove a single employee's reminder by clicking the red X on their row. To clear all birthday reminders at once, untick Birthday Reminders On? at the bottom-left of the screen. When you open Lightning Payroll on or around the date each reminder is set for, you are notified with a pop-up. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-set-birthday-reminders Q: How Do I Enable Dark Mode in Lightning Payroll? A: Dark mode is available across all versions of Lightning Payroll, including the desktop, web, and mobile apps, as well as our website. To enable dark mode in the app: Go to Settings >> Display/Time Settings. Tick the box labelled Dark Mode?. Important notes: On the Windows and macOS desktop apps, restart the application after changing this setting so the change takes full effect. On macOS, we recommend matching Lightning Payroll's dark mode setting to your system theme for a consistent look. The app does not automatically detect or follow the system theme. Our website also supports dark mode. Look for the sun/moon icon in the upper right corner at www.lightningpayroll.com.au to switch between light and dark themes. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enable-dark-mode-in-lightning-payroll Q: What Are The Differences With Setting Up Full-Time, Part-Time, and Casual Employees? A: Full-time, part-time, and casual employees are all set up in Lightning Payroll from the same employee profile areas. The difference is how you choose to label them, set their standard hours, and handle leave accruals. Employment type and tenure When creating or editing an employee, go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates and choose the employment type and tenure that best match the worker. These fields are mainly used for labels, reporting context, and internal organisation. Standard hours and days You can also define the standard hours for a full day and the standard days for a full week. These values help when setting up leave accruals and default working patterns, especially for permanent staff. Leave accruals Leave behaviour is controlled under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. Common patterns are: Full-time employees: usually accrue leave based on the pay period or default entitlement settings. Part-time employees: may accrue leave on a reduced pattern or on actual hours paid, depending on how the employer manages entitlements. Casual employees: are often set so leave does not accrue, unless the rules or agreement for that worker say otherwise. The correct setup depends on the employment agreement, payroll rules, and jurisdiction that apply to the employee. Lightning Payroll gives you the fields to configure this, but the employer is responsible for choosing the correct settings. For more detail on leave calculations, see the related FAQ on leave accruals. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-differences-with-setting-up-full-time-part-time-and-casual-employees Q: What Are The Main Differences Between The Lightning Payroll Desktop and Web/Mobile Applications? A: Lightning Payroll Desktop, Web, and Mobile share the same payroll data, but they do not offer an identical toolset. Web and Mobile strengths Access your payroll from anywhere with a browser, phone, or tablet. Use the modern web interface with search, recent history, and mobile-friendly navigation. Review and manage common payroll tasks without being at the desktop machine. Desktop strengths Full local database control, backup, restore, and advanced recovery tools. More import and export utilities for desktop workflows. Extra configuration tools for local files, advanced reports, and some accounting integrations. Some compliance and reporting tools that depend on the current site mode and jurisdiction. Important note Some features are available in one interface first, or only in one interface for technical reasons. If you cannot find a tool on web or mobile, check the desktop app. If you cannot find a desktop convenience feature online, it may still require the desktop version. For the current comparison of a specific feature, contact support and we can confirm which interface is the right one to use. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-main-differences-between-the-lightning-payroll-desktop-and-webmobile-applications Q: What History Tracking Tools Are Available In Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll includes several tools that help you track changes made to your data and files. The main ones are below. Change History (under the Tools menu) The Change History tool records the creation, deletion, and modification of many data types throughout the program, including when the program is opened and when an employee's settings are changed. Enter the date range you want to review, choose a category, then click Print Report. You can manually delete (flush) the change history if you wish, since it can take up a fair chunk of your database size, which sometimes affects performance. Deleting the change history does not affect your payroll data in any way. Direct Entry Saved File Report This report tracks the direct entry files made to pay wages or super. You can see when and where each file was saved, and what payment information (account details, reference numbers, and so on) was in the file. Machine Credential Keystore Information Report This report scans both the standard ATO keystore directory and the Lightning Payroll data directory for any valid machine-to-machine (M2M) credential keystore (.xml) files. It shows every credential in each file along with its metadata. Backup History Report This report lists all backups created and restored, giving you a history of database file changes. Email Sent Report This report gives detailed information about emails sent from the program and the settings that were used. It is useful for troubleshooting outgoing mail server issues and for tracking which emails (payslips, reports, rosters, and so on) were sent, when, and to whom. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-history-tracking-tools-are-available-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Check What Version of the Software My Computer is Running? A: You can check which version of the software you're using at the bottom of the Lightning Payroll desktop program window. You can check if your version is the most current by clicking Check for updates now? at the bottom of your program. Click here to find out more on how to update your software. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-check-what-version-of-the-software-my-computer-is-running Q: Where Can I See a Demo of Lightning Payroll? A: Here is a demonstration of how to process a pay in Lightning Payroll desktop version. Check out more on our Youtube channel. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-see-a-demo-of-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Suggest Features/Feedback Or Report Bugs? A: We highly value the insights and feedback from our users at Lightning Payroll. If you encounter any bugs or have suggestions for features that could improve your experience with our software, we encourage you to reach out through our standard support channels. Contact Us To report a bug or suggest a feature, please contact us via: Email: support@lightningpayroll.com.au Phone: (07) 3051 5895 Our Approach to Feedback and Suggestions We appreciate every piece of feedback and every suggestion we receive. However, it's important to note that not every suggestion can be implemented. We strive to develop features that will benefit the majority of our users and align with our software's core objectives. If your suggestion is not accepted, it's not a reflection of its value but rather our current focus and resources. Similarly, not every issue reported as a bug is a malfunction in our software. In some cases, it may be a misunderstanding of how a particular feature is intended to function. We're here to clarify these functionalities and assist you in making the most out of Lightning Payroll. We look forward to hearing from you and are committed to improving your experience with Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-suggest-featuresfeedback-or-report-bugs Q: Can I Export My Data To Another Payroll Program? A: Exporting Lightning Payroll DataLightning Payroll does not provide a direct exporter to competing payroll platforms. The product is designed as a self contained payroll system rather than a migration tool into other payroll products.What you can exportYou can still export useful data from Lightning Payroll Desktop in several ways:General Ledger exports for accounting software.Employee Report Builder exports for employee level data.Pay Report Builder exports for pay history and payroll analysis.CSV based custom reports for review, archive, or further manipulation in Excel.If your goal is to move figures into another finance system, the General Ledger and reporting tools are usually the best starting point.If you need help extracting a particular set of payroll data, contact support and describe what fields you need. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-export-my-data-to-another-payroll-program Q: How Can I Easily Send A Report By Email? A: In the Lightning Payroll desktop version, sending a report by email is quick and simple. Follow these steps to email any report: Open a report preview in Lightning Payroll. Click on the envelope icon at the top of the report preview. Enter the recipient's email address. You can send to multiple addresses by separating them with a comma. The software will remember these addresses for future convenience. Optionally, you can add a personalised message for the email body. Troubleshooting Email Issues If you encounter errors related to email settings not being configured, you can update your preferences as follows: Go to Company screen. Select the Email tab. Tick the box for Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own email provider? This setting will allow Lightning Payroll to handle emails directly, avoiding potential configuration issues with your own email provider. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-easily-send-a-report-by-email Q: Where Can I View Order History and Tax Invoices for Licence Payments? A: You can view your licence order history, as well as print and download .PDF copies of your tax invoice/s for licence payment via our website. You will need to login to Client Login on our website, then click on My Account, then click View Your Order History. From here you can see the list of your orders under this account, and click View on the order you'd like to see. To print or download a .pdf copy of the tax invoice for your chosen order, click on Show Tax Invoice, then select either Print This Invoice or Download A PDF Copy from the buttons at the top right-hand corner of the page. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-view-order-history-and-tax-invoices-for-licence-payments Q: Can I Try Lightning Payroll? A: If you would like to try Lightning Payroll, we offer a free 30 day trial. Any data entered into the program during the trial period will be saved, meaning you can continue from wherever you left off if you choose purchase a license and become a subscriber. Click the appropriate link to download your trial now. Windows Mac Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-try-lightning-payroll Q: How Do Lightning Payroll Invoices Work? A: Lightning Payroll issues tax invoices based on the type of subscription and payment method you choose. Here's how invoicing generally works for our services: Subscription Invoicing Annual subscriptions can be paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or by direct EFT bank transfer. Monthly subscriptions must be paid by credit card and will automatically renew on the expiry date, unless cancelled beforehand. Invoices are emailed to the account holder once payment has been processed. If you are on a monthly subscription, you'll receive a new invoice each month. Annual subscriptions generate an invoice at the time of purchase or renewal. If you have an auto-renewing annual subscription, an invoice will be sent to you 30 days before the expiry date. Non-Recurring Services Some one-off services like training or custom development are also invoiced individually and do not automatically renew. For a full list of our products and pricing, visit our Pricing Page. Auto-Renewals Monthly subscriptions renew automatically each month. Annual subscriptions also auto-renew unless cancelled before the expiry date. If you've cancelled your subscription and wish to renew, you'll need to purchase a new one manually through our Buy Now Page. Correcting Invoice Details If an invoice was generated with incorrect information (e.g. business name or address), the steps to update it will depend on how the payment was made: Bank Deposit: You can either update your details and create a new order, or contact us to edit the existing invoice. Manual Credit Card: Update your details before making the payment. The invoice will reflect the new details. Auto-Renewal: Please contact us. We can update the existing invoice if needed. To edit details on the invoice yourself as referred to above, go to Login >> Client Login on our website and click Edit your account information. If you have any questions about an invoice you've received, feel free to Contact Us. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-lightning-payroll-invoices-work --- Category: HR Suite --- Q: How Do I Configure And Process Reimbursement Claims? A: The reimbursement flow is category setup first, then claim entry, review and payment outcome. Clear category structure is what keeps approvals and reporting clean. Step 1: Define categories used by employees Create categories that match your internal expense policy.Retire or deactivate outdated categories to prevent misuse.Use clear descriptions so employees choose correctly. Step 2: Enter claims with complete detail Capture amount, date, category and business purpose.Attach receipts where required by policy.Select the correct payment method for payroll or separate payment. Step 3: Review claim pipeline Use the claims list to monitor pending and approved items so reimbursements do not sit unresolved. Step 4: Final review and decision Open each claim, validate evidence, add review notes and approve/reject. This produces a clear audit trail for reimbursement decisions. Step 5: Payment How an approved claim is paid depends on the payment method chosen on the claim: Add to Next Pay claims flow into the employee's next pay run automatically as a reimbursement line. This also works from the desktop app: when you open the Pays screen, approved web claims are synced in and appear on the pay's Reimbursements tab with their Portal Claim ID. Once the pay is completed, the claim's status changes to Paid. Removing the line or emptying the pay returns the claim to Approved. Separate Payment claims are settled outside payroll (for example by direct bank transfer) and remain listed as Approved in the claims list. For how a reimbursement line behaves on the pay and payslip, see How Do Reimbursements Appear On A Pay And Payslip? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-configure-and-process-reimbursement-claims Q: UI Reference: How Do I Navigate Every HR Suite Section And Sub-Tab? A: This reference lists all customer-interactable navigation controls in the HR Suite admin module so teams can find every section quickly. Main left navigation sections DashboardEmployee FilesPolicies & ProceduresOnboarding & OffboardingTraining & EducationExpense ClaimsTemplate LibrarySettings Section sub-tabs Employee Files: All Documents, Missing DocumentsOnboarding & Offboarding: Active Checklists, TemplatesTraining & Education: Catalogue, Assignments, RecordsSettings: Reminders, Expense Categories, Audit Log Dashboard clickable controls Export All CSVCard click-through for Missing Documents, Expiring Documents, Unacknowledged Policies, Overdue Checklists, Overdue Training, Expiring TrainingPer-card Export CSV button when card count is above zero Tutorial videos A Watch Tutorial button appears on the Dashboard, Employee Files, Policies & Procedures, Onboarding & Offboarding, Training & Education and Expense Claims screens. It plays a short walkthrough video in a pop-up without leaving the page. Missing Documents and list controls A Filter by Employee dropdown narrows the Employee Files and Onboarding & Offboarding lists to one employee. Each row on the Missing Documents list shows whether a request email has been sent: Not Sent, or Sent with the date it went out. The action button reads Request the first time and Request Again afterwards. The Documents and Missing Documents tables can be sorted by clicking their column headings. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-how-do-i-navigate-every-hr-suite-section-and-sub-tab Q: How Do I Restrict A Policy To A Subset Of Employees? A: The Audience Filter in the online (web/mobile) app lets you target a policy at a specific group of employees - for example, only staff in a particular department or location. Employees who do not match the filter will not see the policy in their portal. Leaving the filter empty shows the policy to all employees. Setting an audience filter In HR Suite >> Policies & Procedures, open a draft policy by clicking Edit, or click Create Policy to start a new one. Scroll to the Audience Filter section. When no filters are set, the label reads No audience filter - every employee will see this policy. Click Add Filter to add a filter row. In the first column, select a filter key from the dropdown: Department, Employment Type, or Location. In the second column, type the matching value (for example, Sales for Department). The comparison is case-insensitive. Repeat steps 3-5 to add further filter rows. Each row must match - they combine as AND conditions, so an employee must satisfy all rows to see the policy. To remove a filter row, click the red × button at the end of that row. Save or publish the policy. The filter is stored with the policy and applied immediately. How the filter works for employees When an employee opens Company Policies in the employee portal, the app checks their profile (department, employment type, and location) against the policy's audience filter. Policies that do not match are hidden from that employee. Policies with no filter remain visible to everyone. Limitations and notes The audience filter can only be edited while the policy is in Draft status. Once published, the filter is locked. To change the audience, the policy must remain in or be returned to draft. Filter values must match the employee's profile data exactly (ignoring case). If an employee's department is blank or does not match, the policy will not appear for them. Audience filters are a relevance tool, not a security control. They determine which policies an employee sees, not who can acknowledge them if they navigate directly to one. This feature is available in the online (web/mobile) app only. For steps on publishing a policy and tracking employee acknowledgements, see How Do I Publish Policies And Track Employee Acknowledgements? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-restrict-a-policy-to-a-subset-of-employees Q: How Do I Link Checklist Tasks To Documents, Policies And Training Items? A: Each task in a checklist template can be linked to a document type, a policy, or a training item. These links do not block task completion - they act as signposts so the person actioning the task knows exactly which record they need to interact with. This feature is available in the online (web/mobile) app. Open HR Suite >> Onboarding & Offboarding >> Checklist Templates, then create or edit a template to reach the task editor. The three link fields Below each task's title and description there are three small fields arranged in a row: Link doc type (optional) - enter the exact name of a document type configured in HR Suite >> Documents >> Document Types. When the task is shown during a live checklist run, this indicates which document needs to be collected or verified for that step. Link policy ID - enter the numeric ID of a published policy from HR Suite >> Policies. You can find a policy's ID in the URL when you open it in the policy editor. Linking a policy here signals that the employee or admin should read or acknowledge that policy as part of this task. Link training (optional) - enter the exact name of a training catalogue item from HR Suite >> Training >> Catalogue. This indicates which training course or certification is relevant to the task. How to add links to a task Go to HR Suite >> Onboarding & Offboarding >> Checklist Templates and click Edit on an existing template, or Create Template to start a new one. Locate the task you want to link, or click Add Task to create a new one. Under the task's title and description fields, enter a value in one or more of the three link fields: Link doc type (optional), Link policy ID, or Link training (optional). The doc type and training name fields accept free text - the value must exactly match the name as it appears in Document Types or the Training Catalogue respectively. The policy ID field accepts a number - enter the ID of the policy, not its title. Click Update Template (or Create Template for a new template) to save. Tips All three fields are optional. Leave them blank if no document, policy, or training item is relevant to that task. Spelling must match exactly for doc type and training name links. Copy the name directly from the Document Types or Training Catalogue screens to avoid mismatches. Links are stored at the template level. When you start a checklist from the template, each live task instance carries the same link values. If the linked document type, policy, or training item is later renamed or deleted, the text value on the task is not automatically updated - review your templates periodically. For guidance on building the full template structure, see How Do I Build Effective Onboarding And Offboarding Templates? For training catalogue setup, see How Do I Configure Training From Catalogue To Evidence? For policy management, see How Do I Publish Policies And Track Employee Acknowledgements? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-link-checklist-tasks-to-documents-policies-and-training-items Q: How Do I Use Template Library And Document Studio Together? A: The Template Library is where you browse, adopt, and edit HR document templates. Document Studio is not a separate section - it opens as a panel within the Template Library when you click Document Studio / Export on any adopted company template. The full workflow runs inside one screen. Step 1: Find a template Open HR Suite >> Template Library. Use the search bar or filter by Family or Tag to find a suitable base template. Click Preview to review structure and wording before committing. Step 2: Adopt into your company library Click Adopt on a library template. This creates a company-owned draft under Company Adopted Templates. The original library template is unchanged - you are working on your own copy. Step 3: Edit the company draft Click Edit Draft on the adopted template to tailor wording and structure to your business. You can also click Customise with AI to generate or refine content. Save the draft when ready. Step 4: Export via Document Studio Click Document Studio / Export on the adopted template. The Document Studio panel opens showing export options and a live HTML preview. Select or save a Saved Style Profiles entry to reuse branding settings across future exports. Choose an Export Format: DOCX, PDF, RTF, HTML, TXT, or Markdown. Optionally set a Document Title, Subtitle, Header Note, Accent Color, and Font Family. Toggle Include Logo, Include Disclaimer, Include Structure Summary, and Include Support Footer as needed. Click Refresh Preview to update the live preview, then click Export Document to download the file. For a full list of every control in this screen, see the UI reference for Template Library, AI, and Document Studio. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-template-library-and-document-studio-together Q: UI Reference: Which Controls Exist In Template Library, AI, And Document Studio? A: This reference documents every interactive control in Template Library, including AI settings/customisation and Document Studio export tooling. Library list controls AI Settings buttonFilter/search controls: Search, Family, Tag, and Search action buttonPer-template actions: Preview, AdoptCompany-adopted template actions: Edit Draft, Clone, Customise with AI, Document Studio / Export Template Preview modal controls Read-only preview sections: Template Structure, Example Draft Document, and Related TemplatesModal close controls: top-right X and standard modal close behaviour Adopt/Edit draft controls Adopt Template modal fields: Destination, Company Template TitleDestination options: Company HR Content, Policy Library (Draft Policy), Checklist Library (Template), Training Library (Catalogue Item), Document Template Library (Document Type)Edit draft modal fields: Title, Guidance Notes, Draft ContentCommon modal actions: Cancel, Adopt, Save Draft AI Settings controls OpenAI API KeyModelEnable AI customisation checkboxActions: Cancel, Save Settings Customise with AI controls Customisation RequestBusiness ContextIndustryToneRisk FocusQuick Actions checkboxes: Make this suitable for retail hospitality; Adapt for a small NZ employer; Make language more formal; Simplify wording for employees; Add a manager procedure section; Tailor for hybrid workAI Draft Output editorActions: Close, Generate Draft, Save to Company Draft Document Studio controls Style profile controls: Saved Style Profiles, Profile Name, Apply, Save New, Update Selected, Set Default, ArchiveExport setup controls: Export Format, Document Title, Subtitle, Header Note, Accent Color, Font Family, Brand Name Override, Support Email Override, Support Phone Override, Max Content Lines (0 = all)Export format options: DOCX, PDF, RTF, HTML, TXT, MDCheckbox options: Include Logo, Include Disclaimer, Include Structure Summary, Include Support FooterPreview and export controls: Refresh Preview, Document Preview pane, Close, Export Document Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-which-controls-exist-in-template-library-ai-and-document-studio Q: How Do I Track And Renew Expiring Employee Documents? A: The HR Documents screen tracks expiry dates for every document you upload and surfaces documents that need attention before they lapse. Documents with an expiry date approaching within 30 days show a Expiring Soon status; documents past their expiry date show Expired. In the desktop app, all HR document management is handled in the online app. Open the desktop app, go to the HR Module panel, and select Manage HR in Web App to continue from there. Finding expiring and expired documents In the online app, open HR Suite >> Employee Files. Under Filter by Status, select Expiring Soon to see documents expiring within 30 days, or Expired to see documents already past their expiry date. You can further narrow results with Filter by Type to focus on a specific document category such as licences or certifications. Renewing a document There is no in-place edit on an uploaded document. To renew, archive the old record and upload the replacement with the new expiry date: Locate the document in the list and click the Archive action. Confirm the prompt. The document moves to Archived status and no longer appears in active filters. Click Upload Document and complete the upload form for the new version. Set the Expiry Date field to the updated date so the new document enters the correct status cycle. Once uploaded the new document will show as Current and will transition to Expiring Soon automatically when it falls within 30 days of expiry. Compliance Dashboard and expiry counts The Compliance Dashboard shows an Expiring Documents card with the current count and severity. Clicking the card navigates directly to Employee Files where you can apply the status filter. Use the Export button on the card to download a CSV of expiring document details. Automated reminders for document expiry Reminder emails can be sent automatically before a document expires. Go to HR Suite >> Settings and open the reminders section. Create a rule with the type set to Document Expiry and set the number of days before expiry you want the notification to fire. You can choose to notify the admin, the employee, or both. For guidance on setting expiry dates correctly at upload time, see How Do I Upload Employee Documents Correctly The First Time?. For a broader weekly review of all compliance items, see What Should I Check First On The HR Suite Dashboard Each Week?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-track-and-renew-expiring-employee-documents Q: How Do Employees Submit Mileage Reimbursement Claims? A: Employees can submit mileage reimbursement claims directly from the employee portal without calculating the dollar amount themselves. A built-in mileage calculator converts kilometres travelled into a reimbursement amount using a per-kilometre rate. To submit a mileage claim, log in to the employee portal and open Reimbursements from the navigation menu, then select New Claim. Select a Category if your employer has configured expense categories (for example, a “Mileage” or “Travel” category). Enter a Description that explains the business purpose of the trip. Set the Expense Date to the date the travel occurred. Choose a Payment Method: Add to Next Pay (included in your next payslip) or Separate Payment. Tick Calculate from mileage. Two fields appear: Kilometres and Rate ($/km). The rate is pre-filled with the standard per-kilometre rate for your region. Adjust it if your employer uses a different rate. Enter the number of kilometres travelled. The Amount field updates automatically to show the calculated total. Optionally attach a Receipt (maximum 10 MB). Select Submit Claim. The claim appears in your claims list with a status of Pending until your employer reviews it. Default per-kilometre rates The rate field is pre-filled based on your company’s region: $0.88/km for Australian companies (ATO standard rate) and $0.99/km for New Zealand companies (IRD Tier 1 rate). You can type a different value if instructed by your payroll administrator. Manual amount entry If you leave Calculate from mileage unticked, enter the reimbursement amount directly in the Amount field. This is suitable for non-mileage expenses such as meals or office supplies. For information on how managers review and approve submitted claims, see How Do I Configure And Process Reimbursement Claims? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-employees-submit-mileage-reimbursement-claims Q: What Should I Check First On The HR Suite Dashboard Each Week? A: The HR Suite Dashboard is the fastest weekly control point for compliance and onboarding activity. Use it as a triage board before you open individual modules. Best practice: review the dashboard at least once a week and again before each payroll finalisation window so document, policy and training gaps are not discovered late. Weekly triage order Open Missing Documents first and request outstanding mandatory files from employees.Check Expiring Documents and arrange renewals for any documents that are due to expire or have already expired before the next pay period.Check Unacknowledged Policies and trigger reminders for any overdue acknowledgements.Review Overdue Checklists for onboarding/offboarding blockers.Check Overdue Training and Expiring Training so refresher tasks are issued early.Use export options to send task lists to managers or supervisors. What good looks like No overdue items in any card.Only short-term expiring items with reminders already configured.All new starters have active checklists and required document requests in progress. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-should-i-check-first-on-the-hr-suite-dashboard-each-week Q: How Does HR Suite Handle AU And NZ Differences In Practice? A: HR Suite workflows are shared across Australia and New Zealand. The main variation is the content pack and policy/training wording adopted by your company. What changes by country Template examples and legal wording defaults can be AU, NZ or shared.Some policy/process templates are intentionally jurisdiction-specific.Company-level configuration determines which country-specific examples are surfaced first. What stays the same Document requests, policy acknowledgement, checklists, training assignments and reminders use the same operational flow.Dashboard and audit tracking operate consistently for both regions. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-hr-suite-handle-au-and-nz-differences-in-practice Q: UI Reference: Which Controls Exist In Employee Files And Missing Documents? A: This control reference covers all interactive fields and actions in All Documents, Upload HR Document, and Missing Mandatory Documents. All Documents controls Upload Document buttonFilter by Status: All Statuses, Current, Expiring Soon, Expired, ArchivedFilter by Type: All Types plus configured document typesRow actions: Preview, Download and Archive (non-archived rows) Upload HR Document modal controls Employee * selectDocument Type * selectFile * upload field (extension/type/size validation)Issue Date date fieldExpiry Date date fieldVisibility select: Employer Only, Employer and EmployeeNotes textareaFooter buttons: Cancel, Upload Missing Mandatory Documents controls Per-row Request button to send document requests to employees Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-which-controls-exist-in-employee-files-and-missing-documents Q: UI Reference: Which Controls Exist In Training & Education? A: This reference covers all customer-interactable controls in Catalogue, Assignments, and Records. Catalogue controls Add Missing Defaults button (when catalogue is empty)Add Training Item buttonPer-row actions: Edit, Delete Add/Edit Training Item modal controls Start From Training Example select + Load Example (create mode)Name *CategoryProviderValidity (months)Mandatory for all employees checkboxFooter buttons: Cancel, Create/Update Assignments controls Assign Training buttonPer-row Delete assignment action Assign Training modal controls Training Item * selectEmployees * multi-select (Ctrl/Cmd for multi-select)Due DateFooter buttons: Cancel, Assign Records controls Add Record buttonPer-row Download Evidence (where available)Per-row Delete Record Add Training or Education Record modal controls Employee * selectRecord Title * section with Use custom title (for education, degrees, certificates) toggleCustom text field or training dropdown depending on toggleCompletion Date *Expiry DateResult: Attended, Passed, Failed, N/AProviderNotesFooter buttons: Cancel, Save Record Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-which-controls-exist-in-training-education Q: UI Reference: Which Controls Exist In Expense Claims And Categories? A: This reference covers controls for both Reimbursement Claims and Reimbursement Categories. Reimbursement claim list controls New Claim buttonFilter by Employee selectFilter by Status select: All, Pending, Approved, Rejected, PaidPer-row actions: View / Edit, Approve (pending), Reject (pending), Download Receipt (when available), Delete (pending/rejected) New Reimbursement Claim modal controls Employee *Category *Description *Amount *Expense Date *Payment Method: Add to Next Pay, Separate PaymentReceipt uploadFooter buttons: Cancel, Create Claim Review Reimbursement Claim modal controls Download Receipt button (if attached)Admin Notes textareaDecision buttons (pending claims): Reject, ApproveFooter navigation: Cancel Reimbursement category controls Add Missing Defaults button (populates built-in categories when the list is empty or incomplete)New Category buttonPer-row actions: Edit, Delete New/Edit Category modal controls Name *DescriptionActive checkboxFooter buttons: Cancel, Create/Update Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-which-controls-exist-in-expense-claims-and-categories Q: How Do I Access HR Suite From The Desktop App? A: The desktop app includes an HR Module panel that shows a live compliance summary and provides a one-click path to open the full HR Suite in your browser. All document management, policy publishing, checklists, training, and expense claims are handled inside the web app - the desktop panel is a launch pad and status board, not a replacement for the web UI. Opening the HR Module panel Select HR Module from the left navigation bar. If no company is currently open you will see a prompt to select one first. Compliance summary cards Once open, the panel displays six status cards for the active company: Missing Documents Expiring Documents Unacknowledged Policies Overdue Checklists Overdue Training Expiring Training Each card shows a count and a colour-coded severity (OK, warning, or action needed). Click Refresh at any time to reload the counts from local data. Launching the web app from the desktop Click Manage HR in Web App. A confirmation dialog titled Sync & Open HR Module will appear, explaining that your local desktop data will be uploaded to the web app before the browser opens. Click Yes to continue. If you have not previously authenticated, a login wizard opens. Enter your Lightning Payroll web app email and password. This is the same login used at the website - it is not the same as your application password unless you have set them to be identical. If two-factor authentication is enabled on your account, enter the six-digit code when prompted. A progress dialog shows Syncing data to web app… while your local database is packaged and uploaded. When the upload completes, the HR Suite opens automatically in your default browser. If the sync fails, a warning shows the error and provides a direct URL (app.lightningpayroll.com.au/admin/hr) you can open manually to access HR Suite without re-syncing. What “syncing local data” means The sync packages your current desktop database (employees, pay history, company settings) and uploads it to the web app so that HR Suite has up-to-date records to work with. Your desktop data replaces the web app copy for that company. This is a one-way push - nothing is downloaded back to the desktop at this point. Run it whenever you have made payroll changes in the desktop app that HR Suite needs to reflect. HR Suite add-on not active If the HR Suite add-on is not included in your subscription, the panel shows an upgrade prompt instead of the compliance cards. Click Explore the interactive HR+ guide to open a browser walkthrough of HR Suite features, or use the upgrade link shown to add the add-on to your plan. Once inside the web app, see What Is The Recommended First-Week HR Suite Setup Sequence? and UI Reference: How Do I Navigate Every HR Suite Section And Sub-Tab? for next steps. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-access-hr-suite-from-the-desktop-app Q: How Do I Upload Employee Documents Correctly The First Time? A: Use Employee Files as the source of truth for contracts, licences, tickets and right-to-work evidence. Correct setup at upload time is what keeps dashboard status, reminders and requests accurate later. Step 1: Prepare the record in the document list Confirm the employee and document type are correct before upload.Use status/type filters to avoid duplicate uploads.Check whether an existing document can be updated instead of adding a second copy. Step 2: Complete all key upload fields Select the right Document Type so reminders and missing-document checks work.Set expiry dates for licences/certificates to enable expiry tracking.Set visibility: Employer Only for internal records, employee-visible for shared documents.Add clear filenames to improve search and audit reviews. Step 3: Validate the employee-side outcome After upload, check the employee portal view for visibility-sensitive files. If the employee cannot see a document you intended to share, review visibility settings first. Common mistakes to avoid Uploading under the wrong employee.Leaving expiry blank for time-limited evidence.Choosing the wrong visibility and creating unnecessary follow-up. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-upload-employee-documents-correctly-the-first-time Q: How Do I Follow Up Missing Mandatory Documents? A: The Missing Documents view turns compliance gaps into an action list. Use it to request exactly what is missing instead of manually checking each employee profile. Recommended workflow Sort by the highest-risk document types first (for example right-to-work or licences).Use Request for each missing item.Set internal follow-up reminders for requests still open after your policy window.Recheck this screen weekly until the row clears. Escalation pattern that works Day 0: send request.Day 3-5: first reminder to employee and manager.Day 7+: escalate based on internal compliance policy. When requests are completed, the row drops out automatically and dashboard counts update without manual list maintenance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-follow-up-missing-mandatory-documents Q: How Do I Publish Policies And Track Employee Acknowledgements? A: Policy management in HR Suite follows a clean lifecycle: draft, publish, and acknowledge. Keeping each stage explicit helps with auditability. Step 1: Maintain policy status from the list Create new content as Draft while wording is still in review.Use category naming consistently so employees can find related policies.Check version numbers and updated dates before publishing changes. Step 2: Finalise and publish the current version Confirm policy scope and expectations are complete.Publish only after internal approval so employees see stable wording.Use reminders for policies that require acknowledgement by a deadline. Step 3: Verify employee acknowledgement progress Employees open the published policy in the portal and acknowledge that version. Unacknowledged policies remain visible in compliance views until completed. If acknowledgement numbers are not moving Check the policy is published (not draft).Confirm employees have HR portal access permissions.Review reminder rule setup for policy acknowledgements. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-publish-policies-and-track-employee-acknowledgements Q: How Do I Build Effective Onboarding And Offboarding Templates? A: Checklist templates are reusable process blueprints. Invest time here once, then launch consistent onboarding/offboarding checklists for every employee. Step 1: Keep template library clean Separate Onboarding and Offboarding templates clearly.Deactivate old templates instead of deleting historical process definitions.Use descriptive template names aligned with teams or role families. Step 2: Design tasks for real execution Assign ownership per task (admin, manager, employee).Include due timing relative to start/end dates.Link related documents or training items where required.Write task descriptions so completion criteria are unambiguous. Step 3: Launch from template Choose the employee, select the template and set the reference date. This creates a live checklist instance with a complete progress trail. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-build-effective-onboarding-and-offboarding-templates Q: How Do I Manage A Live Checklist To Completion? A: The Checklist Detail page is your operational board for each active onboarding/offboarding run. Use it to drive status, notes and final sign-off. What to update during execution Move each task through Not Started, In Progress and Completed.Add notes whenever work is blocked or completed with exceptions.Use linked documents/training references to confirm dependencies were met.Review overdue items with responsible role owners each week. Sign-off controls Only sign off after every required task is complete. Sign-off marks the checklist as closed and is what converts progress tracking into a durable compliance outcome. Operational tip If a checklist repeatedly stalls on the same task, update the template task definition so future runs are easier to complete. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-manage-a-live-checklist-to-completion Q: How Do I Configure Training From Catalogue To Evidence? A: Training compliance works best when you treat catalogue setup, assignment and records as one pipeline rather than separate tasks. Step 1: Build clean catalogue entries Define training name, category and provider clearly.Set mandatory flag where completion is compulsory.Set default validity period to automate expiry calculations. Catalogue detail is where consistency starts. Poor naming here makes assignment and reporting harder later. Step 2: Assign and monitor due dates Assign by employee and set a realistic due date.Use status to identify active, completed and lapsed assignments.Coordinate with reminder rules for pre-expiry alerts. Step 3: Save completion records Record completion and expiry data as soon as evidence is received to keep dashboard alerts accurate. Step 4: Collect employee evidence Employees can upload evidence from the portal, reducing manual back-and-forth with HR administrators. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-configure-training-from-catalogue-to-evidence Q: How Do Reminder Rules And Audit Log Work Together? A: Reminder rules drive proactive follow-up. The audit log provides proof of what changed, when, and by whom. You need both for reliable HR compliance operations. Step 1: Configure reminder coverage Create rules for missing documents, document expiry, policy acknowledgement, checklist overdue and training expiry.Set lead time based on risk (for example 30 days before expiry).Choose recipient mix: admin only, employee only, or both. Step 2: Tune cadence and ownership Use repeat intervals for high-risk items and keep owner responsibility clear so alerts result in action. Step 3: Validate with audit history Confirm key actions (publish, acknowledge, upload, approve) are recorded.Use audit entries during internal reviews and incident follow-up.Cross-check reminders fired before classifying an item as non-compliant. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-reminder-rules-and-audit-log-work-together Q: How Do Employees Complete HR Tasks In The Employee Portal? A: Employees complete key HR actions directly from the portal: upload requested documents, acknowledge policies, and provide training evidence. Documents Employees can see requests raised by HR and upload files against each request.Shared documents are available for download when visibility allows. Policies Employees open each published policy and acknowledge the current version.Acknowledgement status feeds admin compliance dashboards. Training Assigned training appears with due dates.Evidence uploads support completion record updates. Admin follow-up tip If employees report missing tasks, check feature permissions in the employee profile and confirm HR Suite add-on access is enabled. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-employees-complete-hr-tasks-in-the-employee-portal Q: What Is The Recommended First-Week HR Suite Setup Sequence? A: For new HR Suite rollouts, use this sequence to avoid partial configuration and reduce rework. Recommended sequence Configure document types and upload critical employee documents.Create or adopt core policies, then publish required versions.Set up onboarding/offboarding checklist templates.Seed mandatory training catalogue items and assign initial training.Configure reimbursement categories if expense claims are in scope.Activate reminder rules for documents, policies, checklists and training. End-of-week verification Dashboard cards show expected counts.At least one end-to-end test completed for document request, policy acknowledgement, and training evidence upload.Reminder emails confirmed with internal recipients. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-recommended-first-week-hr-suite-setup-sequence Q: UI Reference: Which Controls Exist In Policies & Procedures? A: This reference covers all interactive controls in Policies, Policy Editor, and the Publish Policy modal. Policy list controls Create Policy buttonPer-row actions: Edit, Publish (draft policies), View Acknowledgements (published policies) Policy editor controls Top actions: Cancel, Save Draft, PublishStart From Policy Example select and Load Example button (create mode)Title * inputCategory select: General, Leave, Health & Safety, Work Health & Safety, Code of Conduct, Anti-Discrimination, Privacy, IT & Security, Remuneration, OtherUse HTML editor checkboxKey Policy Fields: Policy Owner, Approval Path, Review Trigger, Version LabelApply Fields To Content buttonContent editor (HTML or plain text mode) Publish Policy modal controls Effective Date * fieldChange Summary fieldFooter buttons: Cancel, Publish Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-which-controls-exist-in-policies-procedures Q: UI Reference: Which Controls Exist In Onboarding & Offboarding Checklists? A: This reference covers checklist template controls, checklist launch controls, and live checklist task controls. Checklist template list controls Create Template buttonFilter by Type: All Types, Onboarding, OffboardingPer-row actions: Edit, Activate/Deactivate, Delete Checklist template editor controls Top actions: Cancel, Create Template or Update TemplateStart From Checklist Example select and Load ExampleTemplate Name *Type *: Onboarding, OffboardingAdd Task buttonTask row fields: Title *, Description, Assigned To (Admin/Manager/Employee), Due OffsetTask row actions: Move Up, Move Down, Remove Task Active checklist list + Start modal controls Start Checklist buttonFilters: Filter by Status (All, Active, Completed, Cancelled), Filter by Type (All, Onboarding, Offboarding)Per-row View Details actionStart modal fields: Employee *, Template (including No template/blank checklist), Type *, Reference Date *Start modal buttons: Cancel, Start Checklist detail controls Back navigation buttonSign Off button (available when all tasks are completed and checklist is active)Per-task Status select: Not Started, In Progress, CompletedPer-task Notes input (Add notes...) Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-which-controls-exist-in-onboarding-offboarding-checklists Q: UI Reference: Which Controls Exist In Settings (Reminders And Audit Log)? A: This reference covers all customer-interactable controls in Reminder Rules and Audit Log. Reminder rules list controls Add Rule buttonPer-row actions: Edit, Delete Add/Edit Reminder Rule modal controls Rule Type *: Document Expiry, Missing Document, Policy Acknowledgement, Checklist Overdue, Training ExpiryDays Before *Repeat Interval (days) (optional)Checkboxes: Notify Admin, Notify Employee, ActiveFooter buttons: Cancel, Create/Update Audit log controls Filter by Entity selectFilter by Action selectRefresh buttonRow click interaction to expand/collapse JSON detail payloads where detail is available Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-which-controls-exist-in-settings-reminders-and-audit-log --- Category: Leave --- Q: How Do I Enter Unpaid Leave in Lightning Payroll? A: The simplest way to record unpaid leave is with the Unpaid leave type that is already built into Lightning Payroll. You do not need to create a custom leave balance for it. It pays at zero dollars automatically, and it is already set so that holiday, sick and long service leave do not accrue while it is being taken. Record unpaid leave in a pay In the desktop app: when editing a pay under Pays >> Edit Pays, open Edit Leave Taken in this Pay and select Unpaid as the leave type. In the online (web/mobile) app: when editing a pay, select the Leave Taken tab and add a row using the Unpaid leave type. Important: check how the employee accrues leave Whether unpaid leave reduces an employee's accruals depends on how that employee accrues leave in the first place. Check this under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings, at the option Accrue leave based on actual hours paid (pro rata)?. If the option is ticked (pro rata), accruals are worked out from the hours in the pay, so the built-in Unpaid settings apply and holiday, sick and long service leave will not accrue for those hours. If the option is not ticked, the employee accrues a fixed amount every pay period regardless of the hours worked. In that case leave keeps accruing during unpaid leave and no leave setting will change that. If you need to stop it, either switch the employee to pro rata accrual or adjust the balance manually. This is the most common reason customers report that leave is still accruing after they have set unpaid leave up correctly. If you need a custom Unpaid balance instead A custom leave balance is only needed if you want unpaid leave tracked as its own balance, or you are setting up something similar such as an RDO or time in lieu. Create it in the desktop app under Company >> Leave Balance, or in the online app under Company >> Leave Balances. Name: Unpaid Treat As Overtime?: Ticked Pay At Zero Dollars?: Ticked No Balance/Accrual Required?: Ticked Treat As Overtime? matters more than its name suggests. For an employee on pro rata accrual it is what keeps the unpaid hours out of the ordinary hours that accruals are calculated from, so leave it ticked. Ticking those options is still not enough on its own. On a custom balance, holiday, sick and long service leave accrue by default whenever the leave is taken. To stop that you must also untick the four options on the same form: Accrue Holiday Leave when this leave is taken? Accrue Sick Leave when this leave is taken? Accrue Long Service Leave when this leave is taken? Accrue Custom Leave when this leave is taken? Please note: these four options are only available in the desktop app, and they are permanent once the balance is saved. If you set up a custom Unpaid balance in the online app, you will need to open the desktop app to change them. This is why we recommend the built-in Unpaid leave type instead. After creating a custom leave balance, link it to each relevant employee under Employees >> Leave >> Custom Leave Accruals in either app. For more information on setting up custom leave types for RDOs, TOIL, and similar arrangements, see How Do I Add Additional or Custom Leave Types? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-unpaid-leave-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Setup Leave Requests? A: Before your employees can make leave requests through the online employee portal you must have activated their portal settings. The two main settings required for leave requests are Activate This Employee's Online Portal and Allow Employee to Create Leave Requests. New Zealand companies: the employee request form differs from what is described below - NZ employees choose one leave type per request with no hours field, since Lightning Payroll calculates the leave from their synced work pattern. See How Do I Submit A Leave Request Through The Employee Portal? In the desktop app: open Employees >> Details >> Online Portal for each employee. You can also configure settings for multiple employees at once under Tools >> Multiple Employee Portal Settings. In the online (web/mobile) app: open the employee record, navigate to the Details >> Online Portal Settings tab, and enable the portal and leave request options there. You can configure other settings as you wish, particularly the standard working days and leave request types to the right of the screen. How Do Employees View or Create Leave Requests? Employees can log in to their personal portal here and click on the Leave tab. In the Leave section, they can view their current leave balances (if enabled within their online portal settings), along with any current or previous leave requests. Employees can search and filter through their past leave requests using the dropdown and date boxes. They can also delete pending requests and cancel any other request if need be. Editing from an employee's perspective is limited to the adding of notes. To request leave, the employee clicks the Request Leave button. They will then see a form where they can enter the start and end dates for the leave, and the type of leave they wish to take. The Daily Duration section shows how many hours will be applied to each date within the leave request. If the selected leave type's balance is permitted, a forecast table will be shown at the bottom. For multi-date leave requests the app relies on the employee's Standard Working Days (default is Mon-Fri), skipping any days which are not normally worked. An employee's standard working days are configured in their Online Portal settings described above. How Do I Manage and Approve Leave Requests? Once a leave request has been saved, a notification email is sent to the approver via the registered company email address (under Company >> Details within Lightning Payroll). In the desktop app: you will also receive a prompt when you next enter the Pays screen. Accepting the prompt opens the leave request management window directly. You can also open it at any time by clicking the Timeclock (Portal) Sync button on the Pays screen and selecting Import/Manage Leave Requests from the dropdown. In the online (web/mobile) app: navigate to Rosters >> Manage Leave Requests to view and manage all leave requests. To view, edit or approve a leave request, click the edit pencil button beside the request you wish to edit. You will be able to modify dates, leave types, status and notes within any leave request. If you forget to change the status, a reminder message will appear. When you change the status of a leave request, or when you add a note to a leave request, a notification email is sent to the employee to inform them of the change. How Do I Make a New Leave Request on an Employee's Behalf? To add a new leave request, click the green plus button in the main leave requests management window. You can then press the green plus in the next window to add specific dates to the request. Keep in mind a leave request may consist of multiple leave types if necessary (for example, Annual leave and Public Holiday). Once you have added one or more days to the request you will see them listed like the following example. Notice how, if the program detects any public holidays within the leave request's dates, it will make a mention. If you would like to change the leave type of any dates to public holiday (or any other leave type you might need), click the edit pencil beside the date in question. Any approved leave will then automatically add itself to pending pays, so long as the pay run start and end date contain the date of the approved leave request. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-setup-leave-requests Q: How Do I Use The Leave Calculator To Set An Employee's Leave Balance? A: The Leave Calculator works out an employee's leave balance from their recorded periods of work with the company. It is useful when setting an opening balance for a new employee or correcting a balance where you know the employment history but not the final hours figure. In the desktop app Open the employee and go to Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement/Adjustments. Click Holiday Leave Balance Calculator, Sick Leave Balance Calculator, or LSL Balance Calculator depending on which leave type you need to set. A wizard opens showing a Work Periods table. Each row represents a period of employment. The first row is pre-filled from the employee's start date and current award hours. Edit these values or add additional rows if the employee's hours changed at some point (for example, a change from part-time to full-time). Each row has Start Date, End Date, Award Hours/Week, and Weeks/Year (or LSL-specific fields for long service leave). The Weeks Calculated column updates automatically as you enter dates. If the employee has already taken some leave during the periods entered, enter the total in the Total Leave Taken field and tick Deduct leave taken? to subtract it from the calculated balance. The calculated balance is shown as the New Leave Balance. If you want this amount added on top of the employee's existing balance rather than replacing it, tick Add to current balance?. Click Finish to apply the balance. A confirmation prompt will appear before the balance is saved. In the online (web/mobile) app Select the employee, then go to Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement Adjustments. Click Holiday Leave Calculator, Sick Leave Calculator, or Long Service Leave Calculator. The calculator screen opens with a Work Periods table pre-filled from the employee's start date and current settings. Add rows if the employee's working hours changed over time, and set the Start Date, End Date, Award Hours/Week, and Weeks/Year for each period. If leave has already been taken during these periods, enter the total in the Total Leave Taken field and tick Deduct Leave Taken?. The New Leave Balance updates in real time as you change values. To add the result to the existing balance rather than replace it, tick Add to current balance?. Click Set Balance. Confirm the adjustment in the prompt that appears. Note: The work periods entered in the calculator are raw employment spans and do not automatically account for pays already recorded in Lightning Payroll. If pays are already present and leave has been accruing on those pays, use Deduct leave taken? to avoid double-counting leave already recorded, or consider using the Recalculate Accruals On Pays tool instead (described in How Do I Correct or Adjust Leave Totals?). If you already know the correct balance figure and do not need the calculator to derive it, you can enter it directly as described in How Do I Enter Existing Leave Balances?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-leave-calculator-to-set-an-employees-leave-balance Q: How Do I Manage Employee Leave Requests In The Online App? A: The online (web/mobile) app has a dedicated Manage Leave Requests screen where you can view, filter, approve, edit, and create leave requests for your employees. Before this screen becomes active, at least one employee must have their portal enabled with leave requests allowed - see How Can I Setup Leave Requests? for setup steps. Opening Manage Leave Requests In the online app, go to Rosters >> Import/Manage Leave Requests. You can also navigate there from the Pays screen using the same menu option. Filtering and Refreshing the List Use the date range fields (Start Date and End Date) together with the Leave Type Filter, Employee Filter, Status Filter, Sort By, and Sort Direction dropdowns to narrow the list. After changing any filter, click Refresh to reload the results and generate a fresh print preview file. The status legend at the bottom of the filter row shows the colour coding: Pending (blue), Approved (green), Denied (red), and Cancelled (yellow). Approving or Editing a Leave Request Click the edit icon beside any row to open the Edit Leave Request screen. From here you can: Add, edit, or delete individual days in the Leave Request Days table, adjusting the leave type and daily duration for each day. Change the overall Status (Pending, Approved, Denied, or Cancelled) using the status dropdown. Add notes to the Leave Request Notes table. Toggle Show Program Generated Notes? to include or hide system-generated notes. Changes are saved automatically each time you update a field. When the status changes or a note is added, a notification email is sent to the employee. Creating a New Leave Request Click New Leave Request to open a blank Edit Leave Request screen. Select the employee from the Employee dropdown (only portal-enabled employees with leave requests allowed are listed), then add the required days to the Leave Request Days table. Each day entry requires a leave type, a date range (First Day Of Leave and Last Day Of Leave), and a duration. Set the Status and save. The app skips dates that fall outside the employee's standard working days. If a public holiday falls within the leave period, a notification is shown so you can adjust the leave type for that day if needed. Bulk Leave Requests (AU Only) Click Bulk Leave Requests to open a three-step wizard that applies leave to multiple employees at once. Select Employees - choose the employees who should receive the leave. Only employees currently eligible for leave requests are listed. Build Leave Template - add one or more template rows specifying the leave type, date range, and daily duration. Set the Default Status that will be applied to each generated request. Review And Apply - review the generated drafts. Invalid rows are skipped by default. Click Edit on any row to adjust that employee's days or status before applying. Click Apply to create all selected leave requests. Calendar View and Print Preview Click Calendar to open the leave calendar report for the current period. Click Print/Preview to download a PDF of the filtered leave request list using the chosen font and size settings. In the desktop app: leave requests are managed under Pays >> Import/Manage Leave Requests, or from the Rosters screen via the same option. See How Can I Setup Leave Requests? for the full desktop workflow including approval prompts and creating requests on behalf of employees. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-manage-employee-leave-requests-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Recalculate Leave Accruals Across Past Pays In The Online App? A: The Recalculate Leave On Pays tool lets you retroactively apply an employee's current leave settings to previously completed pays. Use it when you have corrected an employee's leave settings and need their historical accruals to reflect those changes. Before running the tool, review and correct each affected employee's leave settings under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. The recalculation applies the current settings to each selected pay, so the settings must be correct before you start. To open the tool, navigate to Tools >> Recalculate Leave On Pays in the online app. The wizard runs through five steps: Date range - Set the earliest and latest pay dates you want to recalculate leave accruals for. The wizard pre-fills the current report date range as a starting point. Select employees - Choose one or more employees whose leave accruals you want to recalculate. Only active (non-terminated) employees are shown by default. Select pays - The wizard lists all completed pays for the selected employees within the date range. Select the pays to include. In most cases you will select all pays in the range. Select leave types - Choose which leave types to recalculate: Annual, Sick, and/or Long Service. At least one leave type must be selected to continue. Leave Recalculation Results - Review the tentative recalculated amounts before committing. Green values indicate the recalculated accrual is higher than the current amount; orange values indicate it is lower. Click Print/Preview to download a PDF report of the results. When you click Finish on the results screen, a confirmation prompt appears: Confirm Leave Recalculation. Confirming will overwrite the existing accrual amounts on all selected pays with the recalculated values. This action cannot be undone, so review the results carefully before confirming. If you only need to correct a leave balance at a point in time rather than recalculate across multiple pays, use Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement Adjustments to enter a manual adjustment directly. For more information on how leave accruals work and how leave settings affect them, see How Does Lightning Payroll Calculate Leave Accruals?. For general guidance on correcting leave totals, see How Do I Correct or Adjust Leave Totals?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-recalculate-leave-accruals-across-past-pays-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Set Up Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave in Lightning Payroll? A: Paid family and domestic violence leave in Lightning Payroll is a leave entitlement — it is not entered as an allowance or deduction. To set it up, go to Company >> Leave Balance and locate the FDV leave type. Note: on payslips, this leave type must be named Special Leave — this is the name the ATO requires to appear on the payment summary and STP submission, so do not rename it. The setup steps and legislative requirements are outlined below.A federal law requires employers to provide Paid Family and Domestic Violence leave, which amounts to 10 days in a 12-month period. You can read more about this legislation here. This leave renews every year on each employee's work anniversary and does not accumulate from year to year if it is not used. According to Fair Work regulations, there are specific guidelines that dictate the reporting of information on pay slips, including what should not be disclosed. These rules are designed to minimise the potential risk to employees' safety while taking paid family and domestic violence leave: 'Employers need to keep a record of leave balances and any leave taken by employees. However, pay slips must not mention paid family and domestic violence leave, including any leave taken and leave balances. From 4 February 2023, an amount paid to an employee for taking paid family and domestic violence leave has to be recorded on a pay slip as ordinary hours of work, or another kind of payment for performing work, such as an allowance, bonus or overtime payment. However, if an employee requests it, their employer can record time taken as paid family and domestic violence leave as another type of leave on their pay slip (for example, annual leave). If an employee has taken a period of paid family and domestic violence leave, it is best practice for their employer to record this on their pay slip in a way that makes the pay slip look as close as possible to how it would have looked if the employee had not taken the leave.' If your employee has opted to use a leave type, instead of having it displayed as outlined above, you can use these steps to configure it. This leave type does not have a special STP Phase 2 code, and therefore needs to be set up as a custom leave type: Navigate to Company >> Leave Balance and press the green plus symbol to create a new company leave balance. Set a name for the company leave balance. The name must not mention family and domestic violence, as such wording cannot show on employee payslips. We suggest using the name 'Special Leave' for this leave type. Make sure both the Default Amount and Leave Loading are set to 0, and tick No Balance/Accrual Required. Leave all other boxes unticked, then press Save. Next, navigate to Employees >> Leave >> Custom Leave Accruals and press the green plus symbol to add this leave type to each employee who needs it. Select the 'Special Leave' you just created from the dropdown list, then press Save. This employee now has the new leave type set up, which will not accrue any balance. If an employee needs to use this leave type, it can be taken like other leave in the program via Pays >> Edit Pay >> Leave taken in this pay with the 'Special Leave' type selected. Please be aware that you will need to manually monitor the family and domestic violence leave taken by your employees. To keep a record, you can add to the employee's notes found under Employees >> Details >> Notes. To view the total leave of this type taken during the year, you can use the Leave Taken report in the Reports tab and include 'Custom Leave' in your criteria. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-paid-family-and-domestic-violence-leave-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Enter Paid Parental Leave, Unpaid Leave or Worker's Compensation Payments? A: Workers compensation payments in Lightning Payroll are entered as a built-in leave type, not as a deduction or allowance. To find it, go to Company >> Leave Balance — Workers Compensation is already listed there and does not need to be created. Once the leave type is visible, follow the steps below to enter the payment against a pay run.If an employee is on paid parental leave (commonly known as maternity leave), unpaid leave, or on leave whilst receiving workers compensation, there are Paid Parental, Unpaid and Workers Compensation leave types that can be selected when processing pays. You can select any of these options in the Leave taken in this pay section as shown below. Once you have selected Paid Parental, Unpaid or Workers Compensation, you can set the duration and the hourly rate for the leave. For paid parental leave and workers compensation, if you only have a daily or weekly rate, you can calculate the hourly rate by dividing the dollar figure by the number of hours the employee normally works in a day or week respectively. For example: If you need to pay $1000 per week and the employee typically works 38 hours per week, the hourly rate would be $1000 / 38, or $26.32. If you need to pay $150 per day and the employee typically works 8 hours per day, the hourly rate would be $150 / 8, or $18.75. Lightning Payroll will remember this hourly amount (since it is unlikely to match their normal hourly rate) and save it automatically for the next time they receive this special leave type. In the desktop app this is stored under Employees >> Leave >> Advanced Leave Settings; in the online (web/mobile) app it is stored under Employees >> Leave >> Advanced Pro Rata Leave Settings. Clicking Save will add the leave to the pay. Super and Leave Accrual Settings Paid parental leave, unpaid leave and workers compensation may or may not attract leave accruals and superannuation, depending on your state legislation or industry awards. If you need to adjust whether leave or superannuation accrues on paid parental leave or workers compensation: Desktop app: go to Employees >> Leave >> Advanced Leave Settings. Online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees >> Leave >> Advanced Pro Rata Leave Settings. Note: If you are not able to select any of the advanced settings, it means the employee has not been set to accrue leave on a per hour paid (pro rata) basis. You can turn this on under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-paid-parental-leave-unpaid-leave-or-workers-compensation-payments Q: How Do I Recalculate Leave Accruals On Historical Pays? A: The Recalculate Leave On Pays tool retroactively applies an employee's current leave settings to previously completed pays. Use it when leave settings were incorrect or missing at the time the pays were processed, and you need to bring historical accruals in line with the correct settings. Before running the tool, review and correct each affected employee's leave settings under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. The tool recalculates based on the current settings - if those settings are still wrong, the recalculated amounts will also be wrong. An automatic backup of your data is made before the recalculation is applied in the desktop app. In both apps a confirmation step is presented before any changes are saved. In the Desktop App Open the tool from the menu bar: Tools >> Recalculate Leave On Pays. You can also open it for a specific employee from Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement/Adjustments and clicking Recalculate Accruals On Pays. Specify Date Range - Enter the earliest and latest pay dates you want to recalculate. Select Employees - Choose one or more employees. Only active employees will have changes applied, so ensure any affected employee is not marked as terminated. Select Pays - The wizard lists all pays for the selected employees within the date range. Select the pays to recalculate. In most cases you will select all pays shown. Select Leave Types - Tick the leave types you want to recalculate: Annual, Sick, and/or Long Service. At least one must be selected to proceed. Review Results - The results screen shows the current accrual alongside the recalculated accrual for each pay. Green values indicate an increase; orange values indicate a decrease. Use Print/Preview to generate a PDF report before committing. Click Finish to apply the recalculated amounts, or Cancel to discard them. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Navigate to Tools >> Recalculate Leave On Pays in the left-hand menu. Date Range - Specify the earliest and latest pay dates to recalculate leave accruals for. Select Employees - Choose which employees to include. Select Pays - The wizard loads the pays for those employees within the date range. Select the pays you want to recalculate. Select Leave Types - Choose from Annual, Sick, and Long Service. At least one must be ticked to continue. Review Results - The results screen lists tentative recalculated accrual amounts. Use Print/Preview to download a PDF copy of the results before saving. Click Finish to confirm. A confirmation prompt titled Confirm Leave Recalculation will appear - click Yes to apply the changes. This tool is not available for New Zealand companies. NZ Annual Holidays vest at the employee's anniversary and sick leave is granted at fixed milestones rather than accruing per pay. To adjust an NZ employee's leave balance, use Employee >> Leave >> Entitlement Adjustments. For broader information on correcting leave balances - including manual balance overrides - see How Do I Correct or Adjust Leave Totals? For details on how accrual rates are configured, see How Does Lightning Payroll Calculate Leave Accruals? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-recalculate-leave-accruals-on-historical-pays Q: How Do I Set Up Company Custom Leave Balances? A: Before assigning a custom leave type to any employee, you must create the leave balance at the company level. This defines the leave type that employees in the company can accrue. Desktop App Go to Company >> Leave Balance. Use the green plus button to add a new custom leave balance, giving it a descriptive name (for example, RDO or Time Off in Lieu). Once saved, the leave type is available to assign to individual employees. Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Company >> Custom Leave. The screen shows Custom Leave Balances, which can be selected by the employees within this company. Add a new row for each leave type you want to make available, then save. Assigning Custom Leave to an Employee Once the company leave balance exists, add it to each employee who needs it: In the desktop app: go to Employees >> Leave >> Custom Leave Accruals and use the green plus button to add the leave type and configure the accrual rule. In the online app: open the employee, then go to Employees >> Leave >> Custom Leave and add the accrual rule for that employee. For more detail on adding custom leave types and examples such as RDOs and Time Off in Lieu, see How Do I Add Additional or Custom Leave Types? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-company-custom-leave-balances Q: How Do I Configure Hourly Rates And Leave Accruals For Paid Parental Leave And Workers Compensation Leave? A: The Advanced Leave Settings tab (desktop) or Advanced Pro Rata Leave Settings tab (online app) lets you set custom hourly rates for paid parental leave and workers compensation leave, and control which leave types and superannuation accrue while an employee is on those absences. These settings only apply to employees whose leave is set to accrue by actual hours paid (pro rata). If the settings appear greyed out or unavailable, first enable pro-rata accrual under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. Setting the Hourly Rate In the desktop app: Go to Employees >> Leave >> Advanced Leave Settings. Enter the relevant amount in Hourly Rate Used For Paid Parental Leave or Hourly Rate Used For Worker's Compensation Leave. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Employees >> Leave >> Advanced Pro Rata Leave Settings. Enter the relevant amount in Hourly Rate Used For Paid Parental Leave ($) or Hourly Rate Used For Workers Compensation Leave ($), then click Save Changes. If you only have a weekly or daily rate, convert it to an hourly rate before entering it. For example, if the employee is paid $1,000 per week and normally works 38 hours per week, the hourly rate is $1,000 ÷ 38 = $26.32. Lightning Payroll saves this rate automatically the first time you enter a paid parental or workers compensation leave row in a pay, so the field may already be populated on return visits. Controlling Leave and Super Accruals Below the hourly rate fields is a table listing each combination of leave type and accrual target (annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, custom leave, and superannuation). Tick or untick the Enabled? checkbox for each row to control whether that accrual applies while the employee is on paid parental leave or workers compensation leave. Click Save Changes when done. By default, leave accruals and superannuation are turned off for paid parental leave and workers compensation. Whether these should accrue depends on your state legislation or industry award — check the applicable award or seek advice before enabling them. To return all rows to their original defaults, click Restore Defaults and confirm the prompt. For instructions on entering a paid parental leave or workers compensation row in a pay run, see How Do I Enter Paid Parental Leave, Unpaid Leave or Worker's Compensation Payments? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-configure-hourly-rates-and-leave-accruals-for-paid-parental-leave-and-workers-compensation-leave Q: How Can I Calculate Custom Pro-Rata LSL Accrual Rates? A: Long Service Leave (LSL) accrual rates can differ across Australian states and territories due to varying legislation. Awards may also define a year as either 52 weeks or 52.1667 weeks, depending on their specific wording. When no specific weekly interpretation is provided, 52.1667 weeks per year is often used. This can slightly affect the default pro-rata accrual rates in your payroll system. Below are examples showing how to calculate a pro-rata hourly accrual rate for LSL using the 52.1667-week year for Queensland (QLD), Victoria (VIC), and the Northern Territory (NT). Note: Lightning Payroll's built-in default LSL pro-rata rate uses the simpler weeks / 52 convention, giving 8.6667 / 520 = 0.016667. The 52.1667-week method below is an alternative used by some awards. Step-by-Step Calculation Determine the target LSL hours per year for a full-time employee: Queensland (QLD): Employees accrue 8.6667 weeks of LSL every 10 years. Annually, this equals 8.6667 / 10 = 0.86667 weeks. Multiplying by 38 hours per week gives 0.86667 x 38 = 32.93346 hours per year. Victoria (VIC): LSL accrues as 33.144 hours per year. Northern Territory (NT): LSL accrues as 49.4 hours per year. Calculate the total hours worked annually for a full-time employee: Weekly hours: 38 hours Annual weeks: 52.1667 weeks Annual hours: 38 x 52.1667 = 1982.3346 hours Apply the formula to calculate the hourly LSL accrual rate (hourly rate = LSL hours per year / annual hours worked): QLD: 32.93346 / 1982.3346 = 0.016613 (rounded to 6 decimal places) VIC: 33.144 / 1982.3346 = 0.016720 (rounded to 6 decimal places) NT: 49.4 / 1982.3346 = 0.024920 (rounded to 6 decimal places) Summary QLD: 32.93346 target hours / 1982.3346 hours worked = 0.016613 per hour VIC: 33.144 target hours / 1982.3346 hours worked = 0.016720 per hour NT: 49.4 target hours / 1982.3346 hours worked = 0.024920 per hour Using this method, you can calculate custom pro-rata LSL accrual rates for any state or award using the appropriate target hours and weekly interpretation. Enter the resulting rate in the field described below, found under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. In the desktop app: Enter the rate in the Hours LSL accrued, for each hour paid field. In the online (web/mobile) app: Enter the rate in the Hours long service leave accrued for each hour paid field. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-calculate-custom-pro-rata-lsl-accrual-rates Q: How Can I Add Existing Leave Balances? A: When you add a new or migrating employee to Lightning Payroll, you can enter their existing leave balances so that the program starts from the correct opening figures. During the New Employee Wizard (Desktop App) The desktop Add Employee Wizard includes an Initial Leave Balances step. On the Set Initial Leave Balances page, enter the employee's current balances for annual leave, sick leave, and long service leave. These are the balances as they stood at the start of the employee's first pay in Lightning Payroll. After Setup - Desktop App If you skipped the wizard step or need to correct an opening balance later, go to Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement/Adjustments. Use the Manual Leave Adjustments/Initial Balances table to add or edit an initial balance entry for each leave type. After Setup - Online (Web/Mobile) App In the online app, select the employee and open the Leave tab. Navigate to Leave Entitlement Adjustments and click Add Manual Adjustment. Enter the opening balance and a reason such as "Opening balance from previous payroll system". What Balance to Enter Enter the balance as it stood before the employee's first pay is processed in Lightning Payroll. The first pay will add a new accrual on top of the opening figure you set. For example, if the employee's previous payslip showed 45.5 hours of annual leave and they accrue 2.92 hours per pay, after the first pay the balance will read 48.42 hours. For information on correcting or adjusting leave balances after processing has begun, see How Do I Enter Existing Leave Balances?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-add-existing-leave-balances Q: How Do I Enable Annual Leave Loading For An Employee? A: Annual leave loading is not applied automatically in Lightning Payroll. If an employee is entitled to leave loading, set it up in their profile.To enable annual leave loading:Go to Employees and select the employee.Open the Leave tab.Open Leave Settings.Enter the applicable leave loading percentage.The most common leave loading rate in Australia is 17.5%, but it can vary depending on the employee's award or agreement.If you are unsure whether annual leave loading applies, confirm it with the appropriate authority. You can:Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/annual-leaveUse the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT): https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/Check the relevant modern award: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/awards/list-of-awardsContact your industry association or payroll advisor for guidance.Setting this up correctly helps keep you compliant and ensures employees are paid their correct entitlements. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enable-annual-leave-loading-for-an-employee Q: How Do I Set Up Time Off in Lieu (TOIL)? A: To set up Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) in Lightning Payroll so that employees accrue time rather than receive immediate payment, follow the steps below. This setup allows employees to bank hours worked (usually overtime) and take them as paid time off later. 1. Create a Custom Leave Item Navigate to Company >> Leave Balance and click the green plus button to add a new leave item. Set it up as follows: Name: Enter a name like TOIL, Time in Lieu, or something relevant. Default Accrual Type: Choose Pay Rate if you want hours to accrue in proportion to a triggering pay rate (for example, 1 hour of TOIL for every 1 hour worked at this rate). Default Amount: Set this to 1.000000 for a 1:1 accrual ratio. Leave Loading: Set as required (often 0% for TOIL). Is Time In Lieu: Tick this box so the leave item behaves as TOIL. Other options you can configure: Accrue Holiday/Sick/Long Service/Custom Leave: Tick these if you want those other leave types to continue accruing when TOIL is taken. Treat as overtime? Leave this unticked. It is ignored when 'Is Time In Lieu' is ticked. Pay at zero dollars? Tick only if no payment should occur at all. For TOIL, this is usually left unticked. No Balance/Accrual Required: Leave this unticked. TOIL requires tracking a balance. 2. Create the Triggering Pay Rate Next, go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Special User Defined Pay Rates. Click the green plus button to create a new rate. Configure it like this: Description: Something like TOIL Accrued. Rate Type: Select Special. Rate: Enter $0.00000. Units: Set to Hours. This $0 special rate is used purely to trigger the leave accrual. Tip: If you want to use the same TOIL pay rate across multiple employees, you can set it up once under Company >> Pay Rate Groups. This lets you share a standard TOIL trigger rate across employees without recreating it for each person. For instructions, see our related guide: How can I set up awards, classifications or pay rate groups? 3. Link the Pay Rate to the Leave Item Go to Employees >> Leave >> Custom Leave Accruals and click the green plus button to add a new rule. Choose the custom TOIL leave item and the pay rate you created (for example, TOIL Accrued). 4. Using TOIL in the Pays Now, during payroll, when the employee works TOIL-eligible hours, use the TOIL Accrued rate. This will: Add hours to the employee's TOIL leave balance at a 1:1 ratio. Not pay any money immediately (because the rate is $0). Allow those hours to be taken later as paid leave. When the employee later takes TOIL, use the TOIL leave item to pay them for those hours, the same as any other leave type. How Superannuation Works With TOIL In Lightning Payroll, any leave item marked as Is Time In Lieu follows specific ATO rules for superannuation and STP reporting: If the employee takes TOIL as leave (they take time off and are paid for it in a pay run), those hours are treated as Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE) and superannuation is payable on them. If the employee's accrued TOIL is cashed out instead of taken as leave, it is treated as overtime for reporting, and no superannuation is payable on the cashed-out amount. The 'Treat as overtime?' setting is ignored for TOIL leave items. Lightning Payroll applies the correct super and STP rules automatically. For more details, see our related FAQ: How does super work on Time In Lieu leave? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-time-off-in-lieu-toil Q: When An Employee Attends Jury Duty How Can I Handle Make Up Pay? A: When an employee attends Jury Duty, they are usually paid by the court. In many circumstances, they are also eligible for make-up pay. Fair Work Australia describes eligibility and make-up pay here. The image below is an example they provide: Make-up pay should be entered as leave taken in this pay under the leave type Ancillary/Defence. In their STP Phase 2 Disaggregation of Gross position paper, the ATO writes: "Employers may offer paid or unpaid absences for all these types of leave. All paid absences, including 'make-up pay' for ancillary and defence leave, are to be reported as Paid Leave Type 'A' (Ancillary and Defence Leave). These types of absences are not ordinary time earnings or salary or wages for superannuation guarantee purposes. Any other types of paid absences that are not OTE are to be reported under this category." Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/when-an-employee-attends-jury-duty-how-can-i-handle-make-up-pay Q: How Does Lightning Payroll Calculate Leave Accruals? A: Leave accruals in Lightning Payroll are controlled by configuring an individual employee's settings under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. Accruals can be made to occur by the pay period or by the hours worked (pro rata). Note: Lightning Payroll applies the most common accrual settings when a new employee is created, based on the given STP employment status. Leave settings should be carefully considered to suit your employee's state and award. Each state has different LSL rules, and each award can have its own particular requirements such as annual leave loading or differing entitlement days per year. While Lightning Payroll can assist with LSL payouts, LSL amounts often need to be calculated manually. An example of a complex difference in LSL can be seen here. Accrue by Pay Period A typical full-time employee's settings might look like this. In this example, the employee does not get annual leave loading. This employee accrues 20 days holiday leave and 10 days sick/personal leave as per the Fair Work National Employment Standards. How many hours per day this calculates is based on the employee's award hours for a full day. These are configured under Employees >> Pay Settings. The formula used by Lightning Payroll to calculate accruals for one pay run in this scenario is: days of leave entitlement per year x award hours per day / pays per year For example, a weekly full-time employee would accrue: Annual - 20 days x 7.6 hrs / 52 weeks = 2.92307 hours per week Personal - 10 days x 7.6 hrs / 52 weeks = 1.46153 hours per week Long Service Leave is slightly different, as it is usually required to accrue by a number of weeks per 7, 10 or 15 years. With the 'per pay period' leave settings shown above, and an entitlement of 8.6667 weeks every 10 years, it would calculate: (8.6667 weeks per 10 years x 38 hours per week) / 10 years / 52 weeks = 0.6333 hours per week Accrue by Hours Paid (Pro Rata) A typical part-timer with pro-rata annual leave accruals would look like this: Their pro-rata leave accruals are controlled by the Hours leave accrued, for each hour paid fields. These decimal values accrue the same result as above if a part-time employee worked 38 hours per week. For example: Annual - 38 hrs x 0.076923 = 2.92307 hrs Personal/Sick - 38 hrs x 0.038462 = 1.46155 hrs Long Service - 38 hrs x 0.016667 = 0.633346 hrs Note: the program's default long service leave pro-rata rate is 0.016667 (8.6667 weeks / 520 weeks). Per-state rates may differ slightly depending on the week convention used. Sometimes you might need to calculate a pro rata amount manually. See our next FAQ on pro rata accrual rates for a more detailed explanation of how these work and how to change them for a special situation. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-lightning-payroll-calculate-leave-accruals Q: How Do I Enter Existing Leave Balances? A: If you are new to Lightning Payroll and are setting up an employee who already has existing leave balances, you can enter those opening amounts under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement Adjustments. Use the green plus button under Manual Leave Adjustments/Initial Balances to add an Initial Leave Balance for each leave type. Enter the balance as at the date the employee starts being paid in Lightning Payroll. Because Lightning Payroll also generates a small accrual in the employee's first pay, your opening figure should be the balance that existed before that first pay, and the program adds the new pay's accrual on top. For example: Say the employee's leave balance on their most recent payslip shows 45 hours and 30 minutes of annual leave (45.5 hours). When you record this as the initial balance and then run their first pay, you will notice a small amount of leave accrues. If the employee works 38 hours a week, they accrue about 2 hours and 55 minutes of annual leave (2.92 hours) in that pay. After the first pay the balance therefore reads 48 hours and 25 minutes (48.42 hours) - the 45.5 hours you entered plus the 2.92 hours accrued. You can also review or adjust a balance at a particular pay run date under Pays >> Edit Pay. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-existing-leave-balances Q: How Do I Add Additional or Custom Leave Types? A: You can set up custom leave types in the program for things like RDOs and Time Off in Lieu by going to Company >> Leave Balance and creating the leave type with the green plus button. Once the leave type exists here, go to Employees >> Leave >> Custom Leave Accruals and use the green plus button to add the newly created leave type to each employee who requires it. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-additional-or-custom-leave-types Q: How Do I Pay Leave? A: How to Pay Leave in a Pay Run To process leave for an employee: Go to the Pays section of the program. Click Edit Pay next to the relevant employee. In the Leave tab, click the green plus button to add a new leave item, or use the pencil icon to edit an existing one. Select the appropriate leave type and adjust the hours, dates, or other values as needed. Lightning Payroll will automatically reduce the employee's ordinary time hours by the amount of leave taken. This helps prevent overpayment. Paying Leave in Advance If an employee is going on leave and you'd like to pay them for the full leave period in a single pay run, you will need to adjust the tax calculation accordingly. This can be done at the bottom of the Edit Pay window by using the Spread Tax option. Enter the number of pay periods that the leave covers to calculate tax more accurately. For example, if you pay weekly and the employee is being paid for two weeks of upcoming leave plus the current week, you would enter 3.00 in the number of pay periods field. Cashing Out Leave If an employee chooses to cash out some of their annual leave or long service leave without actually taking time off, simply tick the Cash Out option when entering the leave item in their pay. Do not spread tax when paying out leave that is being cashed out. Note: Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) has special rules when cashed out, especially regarding superannuation. For more details, please see our related FAQ on How Does Super Work on Time In Lieu Leave? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-pay-leave Q: How Do I Correct or Adjust Leave Totals? A: If one or more of an employee's leave balances have accrued incorrectly, or have been set up incorrectly/not set up at all, they can be corrected in a number of ways. We would recommend using our Recalculate Leave on Pays tool, which can be found in the Tools menu on the top left of Lightning Payroll. This tool gives you the ability to retroactively apply an employee's corrected leave settings to old pays. The tool applies the current leave settings to each pay in the time period selected, taking into account leave taken in the pays when adjusting the balances. For this tool to work correctly, it's essential that you review and/or correct employees' leave settings under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings prior to using the tool. This tool allows you to recalculate leave for an employee and automatically set the new balances. In the following example, David Cattermole's leave has not been calculating correctly since the beginning of January. As leave is calculated on a per pay basis, the first thing we will do when using the tool is to select the date range for the pays we wish to recalculate leave on. In this case, we have chosen the 1st of January up until the 6th of February (the end date of the most recently completed pay run). Once we've set the dates, we can proceed to the next screen and select David from the list as we wish to recalculate his leave. The next screen will show us the pays for David within the date range we set. We wish to recalculate leave on all the pays for the entire date range so we will select all (you will typically want to select all pays in most scenarios). The next window will ask us to select the leave type we wish to recalculate for David. In this example, we want to recalculate his holiday, sick and long service leave as we think they all may be incorrect for the period. The final page will display the leave recalculations for David. As you can see in the green square, the tool is displaying David's current holiday accrual in the left column and the recalculated accrual in green in the right column. The blue underline shows that for the pay ending the 6th of February, David's holiday accrual was correct as it matches the recalculated accrual. You can generate a printable report by clicking the Print/Preview button on the bottom left. To apply the recalculated amounts, simple click the Finish button on the bottom right. Alternative methods for adjusting leave balances Leave balances as at the most recent completed pay can be amended under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement Adjustments. If you know the correct balance already, simply overwrite the incorrect balance with the correct one. If the total you wish to enter is from another period of time than the most recent completed pay, you can go to Pays >> Last Pay Run >> Edit Pay >> Edit Leave Balances and adjust the balance from whichever period you like. If you don't know the total and need to recalculate, you can use Lightning Payroll's leave calculators, seen to the right-hand side of the Leave Entitlement Adjustments screen. Alternatively, you can also utilise Fairwork's online leave calculator here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-correct-or-adjust-leave-totals Q: How Can I Monitor Actual LSL Entitlements Depending On Milestones, Rather Than Full Balance? A: Lightning Payroll has a mechanism for monitoring and estimating employee LSL entitlements as at key milestone dates - such as their anniversary date - depending on their state. You can enable/disable this option under Settings >> System Leave >> Show a warning when employees exceed state-defined long service leave entitlements? . With this option enabled, the software will do a basic scan of the employee's LSL history each time a pay gets saved. The app then provides a generic estimation of how much leave the employee is entitled to, which may not be the same as the live leave balance you'd see in the Pays or Employees screens. Below is an example of why this warning might appear, and how it performs its estimation.  Please Note: This warning is purely an estimation and cannot be 100% accurate due to external variables the software is not aware of. Please disregard or disable the warning if it is not accurate enough for your purposes. In the above example you can see that in the context of a 2024 pay, the employee is eligible to use their LSL accrued as at 2022 (since they started work in 2012) but they are not eligible for any accruals after their ten year anniversary until they hit their 15 year milestone. This example is for NSW but the program will adjust for each other state.The 329.3346 hours accrued as at the 10 year anniversary is a very rough calculation made using the same default parameters used under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Entitlement Adjustments >> LSL Balance Calculator (see below). Again, this estimate is not as intelligent or accurate as a pro rata accrual and should be taken as a helpful hint only, not strict truth. If an employee has had periods of unpaid leave or has changed their employment load from part-time to full time (among other reasons), then this estimation will likely be incorrect. If so, please disregard, or disable and instead manually monitor your employees' leave amounts and when they can be taken. The image above shows the ten years accrual for an employee who started on Jan 5th 2012. Their ten year anniversary is Jan 5th 2022. Assuming their current award hours per week (38) at 8.67 weeks accrued every ten years, they should be entitled to 329 hours and 36 minutes LSL (after taking leave taken into account). Their current LSL balance will have accrued beyond this amount, of course, but they are not eligible to use that excess (post 2022) accrual until their 15 year milestone, hence the alert. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-monitor-actual-lsl-entitlements-depending-on-milestones-rather-than-full-balance --- Category: Licensing --- Q: How Do I Cancel My Subscription? A: At Lightning Payroll, we understand that your business needs can change. If you need to end your monthly or annual subscription, here is how to do so. Understanding Your Subscription Lightning Payroll is available via monthly or annual subscriptions. You can pay by credit card or, for annual subscriptions, by direct bank deposit. Subscriptions paid by credit card are set to renew automatically unless cancelled beforehand. For annual subscriptions we send reminder emails 30 days and 1 day before the renewal date. Monthly subscriptions are renewed and invoiced on the payment date. Cancelling Your Subscription Cancelling stops the automatic renewal — your subscription stays active until the end of the current billing period and then expires. Please note that we do not offer partial refunds. To cancel: Log in to your account at Client Login. Click on My Account, located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Click to Update credit card & auto renewals. Click the Cancel Subscription button. (If you change your mind, you can re-enable renewals from the same page using Restart Subscription.) Once cancelled, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period (monthly or annual), after which it expires without renewing. After Your Subscription Ends Once your subscription has expired, you retain 7 days of free read-only access to your data. During this time you can view and export reports and payslips for record-keeping. After the 7-day period, the application requires a valid subscription for further use. If you need ongoing access to your data in a read-only format, we offer a reduced-cost annual read-only subscription, which you can purchase at this link. While in read-only mode, the program prompts you to enter a licence on launch — this screen can be dismissed during the 7-day grace period. Backups and Data Retention Remember to back up your data before your subscription expires. If you are using the desktop version of Lightning Payroll, your data is stored locally — a damaged or lost computer could result in permanent data loss if no backup is available. To back up your data, go to Tools >> Create Backup in the program. Save your backup to a secure cloud storage service, or email a copy to yourself or a trusted team member. Where and how you store your backup is up to you, but we strongly recommend keeping it in a secure, accessible location. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please see our Terms & Conditions page or contact our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription Q: What Is the Accounting Integration Add-On? A: From 1 January 2026, Lightning Payroll offers an Accounting Integration Add-On for customers who want to send payroll data directly to accounting platforms such as Xero and MYOB AccountRight. The add-on costs $99 per year on an annual subscription, or $9.95 per month on a monthly subscription. What Does This Add-On Unlock? This add-on enables the following features: Journal upload to the Xero and MYOB AccountRight APIs. Bank transaction upload to inform your accounting system of the transactions included in your Direct Entry (ABA) file, which helps with bank reconciliation. These tools simplify the connection between your payroll and accounting systems, reducing double-handling and improving data accuracy. Wasn't This Already Available? Yes – these integration tools were available as beta features during development. They have now been finalised and proven reliable, thanks to feedback from our early users. We're also pleased to be officially listed on the Xero App Store. When Is the Add-On Required? Any subscription purchased or renewed on or after 1 January 2026 requires the Accounting Integration Add-On to keep using these features. Subscriptions active before this date retain access until their next renewal. Is the Add-On Included in Agent Plans? Yes. Agent-level subscribers have this integration included at no extra cost. No additional add-on is required for agent tiers. Do I Need This Add-On? The add-on is optional. You only need it if you want to use Lightning Payroll's direct integrations with Xero or MYOB. All other payroll features are unaffected. If you're unsure whether this add-on is right for you, please contact our support team for guidance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-accounting-integration-add-on Q: How Does the Standard Referrer Program Work? A: How do I refer someone to Lightning Payroll? Simply log into your Client Account at https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/account/login, click on View/Manage Referrals (under Other), enter their email address, and click Refer. They will then receive a referral link to trial or purchase Lightning Payroll. What's in it for me? By helping to expand the Lightning Payroll user base, you're supporting the ongoing improvement of Australia's favourite payroll software. Plus, your friend will thank you for it! You'll also get $150 off your next subscription. Refer regularly and you may become eligible for our premium referral program. What triggers a successful referral? Referral credits are awarded when someone you refer signs up for a paid annual subscription to Lightning Payroll. Eligible plans include annual small, medium, large, enterprise, or any agent-level subscription. Read-only subscriptions and support-only services are not eligible. Please note: If a referred customer signs up for a monthly subscription, the referral will not qualify for a credit initially. However, if they remain subscribed for at least 12 consecutive months, you may contact us and we'll be happy to manually apply the referral credit at that time. What about earning credits? To thank you for your support, you'll earn a $150 credit for each successful referral. These credits can be used toward your next Lightning Payroll subscription renewal or upgrade. How do I redeem my credits? When your next subscription renewal is due, available referral credits will be automatically applied (if enabled). You'll only pay the remaining difference, if applicable. What if I don't want to use my credits yet? You can enable or disable credit usage by ticking or unticking the box in your website account under View/Manage Referrals >> Apply Referral Discount During Checkout?. This option only appears if you have an active credit balance. How many credits can I earn? You can accumulate ("bank") up to 10 credits ($1,500) at a time. Once you reach this limit, consider becoming a Premium Referrer for additional rewards beyond the standard program. When do credits expire? Unused credits expire after 2 years from the date they were earned. Are credits redeemable for cash? No. Credits can only be used towards Lightning Payroll subscription payments. What if my credits exceed the cost of my subscription? Only the necessary amount will be redeemed. Remaining credits stay on your account (within the 2-year expiry window) for future use. Can non-customers participate in the referral program? No. Only current Lightning Payroll customers are eligible to make referrals. How long is my referral valid? Each referral is valid for 90 days. If the recipient has not subscribed within that time, the referral link expires and no credit will be earned. What if someone else has already referred the same person? Only one referral per email address is valid at any time. If someone else has already referred your contact, you may try again after the 90-day period ends. Do I earn credits if the referral doesn't purchase? No. You only earn credits when the referred person subscribes to an eligible Lightning Payroll plan before their referral link expires. What if the person I want to refer is already in touch with Lightning Payroll? If they've already downloaded a trial or communicated with our team in the past 90 days, they are not considered a new referral and will not be eligible for credit. Are there any restrictions on who I can refer? You cannot refer yourself, an existing customer, or someone unlikely to benefit from the software. Referrals must be relevant — i.e., people in Australia who have a need to process payroll for one or more employees. What if my referral cancels and gets a refund? If a referred user cancels and is refunded, your referral credit will be revoked. If you've already used those credits, we may reduce your available credit balance or adjust your credit expiry date accordingly. Is there a limit on the number of referrals I can make? We limit the number of active referrals at any one time to ensure quality. This limit may vary. How long will this referral program run? This program has no set end date but may be updated or discontinued at the discretion of Intellitron Pty Ltd. We reserve the right to exclude users from the program if we suspect abuse, fraud, or misuse. This includes reversing credits and blocking future referrals. Thank you for supporting Lightning Payroll and helping us continue to grow and improve Australia's leading payroll software. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-the-standard-referrer-program-work Q: How Can I Remove My Subscription From Existing Lightning Payroll Installations So That It Can Be Installed On A New Computer? A: Any active Lightning Payroll subscription — whether monthly or annual — allows you to use the program on two desktop computers at any one time, plus access via your web or mobile account. Web and mobile logins do not count towards your desktop seat limit. If the Lightning Payroll desktop app is giving you either of the following errors, you'll need to clear one or both of your two allowed desktop seats from the current licence/subscription. Older Versions Max-Seats-Error Newer Versions Max-Seats-Error Note: Removing the licence from the Lightning Payroll desktop program does not affect your pay data or software installation. It will simply lock the desktop version shortly after removal, putting it into read-only mode until an active licence is reinstalled. This does not affect access to your web/mobile account. There are three ways to fix this desktop seat error: Remove the installed licence from an existing desktop installation by going to Tools >> Licence Details >> Remove System at the top of the program. If your old system has crashed and you can't open the desktop app, log into your client account on our website and go to your subscriptions. You can release the desktop seats for any active subscription from there. This will free up both desktop seats so you can reactivate as needed. Contact our support team and we can reset your desktop seats for you. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-remove-my-subscription-from-existing-lightning-payroll-installations-so-that-it-can-be-installed-on-a-new-computer Q: How Many Computers Can Use An Annual Subscription? A: Each active Lightning Payroll subscription — monthly or annual — includes two desktop installs (seats) for use on Windows or Mac computers. The desktop version does not automatically sync data between machines, but your payroll data can be easily transferred using one of our backup options, such as the Online Backups feature. In addition to your two desktop seats, your subscription also includes access to the Lightning Payroll web and mobile app, which operates in the cloud and does not use up a desktop seat. If a particular computer is only viewing the payroll data (and not editing it), a licence seat is not required. See here for more information about the three licence 'modes' available in the software. If you need more than two desktop systems using Lightning Payroll at the same time, you can purchase additional subscriptions under the same account — each subscription will provide you with two more desktop seats (plus another web/mobile login). Please see here to learn how to move desktop seats between computers. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-many-computers-can-use-an-annual-subscription Q: Which Features Are Unavailable on a Trial Licence and Why? A: A Lightning Payroll trial gives you full access to payroll processing, employees, companies, pays, leave, and all paid add-ons (including HR Suite, Accounting Integration, and Farm Focus) for 31 days. The only features that are unavailable during a trial are those related to backup and restore: What Is Restricted Restore a backup file - restoring an existing .LPB backup is disabled on a trial. In the desktop app the restore option is greyed out in the menu; in the online (web/mobile) app the Restore Backup screen displays the message Restore Backup Not Available On Trial in place of the upload form. Online Backups - sending or restoring data via the cloud Online Backups service is not available on a trial. In the desktop app the Online Backups menu item is disabled; in the online app the Online Backups screen shows Online Backups Not Available On Trial in place of the login form. These restrictions exist to prevent trial accounts from being used as a free long-term storage service and to encourage customers to commit to a paid subscription before migrating production data. What Is Available Creating and processing pays for an unlimited number of employees and companies All paid add-ons: HR Suite, Accounting Integration, and Farm Focus are fully unlocked during the trial Local (manual) backups - you can still save a .LPB backup file to your computer at any time; you just cannot restore one until you are on a paid subscription All other payroll features including leave, superannuation, tax, reports, and payslips Purchasing a Subscription To unlock backup and restore and convert to a full subscription, visit lightningpayroll.com.au/buy-now. Any data entered during the trial is preserved - you continue from where you left off. For a full comparison of trial, paid, and read-only modes, see What Is The Difference Between Full Paid Licence, Trial Licence and Read-Only (Unlicenced) Modes? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/which-features-are-unavailable-on-a-trial-licence-and-why Q: Can I Get a Refund or Is There a Money-Back Guarantee? A: Lightning Payroll is provided under a Software Licence Agreement, which you accept when you start a subscription or trial. If you have a problem with the software, please contact our support team first — we will do our best to resolve it. Change of Mind Fees are not refunded if you stop using Lightning Payroll before the end of your current subscription term. Cancelling stops your subscription from renewing — it stays active until the end of the period you have already paid for, then expires. See How Do I Cancel My Subscription? Faults and Your Statutory Rights The software carries a 30-day warranty for defects from your purchase date. Nothing in our agreement limits the statutory consumer guarantees you have under the Australian Consumer Law, or the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act where it applies — these continue to apply to the extent they cannot be excluded. Upgrades and Downgrades If you upgrade mid-term, the remaining value of your current subscription is credited towards the new plan, so you are not charged twice for the same period. A downgrade takes effect at the end of your current term, and no refund is issued for unused time. For the full terms, please refer to the Software Licence Agreement you accepted when signing up, or contact our support team to discuss your situation. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-get-a-refund-or-is-there-a-money-back-guarantee Q: Why is the Trial Version Asking for Licence Details? A: If you have downloaded the free trial and you are being prompted enter licence details, it is likely you have already used the trial previously on the same computer. The trial lasts for 31 days from the first time you run the trial version. If your trial has expired, see Can I Get a Refund or Is There a Money-Back Guarantee? for our refund policy, or purchase a subscription to keep using the program. However, if you are certain you have never used the trial before but it is still asking you to enter details, please contact our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-the-trial-version-asking-for-licence-details Q: What Is the Difference Between a Monthly and an Annual Subscription? A: Lightning Payroll offers the same features, employee limits, and company limits on both monthly and annual subscriptions. The only difference is how you are billed. Annual Subscriptions Paid once every 12 months. You can pay by credit card or by Direct Deposit (we issue an invoice). Auto-renewal is optional — you can turn it on or off at any time. If auto-renewal is on, we email a renewal notice about 30 days before expiry and a reminder 1 day before. If it is off, you renew manually before the expiry date. Monthly Subscriptions Paid once each month. Credit card only — direct bank deposit is not available for monthly plans. Auto-renewal is always on and cannot be turned off. To stop a monthly subscription you cancel it, and it stays active until the end of the current month. No advance reminder is sent. You receive a confirmation and invoice on the day the subscription renews. Things to Know If a renewal payment fails (for example, an expired card), it is not retried automatically — the subscription expires and you will need to renew manually. If you renew before your current period ends, the new period is added to the end of the existing one, so you do not lose any remaining time. Refunds are not provided for unused time. See Can I Get a Refund or Is There a Money-Back Guarantee? To manage your payment method or auto-renewal, log in and open Account Details >> Update credit card & auto renewals. See also How Can I Check When My Subscription Expires? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-a-monthly-and-an-annual-subscription Q: How Do I Book a Free Service Included With My Subscription? A: Some sign-up offers include a complimentary service, such as a training or setup session, bundled with your subscription. It appears on your order at no charge, marked Included with your plan. You book it the same way you would a paid session. Booking Your Session Log in to your account and open Book/Manage Appointments from the account menu. On the Book An Appointment page, find the order that includes your session and click Book Now. Choose an available date and time, add a note about what you would like help with, then click Confirm Booking. Appointments are available on weekdays during Queensland (AEST) business hours and can be booked up to two months ahead. You can reschedule from the same screen any time before the appointment. If You Do Not See the Booking Option Yet The session becomes bookable once your order is marked complete. If you paid by credit card, this happens straight away. If you paid by Direct Deposit, your order stays as awaiting payment until our team confirms the funds — once it is completed you will receive a Book Your Session email with a link to schedule. For what a training or consultancy session covers, see What's Involved in a Training/Consultancy Session? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-book-a-free-service-included-with-my-subscription Q: Why Is My Company Locked? A: Your company has been locked because you have reached your plan's company allowance. Standard (non-agent) plans include an allowance of 2 active companies on the Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large tiers, or 5 active companies on Enterprise. You can raise a standard plan up to a maximum of 10 companies by adding Extra Company Add-Ons, and manage more than 10 companies with an Agent subscription. See What Is Changing With Licence Limits and Subscriptions on 1 January 2026? for the full tier breakdown. We have communicated these subscription changes through email and notices on our website, and through an in-app popup for affected customers. When acknowledged, that popup is recorded under Tools >> Licence Details. How the Company Limit Works A company only counts towards your limit if it has at least one active (non-terminated) employee. If you no longer use a company, terminate all of its employees and it is excluded from your active company count, freeing up a slot for another company. In the desktop app: open the employee’s pay and click the Terminate Employee button in the Edit Pay screen, or use Tools >> Bulk Termination Wizard to process several employees at once. In the online (web/mobile) app: open the employee’s pay and select Termination Wizard (AU) or Employment Finish (NZ) from within the Edit Pay screen, or go to Tools >> Bulk Termination to process several employees at once. What Can I Do? If you have reached your plan's company allowance, your options are: Terminate all employees in unused companies – a company with no active employees no longer counts towards your limit, freeing a slot. Add Extra Company Add-Ons – if you need up to 10 companies in total, add Extra Company Add-Ons to your subscription. Each add-on raises your company allowance. Log in to your account and use View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions to add them. Move up to an Agent subscription – to manage more than 10 companies, upgrade to an Agent plan. When you upgrade, the remaining value of your current subscription is automatically credited towards the new plan, so you only pay the difference. Log in and use View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions, or contact our support team for help choosing the right plan. If you need help choosing the right plan, our support team is happy to assist. You can also read our guide on how to upgrade. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-my-company-locked Q: How Can I Disable Auto-Renewals? A: To manage auto-renewals for your subscription, log in to your account on the Lightning Payroll website and click Update credit card & auto renewals under Account Details. On the Update Credit Card page, your current subscription ID, expiry date, and auto-renewal status are shown. If auto-renew is currently on, click Cancel Subscription to disable it. Your subscription will remain active until the expiry date, but it will not renew automatically after that point. If you have previously disabled auto-renewal and want to re-enable it, click Restart Subscription on the same page. Note: Monthly subscribers cannot disable auto-renewal. Monthly subscriptions are credit-card-only and renew automatically each month. Only annual subscribers can turn auto-renewal on or off. If auto-renewal is off, you will need to renew manually before the expiry date to maintain uninterrupted access. See How Can I Pay For My Annual Subscription? for payment options. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-disable-auto-renewals Q: What Is an Agent Subscription and Which Plan Do Accountants and Bookkeepers Need? A: An Agent subscription is designed for accountants and bookkeepers who process payroll for many client businesses. Standard (non-agent) plans include an allowance of 2 active companies (5 on Enterprise) and can be extended to a maximum of 10 with Extra Company Add-Ons. When you need to manage more than 10 client companies, an Agent subscription is the right plan. How Agent Plans Are Sized Agent plans are sized by the number of client companies you manage, not by employee count. Every Agent plan includes unlimited employees, and covers up to 25, 50, 100, or an unlimited number of companies. The Accounting Integration Add-On (for sending payroll data to Xero and MYOB AccountRight) is included with every Agent plan at no extra cost. Choosing and Buying a Plan You can compare Agent tiers and current pricing on our pricing page. Agent plans are available on both annual and monthly terms. If you already have a standard subscription and need to move to an Agent plan, log in to your account and click View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions, then choose Upgrade. When you upgrade, the remaining value of your current subscription is automatically credited towards the Agent plan, so you only pay the difference. If you would like help choosing the right tier, contact our support team. Managing Client Companies You can keep each client as a separate company (entity) within Lightning Payroll and switch between them. For setting up client payroll, see As an Accountant, How Can I Use Lightning Payroll to Process Payroll For My Clients? For how the company allowance and locking works, see Why Is My Company Locked? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-an-agent-subscription-and-which-plan-do-accountants-and-bookkeepers-need Q: Why Is My Renewal Price Higher Than My First Payment? A: Your renewal is charged at the standard price for your plan. If your first payment was lower, it is usually for one of the following reasons. An Introductory Offer Has Ended From time to time we run a welcome offer for new customers — for example, a discount applied automatically at checkout for a set number of months. These offers apply to your initial subscription only. Once the offer period ends, your subscription renews at the normal price for your plan. Standard Prices Can Change Subscription prices are reviewed from time to time. If prices have changed since you last paid, your renewal reflects the current price. You can see current pricing on our pricing page. Your Plan or Add-Ons Have Changed If you have moved to a higher tier, added companies, or added an add-on such as Accounting Integration, your renewal includes those items. To review your current subscription and what it includes, log in and open Account Details >> Update credit card & auto renewals, or see How Can I Check When My Subscription Expires? If your renewal amount looks wrong, contact our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-my-renewal-price-higher-than-my-first-payment Q: What Is The Difference Between Full Paid Licence, Trial Licence and Read-Only (Unlicenced) Modes? A: Lightning Payroll can operate in four different licensing modes: Full/Paid — Full access within the limits of allowed total employees and companies for the chosen pricing tier. Trial — Full editing access to unlimited employees and companies, with all paid add-ons unlocked. The only features unavailable on a trial are restoring a backup and the Online Backups service. Read-Only — Can restore backups, use Online Backups, and view data, but cannot edit. Unlicenced — Unable to use Lightning Payroll. The diagram below gives an overview of how the four modes work. To find out how to renew or upgrade your subscription, see How Can I Renew or Upgrade My Subscription? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-full-paid-licence-trial-licence-and-read-only-unlicenced-modes Q: How Do I Start a Free Trial of HR Suite or Accounting Integration? A: You can trial the two paid add-ons — HR Suite and the accounting integration (MYOB and Xero exports) — free for 30 days before deciding whether to buy them. No credit card is required, and the trial unlocks the add-on straight away for the full 30 days. In the desktop app To trial HR Suite, open HR Module from the main menu and click Start free 30-day trial on the panel that offers it. To trial the accounting integration, open the Pays screen, click the Reports button and choose Export to Xero (requires add-on) or Export to MYOB AccountRight (requires add-on). You will then be offered the free trial. Either way, Lightning Payroll emails a confirmation link to your account email address. Open that email, click the link, then return to the app and click I've confirmed — refresh licence now. The program restarts and the add-on is unlocked. In the online app Open the HR section to trial HR Suite, or the MYOB or Xero screen to trial the accounting integration. On the add-on panel, click Start free 30-day trial. No credit card is required. Lightning Payroll emails a confirmation link to your account email address. Open the email, click Start my free trial, then log back in. The add-on is now active for 30 days. (The confirmation link expires after 7 days.) Good to know The trial runs for 30 days from the day you confirm it. Only the main account holder can start a trial. Additional (sub-user) logins and reseller-managed accounts will not see the option. Each add-on can be trialled once. The trial is not offered if the add-on is already part of your subscription, or while you are trialling Lightning Payroll itself. You can check how much time is left at any point: in the desktop app under Tools >> Licence Details, and in the online app from the Free trial - X days left badge shown on the HR Suite, MYOB and Xero screens. To keep an add-on after the trial ends you will need to purchase it. Trialling an add-on is different from trialling the whole program — for that, see How Do I Start A Free Trial From Inside the Lightning Payroll Desktop App? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-start-a-free-trial-of-hr-suite-or-accounting-integration Q: How Do I View My Licence and Subscription Details in the Online App? A: The Licence / Account Details panel gives you a snapshot of your subscription, usage, add-ons, and two-factor authentication (2FA) setup in one place. In the online (web/mobile) app Click Licence Details in the top navigation bar. A modal will open showing the following sections: Account - your logged-in username, email address, Account / Customer ID, and Primary Subscription ID. Subscription - the email address the subscription is registered to, the expiry date with a days-remaining indicator, any active add-ons (Accounting Integration, Farm Focus, HR/Reimbursements), and a Read-Only Expiry date if your subscription has recently lapsed. Usage - progress meters showing how many employees and companies you are currently using against the limit on your plan. A plan with no employee or company cap displays as Unlimited. Two-Factor Authentication - a QR code and manual key you can scan or enter into an authenticator app to set up or re-register OTP-based 2FA on your account. If your account has additional active subscriptions (for example, a secondary company tier), they are listed in an Other Active Subscriptions table showing each Subscription ID, expiry date, and employee allowance. The Refer a Friend button inside the panel takes you directly to the referral section of your account settings. Click OK to close the panel. In the desktop app Open Tools >> Licence Details. The screen shows the total companies and employees permitted under your licence, which add-ons are active, and the licensed email address. From here you can also remove a computer seat if needed. For information on when your subscription expires and how renewal works, see How Can I Check When My Subscription Expires? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-view-my-licence-and-subscription-details-in-the-online-app Q: How Can I Check When My Subscription Expires? A: When your annual subscription is within 60 days of expiry, Lightning Payroll will remind you whenever you open the program through a simple pop-up. (This reminder will not appear if you have licence auto-renewal enabled with valid card details.) An invoice for renewal is sent to your registered email address 30 days before expiry. Monthly subscriptions are automatically renewed each month unless cancelled. An invoice is issued on the day of renewal and sent to your registered email address. Please note that if you renew your subscription before the expiry date or billing cycle ends, you won't lose any remaining time on your current subscription. Your new subscription will be added to the end of the current period - whether monthly or annual. To manually check the expiry or billing date of your Lightning Payroll subscription, or to view your other subscription details, open the program and click Tools >> Licence Details. To learn how to renew or upgrade your subscription to accommodate more employees, click here. We no longer provide unlimited free read-only access after a subscription ends. Users will receive 7 days of free read-only access following expiry to export any reports and payslips needed for historical records. After this 7-day period, the application will not be accessible without a valid subscription. A reduced-cost annual read-only subscription is available for those who require extended access to Lightning Payroll data in a read-only mode. To purchase a read-only licence, visit this link. You can also view your subscription expiry or billing information, update your credit card details, or manage your auto-renewal settings by logging into your account - click Login at the top of our website, then select Client Login. Once logged in, click Update credit card & auto renewals. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-check-when-my-subscription-expires Q: I Am Selling My Business. Can I Transfer My Subscription To The New Owner? A: Yes, licenses can be transferred. The current license holder must send a written email request from their registered email to support@lightningpayroll.com.au, specifying the new email address and contact person to assign the license to. The ability to transfer is at the original license holder's discretion. What is the preferred method for a new owner to get started? We recommend that new owners set up a fresh account for a clean start. This avoids complications that may arise from accessing the former owner's data history. What should be done if there are concerns about data privacy? If there are privacy concerns, the new owner should set up a new license. The previous owner can export a redacted version of the database by following the steps below for their app. In the desktop app Backup the database under Tools >> Create Backup. Keep this backup file for the original owner's records. Create a new entity under Entities >> Add new company. This opens the Create New Company Assistant wizard - follow the prompts to set up the new company. Switch back to the original company under Entities >> Select company. Go to the Employees screen, click the Actions button, and choose Copy Employee/s to transfer relevant employee details to the new entity without pay history. Note that leave balances, bank accounts, and super fund details are also copied - delete these if they should not carry over. Delete the old company under Entities >> Delete company. You will now have a fresh company profile for the new owner with employees but no pay history. In the online (web/mobile) app Download a backup of your data via Tools >> Create Backup File. Keep this backup file for the original owner's records. Create a new entity under Entities >> Add Entity and complete the setup. Switch back to the original company by selecting it from the Entities section. Go to the Employees screen, click the Actions button, and choose Copy Employee/s to copy relevant employee profiles to the new entity. Note that leave balances, bank accounts, and super fund details are also copied - delete these if they should not carry over. Delete the old company under Entities - select the company and choose the delete option. You will now have a fresh company profile for the new owner with employees but no pay history. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/i-am-selling-my-business-can-i-transfer-my-subscription-to-the-new-owner Q: How Can I Manage Saved Credit Card Details and Auto Renewals? A: Add, Delete or Change a Credit Card To add, delete, or replace a saved credit card: Log in to your Client Account Area. Go to Account Details and select Update credit card & auto renewals. You can choose to add a new card or delete the existing card details. Entering a new card will override the existing saved card if there is one. Important security note: The support team can only remove or replace a saved credit card by phone or email if you can provide the last four digits of the currently saved card. This verification step confirms ownership of the payment method. If you cannot provide these details, the support team can either: Issue a direct deposit invoice (available for annual subscriptions only), or You can log in to your account and manage your own card details as shown above. Only the last four digits and expiry date of your card are stored, securely handled by the payment partner Till Payments. Subscription Auto Renewals Lightning Payroll offers both monthly and annual subscriptions. Monthly subscriptions are only available via credit card and must be set to auto-renew. Your subscription will automatically renew on the expiry date using your saved credit card. A confirmation email is sent each time your subscription renews, which also serves as your renewal reminder and invoice. You can cancel your subscription at any time using the Cancel Subscription button. If cancelled, the subscription will expire at the end of the current billing period. Use the Restart Subscription button to reactivate it at any time. Monthly subscriptions do not support direct bank transfers. Auto-renew is required for monthly subscriptions. No separate reminder emails are sent prior to expiry - the renewal confirmation email acts as your notice. If a renewal fails (for example, due to an expired card), your subscription will expire and you will need to resubscribe manually. Saved Card at Checkout When you have a credit card saved on file, the checkout page will offer: Use saved card Pay with a new card Any card used during checkout can be saved for future renewals. If saved, it becomes the active card for your subscription. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-manage-saved-credit-card-details-and-auto-renewals Q: How Do I Start A Free Trial From Inside the Lightning Payroll Desktop App? A: When you open the Lightning Payroll desktop app for the first time on a computer that has no existing licence, a trial wizard appears automatically. This wizard lets you activate a free 31-day trial without leaving the application. Steps to activate your trial Open Lightning Payroll. If a trial is available for your computer, the Trial License wizard opens automatically with the heading Get going with a trial! Enter your email address in the Please enter your email address below to start your trial: field. Select how you heard about Lightning Payroll from the How did you hear about us? dropdown. Options include Google, Bing, Accountant, Bookkeeper, Another User, Facebook, LinkedIn, Word of Mouth, and Other. Click Start Free Trial Now. This button becomes active once both fields are filled in. The app installs your trial licence automatically. Once complete, the wizard closes and you can begin using the software straight away. Already a paid subscriber? If you are an existing paid user installing Lightning Payroll on a new computer, click Enter Paid Subscription Details at the bottom of the wizard instead. This opens the licence install assistant so you can enter your subscription credentials. If the wizard does not appear The trial wizard only appears when no licence or prior trial has ever been installed on that computer. If you have already used a trial on the same machine, or a licence is already installed, the wizard will not show. In that case, visit lightningpayroll.com.au/download to download a fresh installer, or see the trial overview FAQ for more options. Any data you enter during the trial is saved permanently. If you purchase a subscription before or after the 31 days expire, you continue from exactly where you left off. See also: Will I Lose The Data I've Entered When My Trial Expires? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-start-a-free-trial-from-inside-the-lightning-payroll-desktop-app Q: What Are the Upgrade Prompts I See Inside Lightning Payroll and How Do I Act on Them? A: Lightning Payroll displays an upgrade or add-on prompt whenever you reach a feature that your current subscription does not include. The prompt appears as a card in the relevant screen. What the card shows - and what happens when you click it - depends on your account role and subscription type. What Triggers an Upgrade Prompt? A prompt appears in the following situations: Trial expired - your free trial period has ended. Subscription expired - your paid subscription has lapsed. Employee limit reached - you have tried to add an employee beyond your plan's employee cap. Company limit reached - you have tried to open or create a company beyond your plan's company cap. HR Suite required - you have navigated to an HR Suite feature (document management, onboarding checklists, policy tracking, training records) that requires the HR Suite add-on. Accounting Integration required - you have attempted a Xero or MYOB AccountRight export that requires the Accounting Integration add-on. Farm Focus required - you have attempted a Farm Focus payroll export that requires the Farm Focus add-on. What the Card Shows The card has three possible appearances depending on your account type: Account admin (subscription owner) - a headline, a short description, and a button to begin the upgrade process. Sub-user (non-admin) - a message directing you to contact the account admin to request a subscription change. In the online app, an Ask admin button opens a pre-filled email to the admin, and a Copy request button copies the request text to the clipboard. Reseller-managed account - a message directing you to contact your reseller to change your subscription. No purchase button is shown. How the Upgrade Button Works In the desktop app: clicking the button sends a secure sign-in link to the email address registered to your subscription. A confirmation message appears in the card - check your inbox and click the link to open the storefront, where you can complete the purchase. The link expires after one hour. If the email did not arrive, a Resend link button appears in the card. If sending fails, a Retry button appears instead. For trial accounts (where no subscription exists yet), clicking the button opens the pricing page in your browser directly, rather than sending an email. In the online (web/mobile) app: clicking the button fetches a secure sign-in link and redirects you to the storefront immediately. Once you complete the purchase, the app detects the change automatically and unlocks the feature - you do not need to log out and back in. After Completing a Purchase Once your purchase is confirmed, return to the feature you were trying to access. In the desktop app, restart or refresh the relevant screen. In the online app, the feature unlocks automatically within a short time of the purchase completing. For full details on renewing or upgrading your subscription, see How Can I Renew or Upgrade My Subscription?. For information on individual add-ons, see What Is the Accounting Integration Add-On? and How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-upgrade-prompts-i-see-inside-lightning-payroll-and-how-do-i-act-on-them Q: How Do I Remove a Computer Seat From My Desktop Subscription? A: Each Lightning Payroll subscription allows the desktop app to be active on two computers at any one time. If you need to free up a seat - for example, to move your licence to a new machine - you can remove it directly from within the desktop app. Removing a Seat From the Current Computer Open Lightning Payroll on the computer whose seat you want to remove. Go to Tools >> Licence Details. Click the Remove System button. Confirm by clicking Yes when prompted. Once confirmed, Lightning Payroll removes this computer from your subscription and restarts in read-only mode. No pay data is deleted - the program simply locks editing until a licence is reinstalled on the machine. What Happens Next The freed seat is immediately available for use on another computer. To reactivate the same computer later, run the Licence Assistant from the Tools menu and download your licence again. Your web or mobile account is not affected - online access continues normally. Note: The Remove System button is only available on a full paid subscription, not on a trial licence. If you cannot access the computer you want to deregister (for example, it has been lost or replaced), you can release desktop seats from your account on the Lightning Payroll website, or contact our support team. See How Can I Remove My Subscription From Existing Lightning Payroll Installations So That It Can Be Installed On A New Computer? for all available methods. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-remove-a-computer-seat-from-my-desktop-subscription Q: Why Is Lightning Payroll Asking Me to Acknowledge the Accounting Integration Add-On? A: When you click Export to Xero or Export to MYOB AccountRight from the pay run reports menu and your subscription does not include the Accounting Integration Add-On, Lightning Payroll displays an Accounting Integration Add-On Notice dialog. What Is the Notice Telling You? The notice explains that sending payroll journals or direct entry transactions to Xero or MYOB now requires the Accounting Integration Add-On, which became a paid feature from 1 January 2026. Before that date these exports were available as a free beta. The dialog is shown once so you are aware of the change before being directed to purchase the add-on. How Do You Dismiss the Notice? Read the notice in the Accounting Integration Add-On Notice dialog. Type your first and last name into the Your Name field. Click I Understand. Lightning Payroll records your name and the date you acknowledged the notice. The dialog will not appear again on this installation. What Happens After You Acknowledge? After acknowledging, if you are the account administrator and are not accessing Lightning Payroll through a reseller, an upgrade prompt appears so you can add the Accounting Integration Add-On to your subscription. Once the add-on is active, the Export to Xero and Export to MYOB AccountRight menu items will work without further prompts. For full details on what the add-on includes and its pricing, see What Is the Accounting Integration Add-On? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-lightning-payroll-asking-me-to-acknowledge-the-accounting-integration-add-on Q: I Have Paid For My Licence What Happens Next? A: Once you have paid for your subscription — whether monthly or annual — you will receive an invoice to your registered email address along with a new Subscription ID. Desktop App To install your new licence in the Lightning Payroll desktop app, go to Tools >> Licence Assistant. The Licence Assistant wizard will open with an Online Licence Install page. Enter your registered Email Address. Enter your Subscription ID. Click Download Licence. The assistant will contact the Lightning Payroll server and download your licence file. Once the download succeeds, click Install to apply the new licence. The wizard will confirm that your licence has been installed and display your expiry date and subscription details. You can then close the assistant and continue using the program. Online (Web/Mobile) App If you use the Lightning Payroll web or mobile app, your subscription is applied automatically when you log in. There is no Subscription ID to enter — your account is linked to your subscription on our system. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/i-have-paid-for-my-licence-what-happens-next Q: Signature Invalid For Licence Error A: If you are getting a Signature Invalid For Licence error when trying to enter your licence details, this means one of two things: Your subscription has expired and you will need to renew your licence to continue using the program as normal; or, Occasionally, we have to get everyone to update beyond a particular version of the program. We do this by making the License Install Assistant pop up upon opening the program, requesting you enter your registered email and subscription ID; when these details are entered, you will get a Signature Invalid For Licence error. At this point, if you know your licence is not expired, close the License Install Assistant using the window’s close button, then click the Check for Updates Now? button (shown in green on the bottom toolbar of Lightning Payroll). Once updated to the latest version, the program will ask for your licence details once more, at which point you can enter them again, and they will be accepted. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/signature-invalid-for-licence-error Q: What Happens When My Online App Subscription Expires and How Do I Renew? A: When your Lightning Payroll online (web/mobile) app subscription expires, you are shown a full-screen Subscription Expired page. The page displays your subscription's expiry date and a prompt to renew. All of your payroll data remains intact - nothing is deleted when a subscription expires. Renewing as the account admin If you are the account admin (the primary subscription holder), a Renew subscription button appears on the expired screen. Clicking it opens a secure, pre-authenticated link to the Lightning Payroll storefront so you can complete renewal without logging in again. Once payment is processed, the online app detects the change automatically and restores full access within a few minutes. Renewing from a trial If your free trial has ended, the same screen appears with a Choose a plan button. Clicking it takes you to the Lightning Payroll pricing page where you can select a subscription. If your subscription is managed by a reseller or accountant If your account is managed through a reseller or accounting partner, the renew button is replaced with a message directing you to contact them. You cannot self-serve a renewal in this case - your reseller manages your billing. If you are a sub-user (not the account admin) Sub-users see a prompt to contact the account admin. You can use the Ask admin button to send a renewal request directly to the admin's email address, or copy the request text to send it another way. Desktop app In the Lightning Payroll desktop app, an expired subscription triggers an in-app renewal prompt. Clicking Renew subscription sends a secure magic-login link to your registered email address. Open that email on any device, click the link, and complete renewal on the storefront. The desktop app does not display the storefront URL inline for security reasons. For details on the read-only grace period, data retention requirements, and read-only subscription options, see What Happens When My Subscription Expires? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-happens-when-my-online-app-subscription-expires-and-how-do-i-renew Q: How Do I Convert My Desktop Trial to a Paid Subscription From Inside the App? A: If you have already purchased a subscription from the Lightning Payroll website and want to activate it while the trial version is running, you do not need to close or reinstall the program. Desktop App When the trial wizard opens on startup, scroll to the bottom of the first page. You will see the message "If you are an existing (non-trial) user please click the Enter Paid Subscription Details button below." Click Enter Paid Subscription Details. The Licence Assistant opens. Enter your registered email address (the one used to purchase the subscription). Enter your Subscription ID (the numeric ID from your confirmation email or your account page). Click Download Licence. The app downloads and verifies the licence file. Click Next to install the licence. A confirmation screen shows your expiry date, employee count, and included add-ons. Click Finish to close the wizard. The app is now running under your paid subscription. You can also open the Licence Assistant at any time from the main menu via Tools >> Licence Assistant. If the download step fails, check your internet connection and confirm the email address and Subscription ID are correct (both fields are case-sensitive). See I Have Paid For My Licence What Happens Next? for further guidance. Online (Web/Mobile) App The online app does not require a licence install step. Once your purchase is complete, your subscription is picked up automatically the next time you log in. No action is needed inside the app. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-convert-my-desktop-trial-to-a-paid-subscription-from-inside-the-app Q: What Do I Do If I Need More Employees Throughout The Year? A: Your number of employees may increase over time. If you need to increase your allowed employees, you can upgrade your current subscription (monthly or annual) to a higher level at any time. Alternatively, if you are near the end of your subscription period, you may choose to renew at a higher level instead. To upgrade or renew your subscription, log in to your account and click View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions. Highlight the subscription you wish to modify, then click either Upgrade or Renew. When upgrading, a new subscription term (monthly or annual, matching your original subscription) begins from the current date. The upgrade cost is the full price of the new level, minus the unused value of your existing subscription. Example: If you are halfway through a small annual subscription ($319 per year) and need to move to a medium subscription ($599 per year), you would pay $439.50 — that is, $599 minus $159.50 (the remaining half of $319). Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-i-do-if-i-need-more-employees-throughout-the-year Q: How Can I Renew or Upgrade My Subscription? A: To renew your annual subscription, you will first need to log in using your email and account password. If you are unable to log in, you should reset your password. Once you are logged in to the My Account section, click View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions, highlight the subscription you want to change, then click Renew or Upgrade. Renewals Renewals are charged at the full price and extend your current subscription by either 1 month or 12 months from the existing expiry date. If your subscription has already lapsed, the new period begins from the payment date. Upgrades Upgrades always create a brand new subscription starting from today's date. When upgrading, the system automatically deducts the remaining value of your current subscription from the new purchase price, so you only pay the difference. For example, if you have an existing Enterprise subscription ($2599 per year) and halfway through (six months) you need to move to an Agent-25 subscription ($3499 per year), you would pay $2199.50. This is calculated as $3499 minus $1299.50, the remaining value of your current subscription. Add-Ons (Extra Companies and Integrations) Add-ons such as additional companies and integrations can be selected and purchased during the checkout process when renewing or upgrading your subscription. These options appear as part of your subscription configuration before payment is finalised. Add-Ons Require an Upgrade If you only need to increase your add-ons, such as adding more companies, you still need to complete an upgrade. It is not possible to purchase add-ons separately without creating a new subscription. This means a new subscription begins from today's date, with the remaining value of your current subscription and its add-ons deducted from the total cost. Example: You currently have a large subscription with 2 extra companies (4 total: 2 included + 2 extra). You have 3 months remaining on a 12-month subscription. You now require 5 companies in total. In this case, you would: Upgrade to a new large subscription. Select 3 extra companies (to make 5 total). This creates a completely new full-length subscription (monthly or annual), and the system deducts the remaining value of your current subscription and its add-ons. The deduction is calculated proportionally. For example: 3 months remaining out of 12 months. 3/12 of the total value of your current subscription and add-ons is credited. This credited amount is then applied to your new purchase at checkout. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-renew-or-upgrade-my-subscription Q: What Do I Do If I Have A Billing Issue? A: If you have had an issue with the billing of your licence, please get in touch with our team by phone as soon as possible so we can resolve it. We are available Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between 8am and 4:30pm Queensland (AEST) time. Call our Brisbane support centre on 1300 515 895 (Australia) or 0800 515 895 (New Zealand), or email support@lightningpayroll.com.au. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-billing-issue Q: How Can I Access My Account If I Cannot Access The Registered Email? A: If you can no longer use the email address linked to your Lightning Payroll subscription, our support team must confirm your identity before updating any login details. Because email is the primary credential for access, we follow a strict verification process to protect your payroll data. Preferred Method – Same-Domain Email (Role-Based Only) The quickest option is to swap a personal mailbox for a role-based one on the same company domain – for example, david@yourdomain.com.au to payroll@yourdomain.com.au, or francis@yourdomain.com.au to admin@yourdomain.com.au. Because the business controls the domain, ownership is clear and we can process the change as soon as we receive a request from the new address. Alternative Verification – One Official Document, or Two Independent Items One official document (sufficient on its own if dated within the past 30 days): A current government-issued company extract (ASIC, ABR, ATO, etc.) dated within the past 30 days, showing you as a director, owner, or authorised officer. If the extract is older than 30 days, it must be submitted alongside one of the independent items below. A court order, liquidation appointment letter, or other legally binding document naming you (or your firm) as the authorised representative. Or two independent items (both required): System Hardware ID recorded by your previous Lightning Payroll desktop installation. Payment details, such as the last four digits of the credit card from your most recent renewal, or the exact banking reference used for a direct deposit. Photo identification – a clear selfie holding government-issued ID that matches the contact name on the account. Phone-call verification – we call the publicly listed or ASIC-registered phone number for the business to confirm the person making the request is an authorised payroll representative (for example, an office manager or HR representative). Once we verify the evidence, we update your registered email and confirm by reply. Privacy and Document Disposal Copies of ID documents, selfies, ASIC extracts, and court papers are permanently deleted once sighted and verified. We retain only a brief internal note (for example, "ASIC extract sighted, ref 123456") for audit purposes. Email attachments containing personal information are removed from our systems immediately after the check is complete. All data is transmitted over encrypted channels and stored on secure Australian servers during the short review period. If Verification Fails Where we cannot reasonably authenticate the request, we will not modify or release any information. You may instead create a new account under another email address. Although inconvenient, this safeguard prevents unauthorised access to confidential data. Best Practices to Avoid Access Problems Register your subscription with a role-based address (for example, payroll@ or accounts@) rather than a personal inbox. Update contact details promptly when staff leave or roles change. Keep your payment information and company records current so verification is simpler if it is ever needed. If you have any questions, email support@lightningpayroll.com.au or phone us on 07 3051 5895. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-access-my-account-if-i-cannot-access-the-registered-email Q: What Is Changing With Licence Limits and Subscriptions on 1 January 2026? A: From 1 January 2026, we updated the structure of our standard (non-agent) subscription plans. These changes affect the number of companies/entities you can manage in Lightning Payroll, based on your subscription tier. What Changed? Previously, all standard subscription levels included up to 10 companies. Each tier now includes a smaller number of companies: Small: up to 5 employees and up to 2 companies Medium: up to 30 employees and up to 2 companies Large: up to 75 employees and up to 2 companies Extra Large: up to 150 employees and up to 2 companies Enterprise: unlimited employees and up to 5 companies If you need more companies, you can add Extra Company Add-Ons to your subscription. Each add-on increases your company limit and costs $99 per year on an annual subscription, or $9.95 per month on a monthly subscription. You can raise a standard subscription up to a maximum of 10 companies. To manage more than 10 companies, you need an Agent subscription. Why Did the Company Limits Change? These adjustments keep Lightning Payroll fair and affordable. By refining the number of companies included in each tier, smaller businesses don't pay for capacity they don't need, while larger organisations are placed in tiers that better reflect their actual usage. This helps us maintain a sustainable pricing model and keep delivering the level of service and support our customers expect. Does This Affect My Current Subscription? If you renewed or purchased your subscription before 1 January 2026, you kept your existing company limit of 10 until your next renewal. The new limits apply from your next billing period after that date. What If I'm Already Using More Than the New Limit? If you are on a standard subscription and already use more companies than your tier allows, we notify you in the software. You'll see a short popup asking you to acknowledge the change and confirm your name for our records. This isn't a legal agreement, just a way for our support team to track who has been informed. Are Agent Plans Changing? No. Agent plans are not changing. They continue to support unlimited employees and offer packages for up to 25, 50, 100, or unlimited companies. If you need help deciding the right plan or add-on for your business, please get in touch with our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-changing-with-licence-limits-and-subscriptions-on-1-january-2026 Q: What Happens When My Subscription Expires? A: Lightning Payroll offers both monthly and annual subscriptions. When your subscription expires, the program enters a temporary read-only mode before access is locked. 7-day read-only period: You have 7 days of free read-only access after your subscription expires. During this time you can still open the program, view your data, and export reports and payslips. Use this window to save any PDFs or CSVs you need before access is locked. After the 7 days: The program can no longer be used without an active subscription. If you only need ongoing read access to your historical data, you can purchase a reduced-cost read-only subscription (available as an annual or monthly plan), which lets you view, print, and export your records but does not allow new edits. Your data is safe: No data is deleted when your subscription expires. We strongly recommend keeping regular backups of your records. To purchase a read-only licence, visit this link. Keep a copy of your database, as financial and payroll records must be retained for at least 7 years under ATO requirements. To create a backup, go to Tools >> Create Backup in the program. For safety, save your backup to cloud storage or a USB device, or email it to yourself or a trusted colleague. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-happens-when-my-subscription-expires Q: Why Is Lightning Payroll Asking Me For My Licence Details? A: After opening Lightning Payroll, you may occasionally be prompted to enter your licence details. This will occur if your subscription has expired, but it can also occur from time to time for security reasons, and to ensure that you're running the latest version of Lightning Payroll. If this occurs, please enter your registered email address and subscription ID number. Your subscription ID is always a six-digit number. This number gets emailed through when you renew your subscription each year, and it can also be seen by logging in to your account here on our web page (shown below). If you are unable to login, you can reset your password here. Licence Errors If you encounter a Signature Invalid for Licence error (shown below) when entering your licence details, please see here. If you encounter an error saying The number of registered systems has reached the maximum allowed by this licence (shown below) then your subscription ID has already been used on two separate computers since renewal. You'll need to remove your licence from one of the two other computers under Tools >> Licence Details >> Remove System before it can be re-used once again. If you encounter a Local Licence Install screen (shown below) when entering your licence it may mean that you're on an older version of Lightning Payroll. Click here for help updating Lightning Payroll to the latest version. It can also mean that Lightning Payroll is unable to connect to the internet. Please check your internet connection, and if that fails try disabling third-party antivirus/firewall software, as they may need to have an exception created. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-lightning-payroll-asking-me-for-my-licence-details --- Category: Passwords --- Q: How Do I Reset My Password For The Lightning Payroll Online App? A: The Lightning Payroll online (web/mobile) app uses separate accounts for payroll administrators, non-admin payroll users, and employee portal users. The password reset flow routes you to the correct system based on the account type you select. Forgot Your Password? Start the Reset Go to app.lightningpayroll.com.au/auth/forgot_password, or click Forgot password? on the login page. The Password Recovery screen shows a Choose Your Account Type prompt. Select the type that matches your account: Admin Payroll User — the main account holder who manages the subscription and company settings. Payroll User (Non-Admin) — a secondary payroll user added by the admin. Employee Portal User — an employee accessing their own payslips and leave requests via the portal. Enter the email address or username associated with your account, then click Send Password Reset Instructions. Check your email for a reset link. Click the link in the email to open the password reset page. If you don't receive the email, check your spam or junk folder. The reset email only sends when the email address or username matches an active account of the type you selected - it will not confirm whether a match was found, so picking the wrong account type (or an inactive employee portal account) looks identical to a working reset. Setting Your New Password On the reset page, enter your new password in the Enter new password and Confirm new password fields. Your password must meet all of the following requirements: At least 10 characters No more than 32 characters At least one lowercase letter (a–z) At least one uppercase letter (A–Z) At least one number (0–9) At least one special character: ! $ @ # ~ % ^ & * The page shows a live checklist of these requirements as you type. You cannot reuse any of your last 5 passwords. Click Save Password. If the reset is successful, you will be logged in automatically. Linked Accounts If your email address is linked to more than one payroll user, the reset page shows a Select payroll user dropdown after you open the reset link. Choose the user you want to update before clicking Save Password. Reset Link Not Working? If the link shows as invalid or expired, return to the password reset page and request a new one. Admin reset links are valid for one hour; payroll user and employee portal links are valid for two hours. An admin reset link can also stop working before it expires, because it is replaced whenever a newer one is issued for the same account. Requesting a second reset email, using a sign-in link from the desktop app, or completing a purchase on our website will all replace a pending admin reset link. If that happens, request a fresh link and use the most recent email. Employee Portal Password Reset If you are an employee resetting your portal password, select Employee Portal User on the account type screen and enter your employee email address or username. Alternatively, click Forgot Employee Portal Password? directly on the employee portal login page. After following the link in the email, the reset page shows Set your employee portal password. Enter and confirm your new password, then click Save Password. Once saved, click Continue to Login to return to the portal login screen. Employees who are already logged in can also update their password from the Employee details screen by clicking the Change Password button. Changing Your Password While Logged In If you are already logged in to the admin or payroll app and want to change your password, click My Account in the top navigation bar. This takes you to the Lightning Payroll website account portal where you can update your password from your account settings. For help resetting the desktop application administrator password, see How Do I Change My Application Password? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-reset-my-password-for-the-lightning-payroll-online-app Q: How Do I Set Up An Authenticator App For Two-Factor Authentication? A: Lightning Payroll supports authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or any other TOTP app) as an alternative to the emailed one-time code. Once set up, you can enter the 6-digit code from your app at the login screen instead of waiting for an email. See also: How Do I Use Two-Factor Authentication With My Lightning Payroll Account? Setting Up the Authenticator App for Your Own Account In the online (web/mobile) app, open Licence Details from the top navigation bar. Scroll to the Two-Factor Authentication section. A QR code is displayed alongside a text Key. Open your authenticator app, add a new account, and scan the QR code - or enter the key manually if you prefer. The app will then generate a fresh 6-digit code every 30 seconds. Setting Up the Authenticator App for Another User Account owners and admins can display the QR code for any sub-user. In the online app, go to Settings >> User Management. In the users table, click the QR code icon button (Show Auth App QR Code) in the row for the user you want to configure. A modal displays that user's QR code. Have the user scan it in their authenticator app, then click OK to dismiss. Setting Up the Authenticator App for Employee Portal Access Employees who use the employee portal can set up their own authenticator app. After logging in to the employee portal, the Authenticator App panel on the dashboard displays a QR code and a Secret key. Scan the QR code with any TOTP app, or enter the key manually. Keep the key private - if access to the app is ever lost, the emailed verification code can still be used to sign in. Using the Code at Login Once the authenticator app is set up, enter the current 6-digit code from the app at the verification prompt after logging in. Both the emailed code and the authenticator code remain valid; either can be used at any time. In the desktop app, the same authenticator app code is accepted at the Verify 2FA/OTP Code prompt when connecting to your online account. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-an-authenticator-app-for-two-factor-authentication Q: How Can I Reset My Online Backups Password? A: The Online Backups password is separate from your main Lightning Payroll website login. If you have forgotten it, you can request a reset code which is sent to your registered email address. In the desktop app Go to Tools >> Online Backups. On the login screen, click Forgotten Password?. A reset code will be sent to your registered email address. Enter the reset code along with your new password and a confirmation of the new password, then click Next to save. The new password must be at least 10 characters long and include an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a special character. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Tools >> Online Backups. On the login screen, click Forgot Password?. A reset code will be sent to your registered email address. Enter a New Password, Confirm Password, and the Reset Code from your email, then click Reset Password. The new password must be at least 8 characters long and include an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a special character. For general information on setting up Online Backups, see How Can I Set Up Online Backups? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-reset-my-online-backups-password Q: What Is The Online Payroll Authorisation Screen And How Do I Complete It? A: The authorisation screen appears in the online (web/mobile) app when a third-party integration partner requests access to your Lightning Payroll payroll data. It is part of a secure OAuth authorisation flow and is only shown for integrations that require access to payroll data - not for basic identity or sign-in requests. If you are already signed in When the screen detects an existing session, it displays a consent card headed Authorise (or Authorise [Partner Name] when the requesting application is identified). The card shows the email address you are currently signed in as and explains that continuing will grant the integration access to that account's payroll data. You have two options: Continue as this account - confirms the authorisation and grants the integration access to the payroll data for the account shown. Use this when the displayed account is the one you intend to authorise. Use a different account - clears the current session and returns you to the sign-in form. Use this if you need to authorise as a different customer account (for example, if you are a bookkeeper setting up an integration on behalf of a client). If you are not signed in If there is no existing session, or after selecting Use a different account, the screen shows a sign-in form. Enter the email address and password for the account you want to authorise, then select Sign In. If your account uses two-factor verification, a code will be sent to your registered contact method - enter it in the field shown and select Submit to complete the sign-in. Once signed in, the consent card described above will appear for you to confirm. If you need to start over If you entered the wrong code during two-factor verification, select Restart to return to the sign-in form and begin again. You can also use Forgot password? if you cannot remember your credentials. For general information about two-factor verification, see How Do I Use Two-Factor Authentication With My Lightning Payroll Account? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-online-payroll-authorisation-screen-and-how-do-i-complete-it Q: How Do I Sign In To Lightning Payroll Using Xero, Google Or Another Social Account? A: Social sign-in (SSO) lets you log in to the Lightning Payroll online (web/mobile) app using your existing Google, Microsoft, or Xero account instead of a separate email and password. This option is available for admin payroll users only and applies to the online app - the desktop app uses an email and password login. Signing In With a Social Account Go to app.lightningpayroll.com.au/auth/login. On the Choose Your Login Type screen, select Admin Payroll User. Below the standard email and password fields you will see buttons labelled Sign in with Google, Sign in with Microsoft, and Sign in with Xero. Click the button for the provider you want to use. You will be redirected to your chosen provider's login page. Authenticate with that provider as normal. After a successful provider login, you are returned to Lightning Payroll. If two-factor verification is required, a login code is emailed to your registered address - enter it on the verification screen and click Submit. Once verified, you are signed in and taken to the company selection screen. Notes on Each Provider Google and Microsoft - available on all Lightning Payroll online logins. Xero - available when logging in directly through Lightning Payroll. If you access the app through a reseller or partner portal, the Xero button may not appear. Troubleshooting If the social login buttons do not appear, confirm you selected Admin Payroll User on the login type screen. The buttons are not shown for Payroll User (Non-Admin) or Employee Portal User logins. If you see "Failed to retrieve ID token from social login provider" or "Failed to retrieve tokens from social login provider", the provider did not complete the authorisation. Try again, ensuring you approve the requested permissions at the provider's login page. If the login code email does not arrive within a few minutes, check your spam folder. The code is sent to the email address registered with your Lightning Payroll account, not necessarily the address used with your social provider. If you have previously set a Lightning Payroll password and want to switch to social sign-in, both methods will continue to work - there is no need to remove your password. For help resetting or changing a standard Lightning Payroll password, see How Do I Change My Application Password? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-sign-in-to-lightning-payroll-using-xero-google-or-another-social-account Q: How Do I Sign In To The Lightning Payroll Online Web App? A: The Lightning Payroll web and mobile app is separate from the desktop application. To sign in, open a browser and go to https://app.lightningpayroll.com.au/login (AU) or https://app.lightningpayroll.co.nz/login (NZ). Choose Your Login Type The first screen asks you to choose your account type. Select the option that matches your role: Admin Payroll User - the primary account holder who manages payroll. Sign in with your registered email address and password. SSO (single sign-on) options may also be available if your organisation has configured them. Payroll User (Non-Admin) - a secondary user set up by the admin with restricted access. Sign in with your assigned username or email and password. Employee Portal User - an employee who needs to view payslips, request leave, or complete HR tasks. Selecting this option redirects you to the employee portal sign-in page. Enter Your Credentials After selecting your account type, enter your email address (or username for non-admin users) and password, then click Sign In. Verification Code If two-factor verification is active on your account, a six-digit code will be sent to your registered email address. Enter the code on the next screen and click Verify And Sign In. If you have an authenticator app set up, you can use the current code from that instead. Multiple Payroll Users If your email is linked to more than one payroll user, a third step will ask you to select which payroll user you want to open before you proceed. Forgot Your Password? Click Forgot password? on the sign-in screen. You will be asked to confirm your account type, then password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email. For more detail, see How Do I Change My Application Password? Employee Portal Sign-In Employees sign in at the employee portal directly. On the main Choose Your Login Type screen, select Employee Portal User and you will be taken to the employee portal sign-in page. Enter your email address or username and password, then complete the verification code step if prompted. For help setting up employee portal access, see How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-sign-in-to-the-lightning-payroll-online-web-app Q: Why Has My Onboarding Invitation Link Stopped Working? A: Onboarding invitation links can only be used once and expire after 24 hours. If you click the link and see the message We couldn't sign you in, the link has either already been used or it has expired. If You Have Already Set a Password You do not need to use the link again. Go to the online app login page and sign in with your email address and password. Use the Forgot Password link on that page if you need to reset it. If You Have Not Yet Set a Password Ask the payroll administrator to resend the invitation. The steps differ depending on which app they use. In the online (web/mobile) app: Open the employee record and go to Employees >> Details >> Online Portal. Click Resend Employee Portal Email. A fresh invitation is sent immediately to the employee's email address. In the desktop app: Open the employee record and go to the Online Portal tab. Click Resend Portal Setup Email. The employee receives a new email containing their username and a password reset link. Once you receive the new email, open the invitation link promptly. The link expires after 24 hours and can only be used once, so do not open it in multiple browser tabs or click it more than once. For more information on how portal accounts are created, see What Generates An Employee Portal Account and Email? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-has-my-onboarding-invitation-link-stopped-working Q: How Do I Use Two-Factor Authentication With My Lightning Payroll Account? A: In line with recent security updates from the ATO, we've introduced two-factor verification for all Lightning Payroll customers. This step further secures your account, protecting your personal information. You have two methods to choose from: email verification or Google Authenticator. Email Verification This method is enabled by default. After entering your password, you'll receive a one-time code via email. You'll need this code to log into your account on our website. The system prompts you to enter this code after correctly inputting your password, just enter the emailed code into the provided field and click Login. Google Authenticator Verification If you like, you can also use Google Authenticator for your one-time codes. Just go to the My Account section of Client Login on our website, and scan the provided QR code with your Google Authenticator app on your smartphone by clicking the + symbol. Note that activating Google Authenticator doesn't disable email codes; both methods can be used simultaneously. The Google Authenticator option is especially handy if you or your staff can't regularly access your registered email account for email verification. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-two-factor-authentication-with-my-lightning-payroll-account Q: How Do I Change My Application Password? A: Lightning Payroll offers two types of applications: a desktop app for Windows and Mac, and a web/mobile app accessible online. Below are instructions for managing passwords in both types of applications. Desktop Application Password Management If you would like to reset or remove the application password for Lightning Payroll, you can do this under Settings. To remove the existing application password, go to Settings >> Password & Security and click Remove Application Administrator Password on the right; the program will prompt you to enter the existing password in order to remove it. To reset the password, go to Settings >> Password & Security and remove the password as above. You can then enter and confirm the new password you wish to use, and click Set Application Administrator Password on the right. If you cannot get into your program at all, you will need to contact our support team for assistance. Web/Mobile Application Password Management The password for the web/mobile application is the same as your Lightning Payroll website login. If you are already logged into the web/mobile application or website and wish to change your password, navigate to My Account and then select Change your password. If you are not logged in and need to reset your password, you can do so by visiting the password reset page. You can access the login pages here: Website login: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/account/login Web/Mobile application login: https://app.lightningpayroll.com.au/auth/login Other Password Issues If you need help with other passwords related to Lightning Payroll, see the following resources: Online backups password assistance ATO machine credential password recovery Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-change-my-application-password Q: I've Forgotten my Password for Online Backups A: If you cannot remember your password to login to the online backups portal, you can reset it by clicking Forgotten Password. A reset code will be sent to your registered email address. You can then choose a new password, confirm the new password and input the reset code you will have received by email from Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ive-forgotten-my-password-for-online-backups Q: Why Can't I Login To This Website? A: If you're experiencing issues logging into Client Login on our website, there could be a couple of reasons for this. Please review the following steps to troubleshoot your login issues: Recent Password System Upgrade We have recently upgraded our password systems to ensure greater customer security. For this reason, if you haven't logged into our website in a while, you will likely need to update your password to meet these increased standards. Updating Your Password If your password needs updating, please use the "Lost your password?" link on the login page. Remember, your passwords must adhere to the following requirements: At least 10 characters in length Contain at least 1 uppercase letter Contain at least 1 lowercase letter Contain at least 1 special character (numbers or symbols) Failed Login Attempts Be aware that multiple failed login attempts (incorrect password entered) will temporarily lock you out for a 30-minute period. This security measure is in place to protect your account and cannot be bypassed, even by our support staff. For Paid Subscribers If you are a current paid subscriber to Lightning Payroll, you can log in to your account at the Client Login link at the top of this page. If you have forgotten your password, please reset it here. For Trial Users If you are a trial user, you will not yet have an online account. You can sign up as a new user after selecting the appropriate subscription package here on our purchase page. If you continue to experience issues logging in after following these steps, please contact our support team for further assistance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-cant-i-login-to-this-website --- Category: Pays --- Q: How Do I Enter or Edit Past Pays? A: To enter pays retrospectively in the program, you will need to go to the Pays tab, then hold down the Last Pay Run button on the left, and skip through to the pay period you'd like to start entering pays from. Once in the pay run you're after, you can edit pays like normal, then, once all relevant pays are complete, you can click Next Pay Run on the right and complete the next pay run, and so on, so forth. If your employees' names are not in the pay run you skip back to, you can click on Create Pays Wizard to add them into the pay run. If you cannot add certain employees to a past pay run, please see the second paragraph of this FAQ. It is also possible to edit past pays, though please bear in mind this would be done only in a few specific scenarios, as you do not generally want to edit any values that had been paid out at the time, being that you want to have accurate records of what was paid and accounted for at the time (even if there is a mistake in there). If you find yourself in a scenario where you need to edit a past pay, you will need to skip back to the pay run in question, click edit pencil icon to the right of the employee's pay you're editing, then click on the little padlock button at the bottom left of the screen to unlock the pay for editing, then proceed as usual. Looking to change which day your weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay cycle ends on going forward, rather than editing a specific past pay? See How Can I Change My Pay Run Dates? instead. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-or-edit-past-pays Q: How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? A: Lightning Payroll integrates with Farm Focus to allow you to export payroll details as invoices directly into your farm management system. This feature is similar to our Xero and MYOB general ledger exports and is available with the Farm Focus add-on. To use this integration, you will need to purchase the Farm Focus add-on as part of your subscription upgrade or when purchasing a new subscription. Once added, the integration features will be unlocked. The first step is to configure your general ledger code mappings. Setting Up GL Code Mapping In the desktop app: go to Company >> GL Codes. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Company >> GL Codes. Tick the box for Enable Farm Focus GL Codes. Click Download Farm Focus Codes to import your account codes. You can now map pay items to the appropriate Farm Focus codes. Use the table to add, edit or delete mappings. Click the delete icon to remove incorrect or unnecessary mappings. Submitting Pays to Farm Focus In the desktop app: Open the Pays tab and open the reports/export menu. Click Export to Farm Focus. If not already connected, click Connect to Farm Focus and log in to authorise your company. In the online (web/mobile) app: Navigate to the Pays screen. Click the Reports button. Select Farm Focus Export from the menu. If not already connected, click Connect to Farm Focus and log in to authorise your company. Once connected, select the pays you wish to submit and click Next. Review totals against your mapped account codes on the next screen. Click Submit to Farm Focus once you are ready to proceed. If you wish to disconnect at any point, click Disconnect Farm Focus. View Summary and Records After submission, proceed to the summary screen to view a breakdown of what was sent. You can also generate and save a PDF report for your records. The submitted payroll amounts will now appear in Farm Focus under the Actuals section. For New Zealand employers: submitting pays to Farm Focus sends accounting/GL data only - it does not file Employment Information with Inland Revenue. To file payday filing, use Pays >> Payday Filing >> Submit Employment Information instead. See How Do I Submit Employment Information From The Online App? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-payroll-data-to-farm-focus Q: How Can I Change My Pay Run Dates? A: If your pay run dates need to change for pays going forward, go to Company >> Pay Dates and click Edit. This lets you set the recurring pay day for the relevant pay cycle (weekly, fortnightly or monthly), and the pay runs adjust their dates accordingly. Every date you set here is the last day of the pay period - the pay run end date - not the date you process the pay, and not the date your employees are actually paid. If you need to change when a pay is processed or paid, use Set Processed/Paid Date from the Pays screen instead - this screen only changes which day your recurring pay cycle ends on. Note: you are choosing the day of your pay cycle, not the period currently shown on the Pays screen. If you have made mistakes with past, completed pay run dates, our support staff may be able to assist. Looking to correct a specific past pay rather than change the recurring cycle date? See How Do I Enter or Edit Past Pays? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-change-my-pay-run-dates Q: How Do I Edit A Pay? A: To edit a pay in the online (web/mobile) app, navigate to the Pays section and select the relevant pay run. Click Edit Pays to step through each employee's pay in order, or click the edit icon next to a specific employee's name to open that pay directly. Each pay opens in a tabbed view. Use the tabs on the left to navigate between sections of the pay. The pay summary - showing totals for gross pay, tax, and super or KiwiSaver - is always visible on the right while you work. Available Tabs Hours & Pay Rates - Enter the hours worked and select the pay rate for each row. You can add multiple rows for ordinary time, overtime, and any custom pay rates defined on the employee. Leave Taken In This Pay - Record leave taken during this pay period. See How Do I Pay Leave? for detailed steps. Leave Balances - View a read-only summary of the employee's leave balances as calculated for this pay. Use the How is this balance calculated? link for a breakdown. Allowances - Add or edit allowance rows for this pay. (AU only.) Deductions - Add or edit post-tax deductions such as union fees or child support. Departments - Allocate the pay across departments by percentage if the employee works across multiple cost centres. Salary/Wage Sacrifices - Record salary or wage sacrifice amounts for this pay. Tax - Review or manually override the tax amount. For AU companies the field label is Total Tax Amount; for NZ companies it shows PAYE and can also record Student Loan amounts. Super (AU) or KiwiSaver (NZ) - Review the calculated super guarantee or KiwiSaver contributions. NZ users also see ESCT and any compulsory or voluntary amounts here. Pay Dates - Adjust the pay period end date or the processed/paid date for this individual pay if needed. Back Payments - Enter a back payment for wages owed from a prior period. (AU only.) Bonus/Commission - Enter a bonus, commission, directors' fees, or NZ Employee Share Scheme (ESS) payment. (NZ only.) Reimbursements - Record reimbursement claims against pre-configured categories. (Requires the HR Suite add-on.) Saving and Completing When you are satisfied with the pay entry, click Save & Next to save and move to the next employee in the pay run, or Save & Close to return to the pay run list. Once all pays in a run are marked as complete, you can generate payslips and submit to the ATO (AU) or file Employment Information with Inland Revenue (NZ). For more information on processing the full pay run, see How Do I Process a Pay?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-edit-a-pay Q: How Do I Control Which Hours And Rates Copy From The Last Pay? A: A new pending pay starts from rostered shifts, the employee's last pay, or their standard hours (see How Does The Pays Screen Work?). A group of settings called Previous pay copy options controls exactly what carries over from the employee's last pay. In the desktop app: go to Employees >> Pay Rates. In the online app: go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. Start with all rates regardless of last pay — every current pay rate for the employee is listed on the new pay, whether or not it was used last time. Copy hours from last pay — carries the hourly rate lines over from the last pay. Include hourly values from last pay — also copies the hours entered against each hourly line. Untick it to carry the lines over with the hours zeroed, ready for fresh entry. Include non-hourly pay rates from last pay — carries over non-hourly lines, such as salary or per-unit rates. Include non-hourly values from last pay — also copies the amounts on those non-hourly lines; untick it to carry the lines over with zero amounts. The options take effect the next time a pay is created or refreshed for the employee. Rostered shifts still take priority over copied hours when they exist. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-control-which-hours-and-rates-copy-from-the-last-pay Q: How Do I Use the Import Time & Attendance Wizard? A: Import Time & Attendance (CSV/JSON) The Import Time & Attendance wizard is an advanced import tool designed for payroll administrators and third-party software developers who want to integrate external time and attendance systems with Lightning Payroll. If you are using another app that can generate an export file, this wizard lets you upload that data and create pays quickly within Lightning Payroll. For most customers, simpler options may be a better fit, such as the Lightning Payroll mobile timeclock app or employee-entered timesheets via the Employee Portal on our website. This wizard is available in both the desktop app (Windows and macOS) and the web and mobile versions of Lightning Payroll. How To Access The Wizard In the desktop app: go to Pays and click Import/Manage Time And Attendance Data, or open Rosters and click Import/Manage Time And Attendance Data. The desktop wizard will first ask you to choose a source format: Lightning Payroll (Web App CSV/JSON Format) to use the same CSV/JSON format as the online app, or BundyPlus to import a BundyPlus CSV export. Australian companies also see a separate Direct Payroll Import choice in the desktop wizard: Import from Aussie Timesheets (MYOB format). Unlike the formats above, which stage shift data for review, this option creates completed pays directly from an Aussie Timesheets MYOB-format export file (.csv or .txt). The file must contain the columns Employee Card ID, Date, Payroll Category, Units and Job, with dates entered as dd/mm/yyyy, and each Employee Card ID must match the employee's number in Lightning Payroll. The wizard validates the whole file and shows a review screen before any pays are created. This import is available in the desktop app only, for Australian payroll companies. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Pays >> Timeclock/Portal Sync >> Import Pay Data (CSV/JSON). Once opened, you will be taken to the main import wizard screen where you can choose your settings and upload (or paste) your data. You can import either JSON (Full) for the complete PayCreate model, or CSV (Basic) for hours, leave, and allowances only. The wizard validates your file, shows a preview, and then creates pays. Before You Start At the top of the wizard you will see the Pay Run date and pay period. This confirms which pay run your import will be applied to. Make sure your file matches this pay run before continuing. Step 1: Choose Your Import Settings Import Format JSON (Full) uses the full PayCreate model and supports all pay items. CSV (Basic) supports hours, leave, and allowances only. Employee Identifier Employee Number is the external app identifier. Employee ID is the Lightning Payroll identifier. Default Pay Department (optional, CSV only) Leave blank to use the department in each CSV row. If filled in, it will be used as the default for CSV rows without a department. Step 2: Get Or Create Your File Use Download JSON Template or Download CSV Template to get a sample file. Save the file anywhere on your computer and then upload it using the Upload JSON or Upload CSV button. Optional: Paste JSON Instead Of Uploading If you are using JSON, you can click Paste JSON (Optional) to paste your JSON array directly into the wizard. When text is present, click Next to validate and preview the data. Optional: View The PayCreate Schema (JSON Only) Click View PayCreate Schema to load the JSON schema used by the importer. You can copy the schema using the Copy button. This is helpful when you are building your own JSON file and need to confirm valid fields and structure. JSON (Full) Requirements The root structure must be a JSON array. Each item in the array must be a PayCreate object. Each item must include the selected identifier field: employee_id or employee_number. Pay items can include hours, leave, allowances, deductions, bonuses, pay sacrifices, and back payments (see schema below). Example JSON Payload This example shows a JSON array with multiple employees and a mix of pay items: [ { "employee_id": 1234, "pay_department": "Engineering", "hours": [ { "description": "Ordinary Time", "rate": 30.0, "units": "hours", "is_overtime": false, "value": 37.5 }, { "description": "Saturday Overtime", "multiplier": 1.5, "units": "hours", "is_overtime": true, "value": 5.0 } ], "leave": [ { "description": "Annual Leave", "leave_type": "HOLIDAY", "multiplier": 1.0, "date": "2026-02-02", "hours": 7.6, "leave_loading_amount": 3.8 } ], "allowances": [ { "description": "Tool Allowance", "amount": 50.0, "allowance_category": "TD" } ], "deductions": [ { "description": "Union Fees", "amount": 25.0, "classification": "UNION_FEES" } ] }, { "employee_number": "EMP001", "hours": [ { "description": "Ordinary Time", "rate": 32.5, "units": "hours", "is_overtime": false, "value": 38.0 } ], "allowances": [ { "description": "Car Allowance", "amount": 200.0, "allowance_category": "RD", "is_taxable": true, "is_itemised": true, "is_included_in_super_calculations": false } ], "bonuses": [ { "description": "Performance Bonus", "amount": 500.0, "tax_method": "NORMAL_EARNINGS" } ], "pay_sacrifices": [ { "description": "Car Salary Sacrifice", "amount": 300.0, "is_included_in_super_calculations": false, "is_super": true } ], "back_payments": [ { "description": "Back Pay Adjustment", "amount": 200.0, "stp_category": "GROSS", "tax_method": "NORMAL_EARNINGS", "start_date": "2026-01-01", "end_date": "2026-01-31" } ] } ] CSV (Basic) Requirements CSV imports support hours, leave, and allowances only. The CSV must include the following columns: employee_id or employee_number item_type description units rate multiplier value is_overtime leave_type date leave_loading_amount pay_department amount allowance_category CSV rules by item_type: hours Required: rate or multiplier, and value. units is optional and defaults to hours. is_overtime should be true or false. leave Required: leave_type, value, and date in YYYY-MM-DD format. rate is optional, or provide a multiplier which defaults to the employee's pay rate. leave_loading_amount is optional. allowance Required: amount and allowance_category. Step 3: Upload And Preview After uploading or pasting data, click Next. The wizard will validate your file and show a preview. If there are issues, the wizard will list row errors and you will need to fix your file and re-upload. Review Screen Details Rows parsed show each import line. Skipped rows indicate blank lines that were ignored. Errors appear if any rows failed validation. Import preview includes row and employee details plus totals where available. Step 4: Finish The Import If no issues are detected, click Finish to create pays. The wizard will confirm how many pays were imported and then return you to the pays list. PayCreate JSON Schema { "title": "PayCreate", "type": "object", "properties": { "employee_id": { "title": "Employee Id", "description": "The internal Lightning Payroll (LP) unique ID for the employee. Use this if `identifier_type=employee_id`.", "example": 1234, "type": "integer" }, "employee_number": { "title": "Employee Number", "description": "The external user-controlled employee number. Required only if `identifier_type=employee_number`. Must be unique across ALL companies.", "example": "EMP001", "minLength": 0, "maxLength": 32, "type": "string" }, "hours": { "title": "Hours", "description": "Optional list of pay hour items (may be empty), including description, rate/multiplier, units, overtime status, and value.", "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayHours" } }, "leave": { "title": "Leave", "description": "Optional list of leave items (may be empty).", "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/Leave" } }, "pay_department": { "title": "Pay Department", "description": "Department/Cost-centre name or code to be applied to all items in this entire pay.", "type": "string" }, "allowances": { "title": "Allowances", "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayAllowance" } }, "deductions": { "title": "Deductions", "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayDeduction" } }, "bonuses": { "title": "Bonuses", "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayBonus" } }, "pay_sacrifices": { "title": "Pay Sacrifices", "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PaySacrifice" } }, "back_payments": { "title": "Back Payments", "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/BackPayments" } } } } Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-import-time-attendance-wizard Q: How Do I Export GL Postings From A Pay Run? A: GL Postings reports translate your pay run data into accounting journal entries for import into your accounting software. Two formats are available: a PDF print preview and a CSV file ready for import. Both options appear in the Reports menu on the Pays screen and are only enabled when at least one completed pay exists in the current pay run. Before exporting, make sure your GL codes and export settings are configured. See How Do I Configure and Export GL (General Ledger) Files in Lightning Payroll To My Accounting Software? for setup instructions. In the Desktop App Go to the Pays screen. Navigate to the pay run you want to export. Click the Reports button on the Pays toolbar. From the dropdown menu, select one of the following: GL Postings (PDF/Print Preview) - opens a printable PDF of the GL journal entries for the selected pay run. GL Postings (CSV Export) - downloads a CSV file formatted for import into your accounting software. GL Postings (CSV Export) Legacy Version - an older CSV format, available if your accounting software requires it. The CSV export uses the date format, column layout, and department split settings configured under Company >> GL Codes. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to the Pays screen. Navigate to the pay run you want to export. Click the Reports button on the pay run toolbar. From the menu, select one of the following: GL Postings (PDF/Print Preview) - generates and downloads a PDF of the GL journal for the current pay run. GL Postings (CSV Export) - generates and downloads a CSV of the GL journal for the current pay run. Both options are greyed out if there are no completed pays in the current pay run. Complete the pay run first, then return to the Reports menu to export. The online app also includes a Suggested GL postings report accessible from the main Reports screen, which lets you filter by date range across multiple pay runs. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-gl-postings-from-a-pay-run Q: How Do I Process a Termination in the Online App? A: This article covers the online (web/mobile) app. For the desktop app, see How Can I Terminate an Employee (Basic)? and How Can I Terminate an Employee (Detailed)?. To process a termination in the online app, open the employee's pay in the Pays screen and click the Terminate Employee button in the action dock at the bottom of the edit pay screen. If a termination has already been added to the pay, the button will show Edit instead. Note: Termination details are saved to the pending pay and the employee is only marked as terminated once the pay is completed. Australian companies - Termination Wizard For AU companies, clicking Terminate Employee opens the multi-step Termination Wizard. Use the Back and Next buttons to move through the steps. The Cancel button exits without terminating the employee. Introduction - a brief overview of the wizard. Reason and date - enter the termination date and select the STP cessation type (e.g. ordinary termination, genuine redundancy, ill-health). If the employee's date of birth is not on file, a screen will prompt you to enter it so ETP tax can be calculated correctly. Redundancy - if you selected a genuine redundancy or early retirement scheme, enter the redundancy payout amount here. A calculated estimate is provided. Do not include payment in lieu of notice on this screen. Non-ETP payout options - select which leave types to pay out on termination (e.g. unused annual leave, leave loading, long service leave). Deselect any leave types that are not to be paid. You can also enter any other non-ETP amounts here. ETP payout options - enter any ETP amounts such as payment in lieu of notice. If no ETP items apply, click Next to skip this step. Advanced Settings (optional) - review and, if necessary, edit the lump sum leave balances to be paid out. Access this from the ETP payout options step. Advanced ETP Settings (optional) - review and edit ETP tax amounts where required, particularly useful for genuine redundancies. Termination Summary - review the complete termination summary, including cessation code, payout options, and all payment amounts. If everything is correct, click Save to apply the termination to the pay. After saving the termination, return to the pay and click Save to complete the pay as normal. The employee will be marked as terminated once the pay is processed. New Zealand companies - Employment Finish For NZ companies, clicking Terminate Employee opens the Employment Finish form. This is a single screen that calculates the full final pay in one step. Enter the Employment finish date. The form will automatically calculate final pay and extra pay taxes from the pay input and the employee's leave balances. Review the calculated amounts. Tick Enter leave amounts manually if you need to override the automatic figures. If applicable, tick Pay payment in lieu of notice and enter the Payment in lieu amount. Enter a Redundancy amount if the employee is being made redundant. Enter any Additional termination amount for ex gratia or other one-off payments. Confirm the YTD taxable to finish date figure is correct, as this is used in the extra pay tax calculation. Click Save Termination to apply the settings to the pay. Once the Employment Finish form is saved, complete the pay as normal. To remove a termination already attached to a pay, use the Remove termination option available within the edit pay screen. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-a-termination-in-the-online-app Q: What Is The 'Include Debit Entry' Option When Creating A Direct Entry File? A: When generating a Direct Entry (ABA) file, the final step of the wizard includes an Include Debit Entry? checkbox. This adds a balancing debit record to the ABA file alongside the individual payment credit records. Most banks do not require this, but some financial institutions will reject an ABA file that does not contain a matching debit entry. If your bank returns an error when you upload the file, regenerate the ABA file with this option enabled. Desktop App On the Save File step of the Direct Entry wizard, tick Include debit entry (i.e. balancing entry)? before saving the file. The setting is remembered for your company, so future files will include the debit entry automatically unless you uncheck it. Online App On the Save Direct Entry File step of the Direct Entry wizard, tick Include Debit Entry? before clicking Download Direct Entry File. The same checkbox is available when generating a Direct Entry file for superannuation payments, and also on the regenerate ABA tool. For a full guide to creating Direct Entry files, see How Do I Make Payments Using a Direct Entry Banking File? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-include-debit-entry-option-when-creating-a-direct-entry-file Q: How Do I Send Payroll Bank Transactions to Xero or MYOB (Bank Reconciliation)? A: When creating a Direct Entry (ABA) file, Lightning Payroll can optionally submit matching bank transactions to Xero or MYOB. This gives each individual employee wage payment or super contribution its own entry in your accounting platform, making bank reconciliation easier. This is separate from the general ledger journal export — see How Can I Send Data To Xero From Lightning Payroll? or How Do I Submit General Ledger Journals and Bank Transactions to MYOB AccountRight? for journal-based exports. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App After selecting pays and reaching the Preview Payment Information step in the Direct Entry Wizard, you will see an optional dropdown labelled (Optional) Send Transactions To?. Select Xero or MYOB to enable bank transaction submission after the ABA file is generated. Once you click Next from the preview step, the wizard will proceed to the relevant bank export screen. Xero Bank Transaction Export The Review Xero Transaction Export screen loads and displays the bank account that will be used for the transactions. Select the Xero company (tenant) to submit to from the dropdown. If no tenant is connected yet, the app will open Xero in your browser to authorise access. Use Add Another Company/Tenant Connection to connect additional tenants if needed. Confirm that the correct tenant is shown next to You are currently submitting to. Click Submit to Xero. A success message will confirm the transactions were submitted. Any warnings returned by Xero will be displayed in a popup. MYOB Bank Transaction Export The Review MYOB Transaction Export screen loads, showing the MYOB company and the bank account to be used. If this is your first time submitting, you will be asked to log in to MYOB in your browser. Confirm the company shown next to You are currently submitting to is correct. Click Submit to MYOB. A success message confirms the transactions were submitted. In the Desktop App In the Direct Entry Wizard (available from the Pays screen), the bank transaction export to Xero or MYOB is offered automatically on the Preview screen. Tick the option to send transactions to your accounting platform and then click Next. The wizard will present the Xero Authentication or MYOB Authentication screens, followed by the review and submission step, which works in the same way as the journal export. The same bank transaction export is also available inside the SuperStream Direct Entry Wizard, allowing super contribution payments to be submitted as bank transactions to Xero. Bank Account Requirements Lightning Payroll matches each transaction to a bank account in your accounting platform using the accounts configured under Company >> Bank Accounts. The bank account names and details must match those in Xero or MYOB. If a match cannot be found, the submission will be blocked and you will be prompted to resolve the mismatch before proceeding. In the desktop app, the relevant bank accounts for pays and super are set under Company >> Bank Accounts. These are used automatically during the export. Important Note: Debit GL Codes (Desktop Only) In the desktop app, only credit GL codes can be flagged to send to bank transactions. If you tick Send To Bank Transactions on a debit GL code under Company >> GL Codes, the setting will be cleared automatically with a warning. This restriction applies to the journal-based bank transaction option only; it does not affect the Direct Entry bank transaction export described above. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-send-payroll-bank-transactions-to-xero-or-myob-bank-reconciliation Q: How Do I Export a Pay Run to Farm Focus in the Online App? A: Lightning Payroll integrates with Farm Focus to let you export pay run invoices directly into your farm management system. The Farm Focus add-on is required. If you do not yet have it, see How Can I Renew or Upgrade My Subscription? For the desktop app flow, see How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? Step 1 - Set Up GL Code Mappings Before exporting for the first time, map your pay items to Farm Focus account codes. Go to Company >> GL Codes. Tick Enable Farm Focus GL Codes. Click Download Farm Focus Codes to pull your account codes from Farm Focus. Map each pay item to the appropriate Farm Focus code using the table that appears. Step 2 - Open the Farm Focus Export Wizard Go to the Pays screen and navigate to the pay run you want to export. Open the reports/actions menu and select Farm Focus Export. This option is only available when there is at least one completed pay in the pay run. Step 3 - Connect to Farm Focus and Select Pays The first page of the wizard is titled Login To Farm Focus To Export Pay Run Invoice. If this is your first export, click Connect to Farm Focus. You will be redirected to Farm Focus in your browser to authorise the connection. After authorising, return to Lightning Payroll and click Check For Token to confirm the connection. A success banner shows the connected farm name and connection time. If you are already connected, the banner shows Connected and you can proceed directly. Once connected, select the pays to include in the export from the list below the connection status, then click Next. Step 4 - Review and Submit The Review Pay Run Before Export screen shows the journal entries that will be sent, including pay items, mapped Farm Focus codes, and amounts. Only codes with amounts are included in the submission. If a warning about missing codes appears, return to Company >> GL Codes to complete the mapping before continuing. When satisfied, click Submit to Farm Focus. Step 5 - View the Summary After a successful submission, the Summary screen displays the Status, Status Code, Submission Date, and connected Farm name. Click Print/Preview to download a PDF record of the submission. To disconnect from Farm Focus at any time, click Disconnect Farm Focus on the connection or review screen. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-a-pay-run-to-farm-focus-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Edit Allowances Or Deductions On Past Completed Pays? A: The Retrospective Tool lets you update the description, category, or classification of allowances and deductions across a range of past completed pays in bulk, without reopening and unlocking each pay individually. In the desktop app Go to Tools >> Retrospective Tool. The wizard will ask you to choose a date range, optionally filter by employee, and then select Allowances or Deductions from the What would you like to change? dropdown. After selecting the pays you want to amend, choose the allowances or deductions to edit and confirm your changes. In the online (web/mobile) app Navigate to Tools >> Retrospective Tool. The tool walks you through four steps: Date range - set the start and end dates covering the completed pays you want to change. Select employees - choose the employees whose pays should be included. Select pays - use the What would you like to change? dropdown to pick Allowances or Deductions, optionally narrow the list with Filter by Employee, then tick the pays you want to update. Edit - the corresponding editor opens for the pays you selected. Editing allowances The Retrospective Allowance Editor lists every allowance attached to the selected pays. Use Filter by Description to narrow the list, select one or more allowance rows, then click the edit button. In the form you can change the Description, the Allowance Category, and whether the allowance is Itemised. The amount and taxable flag cannot be changed here. Editing deductions The Retrospective Deduction Editor works the same way. Select one or more deductions, click the edit button, and update the Description or Classification. The amount, percentage, and other calculation fields are read-only in this editor. When you click Next at the final step, a Confirm Retrospective Changes prompt appears. Confirm to apply the updates to all affected pays at once. For instructions on entering or correcting individual past pays, see How Do I Enter or Edit Past Pays? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-edit-allowances-or-deductions-on-past-completed-pays Q: How Do I Regenerate an ABA Direct Entry File for Banking Upload? A: If you have misplaced an ABA file, forgotten to upload it, or want to review what was included in a previous submission, you can regenerate the file at any time. In the Desktop App Go to the Tools menu and select Regenerate Banking File. Select the type of file to regenerate: Recreate Super Banking File - for SuperStream contributions paid to super fund bank accounts. Recreate Pays/Wages Banking File - for payments made to employee bank accounts. Choose the relevant file from your ABA history. Optionally, tick Update Processing Date? if you want the regenerated file to reflect a different processing date. Click Next and follow the prompts to preview and download the ABA file. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App The regenerate ABA tool is available for Australian companies in the online app. Open the Tools section from the main navigation. Select Regenerate ABA File/s. Choose the type of file using the radio buttons: Show Super ABA Files - for super fund contribution payments. Show Pays/Wages ABA Files - for employee wage payments. Select a file from the history list that appears. Optionally, tick Update Processing Date? to change the processing date on the regenerated file. Click Next to preview the payments, then proceed to download the ABA file. The regenerated file can be uploaded to your online banking portal in the same way as a newly created ABA file. For help creating an original ABA file, see: How do I make payments using a direct entry banking file? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-regenerate-an-aba-direct-entry-file-for-banking-upload Q: How Do I Use the Retrospective Tool to Change Past Pays in Bulk? A: The Retrospective Tool lets you apply the same change to a group of completed pays in one operation. You can update allowances, deductions, departments, income streams (AU only), or payslip information across multiple employees and pay periods at once. In the desktop app Open the Tools menu and select Retrospective Tool. On the first page of the wizard, set the Start Date and End Date to cover the pay periods you want to edit. Tick Show Terminated Employees? if you need to include employees who have since been terminated. On the second page, select the employees whose pays you want to change, then choose what you would like to edit using the What would you like to change? dropdown. The options are: Allowances, Deductions, Departments, Income Stream (AU only), and Payslip information. Select the individual pays you want to include, then click Confirm Pay Selection. Click Edit to open the relevant editor for the chosen attribute. Make your changes, then confirm to apply them to all selected pays. A Bulk Edit Successful message confirms the changes have been saved. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Tools >> Retrospective Tool. Step 1 - Date range: Set the start and end dates to cover the pay periods you want to edit, then click Next. Step 2 - Select employees: Choose the employees whose pays you want to include, then click Next. Step 3 - Select pays: Use the What would you like to change? dropdown to pick the attribute you want to edit (Allowances, Deductions, Departments, Payslips, or Income Stream for AU companies). Optionally use Filter by Employee to narrow the list. Tick the individual pays you want to include, then click Next. Step 4 - Edit: The relevant editor opens. For allowances and deductions, use Filter by Description to find specific items. For departments, use Save Changes to confirm edits within the editor. For payslips (AU), you can tick Bulk edit payslip company information? to update company details across the selected pays. When you are ready to apply all changes, click Next on the final step. A Confirm Retrospective Changes dialog asks you to confirm before saving. Click Close on the success screen to finish. The Retrospective Tool edits the stored attributes on each pay record without recalculating tax. If you need to edit a single past pay individually rather than in bulk, see How Do I Enter or Edit Past Pays? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-retrospective-tool-to-change-past-pays-in-bulk Q: How Do I Create A Direct Entry Payment File In The Lightning Payroll Web App? A: A Direct Entry (.ABA) file lets you pay multiple employees in one batch upload to your bank. In the online (web/mobile) app, use the Direct Entry wizard on the Pays screen. Starting the Wizard From the Pays screen, click the Direct Entry button. A menu appears with two options: This Pay Run — creates a file for the currently selected pay run only. The wizard opens directly at the pay selection step. Multiple Pay Runs — creates a file covering a date range across multiple pay runs. The wizard starts at a date range step. Multiple Pay Runs: Date Range and Employee Selection If you chose Multiple Pay Runs, complete the additional steps first: Select a start date and end date for the pay runs you want to include, then click Next. Review the employee list and deselect any employees to exclude, then click Next. Select Pays The wizard shows a list of completed pays for employees whose payment method is set to Direct Bank Entry and who have not yet been included in a direct entry file. To include pays that have already been written to a file, tick List pays previously included in a direct entry file. Set the Payment Processing Date (the date your bank will process the transfer). Enter a Lodgement Reference (up to 18 characters) to identify the payment batch in your bank statement. Select the pays to include using the checklist, then click Next. Preview Click the Preview button to review the payment details. You must preview before the file can be generated. If all details are correct, click Next. If your account is connected to Xero or MYOB, an optional (Optional) Send Transactions To? field appears so you can post the transactions directly. Save Direct Entry File On the Save Direct Entry File step: Tick Include Debit Entry? if your bank requires a balancing debit entry in the ABA file. Most major banks (ANZ, Westpac, NAB) do not require this; CBA may. If your bank rejects the file, try enabling this option. Tick Include company name in filename if you want the company name appended to the downloaded filename. Click Download Direct Entry File to download the .aba file to your device. Upload the downloaded file to your online banking portal to process the payments. Summary After downloading, the wizard shows a summary. Click Show Report to open a report of the entries made. Related guides For help uploading the ABA file to specific banks, or for information about the Direct Entry User ID (APCA ID) your bank may request, see: How Do I Make Payments Using a Direct Entry Banking File? If you need to regenerate a direct entry file you have already created, see: How Do I Regenerate an ABA Direct Entry File for Banking Upload? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-a-direct-entry-payment-file-in-the-lightning-payroll-web-app Q: How Do I Submit a Pay Run Journal to Xero in the Online App? A: The Xero export wizard lets you submit your pay run as a manual journal entry directly to Xero from the online (web/mobile) app. This feature requires the Accounting Integration Add-On. See What Is the Accounting Integration Add-On? for pricing details. Starting the Export Navigate to the Pays screen, then click the Reports button and select Xero Export from the menu. If you do not have the Accounting Integration Add-On, you will see an Upgrade required notice with an option to add the add-on to your subscription. Logging In to Xero The first step of the wizard is the login step. If you have already authorised Xero for this company, Lightning Payroll will automatically detect your existing token and advance past this step. If no valid token is found, the app will redirect your browser to Xero for authorisation. Follow the prompts to log in and grant access. Once you return to Lightning Payroll, click Check For Token if prompted to confirm the login completed successfully. First-Time Setup: Default Account Codes On your first submission for a company, you will be asked whether to use the basic Xero default account codes. If you accept, Lightning Payroll pre-fills your GL codes with the standard Xero chart of accounts. You can review or change these codes at any time under Company >> GL Codes. Selecting Pays to Export The Select Pays To Export To Xero screen lists all pays for the current pay run. Tick the pays you want to include. Pays that have already been exported to Xero are shown in red - only re-export these if the original submission failed or if you have voided the journal in Xero under Manual Journals. Use the Show pays already submitted to Xero? toggle to show or hide previously exported pays. Reviewing the Journal The Review Pay Run Before Export screen shows the total debit and credit entries that will be submitted. Review the amounts carefully. You can also select which Xero organisation (tenant) to submit to using the tenant selector - use Add Another Company/Tenant Connection if you need to connect a different Xero organisation, or Disconnect to remove one. Tick Submit as Draft Only? if you want the journal created as a draft in Xero so you can review it before posting. When you are ready, click Submit To Xero. Submission Result If the submission succeeds, you will see a Xero journal submitted successfully confirmation. Any errors or warnings returned by Xero will be displayed on this screen. Warnings do not block submission; errors must be resolved before the journal can be posted. Summary and PDF Report After a successful submission, the Summary screen shows the status, submission date, tenant name, and pay run details. Use the Print/Preview button to download a PDF record of the submission. Correcting a Mistake If you need to correct a submitted journal, you can resubmit the affected pays - they will appear in red on the pay selection screen. You must also void the original journal entry in Xero by going to Accounting >> Reports >> Journal Report in Xero and clicking Go to manual journals. Viewing Submission History To review past Xero submissions, go to Reports and open the Xero Submissions report. For full details on GL account codes, department tracking, and bank transaction exports, see How Can I Send Data To Xero From Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-submit-a-pay-run-journal-to-xero-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Submit a Pay Run Journal to MYOB in the Online App? A: The online (web/mobile) app includes a built-in MYOB export wizard that sends the pay run journal directly to either MYOB AccountRight Cloud or a locally hosted AccountRight Server. This feature requires the Accounting Integration add-on. For the desktop app workflow, see How Do I Submit General Ledger Journals and Bank Transactions to MYOB AccountRight? Starting the Export Open the Pays screen and select the pay run you want to export. Click the Reports button on the pay run toolbar, then select Myob Export from the dropdown menu. If this is the first time submitting from this company, a Set Myob Defaults? prompt appears. Click Yes to apply the standard MYOB chart of accounts codes, or No to configure them manually under Company >> GL Codes before proceeding. Step 1 - Log In to MYOB The wizard checks for an existing MYOB token automatically. For MYOB AccountRight Cloud, your browser will open the MYOB login page if no valid token is found. Return to Lightning Payroll once you have completed the login. For local AccountRight Server, enter your MYOB Server Address, MYOB Username, and MYOB Password on the next screen, then click Connect. Step 2 - Select Pays To Export To Myob A list of completed pays for the current pay run is shown. Pays already exported to MYOB are highlighted in red. Select or deselect individual pays as needed. Two options are available at the bottom of the screen: Show pays already submitted to Myob? - tick to include previously exported pays in the list. Use MYOB AccountRight Cloud (opposed to local Account Right)? - tick for cloud; untick to switch to a locally hosted server. A green Myob is Connected indicator confirms the connection before you proceed. Step 3 - Review Pay Run Before Export The Review Pay Run Before Export screen shows the debit and credit entries that will be sent, along with the MYOB company the journal will be posted to. Verify the amounts and the selected company are correct, then click Submit To MYOB. Step 4 - Summary After a successful submission, the Summary screen displays the status, submission date, MYOB response, and the pay run details. Click Print/Preview to download a PDF record of the submission. Reviewing Past Submissions A history of all MYOB journal submissions can be viewed from the Reports section of the online app. Navigate to Reports and open the Myob Submissions report. Troubleshooting If the debit and credit totals do not balance, review your GL account code mappings under Company >> GL Codes. Submission is disabled until the totals balance. If you are connected to the wrong MYOB company, go back to the previous screen and revoke the MYOB auth token, then restart the wizard. If local credentials need updating, they can be changed from the Select Pays To Export To Myob screen - enter the new values before clicking Connect. To revoke Lightning Payroll's access to your MYOB account entirely, see How Do I Disconnect Lightning Payroll From My MYOB Account? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-submit-a-pay-run-journal-to-myob-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Disconnect Lightning Payroll From My Xero Account? A: Disconnecting removes a Xero organisation (tenant) from Lightning Payroll's connection list. The disconnect is processed through Xero's API, so Lightning Payroll will no longer be able to submit journals or bank transactions to that organisation. You can reconnect at any time by going through the Xero login and authorisation flow again. In the Desktop App Go to the Pays screen and start a Xero export (the option to export the pay run journal to Xero accounting software). Complete the authentication step if prompted. On the Xero Review step, the currently connected organisations are listed in the tenant selector. Select the organisation you want to disconnect from the dropdown. Click Disconnect Tenant. A confirmation dialog will ask: "Are you sure you want to disconnect '[organisation name]' from Lightning Payroll?" Click Yes. If successful, a message confirms the organisation is no longer connected. If no organisations remain, the wizard closes automatically. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to the Pays screen and select Xero Export from the export menu. On the Review Pay Run Before Export screen, select the organisation you want to disconnect from the Select a Xero company/tenant to submit to dropdown. Click the Disconnect '[organisation name]' button. Lightning Payroll removes the connection. If that was the only connected organisation, the screen navigates back automatically. Otherwise, the tenant list refreshes. If you want to reconnect to the same or a different Xero organisation in the future, click Add Another Company/Tenant Connection on the same review screen and follow the browser-based Xero login and authorisation prompts. For more about the full Xero export process, see How Can I Send Data To Xero From Lightning Payroll?. If you use MYOB rather than Xero, see How Do I Disconnect Lightning Payroll From My MYOB Account?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-disconnect-lightning-payroll-from-my-xero-account Q: How Do Reimbursements Appear On A Pay And Payslip? A: Reimbursements in Lightning Payroll are expense amounts paid back to an employee. They are not part of gross pay, are not taxable, and do not attract super. Lightning Payroll adds them to the payment amount after all tax and super calculations, so they never affect PAYG withholding or STP earnings figures. In the desktop app Before adding reimbursements to a pay, set up at least one category under Company >> Reimbursements. Once categories exist, open the employee's pay and click Reimbursements in the Edit Pay tab bar. Use the table to add, edit, or remove reimbursement lines. Each line records a description, category, and amount. On the payslip, each reimbursement item appears as a separate line below the net pay row, labelled Reimbursement: <description> with its amount. In the online (web/mobile) app The Reimbursements tab in Edit Pay is available when the HR Suite add-on is active. There are two ways reimbursements reach a pay: Automatic (HR Suite approved claims): When an expense claim is approved with the payment method set to Add to next pay, it flows directly into the next pay run as a reimbursements line. No manual entry is needed. Manual: Open the pay, select the Reimbursements tab, and add or edit lines directly. Each line has a description, category, and amount. In the pay summary panel, a Reimbursements row appears below Tax (and above Net) whenever at least one reimbursement line is present, showing the total reimbursements amount for that pay. Setting up categories In the desktop app: go to Company >> Reimbursements to add or deactivate categories. In the online app (HR Suite): go to HR Suite >> Reimbursements and open Reimbursement Categories to manage categories. Use Add Missing Defaults to populate a standard set quickly. For the full HR Suite expense claim workflow (submitting, approving, and paying claims), see How Do I Configure And Process Reimbursement Claims?. To add a note about a reimbursement handled outside Lightning Payroll (for example via direct bank transfer), use a payslip note as described in How Do I Add A Payslip Note?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-reimbursements-appear-on-a-pay-and-payslip Q: How Do I Add A Pay Item To Many Employees At Once? A: When creating pays for several employees at once with the Create Pays wizard, you can add a single pay item to every selected employee in the same step, instead of opening each pay individually. Where To Find It In the desktop app: on the Pays screen, click Create Pays Wizard. Under Advanced (bulk item across selected employees), tick Bulk Add Item?, choose the Item Type, then click Configure... to set the details. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Pays >> Create Pays, tick Bulk add one item to every selected employee?, then choose the Item type. What You Can Add Bonus — the same amount for every selected employee. New Zealand bonuses include the usual extra pay taxation options. Leave — the same leave type and hours for everyone; the dollar value is worked out per employee from their own pay rate, so it can differ between employees. Super (extra contribution) — an identical extra super amount for everyone (RESC in Australia; a KiwiSaver employer contribution in New Zealand). Back payment (Australia only) — either a flat amount for everyone, or calculated per employee from a percentage increase or an old-to-new hourly rate over a chosen period. In the online app, click Calculate amounts (preview) to see each employee's calculated amount before the pays are created. One item is added to each selected employee's pay, and the pays are then created as normal. To add these items to a single pay instead, see Where Do I Enter a Back Payment? and Where Can I Enter a Bonus or Other Irregular Gross Payment? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-pay-item-to-many-employees-at-once Q: How Do I Export And Import BundyPlus Time & Attendance Data? A: Lightning Payroll can exchange data with BundyPlus time and attendance software. You export your employees and pay items out to BundyPlus, record time and attendance against them there, then import the approved pay run's time back into Lightning Payroll, where it becomes rostered shifts on the pay run. All three steps are handled by the one wizard. Opening the Time & Attendance Import Wizard Open the pay run you want to work with, then on the toolbar click Timeclock (Portal) Sync >> Import/Manage Time And Attendance Data. The same option is available from the Rosters/Shifts screen toolbar. On the first page, Choose Time & Attendance Format, select BundyPlus (Import/Export BundyPlus CSV Data) and click Next. Lightning Payroll remembers this choice for next time. The next page offers three options - Import Time And Attendance Data, Export Employee Data and Export Pay Items. Do the two exports first, then the import. Step 1 - Export your employees to BundyPlus Employees need to exist in BundyPlus before you import any time, so do this first. Select Export Employee Data. Choose the employees you want to export in the list. You can select more than one, and terminated employees are shown in red. Click Export Selected Employees To CSV and choose where to save the file. The file includes each employee's name, card number, email address and department (sent to BundyPlus as "Groups"), along with a payroll and user number that lets BundyPlus send time back against the correct person. Step 2 - Export your pay items to BundyPlus Pay items tell BundyPlus which pay rates, allowances and leave types the recorded time should map to, so export them before importing as well. Select Export Pay Items (Pay rates, allowances, leave types, etc.). Choose the employees whose pay items you want to include. Click Export Pay Items To CSV and choose where to save the file. The export covers your ordinary and overtime rates, company and employee pay rates, allowances, and both system and custom leave types. Load both exported files into BundyPlus, then record time and attendance for the pay period as normal. Step 3 - Import the approved time and attendance data Once the pay run has been approved in BundyPlus, export it from BundyPlus as a CSV file, then bring it back into Lightning Payroll. Select Import Time And Attendance Data. Click the open (folder) button and select the BundyPlus CSV export. It must be a non-empty .csv file. Click Next to process the file. Please note: importing resets and overwrites any existing rostered shifts for the employees included in the file, within the pay period being imported. Other employees, and shifts in other pay periods, are left untouched. Reviewing the import and fixing errors The final page, Review Imported Time & Attendance Data, lists the shift records that were imported. Any rows that could not be imported appear in the Errors table below - for example an employee or pay item that could not be matched, or a pay item that does not belong to that employee. When there are errors, an Export Errors To CSV button appears so you can save the problem rows (date, employee, error, pay item and payable hours) to review. Correct the source file in BundyPlus and run the import again. Once you finish the wizard, the imported time appears as shifts on the pay run, ready to process. Lightning Payroll currently integrates with BundyPlus. If you use a different time and attendance app, send our support team an example export file and we can look at connecting to it. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-and-import-bundyplus-time-amp-attendance-data Q: How Do I Make Payments Using a Direct Entry Banking File? A: The quickest and most accurate way to make bulk payments through Lightning Payroll is by using a Direct Entry (.ABA) file. These files can be generated for pays and for super and then uploaded to most Australian banks, resulting in an automated, batch funds transfer. This means you can pay multiple employees at once, or multiple super funds at once. Pays Direct Entry In the desktop app: go to Pays >> Direct Entry. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Pays >> Direct Entry >> This Pay Run (for the current pay run) or Pays >> Direct Entry >> Multiple Pay Runs (to combine several pay runs into one file). Super Direct Entry To create a direct entry file for Super, click the Direct Entry button after sending SuperStream messages within: Super Fund Deposits >> Superstream Contribution >> Superstream Summary Super Fund Deposits >> Create Deposits >> Superstream Summary Super Fund Deposits >> Superstream Mailbox >> Direct Entry (at the bottom) - use this to recreate a super direct entry file at a later time. If you need to regenerate a Direct Entry file, see: How Do I Regenerate an ABA Direct Entry File for Banking Upload? Paying Each Super Fund Each super fund is paid as its own separate payment, using the reference generated for that fund. Do not combine the funds into a single lump-sum transfer, and do not just pay the total shown at the bottom of the summary as one payment. The simplest and most reliable method is to upload the generated Direct Entry (.ABA) file to your internet banking. The bank then pays each fund the correct amount with the correct reference automatically. If you pay a fund manually instead, use that fund's ABA Reference exactly as shown (an 18-digit number) and do not change or shorten it. Super funds match each payment to its SuperStream message using this reference, so a single lump-sum payment, or an altered reference, can leave the money unallocated. Uploading to Your Bank Your bank can guide you through importing a direct entry file. Below are links to instructions for common Australian banks. These links may change over time - contact your financial institution for the most up-to-date guidance. NAB Connect Instructions - (1300 888 413) Westpac Instructions - (1300 655 505) CBA CommBiz Instructions - (13 23 39) ANZ Instructions - (13 33 50) User ID / APCA Code When creating a payment file you may be prompted for a User ID / APCA Code. In the desktop app: this is stored under Company >> Bank Account >> User ID / APCA Code. In the online (web/mobile) app: this is stored under Company >> Bank Accounts >> User ID / APCA Code. This is always a six-digit number. For most major banks (ANZ, Westpac, NAB) it is six zeroes (000000). For CBA it is 301500. For any other financial institution, contact them and ask for the Direct Entry User ID or APCA ID. See also: What is a Direct Entry User ID? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-make-payments-using-a-direct-entry-banking-file Q: Where Do I Enter a Back Payment? A: If you need to make a back payment to an employee, this can be done as follows. Edit the appropriate pay run for the employee under Pays, then click Edit Pay/s. Enter a back payment by clicking the Edit button beside Back Payment. You can then enter a description and select a tax method from the available ATO options. The date fields are only enabled when relevant. Choosing a tax method (AU) When you add a back payment you must choose how Lightning Payroll calculates the withholding on it. The options follow the ATO's Schedule 5 — tax table for back payments, commissions, bonuses and similar payments: As normal earnings — the back payment is added to the pay's ordinary gross and taxed in that one pay at the employee's standard rate for the period. No averaging is applied. This generally withholds the most. Method A (Whole Year) — spreads the back payment across the whole financial year (52, 26 or 12 periods) and works out the extra tax it adds on top of the employee's current-period earnings. Method A (Use Date Range) — the same as above, but spreads the amount across only the number of pay periods in the date range you enter. Method B (i) (Use Date Range) — for a back payment that relates to a specific earlier period in the current financial year. Enter the start and end dates of the period it covers. Method B (ii) (Whole Year) — for a back payment where the period it relates to cannot be identified. The amount is spread across the whole year using the employee's average normal earnings to date as the base. When a date-range method is selected, the Start Date and End Date fields become active. Both dates must be in the past and the start date must be before the end date. A negative back payment (for example, to recover an overpayment) requires the As normal earnings tax method. For a detailed explanation of how each method calculates withholding — including why a method can produce $0 tax — see Where Can I Enter a Bonus or Other Irregular Gross Payment?, which covers the same Schedule 5 logic. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-do-i-enter-a-back-payment Q: Where Can I Enter a Bonus or Other Irregular Gross Payment? A: If you need to make an incentive, sales commission, Director's Fees, Return to Work payment, or any other miscellaneous gross payment to an employee, this can be done as a bonus in the program. If you are happy to use the label Bonus/Commission, you can edit a bonus directly in-pay by going to the pay run in question, clicking the pencil to edit the employee's pay, then clicking Edit to the right of Bonus/Commission on the right-hand side of the Edit Pays screen. Use the + symbol seen to the right to add the bonus into the pay. Finally, enter the bonus amount and select a tax method from the available ATO options; the date fields are only enabled when a relevant tax method is selected. Here you are able to nominate the payment as Director's Fees or a Return to Work payment, if relevant, as well as nominate whether the amount will be included in super calculations. If you would like to change the description from Bonus/Commission to something more personalised, you first need to create the bonus item via Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Bonuses/Misc. in the program, then follow the steps above to add the newly-named bonus into the pay/s. Choosing a tax method When you add a bonus you must choose how Lightning Payroll works out the tax (withholding) on it. The options follow the ATO's Schedule 5 — tax table for back payments, commissions, bonuses and similar payments: As normal earnings — the bonus is simply added to the pay's ordinary gross and taxed in that one pay using the standard weekly/fortnightly/monthly tax table. There is no averaging. This generally withholds the most, because the whole bonus is taxed at the employee's marginal rate for that single period. Method A (Whole Year) — spreads the bonus across the whole financial year (52, 26 or 12 periods) and works out the extra tax it adds. Method A (Use Date Range) — the same as above, but spreads the bonus across only the number of pay periods in the date range you enter. Method B(i)(Use Date Range) — for a back payment that relates to a specific earlier period in the current financial year. You enter the date range it applies to. Method B(ii)(Whole Year) — for a bonus or back payment where the period it relates to can't be worked out, spread over the whole year. Why a bonus can show little or no tax Both Method A and Method B work the same way at heart: they only withhold the extra tax that an averaged slice of the bonus adds on top of a “base” set of weekly earnings. If that base, plus one averaged slice of the bonus, still sits below the weekly tax-free threshold (around $361 a week for an employee claiming it), the extra tax works out to nil — and the calculation then carries $0 all the way through to the final withholding. The crucial difference between the two methods is what they use as that base, and that is why they can each come up with $0 for different reasons. Method A — based on the current pay's earnings Method A uses the employee's normal earnings in the current pay (excluding the bonus) as its base. It comes up with zero or very low tax whenever that particular pay has little or no ordinary wages — for example, a stand-alone “bonus only” pay, or a pay where the employee worked no normal hours. Example — a $15,000 bonus, employee claiming the tax-free threshold, with $0 ordinary wages in this pay: Normal earnings this pay, excluding the bonus: $0 — tax withheld: $0. $15,000 ÷ 52 weekly periods = $288 (cents ignored). $0 + $288 = $288. Tax on $288 a week (threshold claimed): $0 — it is below the tax-free threshold. $0 − $0 = $0, then × 52 = $0. The 47% cap would be $7,050, but the method uses the lesser figure, so withholding on the bonus is $0. Method B — based on the year's average earnings Method B(ii) uses a different base: the average of all normal earnings paid to the employee across the financial year to date (divided by the number of pay periods so far). It comes up with zero or very low tax whenever that yearly average is small. The common trap here is that other bonuses or commissions taxed under Method A (or any method other than “As normal earnings”) do not count as “normal earnings”, so they never lift the Method B average. An employee paid mostly through regular commissions can therefore have a very low average even though plenty of money has gone through their pays. Example — a $15,000 bonus, employee claiming the tax-free threshold, whose ordinary wages average only about $66 a week for the year (most of their pay having come through commissions taxed under Method A): Average normal earnings to date: $66 a week — tax withheld: $0. $15,000 ÷ 52 weekly periods = $288 (cents ignored). $66 + $288 = $354. Tax on $354 a week (threshold claimed): $0 — still below the tax-free threshold. $0 − $0 = $0, then × 52 = $0. The 47% cap would be $7,050, but the method uses the lesser figure, so withholding on the bonus is $0. In both cases this is the ATO's Schedule 5 formula working exactly as designed — it is not a fault in Lightning Payroll. The methods assume the employee has regular ordinary wages and that the bonus is an occasional extra on top; they behave very differently when that regular wage, or the year's average of it, is at or near zero. What to do if too little is being withheld If the employee genuinely earns ordinary wages, make sure those hours/wages are entered in the pay (and have been paid across the year) so the base — the current pay for Method A, or the yearly average for Method B — isn't zero. To withhold more from the bonus itself, choose the As normal earnings tax method. This taxes the full bonus in that single pay at the employee's marginal rate, with no averaging, and will usually withhold considerably more. The employee can also arrange extra withholding with the ATO through an upward variation if they are concerned about a shortfall. Please note: these methods only affect how much is withheld during the year. They do not change the employee's final tax, which is reconciled when they lodge their return — so a low withholding now can simply mean a smaller refund or a bill at tax time rather than any tax being avoided. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-enter-a-bonus-or-other-irregular-gross-payment Q: How Do I Terminate Multiple Employees At Once Using The Bulk Termination Tool? A: The Bulk Termination tool lets you terminate multiple employees in a single step. It is designed specifically for situations where you are approaching or have reached your licence limit. Once all employees in a company are terminated, that company no longer counts towards your licence limit. Important: This tool processes zero-dollar terminations only. If an employee is owed leave payouts, payment in lieu of notice, or other termination amounts, process that employee individually from the Pays screen instead. See How Can I Terminate an Employee (Basic)? and How Can I Terminate an Employee (Detailed)? for individual termination workflows. In the desktop app Open the Tools menu and select Bulk Termination Wizard. In the wizard, select the employees you want to terminate from the employee list. You can select multiple employees. Enter the Termination Date. The date cannot be earlier than an employee's start date or set in the future. Select the STP Cessation Type that applies to all selected employees (AU only). Common options include Voluntary Cessation (resignation or retirement) and Dismissal. Click Finish to complete the batch termination. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Tools >> Bulk Termination Wizard. Select the employees you want to terminate from the employee list. Enter the Termination Date. The date cannot be earlier than any selected employee's start date or set in the future. Select the Termination Reason that applies to all selected employees (for example, Voluntary Cessation for a resignation). Click Terminate Selected Employees to process the batch. After completing the termination, each selected employee remains in the system for record-keeping purposes but is marked as terminated and no longer counts towards your active employee total. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-terminate-multiple-employees-at-once-using-the-bulk-termination-tool Q: What Does Mark All As Complete Do In A Pay Run? A: Mark All As Complete changes every Pending pay in the current pay run to Complete in a single step. Pays that are already complete are left unchanged. What happens when a pay is completed The pay status changes from Pending to Complete. The processed/paid date is recorded. If the pay does not already have a processed/paid date, today's date is used automatically. The employee's pay method at the time of completion is saved with the pay record. The pay is flagged to be made available in the online employee portal once payslips are sent. Warnings that may appear during completion Lightning Payroll checks each pay as it is completed and shows a warning if any of the following conditions are detected: A leave balance would go negative. (AU) Net pay falls below protected earnings. (AU) Super contributions exceed the concessional contributions cap or the maximum super contribution base. (AU) Long service leave taken exceeds the current entitlement. (NZ) A minimum-wage top-up amount appears unusual. These warnings are informational. They do not prevent the pay from being completed, but you should review them and correct the pay if the flagged condition is not intentional. After all pays are complete In the desktop app: once every pay is marked complete, the pay run is ready for payslips, reporting, and - for Australian companies - Single Touch Payroll submission. In the online (web/mobile) app: once all pays are complete, a prompt appears asking whether you want to submit the pay run to the ATO (AU) or to Inland Revenue via Payday Filing (NZ), if that has not already been done. Is it reversible? Completed pays can be deleted from the pay run provided they have not yet been submitted to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll (AU) or included in a submitted Employment Information return (NZ). Once reported to the tax authority, deletion is blocked to preserve the audit trail. If you need to correct a completed pay, see How Do I Change The Processed Date Or Pay End Date For Completed Pays? For a full walkthrough of processing a pay run from start to finish, see How Do I Process a Pay? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-mark-all-as-complete-do-in-a-pay-run Q: How Do I Add A Payslip Note? A: There are three different ways to add a note to your employees' payslips in Lightning Payroll. Method 1: Individual Employee One-Off Payslip Note In the desktop app: Open the pay for the employee, then click Payslip Info in the toolbar. Enter the note in the Payslip Note field. This note applies to that pay only. In the online (web/mobile) app: Open the pay for the employee and select the Payslip Info tab. Enter the text in the Payslip Note field, then save. This note applies to that pay only. Method 2: Individual Employee Ongoing Payslip Note In the desktop app: Go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Payslip Options >> Payslip Note. The note saved here appears on every payslip for that employee until you remove it. In the online (web/mobile) app: Open the employee record and navigate to Pay Settings >> Payslip Options. Enter the text in the Payslip note (ongoing) field and save. The note will appear on every future payslip for that employee. Method 3: All Employees Within A Pay Run In the desktop app: From the Pays screen, open the Payslips menu and choose This Pay Run (or Multiple Pay Runs). On the first page of the Payslip Wizard, enter your note in the Add the following to the payslip (optional) field. The note is applied to all payslips generated in that run. In the online (web/mobile) app: From the Pays screen, click the Payslips button and choose This Pay Run or Multiple Pay Runs. On the Create Payslips step of the wizard, enter your note in the Add the following note to all the generated payslips (optional) field. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-payslip-note Q: How Do I Regenerate or Re-Download a Direct Entry ABA File in the Online App? A: If you have misplaced an ABA banking file, forgotten to upload it, or need to re-download it with a different processing date, the online app includes a dedicated tool to regenerate any previously created direct entry file. To regenerate an ABA file in the online app, go to Tools >> Regenerate ABA File. On the first step, select the type of file you want to regenerate: Show Super ABA Files — lists previously created files for SuperStream super contributions. Show Pays/Wages ABA Files — lists previously created files for employee wage payments. Select the specific file from the Direct Entry Deposits history list that appears below. If you need to change the processing date on the regenerated file, tick Update Processing Date? and enter the new date. Click Next to proceed to the preview step. On the ABA File Preview step, click Preview to review the payments included in the file. You must preview before proceeding. Once satisfied, click Next to reach the Download ABA File step. If your bank requires a balancing debit entry, tick Include Debit Entry?. If you are unsure, leave it unticked; you can regenerate again with it enabled if the bank rejects the file. Click Download ABA File to save the file to your computer, then upload it to your online banking portal as usual. If you need to build a new ABA file from scratch rather than re-download an existing one, go to Pays >> Direct Entry for wages files or Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox for super files. For help generating an ABA file for the first time, see How Do I Make Payments Using a Direct Entry Banking File? If you use the Lightning Payroll desktop app, see How Do I Regenerate an ABA Direct Entry File for Banking Upload? for the desktop workflow. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-regenerate-or-re-download-a-direct-entry-aba-file-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Link a Salary Sacrifice to a Bonus/Commission in Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll lets you link a salary sacrifice to a bonus so that the sacrifice reduces the taxable bonus amount rather than the regular salary. This article explains where to find the link control and how the two configurations affect tax. Prerequisites The link control only appears when the pay already has at least one salary sacrifice on it. Before linking, make sure you have added the salary sacrifice to the pay via the Edit button next to Sacrifice in the pay summary. If no sacrifice is on the pay, the option will not appear. See How Do I Setup A Salary Sacrifice? for setup steps. How to Link the Sacrifice to the Bonus Open the pay you want to edit. In the pay summary panel, click the Edit button next to Bonus/Commission. The Edit Bonus/Commission dialog opens. Select the bonus row you want to link (or add a new one if needed). In the bonus edit form, locate the Sacrifices list. This list shows every salary sacrifice currently on the pay. Select the sacrifice(s) you want to link to this bonus. You can select more than one. Save the bonus. The Salary Sacrificed? column in the bonus list will now show Yes for that row. If the Sacrifices list is not visible, it means there are no salary sacrifices on this pay yet. Add the sacrifice first, then reopen the bonus edit form. How Linking Changes the Tax Calculation When processing a pay that includes both a bonus and other regular pay items, two tax scales apply concurrently: Normal Tax Table: applies to regular pay items (salary or wages). Method A or B: applies specifically to the bonus amount. Linking the sacrifice to the bonus changes which of these scales absorbs the sacrifice: Sacrifice linked to the bonus: The bonus amount is reduced by the sacrifice before tax is calculated. Tax is then applied to the reduced bonus using Method A or B. The regular salary is taxed in full using the Normal Tax Table. Sacrifice not linked (applied to salary instead): The full bonus is taxed using Method A or B. The sacrifice reduces the regular salary, and the Normal Tax Table applies to the reduced salary amount. Example An employee receives a $2,000 bonus (taxed using Method B) and a regular salary of $2,000 with a $500 salary sacrifice: Sacrifice linked to the bonus: Taxable Bonus (Method B): $1,500 ($2,000 − $500) Taxable Salary (Normal Scale): $2,000 Sacrifice not linked: Taxable Bonus (Method B): $2,000 Taxable Salary (Normal Scale): $1,500 ($2,000 − $500) Linking the sacrifice to the bonus generally results in less overall tax because the Method B rate applied to the reduced bonus is typically lower than the marginal rate that would apply to the same amount of salary. System Prompt When saving a pay that has an unlinked salary sacrifice and a bonus, Lightning Payroll may display a prompt recommending you link them. This prompt is a recommendation only and can be dismissed if the unlinked configuration is intentional. For related information, see Where Can I Enter a Bonus or Other Irregular Gross Payment? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-link-a-salary-sacrifice-to-a-bonuscommission-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Pay Out Unused RDOs On Termination? A: Payment of rostered days off (RDOs) upon termination involves entering a lump sum during the termination process. Unused RDOs on termination are classified as an ETP (Employment Termination Payment) as shown below from the ATO website. To enter unused RDO on termination in Lightning Payroll you'll first need to determine the gross unused RDO payment amount (usually determined by multiplying unused RDO hours by the employee's ordinary pay rate). This amount then gets entered on the ETP payout options screen as an Other pay out amount. These amounts then get reported to the ATO as ETP type O (Other) as shown in the below excerpt from Lightning Payroll's Detailed Report. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-pay-out-unused-rdos-on-termination Q: How Can I Withhold Money from an Employee During Termination? A: When terminating an employee, there may be circumstances where you need to withhold money from their final payment. This can include recouping overpayments, accounting for negative leave balances, or compensating for the employee not working their required notice period. Below are the key considerations and steps for each scenario, ensuring compliance with Australian labor laws, including references to Fair Work Australia and the employee's award or contract. 1. Overpayments Definition and Examples: Overpayments can occur due to payroll errors, misreported hours, or even advance payments of wages that were not earned. Steps to Recoup: Verify the Overpayment: Review payroll records and confirm the overpayment. Inform the Employee: Communicate clearly with the employee, explaining the overpayment and the intended deductions. Obtain Agreement: It's advisable to get written consent from the employee to deduct the overpayment from their final pay. Process Adjustments: Adjust the final pay accordingly, ensuring that the deductions do not exceed any limits set by law or the employment contract. 2. Negative Leave Balances Definition: This occurs when an employee has taken more leave than they have accrued. Steps to Recoup: Check Contractual and Legal Allowances: Some contracts or awards may allow for recouping money if an employee has a negative leave balance upon termination. Calculate the Amount: Determine how much leave has been taken beyond what was accrued and calculate the monetary value. Deduct from Final Pay: If legally permitted and outlined in the employment contract, deduct the equivalent amount from the employee's final pay. One way of doing this is to reduce the ordinary time hours worked by the number of negative leave hours you are trying to recoup. 3. Unworked Notice Periods Scenario: If an employee fails to work their notice period, and the contract includes a clause allowing for deductions in such instances. Steps to Enforce: Review the Contract: Ensure that there is a clear clause that allows for deductions due to unworked notice periods. Communicate with the Employee: Explain the terms of the contract and the reason for the deduction. Implement the Deduction: Deduct the equivalent of the unworked notice period from the employee's final pay, in accordance with the contract. Recommendations and Legal Compliance Check Local Laws and Regulations: Always review relevant local laws and the Fair Work Ombudsman's guidelines to ensure compliance with employment laws. Consult the Employment Contract and Award: Specific conditions regarding deductions should be clearly stated in the employment contract or covered under the applicable award. Seek Legal Advice: If unsure, it's wise to consult with a legal expert or HR specialist to navigate complex situations involving terminations and final pays. Making the Adjustment in Lightning Payroll Once you have confirmed the deduction is legally permitted, open the employee's final pay to make the adjustment. See How Can I Terminate an Employee (Detailed)? if you have not yet started the termination pay. In the desktop app: open the termination pay via Pays, then select the employee's pay and click Edit. To add a post-tax deduction, click the Allowances/Deductions tab and enter the amount under Deductions. To reduce ordinary time hours (for example, to recoup a negative leave balance), adjust the hours worked directly in the hours table. To add a note to the payslip explaining the deduction, click Payslip Info. In the online (web/mobile) app: open the pay from the Pays screen and select Deductions from the section list on the left. Add a deduction row with the appropriate amount. To reduce ordinary time hours, select Hours & Pay Rates from the section list and edit the hours there. To add a payslip note, select Payslip Info from the section list. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-withhold-money-from-an-employee-during-termination Q: How Do I View and Print Farm Focus Submission History? A: The Farm Focus Submissions report gives you a full history of every Farm Focus invoice submission made from Lightning Payroll. Each entry shows the submission ID, submission date, status, status code, pay run end date, and a line-by-line breakdown of the pay items included. Use it for audit purposes or to investigate a failed submission. Accessing the Report In the desktop app: Go to Reports in the sidebar, then click Farm Focus Submissions in the General section. A print-preview window opens showing all submissions for the current company within your chosen date range. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Reports, then select Farm Focus Submissions Report from the General category. Set a Start Date and End Date, then click Generate Report. The report opens as a PDF preview. Use Download PDF to save it or Export CSV to download the data as a spreadsheet. Accessing the Report Immediately After a Submission When you have just submitted a pay run to Farm Focus, the final step of the submission wizard shows a summary screen. Click Print/Preview on that screen to generate a PDF report for that specific submission. This is the same data that appears in the standalone report, but filtered to the submission you just completed. What the Report Shows Submission ID - the unique identifier assigned by Farm Focus to each submitted invoice. Submitted - the date and time the submission was sent. Status - the outcome reported by Farm Focus (for example, success or error). Status Code - the numeric or text code returned alongside the status. Pay Run End Date - the end date of the pay run included in the invoice. Invoice lines - each pay item submitted, showing the pay item code, description, and amount. If no submissions have been made in the selected period, the report displays “No Farm Focus submissions found for this period and the current company.” For help making a Farm Focus submission or setting up the integration, see How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-view-and-print-farm-focus-submission-history Q: How Can I Send Data To Xero From Lightning Payroll? A: Xero integration requires the Accounting Integration Add-On. From 1 January 2026, any subscription purchased or renewed on or after that date requires this add-on to use Xero and MYOB AccountRight integration features. See What Is the Accounting Integration Add-On? for pricing and details. What Data Is Transmitted? Below is a diagram to show how data flows between Lightning Payroll and Xero. Submitting A Pay Run To Xero To submit a pay run to Xero, go to the Pays screen, then click on the red Reports book button and select Export To Xero. If this is your first time submitting, you'll see a popup asking if you want to use the default Xero account codes from the standard Xero chart of accounts. Understanding Xero Account Codes You can view your Xero account codes in Xero by going to Accounting >> Chart of accounts. Note: The Xero interface may change at any time at their discretion. These images are provided as an example only and may not exactly match what you see. If you prefer to use your own custom account codes instead of the defaults, you will need to gather them from Xero's Chart of Accounts screen and manually enter them into Lightning Payroll under Company >> GL Codes. In this section you can use the buttons to Restore Lightning Payroll Defaults or Restore Xero Defaults. Learn more about editing GL codes in Lightning Payroll here. Logging In To Xero Once your account codes are ready (either default or custom), your browser will launch and prompt you to log in to Xero. After logging in, authorise Lightning Payroll to access your organisation by clicking Allow Access. Checking For The Xero Token After authorisation, a message should confirm that the authentication token has been downloaded. Return to Lightning Payroll and click Check For Token. Selecting Pays To Submit Next, you'll be able to select which pays to submit. Pays that have already been submitted will appear in red (see further down for resubmission info). Reviewing The Journal On the next screen you can review the journal entry totals. There's an option to submit as a Draft Only so things can be reviewed before final posting in Xero. Important Note on Reimbursements: Employee reimbursements should not be entered in Lightning Payroll, as doing so can cause journals not to balance in Xero. Reimbursements are best handled outside of payroll, for example with a direct bank transfer. If you want the reimbursement mentioned on an employee's payslip without altering payroll or journal figures, you can add a payslip note instead. See our FAQ here for more details. Final Submission Click Submit to Xero when you're ready. If there are errors or warnings, a popup will display them. If successful, you'll see Xero journal submitted successfully. The final screen provides a summary and lets you print or preview the submission. Approving A Draft Journal In Xero To approve a draft journal in Xero, go to Accounting >> Reports >> Journal Report and click Go to manual journals. Open the Draft tab. Correcting A Mistake If you submitted pays by mistake and then made changes, you can resubmit. These pays will appear in red on the pay selection screen. Corrections must also be made in Xero by voiding the incorrect journal entry. Go to Accounting >> Reports >> Journal Report and click Go to manual journals to locate and void the entry. Departmental/Cost Centre Breakdown You can submit more detailed journal entries by breaking figures into departments or cost centres. This is done in Lightning Payroll under Company >> GL Codes. Tick Split By Department (When Applicable) next to relevant ledger items. In the above example, departments like 'workshop', 'admin' and 'office' are used. If these don't exist in Xero, you'll see a warning like this: Warnings will not prevent submission. However, if you want departments tracked in Xero, ensure your Lightning Payroll departments match Xero Tracking Categories. Revoking Xero Access If you wish to disconnect Lightning Payroll from a Xero organisation, you can revoke access. Go to Pays >> Reports >> Export to Xero and click Revoke Xero Auth Token. This will remove the connection and, if needed later, you'll need to go through the login and authorisation process again to reconnect to that Xero tenant/company. Reviewing Xero Lodgement History To review previous Xero submissions, go to the main Reports screen and open the Xero Submissions report. Use the date filters to search through past lodgements and review the status of each export. Using Xero Integration in Direct Entry Wizards Lightning Payroll includes Xero integration within the Direct Entry Wizards for both pays (ABA files) and SuperStream payments. After completing the direct entry process, on the Preview screen, you can tick the box to also send the transactions to Xero. Once selected, an additional Xero Submission screen will appear. This screen allows you to submit each individual transaction - whether it's an employee wage or a super fund contribution - directly to Xero via their Bank Transaction API. This can assist with reconciliation, providing more visibility over outbound payments in Xero. During submission, Lightning Payroll will attempt to match each transaction to a bank account in Xero using the bank accounts configured under Company >> Bank Accounts in Lightning Payroll. It is important that your bank account names and details match those in Xero to avoid submission errors. If a matching Xero bank account cannot be found, you will be prompted to either choose a valid account from a dropdown list or correct the mismatch before proceeding. Note: This functionality supports both ABA and SuperStream direct entry wizards. It provides an easy way to keep your banking and payroll systems aligned with Xero's reconciliation tools. This feature requires the Accounting Integration Add-On. See What Is the Accounting Integration Add-On? for details. Sending Bank Transactions To Xero (During Journal Export) By default, manual journal entries submitted to Xero do not appear in bank reconciliation. If you would like certain totals (such as net pay, tax, or super amounts) to also appear as bank transactions in Xero, you can enable this in Lightning Payroll, although we recommend the more detailed bank transaction export handled via the Direct Entry Wizards (mentioned above). To do so, go to Company >> GL Codes, find the relevant credit entries, and tick the box labelled Send To Bank Transactions. If any credit entries are marked to be sent as bank transactions, they must be linked to a bank account that exists in both Xero and Lightning Payroll. Bank accounts in Lightning Payroll are managed under Company >> Bank Accounts, and you can specify separate accounts for super and pays. During submission, Lightning Payroll will automatically attempt to match your accounts with those in Xero. If a match is found, it will be used for the bank transaction. On the Xero Submission Review screen, matched bank accounts will appear beside each credit entry in the credit table. If needed, you can change the bank account on this screen by clicking the account dropdown. If a GL code has been marked to send to bank transactions, but no corresponding Xero bank account is available or matched, you will see an error and submission will be blocked until resolved. Always ensure your GL credit entries are correctly configured and that your Lightning Payroll and Xero bank accounts are aligned to avoid submission issues when including bank transactions. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-send-data-to-xero-from-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Submit General Ledger Journals and Bank Transactions to MYOB AccountRight? A: Lightning Payroll supports submissions to both MYOB AccountRight Cloud Edition and locally hosted AccountRight Server Edition. The process is nearly identical for both, with the cloud version used in the examples below. Please note that these features require an integration subscription add-on for all non-agent level subscriptions. Submitting General Ledger Journals After completing a pay run, you can submit the payroll journal directly to MYOB. In the desktop app: On the Pays screen, click the Reports button and select Export to MYOB from the dropdown. In the online (web/mobile) app: Navigate to Pays >> Reports >> MYOB Export. Chart of Accounts Setup When submitting for the first time, you will be prompted to use default MYOB chart of accounts codes. Click Yes if you use the standard MYOB setup. Otherwise, click Cancel and manually configure your codes under Company >> GL Codes in Lightning Payroll. This allows each pay category to map to the appropriate MYOB account code (found in MYOB under Accounting >> Categories). The circled rows are the credit rows which are usually linked to a bank account in MYOB, and will be used for bank transaction uploads, mentioned further below. Connecting to MYOB Next, you will be asked to log into your MYOB account. Once connected, follow the on-screen instructions to verify your MYOB token and choose which pay runs to include in the export. If you are using a local version of AccountRight, untick Use MYOB AccountRight Cloud (opposed to local Account Right)? If you ever need to revoke Lightning Payroll's access to your MYOB account, you can follow the steps outlined in this FAQ. Submitting and Reviewing Click Submit to MYOB to send the journal across. After submission, a confirmation screen with summary details will appear. You can review past submissions in the desktop app via the MYOB Journal Submissions button on the Reports screen. These journals will appear in MYOB under Accounting >> General Journals. Submitting Spend Money (Bank) Transactions When creating a Direct Entry ABA file, you can optionally submit matching Spend Money transactions to MYOB. On the ABA preview screen, use the dropdown option to enable MYOB bank transaction submission. This will launch a few additional screens that follow a similar login and submission flow to journal entries. Submitted transactions will appear in MYOB under Banking >> Reconcile Accounts. Fixing and Resubmitting Bank Transactions If a mistake is made, simply delete the incorrect transaction within MYOB, correct the relevant account mapping in Lightning Payroll under Company >> GL Codes, and resubmit the bank transaction when ready. Deleting a Test Bank Transaction in MYOB If you would like to test how a bank transaction upload from Lightning Payroll appears in MYOB, you can safely delete it afterwards by following these steps: In MYOB, go to Banking >> Bank Transactions. Use the search filters to locate the uploaded transaction. Click on the reference number link to open the transaction details. At the top of the transaction window, click the Delete button. This will remove the transaction from MYOB, allowing you to make any changes in Lightning Payroll before resubmitting if needed. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-submit-general-ledger-journals-and-bank-transactions-to-myob-accountright Q: How Do I Add a Missing Employee Into a Pay Run? A: If an employee is missing from a pay run, you can add them using the steps below. In the desktop app Go to the Pays tab and click New Pay Wizard. Select the employee(s) you want to add, then click Finish. If you tick Default Option (create a full pay), the program automatically uses the hours and pay rate set under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates to pre-fill the pay details. You can still edit the pay afterwards on the Pays screen. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Pays and click the Create Pays button. On the Create Pays screen, select the employee(s) to add and set the Processed/Paid Date For The New Pay/s. If you tick Create Full Pay (with normal hours/rates)?, the pay is pre-filled using the employee's default hours and pay rate. Click Save to create the pays, then edit them as normal from the Pays screen. Employee not visible in the list? If you have recently added a new employee but cannot find them, they may have an incorrect Start Date. To fix this, go to Employees >> Details >> Employment Dates, update their Start Date to the correct date, then return to the Pays screen. The employee should now appear. Terminated employees are hidden by default - tick Show Terminated? to include them. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-missing-employee-into-a-pay-run Q: How Do I Change The Processed Date Or Pay End Date For Completed Pays? A: After completing a pay run you may need to adjust the processed/paid date (the date the payment is made to employees) or the pay end date (the last day of the pay period) on one or more pays. Common reasons include correcting a date entry error, aligning with a bank payment date, or adjusting the pay period boundaries for reporting. Accessing the screen In the desktop app: open the pay run, then select Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run from the pay run actions. In the online (web/mobile) app: navigate to the Pays screen, open the relevant pay run, then click Set Processed/Paid Date. Changing the processed/paid date (default mode) By default the screen opens in processed date mode. This changes the date recorded as the payment date on each selected pay. Use the New Processed Date date picker to choose the correct date.In the pay list below, tick the pays you want to update. Each row shows the employee name, net amount, and the current processed date.Click Save Changes. The processed date is used for Single Touch Payroll (AU) and Payday Filing (NZ) reporting, so ensure it matches the actual date funds are transferred. Changing the pay end date instead Tick the Change individual pay end dates instead? checkbox to switch to end date mode. The screen relabels to reflect the change: The date picker becomes New End Date.Each pay row now highlights the current pay end date with the processed date shown in brackets for reference. This is useful when a pay period boundary needs adjusting after the pay run was completed — for example, if the period end date was entered incorrectly during pay creation. Important notes You can select individual pays or all pays in the run. Only ticked pays are updated.Both modes update the selected pays immediately on save. The change is reflected in reports and filing submissions.If you need to change both the processed date and the end date, run the process twice — once in each mode. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-change-the-processed-date-or-pay-end-date-for-completed-pays Q: How Do I Delete A Pay In The Online App, And When Is Deletion Blocked? A: In the online (web/mobile) app, open the Pays screen and navigate to the pay run that contains the pay you want to remove. Click the Delete Pays button. The screen lists every completed pay in the current pay run that is eligible for deletion. Each row shows the employee name, pay end date, processed date, gross, tax, and net amounts. Select the pays you want to remove and confirm the deletion. When Is Deletion Blocked? A pay will not appear in the deletion list - and cannot be deleted - if any of the following apply: The pay has already been submitted to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll (STP). The pay has been sent to a super fund through SuperStream. The pay has a linked super contribution already processed. If a pay is blocked for any of these reasons, it will simply not appear in the list. You can still correct the pay by editing it and, where required, resubmitting to the ATO via STP. Lightning Payroll recommends making corrections as a separate new pay rather than deleting and re-entering, to preserve a clear audit trail. For instructions on editing a completed pay, see How Do I Edit Existing Payslips? For the desktop app steps, see How Do I Delete A Pay? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-delete-a-pay-in-the-online-app-and-when-is-deletion-blocked Q: Can I Process Pays In Advance? A: To process pays in advance, navigate to future pays using the Next Pay Run button in the Pays screen. From there, you can edit and save the pay entries as normal for each employee. If the pays are being processed now but will not be paid until later, ensure the processed date for the pays is set to the date the wages will actually be paid. If you use the direct entry option to pay wages, ensure the processing date for the direct entry is set to the date the wages will be paid to employees, on the first page of the wizard when creating the direct entry file. Once the file is created, the processed date for each entry is updated. If you do not use direct entry files, you can edit the processed date for each entry by clicking the Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run button at the bottom-right of the Pays screen. This lets you quickly adjust the processing date for all (or selected) employees in the pay run. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-process-pays-in-advance Q: How Can I Adjust What is Shown on the Payslips? A: If you would like to adjust what information is shown on payslips, you can do this for each employee under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Payslip Options. This section lets you choose what is shown on payslips, including: Leave entitlements, including custom leave types and negative balances Year-to-date (YTD) totals for pay and super Hours worked and rates of pay Whether leave balances are shown in hours, minutes, or days Base ordinary rate (if applicable) Inclusion of position/role (if applicable) Allowance units, with options for showing allowance rates Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-adjust-what-is-shown-on-the-payslips Q: How To Setup A Deduction? A: To set up a deduction for an employee, go to the Employees tab >> select the employee on the left >> Allowances & Deductions >> Deductions, then click the green plus symbol to add the deduction and click Save. This deduction can then be seen in the Pays tab >> Edit Pay for this employee >> Allowances/Deductions >> Deductions. You can edit the amount manually by clicking the pencil icon. A common type of deduction is a child support payment. If you mark a deduction as a child support payment, it will check the minimum protected earnings amount against the net before allowing you to save the pay. These protected earnings amounts are updated each January. You can also link a deduction to a secondary bank account for an employee (entered under Employees >> Details >> Bank Accounts). This includes the deduction as an additional line entry in the direct entry banking file. If you are linking a deduction to a bank account, you will likely not need an amount entered against the account itself under Employees >> Details >> Bank Accounts. Note: if the deduction is required in a past completed pay, you will need to unlock that pay by clicking the padlock in the bottom-left corner. Then click Allowances/Deductions, click the green plus symbol under Deductions, and click Save. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-to-setup-a-deduction Q: How Do I Process a Pay? A: To process a pay or pay run in Lightning Payroll, click the Pays button at the top of the Lightning Payroll window. This takes you to the current or most recent pay run. To go back to an earlier pay run, click Last Pay Run on the left. To move to future pay runs, click Next Pay Run on the right. When processing a pay run, all pays start as Pending until they are saved or marked as complete. To get started, click the Edit Pay/s button above the list of employees to edit the pays in order. Otherwise, click Edit Pay beside any employee's name on the right to edit that individual pay entry. Once you have opened a pay entry for an employee, enter their hours worked for the pay period on the top left in the Hours section. To pay leave, add it in the Leave taken in this pay section. See How Do I Pay Leave? for more detail. Tax and super amounts are calculated automatically and shown on the right. Once you are happy with the employee's pay entry, click Save + Next on the bottom right to save and move to the next employee, or click Save + Close to return to the pay run. Once all the pay entries for your employees are marked as Complete, you can create the payslips and process Single Touch Payroll for this pay run. See How Do I Print and/or Email Payslips? for creating payslips, or How Do I Process Single Touch Payroll? for processing Single Touch Payroll. You can also watch our video tutorial on how to process a standard pay in Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-a-pay Q: How Do I Create Additional Pay Rates For Employees? A: You can set up additional pay rates for employees in Lightning Payroll either individually or in groups. To set up a pay rate for a single employee, go to Employees >> select the relevant employee >> Pay Settings >> Special User Defined Pay Rates and add the rate. This pay rate will then be available from the drop-down list of pay rates in the Edit Pay/s screen. To set up a pay rate that can be applied to a group of employees, go to Company >> Pay Rate Groups and click New to create a group. Add the pay rate, then use the Edit Employees section to assign that group to the relevant employees. This pay rate will then be available from the drop-down list of pay rates in the Edit Pay/s screen for every employee you have added to the group. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-additional-pay-rates-for-employees Q: How Do I Set Up An Employee Deduction With Automatic Limits? A: Employee deductions can now include optional limits that automatically stop or cap the deduction after a set number of pay applications or once a cumulative dollar amount has been reached. This removes the need to manually track and disable recurring deductions. When to use limits: loan repayments, salary advances, uniform costs, one-off equipment purchases paid over multiple pays, or any deduction that should not continue indefinitely. Where to find the deduction limit fields Open an employee record, navigate to Allowances & Deductions, then select the Deductions tab. Create a new deduction or edit an existing one. At the bottom of the deduction form you will see three limit fields: Max Applications — the maximum number of pay runs this deduction will be applied to. Set to 0 or leave empty for no limit.Max Total Amount — the maximum cumulative dollar amount that can be deducted across all pays. Set to $0 for no limit.Limit Start Date — the date from which completed pays are counted toward the limit. This field is required when either limit is set. You can use one limit type on its own, or combine both for tighter control. The deduction will stop as soon as either limit is reached. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-an-employee-deduction-with-automatic-limits Q: How Do I Limit A Deduction By Number Of Pay Applications? A: Use the Max Applications field when you know exactly how many pay runs a deduction should be applied to. The system counts the number of completed pays that include this deduction (matched by description) since the Limit Start Date, and stops auto-applying once the count is reached. Example: uniform purchase over 6 fortnights Create a deduction called Uniform Purchase with an amount of $25.00.Ensure Auto Apply to Pay is ticked.Set Max Applications to 6.Leave Max Total Amount at $0 (no dollar cap needed).Set Limit Start Date to the date of the first pay run that should include this deduction.Save the deduction. What happens during pay processing Each time a pay run is created, the system checks how many completed pays already include this deduction since the start date.If the count is below 6, the deduction is added to the new pay as normal.Once 6 pays have been completed with this deduction, it is automatically skipped on all future pays.The deduction remains on the employee record for reference but will not appear on new pays until you update or remove the limit. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-limit-a-deduction-by-number-of-pay-applications Q: How Do I Limit A Deduction By Total Dollar Amount? A: Use the Max Total Amount field when the deduction should stop once a cumulative dollar figure has been repaid, regardless of how many pays it takes. The system tracks the running total of all completed pay deductions (matched by description) since the Limit Start Date. Example: $2,000 salary advance repaid at $100 per pay Create a deduction called Salary Advance Repayment with an amount of $100.00.Ensure Auto Apply to Pay is ticked.Set Max Total Amount to $2,000.00.Leave Max Applications at 0 (no count cap needed).Set Limit Start Date to the date the repayment schedule begins.Save the deduction. What happens during pay processing Each new pay run checks the cumulative total already deducted since the start date.If the total is below $2,000, the full $100 deduction is applied.If only $50 remains before the $2,000 cap is reached, the deduction is automatically reduced to $50 for that pay — ensuring the employee is never over-deducted.Once the full $2,000 has been deducted, the deduction is skipped entirely on future pays. Percentage-based deductions and capping If the deduction is configured as a percentage of gross or net pay, the same capping logic applies. When the remaining limit is less than the calculated percentage amount, the system converts the deduction to a fixed dollar amount equal to the remaining balance. This ensures the total never exceeds the configured maximum. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-limit-a-deduction-by-total-dollar-amount Q: What Should I Know About Deduction Limit Start Dates And Tracking? A: The Limit Start Date determines which completed pays count toward the limit. Only pays with a processed date on or after this date are included in the count and total calculations. Key behaviours Limit Start Date is required when either Max Applications or Max Total Amount is set. If you save a deduction with a limit but no start date, the system clears the limit fields automatically.Only completed pays are counted. Draft or in-progress pays do not contribute to the limit. This means the limit is only consumed once a pay run is finalised.Matching is by description. The system matches pay deductions to the employee deduction using the deduction description and post-tax status. If you rename a deduction, previously completed pays under the old name will no longer count toward the limit.Both limits can be combined. If you set Max Applications to 12 and Max Total Amount to $1,200, the deduction stops as soon as either 12 applications or $1,200 total is reached, whichever comes first. Resetting or adjusting limits To restart a limit cycle (for example at the beginning of a new financial year), update the Limit Start Date to the new start date. Previous pays before that date will no longer count.To remove limits entirely, set Max Applications to 0 and Max Total Amount to $0, then save. The system clears the start date automatically.To increase a limit mid-cycle, simply update the Max Applications or Max Total Amount field. The existing count and total are preserved and the deduction will continue until the new limit is reached. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-should-i-know-about-deduction-limit-start-dates-and-tracking Q: Why Do Hours Worked Change On Their Own When Leave Is Taken? A: This guide will help you understand and configure the 'Automatically adjust ordinary hours worked when entering leave taken in a pay' setting in Lightning Payroll. This feature is designed to prevent overpayment by automatically adjusting ordinary hours when leave taken is recorded. Accessing the Setting Open Lightning Payroll. Navigate to Settings > System Leave. Locate the option titled 'Automatically adjust ordinary hours worked when entering leave taken in a pay?'. Understanding the Setting By default, this setting is enabled (ticked). When active, it automatically adjusts the ordinary hours worked to account for any leave taken, ensuring the total hours paid do not exceed the standard working hours. Example: For a full-time employee working 38 hours a week (5 days x 7.6 hours), taking a day off and entering 7.6 hours of annual leave will adjust the ordinary hours from 38 to 30.4 hours. This maintains the total at 38 hours paid. Adjusting the Setting To prevent overpayment: Ensure the setting is ticked. Lightning Payroll will automatically reduce ordinary hours when leave is taken. To manage hours manually: Set the option to unticked. You will need to manually adjust the ordinary hours to avoid paying for more hours than worked. This is useful if you wish to add leave hours without reducing the ordinary hours, resulting in additional pay for the leave period. Important Consideration When the setting is unticked, and leave is entered without adjusting ordinary hours, it could result in overpayment. For instance, if 7.6 hours of leave are added without reducing the ordinary 38 hours, the total paid hours would be 45.6. It's crucial to manually adjust ordinary hours in such cases. Need Further Assistance? If you have any questions or require further assistance with this setting, please contact our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-do-hours-worked-change-on-their-own-when-leave-is-taken Q: How Do I Configure and Export GL (General Ledger) Files in Lightning Payroll To My Accounting Software? A: This guide will help you configure and export General Ledger (GL) files from Lightning Payroll. Exporting GL Files To export GL files, follow these steps: Navigate to Pays > Reports (the red Reports icon). To export a CSV file, select GL Postings (CSV Export). To access a PDF of the same information, select GL Postings (PDF/Print Preview). This can also be run from the main Reports screen with several additional options. Configuring CSV Export Settings If you need to configure the date or column settings for the CSV export: Go to Company > GL Codes. Adjust the settings as needed, referring to your accounting package import criteria. The default settings should suffice in most cases. Editing GL Accounting Codes To modify GL accounting codes: Click the edit pencil beside any pay category to enter the code. If your company has departments (cost centres) set up, you can choose to export the CSV into departments. This makes the main GL code for settings (e.g., 'gross wages') redundant, as selecting 'split by department' will use the department GL codes instead of the main/total/default GL code. Following these steps will ensure your GL files are correctly configured and exported for use with your accounting software. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-configure-and-export-gl-general-ledger-files-in-lightning-payroll-to-my-accounting-software Q: How Can I Terminate an Employee (Basic)? A: For a detailed termination, please see our FAQ here. To terminate an employee, go to Pays >> Edit Pay and click the Terminate Employee button (above the Save + Next button) on the bottom-right of the screen when editing the employee’s final pay. This will bring up the employee termination assistant. Here, you will be prompted to enter the termination date, the reason for termination, and then on the next page, you will be able to select which leave types need to be paid out. If no leave is to be paid out, you will be able to deselect them all. If you need to enter in wages in lieu of notice, you will be able to do this on the following screen. Otherwise, you can hit Next to continue, and you will be brought to a final termination summary screen. If you’re happy with the termination, you can then click Finish, then Save + Close on the pay. Please note that terminating an employee will still retain all the employee's details and pay data in the program for record-keeping purposes, but will free up a spot for you on your license to add new employees if need be. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-terminate-an-employee-basic Q: Can I Salary Sacrifice My Employees' Termination Payments? A: Understanding the nuances of salary sacrificing around termination payments can be complex. This FAQ is general information only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. If you are unsure, we recommend confirming the intended treatment with the ATO or your accountant before finalising a termination pay. What is Salary Sacrifice? Salary sacrifice (also called salary packaging) is an arrangement where an employee agrees to forgo part of their future salary or wages in exchange for benefits of a similar value, commonly extra superannuation contributions. For the ATO overview, see: Salary sacrificing for employees (ATO). When is a Salary Sacrifice Arrangement Effective? The ATO's guidance is that an effective salary sacrifice arrangement is prospective. In practice, it needs to be agreed before the relevant entitlement is earned or becomes payable, and it cannot generally be applied to amounts that have already accrued. Salary sacrificing for employees (ATO) Taxation Ruling TR 2001/10 (ATO Legal database) Termination Payments and Salary Sacrifice When it comes to termination payments, the rules are specific. The ATO Community guidance notes that termination or redundancy payments fall into their own category, and salary sacrifice is not an option for those amounts. See (updated link): ATO Community: Can someone salary package their termination annual leave or redundancy?. ETPs and Redundancy Payments Some termination-related amounts are treated as an Employment Termination Payment (ETP). The ATO states that ETPs made after 30 June 2007 (outside transitional arrangements) cannot be contributed to, or rolled over into, superannuation. Employment termination payments (ATO) The ATO also lists what is included in an ETP. This includes genuine redundancy payments above the tax-free limit, severance pay, gratuities, and some other payments made in consequence of termination. Payments that are ETPs (ATO) If you are dealing with a genuine redundancy, the ATO explains the tax-free component and what does and does not form part of a genuine redundancy payment. Genuine redundancy payments (ATO) Redundancy and early retirement (ATO) Unused Leave on Termination Unused leave paid on termination (such as unused annual leave and long service leave) is treated differently to ETPs for tax purposes. Whether any part can be salary sacrificed depends heavily on whether a valid salary sacrifice arrangement was in place before the entitlement accrued, and the specific facts of the arrangement. For a discussion on salary sacrificing unused leave credits, see: ATO Community: Can a salary sacrifice arrangement for unused leave credits be made at the start of employment?. Note: some payments on termination may still be considered salary and wages (for example, certain payments in lieu of notice). If an employee already has a valid salary sacrifice arrangement in place before the relevant entitlement is earned, those scenarios may differ. For an ATO Community example discussion, see: ATO Community: Salary sacrificing on termination (discussion). What Can an Employee Do Instead? If an employee wants more of their termination payout to end up in super, a common alternative is for them to make a personal contribution to super after they receive the funds, subject to eligibility and contribution caps. The ATO explains personal super contributions and the notice of intent requirements where a deduction is claimed. Personal super contributions (ATO) Concessional contributions cap (ATO) Non-concessional contributions cap (ATO) How Lightning Payroll Handles This Lightning Payroll can record a salary sacrifice amount to super in a pay, including where you enter a termination pay. However, we do not determine whether a particular salary sacrifice arrangement is effective for tax purposes, and we do not prevent you from processing a pay based on your chosen treatment. Because the ATO guidance indicates redundancy and ETP amounts are generally not eligible to be salary sacrificed into super, we recommend you confirm your intended approach with the ATO guidance above and/or your accountant before processing. Optional reference for employers reporting salary sacrifice in STP: Salary sacrifice reporting in STP (ATO). Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-salary-sacrifice-my-employees-termination-payments Q: How Should I Enter ECEC Worker Retention Payments in Lightning Payroll? A: The Australian Government is providing funding for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) worker retention payments, which will run from 2 December 2024 to 30 November 2026. This funding includes a 15% wage increase for eligible staff and additional funding for on-costs. Providers must pass this payment to workers through wage increases. Note: For more information on how to apply for this payment and detailed eligibility criteria, visit the Department of Education website. Adding ECEC Retention Payments in Lightning Payroll To process these payments in Lightning Payroll, you'll need to create three types of allowances: Company Allowances: These allowances are set up under Company > Allowances and can be shared across multiple employees. After setting up a company allowance, you must add the appropriate employees to it for it to apply to their pays. Employee Allowances: These allowances are specific to an individual employee and can be created under Employees > Allowances/Deductions > Allowances. Employee allowances are useful if you need to define a specific per-pay allowance amount for a single employee. Steps to Add Company Allowances Open Lightning Payroll and navigate to Company > Allowances. Click on the plus to add a new company allowance. Enter the details as shown below: Overtime Allowance: Description: ECEC Worker Retention Payment Overtime Amount: $0.00000 Classification: Other Taxable: Yes Itemised: No Automatically Add to Pending Pays: Yes Included in Super Calculations: No Refer to the image below for a visual guide: OTE Allowance: Description: ECEC Worker Retention Payment OTE Amount: $0.00000 Classification: Other Taxable: Yes Itemised: No Automatically Add to Pending Pays: Yes Included in Super Calculations: Yes Refer to the image below for a visual guide: Paid Leave Allowance: Description: ECEC Worker Retention Payment Paid Leave Amount: $0.00000 Classification: Other Taxable: Yes Itemised: No Automatically Add to Pending Pays: Yes Included in Super Calculations: Yes This allowance should be used to ensure the retention payment component also applies when an employee is on paid leave, such as annual or personal leave. It ensures consistency with Fair Work guidance that the allowance applies to all ordinary time earnings. Steps to Add Employee Allowances Open Lightning Payroll and navigate to Employees > Allowances/Deductions > Allowances. Select the employee for whom you want to add the allowance. Click on the plus to add a new employee allowance. Enter the details, including a specific amount if applicable, and save. Additional Notes Once the allowances are created, they can be added to individual employee pays. For company allowances, ensure you assign the relevant employees to the allowance. For employee allowances, the amount is typically specific to the individual and can be updated on a per-pay basis or set as a recurring base amount. Leave Accruals ECEC retention payments will not affect an employee's leave accruals. In Lightning Payroll, allowances do not impact leave balances regardless of their settings. If you'd like to learn more about how leave accruals work in Lightning Payroll, see our FAQ: How Does Lightning Payroll Calculate Leave Accruals? If you need further assistance, feel free to reach out to our support team or visit the official page for more details. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-should-i-enter-ecec-worker-retention-payments-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Correct A Pay If It Has Already Been Banked? A: Correcting a pay that has already been banked depends on the type of issue: whether it's an incorrect pay item, an underpayment, an overpayment, or missed super. Follow the appropriate steps below. Incorrect Pay Item Used If an employee was paid the wrong pay item or rate (e.g. annual leave instead of sick leave), but the value of the pay remains unchanged (gross, tax, net, super), you can update the existing pay: Go to Pays > Navigate to the correct pay run. Edit the incorrect pay by clicking the edit pencil button. Update the pay item and save the changes. Report this change to the ATO by sending an STP update event: Single Touch > Submit Payroll To ATO > Create update event. If an update event is unavailable, it may need to be submitted from the employee's latest pay run for the financial year. (Learn more) Underpayments If an employee was underpaid or if a pay item (such as wages or super) was missed, do not edit the original pay. Instead, record a new pay to correct the error. Leave the original pay unchanged for a clear audit trail. Scenario 1: Correction for the Same Pay Run This scenario applies if you have already completed the employee's current pay, meaning it has been saved, banked and/or reported to the ATO. Go to Pays > Create Pay Wizard. Ensure the processed date matches the banked date and untick Create Full Pay. Edit the second, $0.00 pay line for the employee. Example 1: Missed or unrecorded items Add the missed items to the new pay and manually calculate the tax difference. Use the Tax Calculator in the Tools menu or temporarily edit (without saving) the original pay to determine the tax adjustment. This example shows how the tax would be edited to record the difference of $18 tax required. The Tax Calculator is found under Tools at the top of the program. Example 2: Incorrect pay items Enter a negative value for the incorrect pay item and a positive value for the correct one. The employee was originally paid 38 hours ordinary time worked. They should have been paid holiday/annual leave plus leave loading. Notice the correction where the OTE is cancelled via a negative entry alongside the corrected entry. The 38 hours OTE is cancelled out by the 38 hours leave, but the pay is increased by the leave loading amount which was the cause of the underpayment. Tax has been edited in this case to account for the required $24 which can be manually calculated using one of the two methods mentioned above. Scenario 1A: Underpayment due to incorrect hourly rate This is common when an employee has been paid at the wrong ordinary rate across past hours. The cleanest fix is a swapover of the hours from the old rate to the correct rate inside the current pay. This creates the backpay difference automatically and keeps the audit trail intact. Overview Enter the total affected hours as a negative line at the old rate. Enter the same hours as a positive line at the correct rate. Do this in one pay. You can include any normal wages owed for the period on additional lines. Two stage process to access both rates in one pay Stage 1: Go to Employees > Pay Settings and temporarily set the employee's main pay rate to the old, lower rate. Open the current pay in Pays and enter the negative hours against the old rate, then save the pay. Stage 2: Fix the employee's pay settings to the correct rate. Return to Pays and re-edit the same pay. Add a new line for the positive hours at the correct rate. Leave the negative line untouched. Example If 448 hours were paid at $37.96 and should have been $38.45, enter -448 hours at $37.96, then +448 hours at $38.45. The backpay difference of $0.49 per hour is created automatically. PAYG will calculate from the final totals in the pay. Tip: If you also owe ordinary hours for the current period, add them on a third line at the correct rate. Scenario 2: Correction for a Previous Pay Run Follow the same steps as Scenario 1. Alternatively, make the corrections in the employee's current pay run or create a second pay line via the Create Pays Wizard. Super Corrections and RESC Additions If you missed a superannuation contribution, including RESC (Reportable Employer Super Contributions), this should also be recorded in a new pay, not by editing the original. This applies to both unpaid and already paid super contributions. Creating a new pay line helps: Preserve a clean audit trail Avoid altering amounts already banked or reported Ensure STP and super payment instructions are accurate For EOFY RESC additions, see: How can I enter an additional RESC/super amount for EOFY? For general super payment instructions, see: How do I pay super in Lightning Payroll (no clearing house required)? Overpayments Overpayments require careful handling. Refer to the Fair Work guidelines: When overpayments occur, the employer and employee should discuss and agree on a repayment arrangement. A written agreement should include the reason, amount, repayment method, and schedule. If no agreement is reached, seek legal advice. (Learn more) Deduct overpayments in upcoming pays by entering negative values for the overpaid item. For example, if 40 hours OTE were paid but only 30 hours were worked, deduct the 10 hours in the next pay. Ensure that no pay value (gross, tax, net, super) falls below $0. Arrange for deductions across multiple pays if necessary. Example: Correction delayed to next pay due to negative result If an employee was mistakenly paid 38 hours at time-and-a-half instead of ordinary time, the typical correction would involve entering -38 hours at the incorrect rate and +38 hours at the correct rate. However, if there are no other pay items in the correction, this will result in a negative pay amount, which is not allowed. The following image shows the overpayment made on June 20th, which should have been OTE. In this case, you should wait until the employee's next pay run. Then: Include the correction in their regular pay. Enter -38 hours at time-and-a-half (to cancel the overpaid portion). Enter +38 hours at ordinary time (to restore the correct pay). This ensures the overpayment can be recovered against other earnings in the same pay, keeping the overall pay valid and payable. STP Reporting Corrected overpayments or underpayments must be reported via Single Touch Payroll. Submit a new event (pay event) to correct both Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-correct-a-pay-if-it-has-already-been-banked Q: Can I Add My Company Logo to the Payslips? A: You can add your company logo to the payslips by going to the Pays screen, clicking the Payslips button and selecting 'Configure Payslip Logo'. Tick the box to turn Logos on and then select 'browse' to choose the image. You can adjust the height or width of the image by adjusting the measurements in the logo menu. The preview will show you how the logo will look on the payslip. Once you are happy with how the logo will appear, click 'Close'. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-add-my-company-logo-to-the-payslips Q: How Do I Create An Additional Pay? A: To add a pay click on Create Pays Wizard, select the employee(s) whom you wish to record a pay for within that period. Then select the date you would like this pay to be processed or if it were a past pay, the date it was processed. The tickbox at the bottom of the window which says Create Full Pay if ticked will filter the information from the Pay Settings for each employee. If the additional pay is for a bonus or other irregular payment please see here for an example on paying a bonus, commision, etc. If the additional pay is for a back payment please see here for an example of making a back payment. If you need to delete an additional pay row from the pay run, please see here to learn how to do this.   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-an-additional-pay Q: How Can I Handle A Novated Lease In Lightning Payroll? A: A novated lease is a financial arrangement where an employee leases a vehicle, and their employer makes the lease payments on their behalf using a combination of pre-tax and post-tax salary deductions. This is commonly used as a salary packaging benefit, reducing the employee's taxable income. In Lightning Payroll, novated leases are typically handled using both a post-tax deduction and a pre-tax salary sacrifice. Follow the steps below to correctly set up each component: Setting Up the Post-Tax Deduction The post-tax component is deducted from the employee's after-tax income. To set this up in Lightning Payroll: Go to Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Deductions. Create a new deduction entry. Enter the deduction name (e.g., "Novated Lease - Post Tax"). Set the deduction type and amount per pay period as specified in the lease agreement. Save the changes. Setting Up the Pre-Tax Salary Sacrifice The pre-tax component is deducted from the employee's salary before tax is calculated. To set this up: Go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice. Create a new salary sacrifice entry. Enter the sacrifice name (e.g., "Novated Lease - Pre Tax"). Set the sacrifice amount per pay period as specified in the lease agreement. Ensure that the sacrifice is NOT marked as superannuation (super)/Reportable Employer Super Contribution (RESC). Save the changes. Handling Different Lease Arrangements Some novated lease agreements may only require either a post-tax deduction or a pre-tax salary sacrifice. In such cases, simply skip the step that does not apply to the lease arrangement. If you are unsure about the specific breakdown of your novated lease, have the employee consult their lease provider or ask their financial advisor for clarification. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-handle-a-novated-lease-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Delete A Pay? A: To delete an employee's pay, go to the Pays tab and into the pay run in question. Click on the Delete Pays Wizard button, and select the employees' pays you wish to delete. Confirm your actions and this will put the pays back into a pending status for later use, if necessary. If you cannot delete a pay, this is due to it already having been sent through Single Touch Payroll. While you may not be able to delete a pay in this situation, you can still edit the pay/s and resend if need be. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-delete-a-pay Q: How Do I Print and/or Email Payslips? A: To print or email payslips, go to the Pays tab in the program. Once a pay is saved with a "COMPLETED" status, you can print payslips by following these steps: Click Payslips >> This Pay Run. Select either Print payslips or Print and email payslips at the bottom of the dialog box. Click Next, choose the employees for whom you wish to print payslips, and click Next again. Select Preview/Print Payslip and use the printer icon on the top left to print the payslips. You can also save the payslips as a PDF by clicking the red floppy disc icon next to the printer icon. To print payslips for multiple pay runs, the process is similar: Click Payslips >> Multiple Pay Runs. Enter the desired date range for the payslips and follow the same steps to preview and print. To email payslips, first ensure your email settings in Lightning are configured by following the instructions here. For each employee you want to receive payslips or payment summaries via email: Go to Employees >> Details >> Email Options. Enter their email address and tick the boxes for Email Payslips? and/or Email Payment Summaries?. Once this setup is complete, you can email payslips from the Pays tab using the same process as above by selecting Email payslips or Print and email payslips. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-print-andor-email-payslips Q: Should I Enter Employee Reimbursements in Lightning Payroll? A: Employee reimbursements should not be entered in Lightning Payroll. If added to a pay, they will be reported to the ATO via Single Touch Payroll (STP), which can misstate an employee’s taxable earnings. Reimbursements are typically handled separately from payroll (for example, via a direct bank transfer or petty cash), so they are not included in STP reporting. If you want the reimbursement mentioned on the payslip without affecting pay totals or STP, add a payslip note to that pay only: Open the employee’s current pay and click Edit Pay. Go to the Payslip Info tab. Type your message in the Payslip Note field (e.g. “Reimbursement of travel expenses paid separately”). Click Save. This records the information for the employee while keeping the reimbursement out of payroll figures and STP submissions. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/should-i-enter-employee-reimbursements-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Reinstate A Terminated Employee? A: If you would like to reinstate a terminated employee, go to the Employees tab >> click on Show Terminated Employees >> select the employee you wish to reinstate >> then click on Actions and choose Reinstate Employee. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-reinstate-a-terminated-employee Q: Why Do Pays Sometimes Change By 1c? A: Some payroll apps round once per pay; Lightning Payroll rounds each line item to two decimals, then sums those rounded lines to make the gross. When a salaried employee’s pay is split across multiple items, for example individual leave days, this can differ by one cent compared with calculating the total hours in a single line and rounding once. Our recommendation: let the small variance stand. One cent rounding differences are normal in payroll; they move up or down over time and do not indicate an underpayment or overpayment. Example comparison Hourly rate $43.08706. Total paid hours 38.00000. Item Pay A, single lineOrdinary Time only Pay B, split lines5 × 7.6 hour leave days Leave Day 1 - Qty 7.60000 × $43.08706 = $327.461656 Rounded line = $327.46 Leave Day 2 - Same calculation and rounding = $327.46 Leave Day 3 - Same calculation and rounding = $327.46 Leave Day 4 - Same calculation and rounding = $327.46 Leave Day 5 - Same calculation and rounding = $327.46 Ordinary Time Qty 38.00000 × $43.08706 = $1,637.30828 Rounded line = $1,637.31 - Total of rounded lines $1,637.31 $1,637.30 Both pays are based on the same hours and the same rate. Pay A rounds once on a single line, so the gross is $1,637.31. Pay B rounds each leave day line first, then adds them, so the gross becomes $1,637.30. The one cent difference is caused by standard, per line rounding. What the regulators expect No rule on line rounding: neither the ATO nor Fair Work mandates whether wages must be rounded per line or once per pay. Either approach is acceptable if the employee is not disadvantaged. Payslips: must show gross, net, and itemised entitlements or deductions. The law does not prescribe a specific rounding method for wage lines. PAYG withholding: the ATO provides explicit rounding rules for tax withheld, usually to the nearest dollar. These rules apply to withholding calculations, not to how wage components are rounded. Super guarantee: super is assessed on ordinary time earnings and is a quarterly minimum. Small rounding differences between pays are expected; what matters is that quarterly obligations are met on time and in full. Why Lightning Payroll rounds each line Clarity on payslips; line amounts shown to the cent match the values that are summed. Consistency with itemised journals and exports; easier reconciliation. Common industry practice when pays include leave, overtime, or allowances. If you need a fixed salary figure every pay Accept the one cent variance; this is the simplest and most common approach for salaried staff. Or add a small Rounding Adjustment line to bring the gross to the contracted salary. Or modify a duration slightly; adjusting a leave duration by one or two seconds up or down can shift where the rounding lands, which can change the cent in the gross. Key takeaways One cent differences arise from per line rounding when pays are split across items; this is normal. There is no specific ATO or Fair Work rule that requires a single rounding method for wages. Let it stand for salaried employees; or use a tiny rounding adjustment if you must match a fixed figure. Example figures: rate $43.08706, total 38.00000 hours. Pay A $1,637.31, Pay B $1,637.30. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-do-pays-sometimes-change-by-1c Q: How Do I Setup A Salary Sacrifice? A: To add a Salary Sacrifice for an Employee you will find this under the Employees tab. Select the employee to the left of the screen. Click on Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice and click on the green plus symbol to add in the sacrifice & Save.  If this is to be a Salary Sacrifice as Super, ensure you tick the Is Super/RESC? and Included in Super Calculations? tickboxes, and attach the employee's super fund to the sacrifice. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-setup-a-salary-sacrifice Q: How Do I Process A Genuine Redundancy Or Early Retirement Termination? A: For a basic termination, please see our basic termination guide. Use this guide when processing a genuine redundancy or early retirement scheme in the termination assistant. Step 1: Start The Termination Assistant Open the employee's pay and launch the termination assistant. Enter the termination date and select Genuine Redundancy or Early Retirement Scheme as the tax reason. Step 2: Complete The Redundancy Screen On the Redundancy or Early Retirement Scheme step, enter: Redundancy or early retirement payout: the redundancy or early retirement amount only. Tax-free component from payment in lieu of notice: only the portion of payment in lieu of notice that should be treated as tax-free redundancy. Do not include payment in lieu of notice in the redundancy payout field. Enter the full payment in lieu amount on the ETP step so super is handled correctly. This tax-free component changes tax treatment only. It does not increase the payout total. Step 3: Complete Non-ETP Payout Options Select any non-ETP payouts you need (for example unused leave amounts), then click Next. Step 4: Enter Payment In Lieu Of Notice On The ETP Step If payment in lieu applies, tick Pay Out Payment in Lieu of Notice? and enter the full amount using one method: End of Notice Period Number of Hours Notice Lump Sum Payment For genuine redundancy, Lightning Payroll shows guidance on this screen so the full payment in lieu amount is included for super calculations. Also mention any tax-free portion in the redundancy screen field. Step 5: Resolve Any Validation Message You cannot continue if the tax-free payment in lieu of notice component is greater than the total payment in lieu of notice amount. If this appears, either increase the payment in lieu amount on the ETP step, or go back and reduce the tax-free component on the redundancy step. Step 6: Review Summary And Finish On the summary page, confirm these values before finishing: Redundancy or Early Retirement Scheme payout Tax-free payment in lieu of notice component Payment in Lieu of Notice Amount Click Finish to complete the termination, or Preview to generate a termination report first. Important References Fair Work: Notice of Termination and Redundancy Pay ATO: Redundancy Payments Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-a-genuine-redundancy-or-early-retirement-termination Q: How Do I Enter A Public Holiday? A: If a permanent employee is on leave, and not working on a public holiday you can enter this under Pays >> Edit Pay >> Edit Leave Taken using public holiday as the leave type. If an employee is working a public holiday and requires loading on their standard pay rate you can set up a new, secondary pay rate under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Special User Defined Pay Rates. To set a public holiday rate up for multiple full time employees, go to Company >> Pay Rate Groups >> +New Group and give the group of rates a name (eg. Public Holiday Rates). Next, click on the green plus symbol on the right and give the rate a description such as Public Holiday, leave all other settings as they are, and click Save. Finally, add all employees who will need this rate using the green plus symbol below the rate you have just created. Now, when you go to pay a public holiday for a full time employee, you will select a second line of pay in Edit Pays and select your new pay rate, Public Holiday, and enter the amount of public holiday hours your employee did in this particular pay run. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-a-public-holiday Q: How Do I Edit Existing Payslips? A: If you need to make corrections to an employee's payslip, you will need to navigate to the relevant pay run for which that payslip was issued. If the pay run was in the past, you can go back to earlier pay runs in the Pays menu by clicking the Last Pay Run button on the left. You can also click and hold the Last Pay Run button for 2 seconds and then release to see a list of previous pay runs for a quick selection, or use the Jump To Pay Run Date box at the bottom of the Pays screen. Once in the appropriate pay run, you will need to click the Edit Pay button on the right hand side to make changes to the employee's pay. If the Edit Pay screen is locked, you can unlock it by clicking the padlock icon on the bottom left. Once you've made the necessary changes, click Save + Close. If you wish to change the metadata for a payslip (address, name, company details, etc.) that are not dollar amounts, use the Payslip Info button in the lower right of the Edit Pay window. You can also make bulk payslip info changes via Tools >> Retrospective Tool. You can generate a new Payslip that will show the changes made by clicking the Payslips button. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-edit-existing-payslips Q: How to Enter WorkCover Payments A: If an employee needs to receive WorkCover payments, you can set this up as a custom pay rate under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Special User Defined Pay Rates. Click on the green plus button to add a new custom pay rate. For the description, enter a name for the pay rate (e.g. WorkCover). Then, click the Rate Type dropdown and select Special. You can then specify a dollar amount for the pay rate below. Enter the pay rate specified for the employee's WorkCover. This will typically be a daily or weekly. You can enter the figure and then change the Units option from Hours to Days or Weeks as you prefer. If you need to prevent super from being calculated on on this pay rate, tick the Overtime? box. Finally, click Save. If you need to turn off leave accruals during this time, you can disable leave under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. You will now be able to select this pay rate when processing pays for the employee. If you have disabled leave, set a reminder (under Settings) to enable it again once the employee returns to work. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-to-enter-workcover-payments Q: How Can I Terminate an Employee (Detailed)? A: For a basic termination, please see our FAQ here. Getting started with the termination assistant The first screen of the termination assistant asks you to enter the termination date and select a reason for termination. With the exception of a genuine redundancy or other listed circumstances, ordinary termination is typically the appropriate option. If you select genuine redundancy, you will be prompted to enter the redundancy payout amount on this screen. Please see the ATO's redundancy payments page for more information. Select non-ETP payout options On the next screen you can choose which non-ETP items to pay out. This is where you select or deselect leave types to include in the termination. Lightning Payroll calculates the payout based on the employee's hourly rate, any leave loading, and their current leave balance in hours and minutes. You can also add other non-ETP amounts here. See the ATO's table for unused leave payments on termination for details on tax treatment. ETP options and payment in lieu of notice The following screen is for ETP options. A common example is payment in lieu of notice. If you do not need to include any ETP items, click Next to skip this step. There are several ways to calculate a payment in lieu of notice. The most common is Number of Hours Notice. In the example below, four weeks of notice equals 152 hours, based on a 38-hour week. Your amount may differ depending on the relevant contract or award. You can also choose to pay out unused sick leave if required. An Advanced settings button is available on this step. Advanced settings The advanced settings screen lets you review and, if necessary, edit the lump sum leave balances that will be paid out before completing the termination. ETP codes and tax amounts After clicking Next, you will reach a screen that shows ETP codes and allows you to edit ETP tax amounts where required. This is particularly helpful when processing genuine redundancies. Termination summary and finishing up The final screen shows a complete termination summary. Review all amounts and payout types. If everything looks correct, click Finish to complete the termination. If you would like a report of the termination you have just completed, click Preview. What is payment in lieu of notice Payment in lieu of notice is when employment ends immediately, and instead of the employee working out their notice period, the employer pays what the employee would have earned during that notice period. How it is calculated Fair Work guidance says the payment must be at the employee's full pay rate as if they had worked the minimum notice period. This full pay rate includes any loadings, allowances, penalty rates and other separately identifiable amounts that would reasonably have applied during the notice period. For example, if the employee's regular pattern includes weekend penalties during the notice period, those penalties should be reflected in the payment. Download Fair Work's Notice of termination and redundancy pay guide (PDF) Tax, reporting and super overview Reporting: Payment in lieu of notice is generally reported as an ETP in payroll reporting. Your software will tag this correctly when entered on the ETP step. Tax: ETPs have specific tax treatment and caps. Check the ATO rules for the employee's circumstances. Superannuation: The ATO's super guidance treats payment in lieu of notice as ordinary time earnings for super purposes, so super usually applies. Overtime and payment in lieu Unpaid overtime already worked up to the termination date should be paid as outstanding wages. Hypothetical or discretionary overtime that might have been worked during the notice period is not added on top. Only include penalty rates or regular rostered components that form part of the employee's expected pattern during the notice period. Payments made after the death of an employee Lightning Payroll can handle ETP payouts made after the death of an employee. Non-ETP amounts such as unused annual leave, leave loading and long service leave accrued post-1993 are not paid via the deceased employee's termination screen. The ATO explains this here: Withholding from unused leave payments on termination of employment. "You do not withhold from payments for unused annual leave, leave loading and unused long service leave made after the death of an employee. Do not show these payments on your deceased employee's payment summary." These amounts need to be manually calculated and transferred outside of payroll to the appropriate party, for example a dependant or an estate. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-terminate-an-employee-detailed Q: How Does Lightning Payroll Handle YTD Figures And Pay Processing Dates? A: Prior to Lightning Payroll version 2021.5.0, when it came to applying a tax scale or assigning a financial year to a pay, the program was designed to use the pay period's end date over the pay's processing date. We have updated this to simplify and automate YTD calculations used for Single Touch Payroll so that less errors and headaches would occur at EOFY. The processed date for a pay refers to the date when payment is made to an employee. Why Is The Pay Processed Date Important? The date of payment is important to Fair Work Australia as it must be included on every payslip, however its main importance relates to the ATO with tax and YTD calculations. The ATO states that a financial year's payments are not about what pay runs end between July 1 and June 30, but what payments are made or processed within those dates. From the ATO: "If salary and wages are accrued in the current financial year (prior to 30 June) but paid in the following financial year (on or after 1 July), the full amount of the payment will be taxed at the following financial year's tax rates and included in the following financial year's payment summary." Older versions of Lightning Payroll required that financial year boundary dates be stretched or contracted so that the pays processed would be attributed to the right financial year. This is now automatic and rests solely on the processed date of pays entered into the program, so please be mindful of how processed dates work (see below) and that they are accurate. How Are Pay Processed Dates Set In Lightning Payroll? Pay processed dates are most prominent in the centre of the main Pays screen table (above), and they are controlled in a number of ways within the software: Automatically, when completing/saving a pay: The date that you first process and save a pay sets the initial processed date of the pay. In other words, when the pay changes status from Pending to Completed. Automatically, when creating a direct entry payment file: The processing date used in a direct entry file will automatically update the processed date of all pays included within the file. Manually, for a single pay: You can edit an individual pay's processed date using the pencil button at the top of the Edit Pay window. Manually, for multiple pays in a pay run: You can edit the processed date for an entire pay run at the bottom of the main Pays screen, using the Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run button. Just enter the new processed date, and select the pays you wish to change the date for and click OK. What If I Prefer The Old Pay Run Date Program Behaviour? If you would like the program to operate as it used to, using pay run end dates to collect YTD amounts used for STP and payment summaries, you may. Just go into Settings >> Display/Time Settings and untick the box which says Use pay processed dates for calculating YTD figures?. Do Reports Use Processed Date Or Paid Date? When running reports in the software you will often get the choice between selecting pay info based on pay run end date or processed date. Simply tick to Use Processed Date or untick to go by pay run end date when in the report form. Lightning Payroll will remember your preference for each report individually.Please see this detailed FAQ on the Use Processed Date tickbox used for reports. Can Financial Year Dates Be Edited? If you would like to edit financial year boundary dates (to further control which financial year captures which pays) you can do so under Company >> Financial Years. See our FAQ on the topic for more information.   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-lightning-payroll-handle-ytd-figures-and-pay-processing-dates Q: How Can I Show Casual Loading On A Pay Rate? A: For certain casual employees it may be necessary to display their base pay rate and their casual loading amounts within pays and payslips. This can be easily handled via a custom pay rate's description. Customised, secondary pay rates are added under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Special User Defined Pay Rates. In the below example you can see the $25 hourly Saturday pay rate's breakdown being shown in the description field. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-show-casual-loading-on-a-pay-rate Q: Which Reports Show JobKeeper Amounts? A: The best way to gather JobKeeper payment information is via two different Lightning Payroll reports. They are: Allowances Report - This can show specific information on any JOBKEEPER-TOPUP allowances. These topup allowances should have been used on pays where JobKeeper employees where paid ABOVE their worked earnings. Pay Run Report - The Pay Run report includes a TOTAL JobKeeper amount in the JK Eligible? column. This is inclusive of any topup amounts described above. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/which-reports-show-jobkeeper-amounts Q: Why Is An Employee Not Appearing In A Pay Run? A: You might add a new employee or reinstate an old employee one day and find that they are not appearing in the current pay run. This might happen due to a few different things: Start date: Make sure their employment start date is not later than the current pay period. Start dates can be found under Employees >> Details >> Employment Dates. Pay schedule: If you pay fortnightly but the new employee was setup as weekly they will not appear on the fortnightly pay run. You will need to correct their pay schedule under Employees >> Pay Settings. Employee marked as inactive: If an employee is marked inactive they will not appear with a pending pay like normal. To fix this go into Employees >> Pay Settings and tick the box marked Active Pay Recipient? Completed pay run: If the current pay run's pays have all already been saved/completed then the pay run is considered complete and and pending pays will no longer auto-generate like they normally would. In this case you can force a late pay intop the pay run by clicking Create Pays at the top of the pay run in question. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-an-employee-not-appearing-in-a-pay-run Q: How Does The Pays Screen Work? A: The Pays screen is the heart and soul of Lightning Payroll. It is the source of almost all reporting and the source of almost all calculations in the program. Pending pays are auto-generated for the current and previous pay runs, when not already completed. If you are catching up on pay runs earlier than this you'll have to create pays if needed. Last/Next Pay Run buttons will let you jump back or forwards in time, turning pay runs like pages in a book. Click and hold your mouse button for bigger jumps in time. Clicking Edit Pay/s will open the selected employee from the table, or the first in the list if no one is selected. If you try to edit a pay and it is disabled/greyed-out, it is likely an old pay and has been locked from editing. Click the padlock button in the lower-left to unlock. You can also edit a pay by double clicking, or by selecting a pay with mouse or arrows and pressing enter. Clicking Create Pays allows you to enter additional pays into the pay run, or enter pays into a past, empty pay run should no pending pays be shown. The start and end dates of the pay period, and the pay cycle (either weekly, fortnightly or monthly). Clicking Delete Pays opens a wizard whereby you can select and delete any completed pay from the pay run, so long as they do not have a Single Touch Payroll history. In that case you'll only be able to edit. Mark all as complete switches the status of any Pending pays in the pay run to Complete. Timeclock (Portal) Sync is where you can pull employee-created shifts and leave requests from our server to prefill pending pays. Reports give a couple of popular pay reports. There are many more reports in the main Reports screen. Payslips lets you print, preview and email payslips for the current pay run or for multiple pay runs. Direct Entry lets you generate a direct entry banking file (ABA) to bulk upload payment information into your online business banking. The Single Touch area is where you report pay information to the ATO, or view past submission history in the Single Touch Mailbox. Inactive Employees shows employees who are not terminated, but have been not marked as an Active Pay Recipient under Employees >> Pay Settings. You can sort the pays table by a chosen column here. Jump to a pay run of your choice by typing in a date. Set the processed date for pays within the given pay run. Accurate processed dates are critical for STP and YTD amounts. By default, a processed date is the date you complete/save the pay, unless a direct entry payment file is generated or a manual edit is made. Show or hide the pay run totals at the bottom of the screen. Pending Pays Pays can either be Pending or Complete. Pending pays do not appear in reports, payslips or YTD figures and will disappear if left pending after a couple of pay periods have passed by. Once a pay is saved, it's status changes to Complete. A Pending pay kicks off with amounts and pay items configured under an employee's Pay Settings. Pending pays will begin with hours from one of three sources: Award hours for a week (default, if not copying hours from last pay or using rosters) Copy hours from last pay - Takes 2nd Priority Rostered shifts (populated by a roster or timeclock/timesheet sync) - Takes 1st priority Pending pays will also kick off with any pre-approved leave requests which fall within that pay period's date range. The following flow chart gives an idea of how a pending pay refreshes/initialises. Note that rostered shifts are created either manually under Rosters >> Edit Shifts or via a Timeclock/Portal Sync on either the Rosters screen or the Pays screen. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-the-pays-screen-work --- Category: Payslips --- Q: How Do I Read the Year-To-Date Totals on a Payslip? A: 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? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-read-the-year-to-date-totals-on-a-payslip Q: What Information Must Be Included on a Pay Slip? A: Under the Fair Work Act, you must give every employee a pay slip within one working day of pay day, even if they are away on leave. A pay slip can be sent electronically (by email or through an online portal) or given as a printed copy. What every pay slip must show The employer's name, and the employer's Australian Business Number (ABN) if it has one. The employee's name. The pay period the pay slip covers. The date of payment. The gross and net amount of pay. Any loadings (including casual loading), monetary allowances, bonuses, incentive-based payments, penalty rates or other separately identifiable entitlements paid. If the employee is paid an hourly rate The pay slip must also show the ordinary hourly rate, the number of hours worked at that rate, and the total dollar amount paid at that rate. For an employee on an annual salary, show the rate of pay as at the last day of the pay period. Deductions and superannuation For any deduction, the pay slip must show the amount of the deduction and the name (or name and number) of the fund or account it was paid into. Where you are required to pay super for an employee, the pay slip must also show the amount of each super contribution made (or that you intend to make) for the pay period, and the name (or name and number) of the fund the contributions were paid into. Leave balances are not legally required on a pay slip, but the Fair Work Ombudsman considers it best practice to include them so employees can keep track of their entitlements. How Lightning Payroll helps Lightning Payroll pay slips already include your company name and ABN, the pay period and payment date, gross and net pay, hourly rates and hours, allowances, deductions, super contributions and year-to-date totals, so they meet these requirements out of the box. You can turn individual sections (such as leave balances or year-to-date totals) on or off for each employee. See How Can I Adjust What is Shown on the Payslips? For the full rules, see the Fair Work Ombudsman pay slips guide. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-information-must-be-included-on-a-pay-slip Q: How Do I Edit the Payslip Information on a Pay? A: Each pay has its own payslip information record that controls the company name, addresses, employee details, and any one-off note printed on that pay's payslip. You can override these details for a single pay without affecting other pays. In the desktop app Open the Pays screen and click into the pay you want to update. On the Edit Pay screen, click the Payslip Info button. The Edit Payslip Information dialog will open, where you can update: Company Name and Company ABN Company address (Address1, Address2, City, State, Postcode) Employee Format Name and employee address Employee employment type, tenure, position, award name, and award classification Payslip Note - a one-off message for this pay's payslip only Click Finish to save. The updated details will appear on that employee's payslip for this pay only. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to the Pays screen and open the pay you want to update. Click the Payslip Info button. A form will appear with the same fields: company name, ABN, company address, employee name and address, employment type, tenure, position, award name, award classification, and payslip note. Update the relevant fields and click Save. The changes apply to this pay's payslip only and do not affect other pays or the employee's ongoing payslip settings. Related settings To control what fields are displayed on all of an employee's payslips (leave balances, YTD totals, hours, etc.), see How Can I Adjust What is Shown on the Payslips? To add an ongoing or pay-run-wide payslip note, see How Do I Add A Payslip Note? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-edit-the-payslip-information-on-a-pay Q: How Do I Add Or Change My Company Logo For Payslips In The Online App? A: You can configure a company logo for payslips from the Pays screen in the online (web/mobile) app. Click the Payslips button, then select Payslip Logo Settings from the menu. Enable and configure the logo Tick Enable payslip logos? to turn logos on. Unticking this hides the logo from all payslips without deleting the uploaded file. Set Alignment to Left, Centre, or Right to control where the logo appears across the payslip header. Adjust Height (min 10, max 80) and Width (min 10, max 400) to size the logo in pixels. Changes take effect when you move focus out of the field. Upload a logo file Click Browse next to Image file and select a jpg, jpeg, png, or gif file no larger than 1 MB. A live preview appears on the right side of the screen so you can check the size and alignment before saving. If a logo is already saved, a confirmation prompt asks whether to replace it. Choose Yes to overwrite or No to cancel. Remove the logo Click Delete next to the image file name. Confirm the prompt to permanently remove the company logo from payslips. Preview on a real payslip If at least one completed pay exists for the company, a Download payslip preview button appears below the preview panel. Click it to download a sample payslip PDF showing exactly how the logo will appear. For the desktop app, see Can I Add My Company Logo to the Payslips? for the equivalent desktop steps. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-or-change-my-company-logo-for-payslips-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Change the Payslip Theme or Format? A: The Payslip Theme and Payslip Format settings let you control the visual layout and paper layout of generated payslips. Both settings appear on the Create Payslips step of the payslips wizard. In the desktop app From the Pays screen, click Payslips and choose either This Pay Run or Multiple Pay Runs. On the Create payslips step of the wizard you will see two drop-down fields: Payslip Theme — Bordered Table Style (the default) presents pay items in a clean bordered table. Original Style uses the classic layout from earlier versions of Lightning Payroll. Payslip Format — Classic is the standard A4 layout. Classic for windowed envelopes shifts the employee address block so it appears through a standard windowed envelope. The selection is remembered for future payslip runs on this computer. In the online (web/mobile) app From the Pays screen, click the Payslips button and choose This Pay Run or Multiple Pay Runs. Work through the wizard until you reach the Create Payslips step. The same two fields are available: Payslip Theme — choose Bordered Table Style or Original Style. Payslip Format — choose Classic or Classic for windowed envelopes. For information on what content is included on payslips (leave balances, YTD totals, hours and rates), see How Can I Adjust What is Shown on the Payslips? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-change-the-payslip-theme-or-format Q: How Do I Create Payslips For A Pay Run? A: Payslips are generated from the Pays screen. The full path is: open the Pays screen >> pick the right pay period and pay run >> click Payslips >> choose This Pay Run or Multiple Pay Runs >> complete the wizard. The example below walks through creating payslips for the pay period starting 20/04 and ending 26/04. Step 1: Open the Pays screen and select the correct pay run The header at the top of the Pays screen shows the currently loaded pay run (start date and end date). Use these controls to navigate to the pay run you want to create payslips for: Set the pay period using the period combo (Weekly, Fortnightly, or Monthly).Use Last Pay Run and Next Pay Run to step through pay runs one period at a time.Use Jump to Pay Run Date to jump straight to a specific date - for example pick any date between 20/04/2026 and 26/04/2026 to load that weekly pay run.Use Current Pay Run to snap back to the most recent pay run. Confirm the header shows the expected start and end dates (for example Monday 20/04/2026 - Sunday 26/04/2026) and that the pay rows below show the employees and amounts you expect. Pays must be marked COMPLETE before they can be turned into payslips. Step 2: Click Payslips and choose your scope Click the Payslips button. A menu opens with three choices: This Pay Run - the most common option. Generates payslips for the pay run already loaded on screen (in this example, 20/04 - 26/04). The wizard skips the date range and employee-selection steps because it already knows which pays apply.Multiple Pay Runs - use this when you need payslips that span more than one pay run, for example reissuing the last fortnight or printing a custom date range. The wizard starts with a date range step and an employee-selection step so you can scope the search.In the desktop app: Configure Payslip Logo - opens a separate screen for uploading or adjusting your company logo on payslips. This is set-and-forget and does not generate payslips.In the online (web/mobile) app: Payslip Logo Settings - opens the equivalent logo configuration screen. For the example pay run 20/04 - 26/04 you can use either This Pay Run (when that period is already loaded) or Multiple Pay Runs (and enter the dates manually). The next steps describe the longer Multiple Pay Runs path because it is a superset of the This Pay Run flow. Step 3: Set the date range (Multiple Pay Runs only) Choose the Start Date and End Date for the search. For the worked example, set: Start Date: 20/04/2026End Date: 26/04/2026 The wizard will only consider completed pays with a pay run end date that falls within this range. If you set the start date after the end date, the wizard automatically aligns them so you cannot continue with an invalid range. Step 4: Select employees (Multiple Pay Runs only) Tick the employees whose payslips you want to include. By default all current employees are pre-selected and terminated employees are hidden. Toggle Show Terminated? if you also need payslips for terminated employees within the date range. You must select at least one employee before you can move to the next step. Step 5: Set the payslip note, theme, format and export option This step controls how each payslip will look and how it will be delivered: Note (optional): any text typed here is printed on every payslip in this run. Useful for messages like "Public holiday loading included" or a note from the boss.Payslip Theme: choose between Original Style and Bordered Table Style.Payslip Format: choose Classic or Classic for windowed envelopes (use the windowed option if you post payslips in window-faced envelopes).Export Options: choose how to deliver the payslips:Print and email payslips - generate the printable PDF and then email payslips to employees who have an email address.Print payslips - PDF only, no emails.Email payslips - email only, skips the print/preview step. Step 6: Confirm which individual pays to include The wizard lists every completed pay that matches your earlier selections. Each row shows the employee, net pay and pay end date. Untick any pay you do not want included - for example if one employee should be paid later or has been handled separately. Pays that are not yet complete are not shown here, so if someone is missing, return to the Pays screen and finish their pay first. Step 7: Print or preview the PDF If your export option includes printing, the wizard generates a single PDF containing every selected payslip. Click Download to save it to disk for printing or distribution. On mobile/hybrid app builds you will also see a Share button to send the file directly. If your export option is Email payslips only, the wizard skips this step and goes straight to the email screen. Step 8: Email the payslips If your export option includes emailing, the final wizard step lists every employee that will receive a payslip and the email address it will be sent to. Review the list, then click the send button to dispatch the emails: In the desktop app: click Send! to send all payslip emails.In the online (web/mobile) app: click Send Emails Now. The button label updates to show the sending progress, and each row shows a Sending, Sent, or Pending status as emails are dispatched. After sending, a results table appears showing each successful send and any errors (highlighted in yellow), so you can quickly spot bounced or missing addresses and follow up. If an employee does not appear in the email list, check that they have an email address recorded against their record. Quick reference: This Pay Run vs Multiple Pay Runs This Pay Run: fastest path. Load the pay run on the Pays screen first, then choose This Pay Run. The wizard goes straight to the Create Payslips step (note, theme, format, export option), then on through Select Pays and the print/email steps.Multiple Pay Runs: use when the date range spans more than one pay run, when you need to filter to specific employees, or when you want to reissue payslips. The wizard adds the date range and employee selection steps before the Create Payslips step. Common pitfalls Pay missing from Select Pays: the pay must be marked complete on the Pays screen first.Wrong pay period showing: double check the period combo (Weekly/Fortnightly/Monthly) on the Pays screen and use Last/Next Pay Run or Jump to Pay Run Date to land on the correct dates.Employee not in email list: they need an email address on their employee record. Add it and re-run the wizard.Wrong export option: the chosen export option determines whether you see the print step, the email step, or both - change it on the Create Payslips step if needed. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-payslips-for-a-pay-run Q: How Do I Print and Email Payslips in the Online App? A: In the online (web/mobile) app, payslips are generated from the Pays screen using the Payslips wizard. You can produce payslips for the current pay run or across a date range spanning multiple pay runs. Payslips For This Pay Run Open the Pays screen and select the pay run you want. Click the Payslips button and choose This Pay Run from the menu. On the Create Payslips step, optionally add a note to include on all payslips, choose a Payslip Theme (Original Style or Bordered Table Style), and a Payslip Format (Classic or Classic for windowed envelopes). Under Export Options, choose one of: Print and email payslips — generates a PDF for download and then emails each employee Print payslips — generates a PDF for download only Email payslips — emails employees without generating a downloadable PDF On the Select Pays step, confirm or adjust which completed pays to include, then click Next. If you chose a print option, the Print/Preview Payslips step generates the PDF automatically. Click Download to save it. On the mobile app, a Share button also appears so you can send the file directly from your device. If you chose an email option, the Email Payslips step shows a list of employees to be emailed. You can optionally enter a custom Email Subject and Email Body (leave blank to use the defaults). Click Send Emails Now to dispatch the payslips. Each row shows a Sending, Sent, or Pending status as emails are processed. Payslips For Multiple Pay Runs Click the Payslips button and choose Multiple Pay Runs. Enter a date range, then select the employees to include. Continue through the same Create Payslips, Select Pays, print, and email steps as described above. Setting Up Employee Email Addresses Before emailing payslips, each employee must have an email address and payslip emailing enabled. Go to Employees >> Details >> Email Options and set the Email Address and tick Email Payslips Enabled?. For the desktop app equivalent, see How Do I Print and/or Email Payslips? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-print-and-email-payslips-in-the-online-app --- Category: Reports --- Q: How Do I Create a Custom Report? A: The Report Builder lets you design your own payroll reports by choosing the exact columns and employees you need, setting a date range, and saving the layout for reuse. There are two builders: one for pay data and one for employee data. In the desktop app Open the Reports tab, then click the Custom Reports sub-tab. Click Employee Report Builder or Pay Report Builder depending on the data you need. In the Report Name field, type a name for your report. Set the Start Date and End Date for the report period. Select the employees to include from the employees list. All employees are selected by default. Select the columns to include from the columns list. Use the up and down arrows to reorder them. Adjust the optional filters as needed: Group By Department, Use Processed Date, Show Totals Only, or Show Terminated Employees?. Click Save Report to save the layout. You will be prompted to confirm the name. Click Print Report to preview the report as a PDF, or Export to CSV to download the data. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Reports. Under the Custom Reports section near the bottom of the page, click Pay Report Builder or Employee Report Builder. In the Report Name field, type a name for your report. The current status (creating new or editing an existing report) is shown in brackets next to the field label. Set the Start Date and End Date. Select the employees to include from the Employees list on the left. Select the columns to include from the Custom Report Columns list on the right. Use the up and down arrows next to each selected column to reorder them. Optionally choose a Default Sort Column and tick Descending? if needed. Adjust the optional checkboxes as needed: Show Terminated Employees?, Use Processed Date?, Show Totals Only?, or Group By Department?. Click Save Report to save the layout for future use. Click Print/Preview (PDF) to open a preview, or Export CSV to download the data. Loading and editing a saved report To reopen a saved report, use the Load From Existing Reports drop-down (online) or click Open Report (desktop) and select the report name. The builder will reload with the saved column and filter selections, which you can adjust before running or saving again. To see which columns are available for each builder type, refer to What Does Each Employee Report Builder Column Show? and What Does Each Pay Report Builder Column Show?. To delete a saved report, see How Can I Delete A Custom Report?. For an explanation of the Use Processed Date? option, see What Does the Use Processed Date Tickbox Do When Running Reports?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-a-custom-report Q: How Do I Forecast Employee Leave Balances? A: The Forecast Leave Balance report estimates each employee's annual, sick, and long service leave balances and financial liabilities at a future date. It is useful for payroll budgeting, end-of-year planning, and understanding upcoming leave costs. In the desktop app Open the Reports section and click Forecast Leave Balance in the Leave group. Set the Forecast date to the future date you want to project balances to. The date must be later than the most recent completed pay for your selected employees. Select the employees to include. You can select all or a subset. Optionally tick Show Totals Only? to see a summary row without per-employee detail. Click OK to generate the report. Use CSV Export to download the data. In the online (web/mobile) app Navigate to Reports in the sidebar and select Forecast Leave Balance from the Leave category. Set the Forecast date: field to the future date you want to project balances to. Use the employee list to select which employees to include. Click Generate Report to produce the PDF. Once generated, use Download PDF, Export CSV, or Email Report as needed. Understanding the report columns Current Balance - the leave balance as at the employee's last completed pay, in hours. Accrual - the projected leave accrual between the current date and the forecast date. Upcoming Leave - approved leave requests and rostered leave shifts scheduled between today and the forecast date. Estimated Balance - the projected balance at the forecast date, calculated as: current balance plus projected accrual minus upcoming leave. Current Liability - the dollar value of the current balance using the employee's hourly rate. Accrual - the dollar value of the projected accrual at the employee's hourly rate. Estimated Liability - the dollar value of the estimated balance at the forecast date. Accrual estimates are based on each employee's leave settings under Employees >> Leave >> Leave Settings. Employees who accrue leave per pay period are projected using their weekly hours and accrual rates. The report covers annual/holiday leave, sick/personal leave, and long service leave (where enabled). Note: the report shows balances in hours. Liability figures are estimates only and depend on each employee's current hourly pay rate. Review leave settings if a projected balance looks unexpected. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-forecast-employee-leave-balances Q: How Do I Report on Super Contributions and Levy Payments? A: Lightning Payroll includes several superannuation reports to help you monitor compulsory contributions, track what has been deposited, and audit SuperStream activity. Each report serves a distinct purpose - use the guide below to find the right one for your situation. Accessing the Super Reports In the desktop app: Go to Reports from the main navigation. The Super section lists all available super reports as buttons. You can also access the Super Liability and Super Fund Deposits reports directly from the Super Fund Deposits screen by clicking the Reports button and selecting from the drop-down menu. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Reports from the main navigation. The reports are listed on the page - scroll to the super-related entries. You can also reach the Super Liability and Super Fund Deposits reports via the Reports button on the Super Fund Deposits screen. Super Levy Report Lists the compulsory superannuation guarantee (SGC) amounts calculated on each pay run, broken down by employee. Columns include Pay Run End Date, Processed Date, Employee, Based On, and Levy. Amounts that have been manually edited are marked with an asterisk. Use this report to verify that the correct levy percentage was applied and to reconcile contributions before creating deposits. Super Fund Deposits Report Shows the deposits that have been created for each fund and employee, including Deposit Date, Earliest Pay, Latest Pay, Adjustments, and Total Amount. Use this report to confirm which pays are covered by an existing deposit and to produce a summary for your records after deposits are paid. SuperStream Contributions Report Summarises all SuperStream messages that have been sent, showing the Date Sent, Super Provider, Payment, Method, Status, Total, number of deposits, and number of employees per message. Use this report to audit the history of electronic contribution submissions and to cross-check payment references. Post-Tax Superannuation Contributions Report Lists voluntary post-tax superannuation contributions made by employees on each pay date. Columns include Employee, Pay Date, and Post-Tax Super Contributions. Use this report when employees have elected to make after-tax contributions to their super fund outside of the compulsory SGC amount. Super Liability (Unpaid Super) Report Identifies superannuation amounts that have been calculated on processed pays but have not yet been assigned to a super fund deposit. For more detail on this report's search modes and parameters, see How Can I View A Report On Unpaid Super Liability? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-report-on-super-contributions-and-levy-payments Q: How Can I Delete A Custom Report? A: You can delete a saved custom report once it is no longer needed. The steps differ slightly between the desktop and online apps. Desktop App Go to the Reports tab and open either Employee Report Builder or Pay Report Builder - whichever was used to create the report. Click Open Report and select the report from the drop-down list, then click Load. Click Delete Report, then confirm by clicking Yes. Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Reports and scroll to the Custom Reports section. Click Pay Report Builder or Employee Report Builder depending on which type of report you want to delete. In the Report Builder, use the Load From Existing Reports drop-down to select the saved report you wish to delete. Click the Delete "[report name]"? button to permanently remove the report. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-delete-a-custom-report Q: How Do I Email a Report From the Online App? A: In the online (web/mobile) app, most reports can be sent as a PDF attachment directly from the report preview screen. Navigate to Reports and open the report you want to send. Set your date range and any other options, then generate the report. In the report preview, click the Email Report button. On the Email Report screen, enter one or more recipient addresses in the email field. To send to multiple people, separate the addresses with a comma. Optionally, type a note in the Message to recipient field. Click Send Emails Now. The app will confirm which addresses received the email and flag any that failed. Once at least one email has been sent successfully, the Finish button becomes active. Click it to return to the report, or click Cancel to go back without sending. For the desktop version of Lightning Payroll, see How Can I Easily Send A Report By Email? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-email-a-report-from-the-online-app Q: Why Are My Reports Showing the Wrong Amounts? A: Lightning Payroll generates pay-related reports by collecting completed pays whose dates fall within the Start Date and End Date you enter. By default it matches pays using the Pay Run End Date - the last day of the pay period. If you tick Use Processed Date?, it matches instead using the Processed Date - the date the pay was finalised and saved. What does Use Processed Date? do? Unticked (default): The report includes pays whose pay run end date falls within the selected date range. Ticked: The report includes pays whose processed date falls within the selected date range. In the desktop app this option appears in the date filter area of most reports and in the custom report builder. In the online (web/mobile) app it appears when you launch a custom report via Reports >> Launch Custom Reports, and in the Report Builder when saving or running a custom pay or employee report. Why might my report totals look wrong? The most common cause of unexpected report amounts is a mismatch between the date range entered and the date type being used. Consider a pay run covering 26 September to 9 October, processed on 10 October: With Use Processed Date? unticked, a report for 1-31 October will include this pay run because the end date (9 October) falls in October. With Use Processed Date? ticked, the same report will also include this pay run because the processed date (10 October) falls in October. However, a report for 1-9 October with Use Processed Date? ticked will not include this pay run, because the processed date (10 October) is outside that range - even though the pay period ends on 9 October. To fix a discrepancy, check that your Start Date and End Date cover the correct pay runs, and confirm whether Use Processed Date? is ticked or unticked for your needs. Single Touch Payroll and processed dates All Single Touch Payroll (STP) amounts and reports are always gathered by processed date, regardless of this setting. If you are comparing a standard report against STP figures, make sure the standard report is also run with Use Processed Date? ticked and the same date range. See also Why Do My Report Amounts Not Match My STP Submission? For information on changing the processed date or pay end date on a completed pay, see How Do I Change The Processed Date Or Pay End Date For Completed Pays? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-my-reports-showing-the-wrong-amounts Q: How Do I Use the GL Postings and Accounting Submission History Reports? A: Lightning Payroll includes several reports that help you review general ledger postings and audit your accounting software submissions. These reports are available in both the desktop and online (web/mobile) apps. GL Postings (By Date) Report This report shows the suggested general ledger postings from pay runs between a chosen date range, useful for entering journal entries into your accounting software manually. In the desktop app: Go to Reports, then click GL Postings (By Date) in the Pay section. You can also generate a GL Postings CSV or PDF directly from the Pays screen after completing a pay run. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Reports and select Suggested GL postings from the Pay category. For help configuring GL codes and export settings, see How Do I Configure and Export GL (General Ledger) Files in Lightning Payroll To My Accounting Software? Xero Journal Submissions Report This report lists all Xero journal submissions made from Lightning Payroll, grouped by submission. Each entry shows the submission ID, date, status, the associated pay run end date, and a breakdown of account codes with debit and credit amounts. Use it to confirm submissions completed successfully or to troubleshoot errors. In the desktop app: Go to Reports, then click Xero Journal Submissions in the General section. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Reports and select Xero Submissions Report from the General category. For help setting up the Xero integration, see How Can I Send Data To Xero From Lightning Payroll? MYOB Journal Submissions Report This report lists all MYOB AccountRight journal and bank transaction submissions, showing submission ID, date, status, and line-item amounts. It is currently available in the desktop app only. In the desktop app: Go to Reports, then click MYOB Journal Submissions in the General section. For help setting up the MYOB integration, see How Do I Submit General Ledger Journals and Bank Transactions to MYOB AccountRight? Farm Focus Submissions Report This report lists all Farm Focus invoice submissions from Lightning Payroll, showing submission ID, date, status, status code, pay run end date, and the pay items included in each submission. Use it as an audit trail or to investigate failed submissions. In the desktop app: Go to Reports, then click Farm Focus Submissions in the General section. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Reports and select Farm Focus Submissions Report from the General category. For help exporting payroll data to Farm Focus, see How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-gl-postings-and-accounting-submission-history-reports Q: How Do I Run a Departmental Analysis Report? A: The Departmental Analysis report shows pay totals for a chosen date range, broken down by department. Departments must be set up and employees assigned to them before the report will show meaningful data. See How Do I Setup Departments? for instructions. In the Desktop App Click Reports in the main navigation. Under the Pay section, click Departmental Analysis. Set the Start Date and End Date for the report. Tick Include Super? (AU) or Include KiwiSaver (Employer)? (NZ) if you want employer superannuation or KiwiSaver contributions included in the totals. Tick Use Processed Date? if you want pays filtered by the date they were processed rather than the pay end date. Click OK to generate the report. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Reports in the main navigation. Under the Pay category, select Departmental Report. Set the Start Date and End Date. Toggle Include Super? on if you want superannuation or KiwiSaver employer contributions included. Toggle Use Processed Date? on if you want pays filtered by processed date rather than pay end date. Click Generate Report. The report opens as a PDF preview. Once the report is generated you can Download PDF, Export CSV, or Email Report to send the report as a PDF attachment to one or more email addresses. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-run-a-departmental-analysis-report Q: What Does Each Pay Report Builder Column Show? A: The Pay Report Builder lets you pick any combination of columns and export them to CSV. This article lists every available column and explains exactly what each one contains. You will find it under Reports >> Pay Report Builder. How the Pay Report Builder sources its values The report produces one row per completed pay whose pay date falls inside the date range you set at the top of the screen (or whose processed date falls in range, if you have switched the report to use processed dates). Every column reads from that one pay, or from the employee attached to it. Most "Total ..." columns are simply the matching lines on that pay added together, so a column shows zero when the pay has no lines of that kind. Please note: column labels that mention Holiday or Sick leave follow whatever you have named those leave types for your company (for example "Annual" and "Personal"). Columns marked (AU) only appear in Australian companies and columns marked (NZ) only appear in New Zealand companies; all other columns appear in both. Employee and pay identification Employee Number: the payroll number on the employee attached to the pay. Employee Id: the employee's internal database ID. Employee Gender: the gender recorded on the employee. Tax Treatment Code (AU): the employee's STP Phase 2 tax treatment code. First Name, Last Name, Middle Name: the name fields on the employee. Status: the pay's status (a report row only exists once the pay is complete). Pay Period: the pay's pay period (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, etc.). Payslip Note: the note saved against that particular payslip. Pay Date Start: the first day of the pay's period. Pay Date: the pay's payment date. Processed Date: the date the pay was processed. Processed Pay Method: how the pay was paid out (cash, cheque, direct entry, etc.). Pay Period Number: which pay number this is within the financial year, counted from the financial-year start up to this pay run's end date. Gross, tax and net These are the headline money figures for the pay. Gross, net and raw gross are built from the pay's individual lines as follows. Gross: total earnings for the pay. It adds together: hours and rates (all worked hours at their rates), leave taken, and leave loading; allowances, bonuses/commissions and back payments; any termination payout (for a termination pay), and the NZ minimum-wage top-up where it applies; then subtracts salary sacrifice and pre-tax deductions. It does not include post-tax deductions or reimbursements. Raw Gross: gross with salary sacrifice and pre-tax deductions added back on. In other words, earnings before sacrifice and pre-tax deductions are taken out. Net: take-home pay. This is gross less tax, less post-tax deductions. For New Zealand it also subtracts student loan, the employee's KiwiSaver and any post-tax super. Cash pays are rounded to the nearest 5 cents. Tax / PAYE: the PAYG withholding for the pay. The column is labelled "PAYE" in New Zealand, where it is PAYE only (student loan is reported separately). Tax Label (AU): the tax scale label applied to the pay. Student Loan (NZ): the student-loan deduction for the pay. PAYE + Student Loan (NZ): the pay's PAYE and student loan added together. Student Loan (CIR) (NZ): the Commissioner-deduction portion of the student loan for the period. Student Loan (BOR) (NZ): the borrower-initiated extra-deduction portion of the student loan for the period. Ordinary Time Earnings: the super base (OTE) for the pay. It is the ordinary (non-overtime) hours, plus the allowances, bonuses, back payments and leave that are flagged as super-eligible, plus leave loading where the employee includes loading in super, plus any payment in lieu of notice. Overtime is excluded. Earnings by type These break the pay's earnings down by where they came from. Each is a dollar figure. Total Hours/Rates Earnings: every hours/rates line on the pay (ordinary and overtime), each at its own rate. Ordinary Time Hours Earnings: only the ordinary-time hours/rates lines. Time And Half Hours Earnings: only the time-and-a-half hours/rates lines. Double Time Hours Earnings: only the double-time hours/rates lines. Total Overtime Earnings: all overtime hours/rates lines added together. Total Leave Taken Earnings: every leave line taken, at the leave rate (before any leave loading). Total Bonus/Comm./Misc.: every bonus, commission and miscellaneous line (directors' fees, return-to-work payments, and similar). Total Back Payments: every back-payment line on the pay. Total Termination Gross: for a termination pay, the whole payout: payment in lieu of notice, unused holiday/sick/long-service leave, unused leave loading, ETP and non-ETP amounts, and redundancy. Zero for a normal pay. Allowances and deductions Total Allowances: every allowance line, each amount multiplied by its units; taxable and non-taxable allowances alike. Total Deductions: every deduction line, pre-tax and post-tax together. Salary sacrifice and reimbursements are not deductions and are not counted here. Total Pre-tax Deductions: only the deduction lines flagged as pre-tax (taken out before tax is worked out). Total Post-tax Deductions: only the deduction lines flagged as post-tax (taken from net pay). STSL/HELP (AU): the study and training support loan (HELP) component withheld on the pay. Superannuation Total Super (AU): all super for the pay. This is the compulsory guarantee, any reportable extra (RESC), member (post-tax) contributions, and super salary sacrifice, added together. Super Levy (AU): the compulsory super guarantee amount only. Resc (AU): Reportable Employer Super Contributions, being super above the compulsory rate plus super salary sacrifice. Super Member Contribution (AU): post-tax member super contributions deducted from the pay. Salary Sacrifice: every salary-sacrifice line on the pay, whether it goes to super or to another benefit. KiwiSaver KiwiSaver Employee (NZ): the employee's own KiwiSaver contribution for the pay. KiwiSaver Employer (NZ): the employer's KiwiSaver contribution for the pay. KiwiSaver ESCT (NZ): the Employer Superannuation Contribution Tax on the employer contribution. Total KiwiSaver (NZ): the employee and employer KiwiSaver added together (ESCT is not included). Leave loading and tax-method components Leave Loading (AU): the leave loading paid on leave taken in the pay, added across all leave lines. Leave Loading Ote (AU): the pay's leave loading, but shown only when the employee is set to include leave loading in super; otherwise zero. Leave Loading Overtime (AU): the pay's leave loading, but shown only when the employee is not set to include leave loading in super; otherwise zero. Method B1 Gross, Method B1 Tax, Method B1 STSL/HELP (AU): the gross, tax and HELP components calculated under tax Method B1 for the pay (used for back pays and lump sums). Method B2 Gross, Method B2 Tax, Method B2 STSL/HELP (AU): the same three components calculated under Method B2. Termination These all read from the pay's termination details and are zero unless the pay is a termination pay. Termination Pay?: True or False for whether the pay is a termination pay. Termination Reason: the reason recorded on the termination. Termination Unused [Holiday] Hours (AU): unused holiday-leave hours paid out on termination. Termination Unused LSL Hours (AU): unused long-service-leave hours paid out on termination. Termination [Holiday] Leave Paid / Termination Annual Holidays Paid (NZ): the dollar value of unused holiday leave paid on termination. Termination Long Service Paid (AU): the dollar value of unused long-service leave paid on termination. Termination Sick Leave Paid (AU): the dollar value of unused sick leave paid on termination. Leave Loading Paid On Termination / Termination Alternative Holidays Paid (NZ): the unused leave-loading amount paid on termination (alternative holidays in New Zealand). Termination [Holiday]/Loading Tax / Holiday Extra Pay Tax (NZ): the tax on the unused holiday and loading paid on termination. Termination LSL Tax (AU): the tax on unused long-service leave paid on termination. Termination ETP Total (AU): the total Employment Termination Payment amount on the termination. Termination Non-ETP Total (AU): the total non-ETP termination amount. Termination Tax Total / Termination Extra Pay Tax (NZ): the total tax on the termination. Termination Normal Earnings (AU): the annualised normal-earnings figure used in the termination calculation. JobKeeper Total (AU): the JobKeeper amount for the pay (zero unless the pay is JobKeeper-ready). JobKeeper Allowance Total (AU): the total of the pay's allowances flagged as JobKeeper top-up. Hours Hours Worked: every hours/rates line measured in hours (ordinary and overtime), plus all leave hours taken on the pay. This is broader than just ordinary hours, and it does include leave. Actual Hours Worked: only the worked hours/rates lines (ordinary and overtime). Leave is not counted, so this is usually lower than Hours Worked. Ordinary Time Hours: the hours on the ordinary-time hours/rates lines. Overtime Hours Worked: the hours on all overtime hours/rates lines. Double Time Hours: the hours on the double-time lines. Time And Half Hours: the hours on the time-and-a-half lines. Leave balances (carried on this pay) These read the running balance recorded on this pay, not the whole-of-year figure. [Holiday] Leave Balance Hours: the holiday-leave balance carried on this pay. [Holiday] Leave Balance Dollars: that balance in hours multiplied by the employee's current hourly pay rate. [Sick] Leave Balance Hours: the sick-leave balance carried on this pay. [Sick] Leave Balance Dollars: that balance multiplied by the employee's current hourly pay rate. LSL Balance Hours (AU): the long-service-leave balance carried on this pay. LSL Balance Dollars (AU): that balance multiplied by the employee's current hourly pay rate. LSL Balance Days (AU): the long-service balance in hours divided by the employee's award hours per day. Leave taken, cashed out and accrued For each leave type below, Taken is the hours on the pay's leave lines of that type, and Taken Amount is the dollar value of those lines. Cashed Out and Cashed Out Amount count only the lines flagged as cash-outs. Accrual is the hours added to that balance on this pay. [Holiday] Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount, and [Holiday] Leave Accrual. [Sick] Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount, and [Sick] Leave Accrual. LSL: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount, and LSL Accrual. Other Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount. Paid Parental Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount. Workers Comp Leave: Taken, Taken Amount. Compassionate Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount. Ancillary Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount. Paid Public Holiday Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount. Unpaid Leave: Taken, Taken Amount, Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount. Custom Leave: Taken (Custom Leave Taken), Amount (Custom Leave Amount), Cashed Out, Cashed Out Amount, and Custom Leave Accrual. A note on grouping by department When you tick Group by department, Lightning Payroll splits each money column across the employee's departments using their department percentages, so a single pay can appear under more than one department, each showing its share of the figures. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-each-pay-report-builder-column-show Q: What Does Each Employee Report Builder Column Show? A: The Employee Report Builder lets you pick any combination of columns and export them to CSV. This article lists every available column and explains exactly what each one contains. You will find it under Reports >> Employee Report Builder. How the Employee Report Builder sources its values The report produces one row per employee who was paid in the date range you set at the top of the screen, counting only completed pays. The columns fall into three kinds: Detail columns (name, address, tax setup, bank details, and so on) read the employee's current saved details, exactly as they are in the employee record now. Total columns add up the matching amount across every completed pay in your date range, plus any year-to-date adjustments entered in that range. Leave-balance columns read the employee's most recent completed pay in the range. Please note: column labels that mention Holiday or Sick leave follow whatever you have named those leave types for your company (for example "Annual" and "Personal"). Columns marked (AU) only appear in Australian companies and columns marked (NZ) only appear in New Zealand companies; all other columns appear in both. Personal and employment details Title: the employee's title (Mr, Mrs, etc.). Gender: the employee's gender. Tax Treatment Code (AU): the employee's STP Phase 2 tax treatment code. Employment Tenure: the employee's tenure (for example permanent, fixed term). Employment Type: the employee's type (for example full-time, part-time, casual). Position: the employee's position or job title. Award: the award assigned to the employee. Classification: the employee's award classification. First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Number: the employee's name fields and payroll number. Tax File Number (AU): the employee's TFN. IRD Number (NZ): the employee's IRD number. NZ Tax Code (NZ): the employee's tax code. A student-loan suffix is added where the code allows one and the employee has a student loan. Student Loan? (NZ): whether the employee has a student loan. Date Of Birth, Start Date, Termination Date: the matching dates on the employee. Contact details Address 1, Address 2, City, State, Postcode: the employee's address fields. Home Ph., Mobile Ph., Medical Ph.: the employee's phone numbers. Email Primary, Email Alt.: the employee's primary and alternative email addresses. Next of kin Kin Name, Kin Relationship, Kin Address 1, Kin Address 2, Kin City, Kin State, Kin Postcode, Kin Phone Home, Kin Phone Work, Kin Phone Mobile, Kin Notes: the next-of-kin fields saved on the employee. Portal and income stream Online Portal Active?: Yes or No, from whether the employee's online portal is active. Online Portal Username: the employee's portal username. Income Stream: the employee's STP income stream type. Income Stream Country Code: the country code recorded against that income stream. Tax setup Employee ABN (AU): the employee's ABN (for ABN-only payees). TFN Declaration Signed Date (AU): the date the employee signed their TFN declaration. STP Employement Status (AU): the employee's STP employment status, shown as its descriptive label. Tax Free Threshold? (AU): whether the employee has claimed the tax-free threshold. Eligible Leave Loading? (AU): whether the employee is eligible for leave loading. Leave Loading % (AU): the employee's leave-loading percentage. STSL/HELP Liability? (AU): whether the employee has a study and training support loan liability. Medicare Exemption (AU): the employee's Medicare levy exemption setting. Has Spouse? (AU): whether the employee has a spouse recorded. Num Dependants (AU): the employee's number of dependent children. Has Upwards Variation?, Upwards Variation Rate, Upwards Variation Amount, Upwards Variation Gross Rate (AU): the employee's upward tax-variation settings. Has Voluntary Rate?, Voluntary Rate (AU): the employee's voluntary-tax-rate settings. Superannuation setup Super Rate (AU): the employee's super rate. Super Threshold (AU): the employee's super amount threshold. Super Enabled? (AU): whether super is enabled for the employee. Super Age Threshold? and Super Amount Threshold? (AU): whether the employee's super amount-threshold rule is enabled. Super Based On (AU): what the employee's super is calculated on. Super Provider (AU): the name of the super provider on the employee's default fund. Super Account Number (AU): the member number on the employee's default fund. Super Fund Phone (AU): the phone number of that fund's provider. KiwiSaver setup KiwiSaver Employee Rate (NZ): the employee's KiwiSaver contribution rate. KiwiSaver Employer Rate (NZ): the employer KiwiSaver rate for the employee. ESCT Rate (NZ): the employee's ESCT rate. KiwiSaver Status Code (NZ): the employee's KiwiSaver status code. KiwiSaver Existing Action (NZ): the employee's existing-member KiwiSaver action. KiwiSaver CEC Obligation (NZ): the employee's compulsory employer contribution obligation. Pay and bank setup The Gross figures here come from the employee's setup, not from actual pays. Use the year-to-date totals further down for what was actually paid. Pay Method: the employee's pay method. Pay Type: the employee's pay type (for example hourly or salary). Pay Period: the employee's pay period. Pay Rate: the employee's stored hourly pay rate. Gross: an estimate of one pay period's gross, worked out as the hourly rate times the standard weekly award hours times the number of weeks in the pay period. It reflects the employee's setup, not actual earnings. Gross (Annual): an estimate of a year's gross, worked out as the hourly rate times the standard weekly award hours times 52. Award Hours Day, Award Hours Week: the standard hours per day, and per week (hours per day times days per week). Active Employee?: whether the employee is an active pay recipient. Accrue Leave on Hours? (AU): whether leave accrues on hours worked. [Holiday] Leave per Hour (AU): the employee's holiday-leave accrual rate per hour worked. [Sick] Leave per Hour (AU): the employee's sick-leave accrual rate per hour worked. Payslip Note: the employee's default payslip note. Default BSB, Default Bank Acc. No., Default Bank Acc. Name: the BSB, account number and account name on the employee's default bank account. Leave balances (from the latest pay in the range) [Holiday] Leave Balance Hours: the holiday balance on the employee's most recent completed pay in the range. [Holiday] Leave Amount: that balance multiplied by the employee's current hourly pay rate. [Sick] Leave Balance Hours: the sick balance on the most recent completed pay in the range. [Sick] Leave Amount: that balance multiplied by the employee's current hourly pay rate. LSL Balance Hours (AU): the long-service balance on the most recent completed pay in the range. LSL Balance Days (AU): that balance in hours divided by the employee's award hours per day. LSL Amount (AU): that balance multiplied by the employee's current hourly pay rate. Year-to-date totals (across the pays in the range) Each total below adds up the matching amount across every completed pay in your date range, plus any year-to-date adjustments entered in that range. Total Pays: the number of completed pays counted. Total Gross: gross across those pays. Total Tax / Total PAYE: tax withheld across those pays (labelled "Total PAYE" in New Zealand). Total STSL/HELP (AU): HELP withheld across those pays. Total Net: net (take-home) across those pays. Total Super (AU): the compulsory super guarantee across those pays. Total RESC (AU): reportable employer super contributions across those pays. Total Allowances: allowances across those pays. Total Deduction: deductions across those pays. Total Sacrifices: salary sacrifices across those pays. Total Hours Earnings: hours-and-rates earnings across those pays. Total Bonus/Comm./Misc.: bonuses, commissions and miscellaneous earnings across those pays. Total Leave: paid leave across those pays. Total Leave Loading: leave loading across those pays. Total Back Payments: back payments across those pays. Total Post Tax Super (AU): post-tax super across those pays. Total Student Loan (NZ): student-loan deductions across those pays. Total KiwiSaver Employee, Total KiwiSaver Employer, Total KiwiSaver ESCT (NZ): the matching KiwiSaver amounts across those pays. Total KiwiSaver (NZ): employee and employer KiwiSaver across those pays, added together. A note on grouping by department When you tick Group by department, Lightning Payroll splits each total column across the employee's departments using their department percentages, so an employee can appear under more than one department, each showing its share of the figures. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-each-employee-report-builder-column-show Q: What Reports are Available in Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll offers a full suite of easy-to-use reports that can be accessed via the Reports menu in the program. You can change the font size and colour and export to pdf using the buttons at the top of any print preview screen. Ready to use reports include: Pay reports Taxation reports Superannuation reports Allowance and deduction reports Leave taken and leave forecasting You can also generate fully customisable reports through the Employee Report Builder and Pay Report Builder options in the Reports menu. All reports allow you to view any current or historical data you have entered into Lightning Payroll. All reports can be saved as .PDFs and printed. Many reports can also be exported from Lightning Payroll in .CSV format, allowing you to use them in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-reports-are-available-in-lightning-payroll --- Category: Rosters-and-Shifts --- Q: How Do Shift Repeats Work and How Do I Set Them Up? A: Shift repeats tell Lightning Payroll which days of the week (or month) an employee regularly works a particular shift. When a new pay run is opened in the Rosters area, the program automatically places a rostered shift on each matching date, saving you from entering the same shifts by hand every period. Setting Up Repeats - Desktop App Go to Employees >> Shifts and use the pencil button next to the shift you want to configure. The Edit Shift Items dialog opens. Scroll to the Repeats section at the bottom of the dialog. Click Add to open the Select Repeat Schedule wizard. The wizard shows all available days for the chosen frequency. Select one or more days and choose a frequency: Weekly - the shift repeats on the selected day every week. Fortnightly - the shift repeats on the selected day every second week. Monthly - the shift repeats on the selected date each month (choose a date from 1-31, or Last Day, 2nd Last Day, 3rd Last Day). Click Select to save. You can add multiple repeat entries to a single shift - for example, a shift that repeats both on Mondays and Wednesdays weekly. Setting Up Repeats - Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Employees >> Shifts and click the edit button next to the employee shift you want to configure. The Edit Employee Shift screen opens and shows three sections: Pay Rates, Allowances, and Repeats. In the Repeats section, click Add to create a new repeat entry. Set the Day and Repeat Frequency: Weekly - choose a day of the week (Sunday through Saturday). Fortnightly - choose a day of the week; the shift repeats every second week on that day. Monthly - choose a date from 1-31, or one of the end-of-month options (Last Day, Second Last Day, Third Last Day). Each day and frequency combination must be unique for a given shift. Save the entry and the repeat is added to the table. Changes are saved automatically when you close the entry form. Patterns Repeats Cannot Cover Every repeat is tied to a day of the week or a date in the month, so repeats can only describe patterns that fall on the same weekday or the same date each cycle. A rotating pattern that drifts across the week - ten days on and two days off, for example - does not land on fixed weekdays, so it cannot be built with Repeats. There is currently no automatic option for rotating cycles of this kind. Shifts that follow one need to be added to the roster for each pay run rather than generated from a repeat entry. How Repeats Generate Rostered Shifts When you first open a pay run in the Rosters area, Lightning Payroll checks every active employee's shifts for repeat entries and places a rostered shift on each matching date within that pay run. This only runs once per pay run unless you force a refresh. If you have edited or deleted repeating shifts and want to restore the automatically generated roster to its starting point, use the Reload Repeats button. This clears any existing repeat-generated shifts for the pay run and regenerates them from the current repeat settings. Note: Reload Repeats only affects shifts that were created by the repeat engine. Manually added one-off shifts are also removed when you reload, so use this button with care if you have customised the roster. Reporting on Shift Repeats To review all configured repeats across your workforce, use the Employee Shift Repeats report. In the desktop app this is available from the Reports menu. In the online app, navigate to the Reports section and select Employee Shift Repeats. The report lists each employee, shift, frequency, and repeating day or date. For a broader introduction to setting up shifts and rosters, see How Do I Set Up Rostered Shifts in Lightning Payroll Desktop? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-shift-repeats-work-and-how-do-i-set-them-up Q: How Do I Set Up Company Shifts in the Lightning Payroll Online App? A: Company shifts define the base shift types available in your business. Once created, employees can be linked to a shift, and those shifts can be used to pre-fill pays automatically when running a payroll. For the desktop app, see How Do I Set Up Rostered Shifts in Lightning Payroll Desktop? Create a Company Shift In the online app, go to Company >> Shifts. The Shifts screen lists your existing shift types. Click the add button to create a new shift. Fill in the shift details: Description - a name for the shift type, for example “Morning Shift”. Start Time and End Time - the default start and end times for this shift. Break Duration - the default unpaid break length. Minimum Shift Duration For Break - if set, the break only applies when the shift is at least this long. Default Pay Rate (Optional) - choose Ordinary Time, Time and a half, or Double time as the default rate for this shift. Default Allowance (Optional) - attach a company allowance to be paid each time this shift is worked. Under Employees, select the employees who may be rostered to work this shift. Save the shift. The times, pay rate, and allowance set here are defaults only - they can be overridden at the employee level or on individual rostered shifts. Configure Shifts for an Individual Employee To set pay rates, allowances, and auto-roster repeats specific to an employee, go to Employees >> Shifts. The Shift Settings screen lists every company shift the employee has been linked to. Click the edit button next to a shift to open the Edit Employee Shift screen, where you can configure: Pay Rates - hourly rates paid once for each hour the shift is worked. Allowances - allowances paid once each time the shift is worked. Repeats - days of the week and frequency for automatic rostering. To remove a shift from an employee, go back to Company >> Shifts, select the shift, and deselect the employee from the Employees list. Using Shifts in the Roster Planner Once company shifts and employee links are set up, go to Rosters to view the Roster Planner. Use Reload Repeats to generate auto-rostered shifts for the current pay run based on each employee's repeat settings. Select Edit Shifts to manually add, adjust, or remove individual shifts for the pay run. For more on adding allowances or changing pay rates on a specific shift, see How Can I Add An Allowance To A Shift? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-company-shifts-in-the-lightning-payroll-online-app Q: How Do I Set Up and Manage Rostered Shifts in the Online App? A: The online (web/mobile) app includes a Roster Planner that lets you create shift types, assign employees to them, schedule a roster for each pay run, and have those shifts pre-fill your pays automatically. For the equivalent desktop workflow, see How Do I Set Up Rostered Shifts in Lightning Payroll Desktop? Step 1 - Define Company Shift Types Before rostering any employee, create your base shift types under Company >> Shifts. This screen lists every shift defined for the company. The times and pay items set here are defaults only - they can be overridden at the employee level or adjusted on individual rostered shifts later. The main purpose of this area is to assign employees to a shared shift type. Once a shift is saved, employees can be linked to it so the shift appears in their individual roster settings. Step 2 - Configure Employee Shift Settings After the company-level shift types are defined, set each employee's shift preferences under Employees >> Shifts. The Shift Settings screen lists every company shift that the employee has been assigned to. To adjust how a shift behaves for a specific employee, select it to open the Edit Employee Shift screen. From here you can configure: Pay Rates - each attached pay rate is paid once for each hour the shift is worked. Allowances - each attached allowance is paid once each time the shift is worked. Repeats - set regular days for the shift to be rostered automatically, so the roster is pre-filled each pay run without manual entry. Note: to remove a shift from an employee's Shift Settings screen, remove the employee from the shift under Company >> Shifts. Step 3 - View and Edit the Roster Planner Open Rosters from the main navigation to reach the Roster Planner. The planner shows all rostered shifts for the current pay run in a visual grid. Use Last Pay Run and Next Pay Run to move between periods. Key actions available from the Roster Planner toolbar: Edit Shifts - opens the Add or Edit Shifts screen where you can create, modify, or remove individual rostered shifts for this pay run. Use the Date Filter, Employee Filter, Sort By, and Sort Direction controls to narrow what is displayed. Reload Repeats - regenerates any auto-repeating shifts from employee settings. Use this if you have accidentally edited or deleted repeating shifts and want to restore the default roster. Import/Manage Shifts - import shift data from a CSV or other source. Timeclock/Portal Sync - review and download timeclocked or timesheet shifts reported by employees. Import/Manage Leave Requests - review and apply pending leave requests to the roster. Export CSV - download the current roster as a CSV file. Print - opens the print and email wizard to generate roster PDF reports. Configuring Display Settings Select Options from the Roster Planner toolbar to open Roster Display Settings. Here you can set the default zoom level, time range, and days shown on the roster view. Restricting the display to your usual operating days and hours removes unnecessary columns from the grid. Roster Shifts and Pays Once rostered shifts exist for a pay run, Lightning Payroll uses them to pre-fill that run's pay information automatically. Where no rostered shift is present, pays fall back to the employee's default pay settings. If you want to use the roster for scheduling purposes only - without it affecting generated pays - go to the employee's pay settings and enable Ignore roster shifts when generating pays. Printing and Emailing Rosters To send rosters to employees, use Print from the Roster Planner toolbar. Choose a date range and the employees to include, then select either Print rosters or Email rosters. The email option lets you send individual roster reports to each employee or a combined report to everyone. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-and-manage-rostered-shifts-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Export My Roster to a CSV File? A: The roster CSV export produces a spreadsheet-style file covering the current pay run. Each row represents an employee who has at least one rostered shift, and each column represents a day in the pay period. Cells show the shift description, start time, and end time. Employees without any rostered shifts in that pay run are not included. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Open the Rosters section from the left-hand navigation. Navigate to the pay run you want to export using the Last Pay Run or Next Pay Run buttons. Click Export CSV. The file downloads immediately to your browser's default download location. The downloaded file is named Roster_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.csv, where the timestamp reflects the moment of export. In the Desktop App Go to the Rosters section using the sidebar. Navigate to the pay run you want to export. Click the Export CSV button in the toolbar. A save dialog appears - choose a file name and location, then confirm. A confirmation message appears once the file has been written successfully. What the File Contains The first column lists employee names, sorted alphabetically. The remaining columns each represent one day in the pay run, labelled with the day name and date. Each shift cell shows the shift description, start time, and end time. Days with no shift for a given employee are left blank. The last day of the pay run period is not included as a column (the range covers start date up to, but not including, the end date). For information on setting up and managing rostered shifts, see How Do I Set Up Rostered Shifts in Lightning Payroll Desktop? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-my-roster-to-a-csv-file Q: How Do I Print or Email Rosters to Employees? A: Lightning Payroll lets you print roster reports as PDFs or email them directly to employees. You can choose to print or email individual rosters (one per employee) or a combined roster showing all employees together. For information on setting up shifts and building your roster first, see How Do I Set Up Rostered Shifts in Lightning Payroll Desktop? In the Desktop App Open the Rosters section and click the Print/Email button in the toolbar. This opens the Roster Export Wizard. Step 1 - Select Employees Set the Start Date and End Date to define the range of shifts to include. Select the employees whose rosters you want to print or email. Only employees with shifts in that date range appear in the list. Choose one of the three options: Print and email rosters, Print rosters, or Email rosters. Click Next. Step 2 - Preview and Print If you chose to print (or print and email), the next step shows print options: Tick Show Detailed? to include break and shift duration information. Tick Include Totals Per Shift? to add totals grouped by shift type. Click Preview/Print Individual to generate a separate report for each selected employee, or Preview/Print Combined to produce a single report covering all selected employees. Step 3 - Send via Email If you chose to email (or print and email), the final step sends the reports: Select Email individual rosters to individual employees to send each employee only their own shifts. Select Email combined roster (I.e. all employees) to everyone to send the full combined roster to every selected employee. Click Send. Email results are shown in the list at the bottom of the screen. Each employee must have an email address on file for their email to be sent. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Open the Roster Planner and click the Print button in the toolbar. This opens the Print & Email Rosters wizard. Step 1 - Choose Date Range and Employees Set the date range. The employee list updates automatically to show only employees who have shifts in that range. Select the employees to include using the Select Employees list. Choose one of the three options: Print and email rosters, Print rosters, or Email rosters. Click Next. Step 2 - Preview/Print If you chose to print (or print and email), the Preview/Print step appears: Tick Show Detailed? to include break and duration details. Tick Include Totals Per Shift? to add per-shift totals. Click Preview/Print Individual to download a PDF with a separate page per employee, or Preview/Print Combined to download a single combined PDF. Step 3 - Email Rosters If you chose to email (or print and email), the Email Rosters step appears: The Employees to Email table shows each employee and their email address. Deselect any employees you do not want to email. Select Email individual rosters to individual employees or Email combined roster (I.e. all employees) to everyone. Click Send Emails Now. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-print-or-email-rosters-to-employees Q: How Do I Import Roster Shifts From a CSV File? A: Lightning Payroll supports importing hours, leave, and allowances from a CSV file. This updates your employees' pays for the selected pay run. The import is accessed from the Pays area - not from the Rosters screen's Import/Manage Shifts menu item, which opens the timeclock sync dialog instead. In the Desktop App Open the Pays screen and select the pay run you want to import into. Click the action menu and choose Import/Manage Time And Attendance Data. You can also reach this from the Rosters screen via the same menu item. On the Time & Attendance Format page, select Lightning Payroll (Web App CSV/JSON Format) and click Next. Set the Import Format to CSV (Basic), choose your Employee Identifier (Employee ID or Employee Number), and optionally enter a Default Pay Department. Set the Processed/Paid Date for the imported pays, then browse for your CSV file and click Next. Review the preview. If there are errors, click Export Errors To CSV, fix the file, and re-import. Otherwise click Finish to apply the shifts. Note: Importing will overwrite any existing rostered shifts for each affected employee in this pay run. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Pays and open the pay run you want to import into. From the action menu, choose Import Pay Data (JSON/CSV). Set the Import Format to CSV (Basic) and choose an Employee Identifier (Employee Number or Employee ID). Optionally enter a Default Pay Department to apply to all rows that do not include one. Set the Processed/Paid Date (required) - this date is applied to all pays created by the import. Click Download CSV Template to get a correctly formatted starter file, or upload your own CSV file. Click Upload CSV to proceed to the review step. Any row-level errors are shown before the import is committed. If there are no issues, click Finish to create the pays. CSV Format The CSV must include a header row. Column names are flexible - common alternatives are recognised automatically. The core required columns are: employee_id or employee_number - identifies the employee (must match the identifier type you selected) item_type - the type of pay item: hours, leave, or allowance description - the pay item name as it appears in Lightning Payroll Additional columns required per row type: Hours rows: value (number of hours), and either rate (dollar rate) or multiplier (e.g. 1.5 for time-and-a-half). units defaults to hours if omitted. Leave rows: value (hours), leave_type (the leave balance name), date (YYYY-MM-DD format). Allowance rows: amount (dollar amount), allowance_category (the STP category code for the allowance). For a ready-to-use template with all supported columns, use the Download CSV Template button in the online app, or refer to the export file produced by the desktop wizard. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-import-roster-shifts-from-a-csv-file Q: How Do I Set Up Rostered Shifts in Lightning Payroll Desktop? A: Lightning Payroll desktop lets you create shift types and schedule a roster of shifts for your employees. Rostered shifts can then fill in your pays automatically, saving time on data entry. For related timeclock information, see How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? Company Shifts To start setting up shifts, go to Company >> Shifts. To add a new shift type, use the green plus button on the right. Then add any employees who may be required to work this shift at the bottom of the screen. In the New Company Shift screen, the times, durations and pay rate are only defaults, or placeholders, for this shift type. That is fine if a shift type is likely to change, because any shift can be tailored for a particular employee or a particular date elsewhere, as described below. Pay Rate Warnings Shifts at the company level can include a default pay rate, for example Ordinary Time or Double Time. Pay rates can also be set at the employee level for specific shifts, under Employees >> Shifts. If more than one pay rate ends up connected to the same shift for an employee, Lightning Payroll shows a warning before you proceed. We recommend using one method or the other to connect pay rates to shifts. If you plan to set employee shift pay rates directly, do not also set a default company pay rate for that shift. If you have intentionally applied two pay rates to a shift you can safely disregard the warning. Otherwise, check that the correct rate is selected for each employee. Employee Shifts If an employee tends to receive a particular pay rate or allowance, or works a shift on a regular basis, you can configure this under Employees >> Shifts. All company shifts linked to an employee appear in this screen. To customise a shift for an employee, use the pencil button to the right of the shift. Note: If an employee has been assigned to any departments, these are available for allocation at the bottom of this screen, and are reflected on departmental reporting once rostered shifts are imported into the Pays area later on. Roster Shifts Rostered shifts can be viewed, edited and manually scheduled under the Rosters section of Lightning Payroll. Repeating shifts generate automatically when you first view a pay run within the Rosters screen. If you accidentally edit or delete any rostered shifts and want to return everything to the starting point, use the Reload Repeats button. To add or edit the rostered shifts worked during this pay run, click the Edit Shifts button. To add a new, one-off shift manually, use the green plus button. You then see the New Rostered Shift screen. When creating a shift, keep in mind that break durations are not paid. Options The Options button lets you customise the display of your Rosters screen. For example, you can set your business operating days and hours so the program does not show unnecessary days or time periods. If you roster your pay runs two or three pay periods in advance, you can set the default pay run offset, which tells the program how far into the future the Rosters screen should display by default. Rostered Shifts and Pays Once rostered shifts have been created, they are used automatically to populate the pay information in Lightning Payroll. Where there is no rostered shift, pays generate using the employee's default settings configured under Employees >> Pay Settings. If you want to use the Rosters section but not have rostered shifts modify your pays, go to Employees >> Pay Settings and tick the box to Ignore rostered shifts when generating pays. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-rostered-shifts-in-lightning-payroll-desktop --- Category: Setting-Up --- Q: How Do I Configure ISO 20022 pain.001 Settings For Direct Entry? A: Lightning Payroll has two places where you can configure ISO 20022 pain.001 direct entry settings: a company-level tab that sets defaults for one company, and an app-wide tab in Settings that controls which pain.001 version is used across all companies. Company-level pain.001 defaults Go to Company >> Direct Entry. The tab shows a Direct Entry File Format drop-down with two options: ABA bank file (standard, recommended) - the default for Australian companies. ISO 20022 pain.001 (XML, only if your bank requires this) - required for New Zealand companies; optional for Australian companies whose bank explicitly requires XML payments. New Zealand companies are fixed to pain.001 XML and cannot select ABA. When pain.001 is active, an ISO 20022 (pain.001) defaults section becomes visible with the following fields: Initiating Party Name - the company name written into the payment file header. Defaults to the company name from Company Details. Initiating Party ID - the identifier written into the header. Defaults to the company's IRD number (NZ) or ABN (AU) if the field is left blank. ID Scheme - the scheme code for the initiating party ID. Defaults to ACCIRD for New Zealand companies (Account IRD) and AUBN for Australian companies. Change this only if your bank instructs you to use a different scheme. Service Level Code - controls the urgency of the payment batch. Options are NURG (non-urgent, default), URGP (urgent), SDVA (same-day value), and SEPA (SEPA credit transfer). Most businesses should leave this as NURG. Category Purpose - describes the payment type. Options are SALA (salary/payroll, default), SUPP (supplier payment), TAXS (tax payment), PENS (pension payment), BONU (bonus payment), and INTC (intra-company payment). Leave as SALA for standard payroll direct entry. Creditor Country - the country code written for employee bank accounts. Defaults to NZ for New Zealand companies and AU for Australian companies. These settings are stored per company, so each company file can have different defaults. Online (web/mobile) app Go to Company >> Direct Entry Settings. This page has the same Direct Entry File Format choice and, when pain.001 is active, the same Initiating Party Name, Initiating Party ID, ID Scheme, Service Level Code, Category Purpose, and Creditor Country fields described above. New Zealand companies see pain.001 fixed the same way as the desktop app. The app-wide pain.001 schema version below is desktop-only and does not have an online equivalent. App-wide pain.001 version Go to Settings >> Direct Entry. This tab sets the pain.001 schema version used when any company in this installation exports an ISO 20022 payment file. The two available versions are: pain.001.001.03 - the default, preferred by most Australian banks including Westpac and CBA. pain.001.001.06 - for banks that explicitly confirm they support NPP pain.001 upload for payroll. Check with your bank before changing the version. If your bank has not told you to use pain.001.001.06, leave the setting as pain.001.001.03. For more information on generating and regenerating direct entry banking files, see Why Does Direct Entry Export pain.001 XML Instead Of ABA, And How Do I Regenerate It? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-configure-iso-20022-pain001-settings-for-direct-entry Q: Can I Import Data Directly into Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll supports importing employee records from a CSV file. This is the recommended way to bring employees across when switching from another payroll system or moving data between Lightning Payroll database files. Importing Employees In the desktop app: go to the Employees screen and select Import employee data from CSV file from the Actions menu. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees >> Actions >> Import Employees / Historic Gross CSV. New Zealand companies can import a historic gross earnings CSV in the same step, which allows Lightning Payroll to calculate accurate annual-holiday averages from day one. For full instructions including CSV field references, example files, and troubleshooting, see: How Do I Import Employee Records Into Lightning Payroll? (AU) How Do I Import Employee Records And Pay History Into Lightning Payroll? (NZ) Exporting Employees for Import If you are moving employees between Lightning Payroll database files, use the built-in export tool to produce a ready-to-import CSV. In the desktop app: select Export employee data in Lightning Payroll import CSV format from the Actions menu on the Employees screen. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees >> Actions >> Export For Import (CSV). What Is Not Supported Lightning Payroll does not provide a live integration or automated data exchange with third-party payroll or accounting applications. There is no plug-in connector to import payroll data directly from MYOB Payroll, Xero Payroll, or similar products. You can, however, manually prepare a CSV in the required format to bring employee details across. Starting Mid-Year Without a CSV If you are starting with Lightning Payroll after the current financial year has already begun and are not using the CSV import, you can enter year-to-date (YTD) figures for each employee as YTD adjustments in the Employees section (desktop app only), or by prefilling earlier completed pays in Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-import-data-directly-into-lightning-payroll Q: What is a Direct Entry User ID? A: When creating a direct entry payment file, or processing super, you may be prompted for a User ID / APCA Code. This value is stored on each company bank account under Company >> Bank Account. This is always a six-digit number. For most major banks (ANZ, Westpac, NAB) it is six zeroes (000000). For CBA it is 301500. For any other financial institution you will need to contact them and ask for your Direct Entry User ID, also known as an APCA ID. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-a-direct-entry-user-id Q: How Do I Pause An Employee Who Is Not Working For A While? A: If an employee will not be paid for a period but you do not want to terminate them, untick Active pay recipient? on their record. They stop appearing on pay runs while their employment record stays continuous. Where to find it Desktop app: go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates and untick Active pay recipient?. Online app: open the employee, choose Pay Settings, then the Pay Rates tab, untick Active Pay Recipient? and save. What this does They are left out of new pay runs. Any pending pay they already have is removed the next time that pay run is opened, so this affects the current pay run as well as future ones. Completed pays are never touched, and nothing already reported to the ATO or Inland Revenue is changed. They still appear in your employee list, and they still count toward your employee limit. Only terminating an employee frees a licence slot. Rostered shifts are still created for them, so clear those separately if you use rosters. You can still pay them manually if you need to. The Create Pays wizard does not filter them out. What happens to leave in Australia Annual leave, personal leave and long service leave all accrue when a pay is processed, so an employee with no pays accrues none of them for that period. This is not backdated when you tick the setting back on, so if leave should have accrued over the break you will need to add it manually. Please note the Long Service Leave report works from length of service rather than from pays, so it will keep showing a rising figure that no longer matches the accrued long service leave balance. What happens to leave in New Zealand This setting does not stop New Zealand annual holidays or sick leave. Both are granted on the calendar from the employee's start date. If a 12-month anniversary passes while they are unticked, they still receive the full four weeks of annual holidays, and a sick leave anniversary still delivers the 10 days. The same is true when accrue-as-you-go is turned on. The per-pay accrual stops, but the anniversary top-up is worked out as the full entitlement minus whatever actually accrued, so the employee is brought back up to the full entitlement anyway. See How Do I Set Up Accruing Annual Leave As You Go? Leave balances are shown as at the last completed pay, so the figure will look unchanged during the break and then jump when the next pay is completed. That is the missed anniversaries being recorded, not an error. Terminating the employee is the only thing that stops New Zealand entitlement from vesting. Lightning Payroll cannot defer or shift an anniversary for a period of unpaid leave. Turning them back on Tick Active pay recipient? again and they are included the next time the pay run is opened. Nothing needs to be re-entered, and their history, year-to-date figures and leave balances are preserved. Other ways to handle a break Leave the setting on and zero the pay. The pay is still created, so you can clear the hours or record unpaid leave against it. Use this if you want the employee to keep appearing in the pay run. Delete the pending pay each period. Practical for a break of only a pay or two. Terminate now and reinstate later. The better choice if they may not return. Termination creates a final pay with any leave payout, records the employment end date for STP or payday filing, and frees a licence slot. Bringing them back uses the Reinstate Employee wizard, which sets a new start date. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-pause-an-employee-who-is-not-working-for-a-while Q: As an Accountant, How Can I Use Lightning Payroll to Process Payroll For My Clients? A: Accountants and bookkeepers can use Lightning Payroll to process payroll for multiple clients. Each subscription includes an allowance for both a number of employees and a number of active companies. Standard plans include 2 active companies (5 on Enterprise) and can be extended with Extra Company Add-Ons up to a maximum of 10; to manage more than 10 client companies, use an Agent subscription, which is sized by the number of client companies. See What Is an Agent Subscription and Which Plan Do Accountants and Bookkeepers Need?You can manage client data in two common ways:Keep multiple client entities in one database and switch between them with Entities.Keep each client on a separate database and move between them with Tools >> Create Backup and Tools >> Restore Backup.Be careful when sharing backups between parties. Restoring the wrong backup at the wrong time can overwrite newer work. If you share data across devices or people, make sure everyone follows the same backup and restore process.For clients that prefer not to share a subscription, you can also maintain your own subscription and process payroll from your own installation.Jurisdiction specific filing steps depend on the site mode you are working in. Use the filing and reporting FAQ articles that match the customer jurisdiction for any electronic lodgement requirements. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/as-an-accountant-how-can-i-use-lightning-payroll-to-process-payroll-for-my-clients Q: How Do I View Or Remove Year-To-Date Adjustments In The Online App? A: The YTD Adjustments screen in the online (web/mobile) app lets you review and delete year-to-date adjustments that have been recorded for an employee. YTD adjustments are typically created in the desktop app when setting up an employee part way through a financial year. For guidance on the full range of options for entering opening YTD figures, see How Do I Enter Existing Year-to-Date Figures? Viewing YTD Adjustments Select the employee from the employee list. Go to Employees >> Year to Date >> YTD Adjustments. The table lists each recorded adjustment with columns for Date, STP Income Stream, Gross, Tax, Net, HELP/TSL, SFSS, CDEP, Ordinary Time Earnings, Overtime Earnings, Exempt Foreign Income, Super Levy, RESC, and Other Adjustments?. The Other Adjustments? column shows whether the adjustment also includes amounts for allowances, deductions, bonuses, post-tax super, salary sacrifices, or leave. Removing a YTD Adjustment On the YTD Adjustments screen, locate the adjustment row you want to remove. Click the delete action for that row and confirm when prompted. Warning: Removing an adjustment will also remove all other adjustments that are associated with it, including any linked allowances, deductions, bonuses, post-tax super, salary sacrifices, and leave adjustments. This action cannot be undone. Adding New YTD Adjustments Adding new YTD adjustments is only available in the desktop app via Employees >> Year to Date >> Adjust YTD Totals. If you need to enter opening YTD figures and do not have access to the desktop app, consider importing employees by CSV with YTD columns included - see How Do I Enter Existing Year-to-Date Figures? for all available options. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-view-or-remove-year-to-date-adjustments-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Invite An Employee To Set Up Their Own Details Online? A: The online app lets you send an employee an onboarding invitation so they can fill in their own personal, tax, super, and bank details through the employee portal - rather than you entering everything manually. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Employees and select Add New Employee. On the mode-selection screen, choose Have Employee Onboard Themselves. Enter the employee's First Name, Last Name, and Email Address. These three fields are required. Under Onboarding Portal Settings, tick the sections the employee will be able to fill in during onboarding. By default, Personal Details, Tax Settings, Bank Accounts, and (for AU companies) Super Details are all ticked. Under Optional Access After Onboarding, choose any additional portal features to enable once onboarding is complete - for example, Payslips, Leave Balances, Leave Requests, Timeclock, or Timesheet. Timeclock and Timesheet are mutually exclusive; enabling one disables the other. Click Send Onboarding Email. The employee receives an email with a link to complete their setup through the portal. Once the employee receives their invitation and clicks the link, they are guided through a setup wizard where they can update the sections their employer has enabled. The invitation link can only be used once and expires after 24 hours. If it expires, or if the email was not delivered, go to the employee's Online Portal Settings tab (under Employees >> Details) and click Resend Employee Portal Email. In the desktop app Go to Employees and click Add Employee. On the mode-selection dialog, select Self Onboard Wizard. Enter the employee's name and email address, then choose which sections they can edit under Allow Employee to Edit (including Personal Details, Tax Settings, Super Details, Bank Accounts) and any Optional Access After Onboarding permissions. Completing the wizard sends the onboarding email. Note: NZ companies do not have a Super Details option in the onboarding form, as KiwiSaver is managed separately. For general information about the employee portal and its settings, see How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? For information on what triggers the portal account email, see What Generates An Employee Portal Account and Email? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-invite-an-employee-to-set-up-their-own-details-online Q: How Do I Connect Lightning Payroll to Farm Focus? A: Before you can export pay run invoices to Farm Focus, you need to authorise the connection between Lightning Payroll and your Farm Focus account. This is a one-time OAuth step. You will need the Farm Focus add-on on your subscription - see How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? for details on purchasing the add-on and setting up GL code mappings. In the Desktop App Open a pay run and click Farm Focus Add-On (the Farm Focus button in the pay run toolbar). The Farm Focus wizard opens on the authentication screen. Click Connect to Farm Focus. Your default web browser opens the Farm Focus login page. Sign in and authorise the connection for your farm. Return to Lightning Payroll and click Check For Token. The status message updates to confirm the connection. Click Next to proceed to pay selection. Once connected, Lightning Payroll stores the token for your company. You will not need to reconnect unless you deliberately disconnect or the token expires. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Open a pay run and select the Farm Focus export option from the pay run actions. The Farm Focus export wizard opens on the Login To Farm Focus To Export Pay Run Invoice screen. If not already connected, click Connect to Farm Focus. The app redirects to the Farm Focus login page. Sign in and authorise the connection in Farm Focus, then return to Lightning Payroll. If the connection is not detected automatically, click Check For Token. Once connected, a success banner displays the farm name and connection date. Select the pays to include and click Next. Troubleshooting a Failed Connection Browser did not open (desktop): Check that your operating system has a default browser configured. If the Farm Focus Authentication Error dialog appears, click Connect to Farm Focus again. Token not found after authorising: Make sure you completed the authorisation in Farm Focus before clicking Check For Token. If your subscription credentials are missing, a warning will appear asking you to refresh your licence. Wrong farm connected: Click Disconnect Farm Focus and repeat the connection steps to authorise a different farm account. Add-on not available: The connection option only appears when the Farm Focus add-on is active on your subscription. Contact Lightning Payroll to add it. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-connect-lightning-payroll-to-farm-focus Q: How Can I Set Up a New Employment Tenure/Type? A: Lightning Payroll lets you set up custom Employment Tenures and Types in addition to the built-in options, so your payroll setup can reflect the roles in your business. Default Settings By default, Lightning Payroll includes the following Employment Tenures: Permanent Temporary And the following Employment Types: Full-time Part-time Casual Setting an Employment Tenure or Type for an Employee To choose an Employment Tenure or Type for an employee, open their profile: Go to Employees from the main menu. Select the employee you want to edit. Open Pay Settings >> Pay Rates to view or change their Employment Tenure and Type. Adding a New Employment Tenure or Type To add a new Employment Tenure or Type: Go to Settings >> Employment Tenure/Type. In the Employment Tenure table on the left, click the add button (a green plus icon in the desktop app, or Add New in the online app) to add a new tenure. Use the same button in the Employment Type table on the right to add a new type. Enter a name for the new entry and save your changes. Selecting a Custom Tenure or Type Once added, your new Employment Tenure or Type is available from the drop-down menu in the employee's Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-set-up-a-new-employment-tenuretype Q: How Do I Add A Bank That Is Not In The Bank List? A: When you add a company bank account in the online app, Lightning Payroll asks you to choose the Bank from a list. If your bank is not in that list, you can add it yourself. Add the bank Go to Settings >> Banks. Add your bank, entering its name and its 3-letter Code (the ABA/APCA bank code used when generating direct entry files). Return to Company >> Bank Accounts and select the bank from the Bank dropdown. Finding your bank's code If you do not know your bank's 3-letter code, look up your BSB at bsb.auspaynet.com.au. The lookup shows the bank's short code, which you enter as the Code in Settings >> Banks. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-bank-that-is-not-in-the-bank-list Q: How Do I Manage Users And Permissions In The Lightning Payroll Online App? A: Yes — more than one person can log in to your Lightning Payroll online account. If you currently have a single login and want to add another (for example, a second login for your office or admin staff), the account administrator can create extra user logins and choose exactly what each person can see and do. You do not need to share one set of credentials. Lightning Payroll lets the account administrator create non-admin user accounts for the online (web/mobile) app and control exactly what each user can see and do. Go to Settings >> User Management to access these controls. For desktop app user management, see How Do I Setup And Manage Different Users? Adding a New User Go to Settings >> User Management and click Add New User. Enter a Username (no spaces or @ symbols, up to 32 characters) and the user's Email address. Under Permitted Companies, select each company the user should be able to access. Click Save. The user is created and emailed a link to set their own password. They must follow that link before they can log in. Setting Permissions After selecting a user in the Users table, select a company from the Companies panel. The Permissions panel on the right shows each permission zone with three options: Locked — the user cannot access that section. Read Only — the user can view but not change data in that section. Editable — the user has full access to that section. Click in the appropriate column for each zone to change the permission. Changes save immediately. Restricting Which Employees a User Manages By default, a user can manage rosters, shift syncing, and leave request approvals for all employees in a company. To restrict this to a subset of employees, select the user and company, then click Manage Employees. In the dialog, turn on Limit this user to the employees selected below? and tick the employees you want this user to manage. Click Save to apply. Note: this setting only affects roster/shift syncing and leave request approval — it does not change which companies or screens the user can otherwise access. Sync Status Each user in the table shows a sync status badge: Synced — the user has an active online account for your subscription and can log in. Blocked — the user is linked to a company whose ABN or NZ IRD number has not been claimed online. Assign the user to a claimed company to bring them online. Pending — the user has not yet been pushed to the online app. Click Sync Now to push all pending users. If users are not appearing or are blocked, check that at least one company has been claimed under Settings >> SuperStream Setup (AU) or the equivalent company setup screen (NZ). Until a company is claimed, no local users can sync online. To re-run the sync manually and see a diagnostic report, click Sync Now on the User Management page. Editing or Removing Users To edit a user's username, email, or permitted companies, click the edit icon next to the user in the Users table, make your changes, and click Save. To remove a user, click the delete icon. Deleting a user does not remove any work they completed; it prevents them from logging in going forward. Two-Factor Authentication The Users table also shows the user's Authenticator App Secret Key and includes a button to display the Authenticator App QR Code. Administrators can use this to help a user set up or recover their two-factor authentication app. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-manage-users-and-permissions-in-the-lightning-payroll-online-app Q: How Do I Import Employee Records Into Lightning Payroll? A: To save time and reduce manual data entry, we strongly recommend using Lightning Payroll's built-in employee export feature when transferring employees between database files or setting up a new company. The export tool creates a CSV file in the exact format expected by the import process, including personal details, leave balances, superannuation information and year-to-date (YTD) figures for the selected financial year. This ensures the smoothest and most reliable import experience. Employees are imported under Employees >> Actions >> Import Employees From CSV (in the desktop app) or Import Employees / Historic Gross CSV (in the online app). For guidance on creating an export file for this purpose, please see: How Do I Export Employees Or Merge Lightning Payroll Databases? If you are not transferring from another Lightning Payroll database, you can also manually prepare a CSV file. Please see our example spreadsheet here or refer to the field reference below for supported columns and formats. All fields are optional, however we recommend completing as much information as possible. All employee details, including shifts, allowances and other pay items, can be edited in the employee profile after the import is complete. AU Employee CSV Field Reference The table below covers every column the importer recognises. Columns you do not need can be left blank or omitted from the file entirely. Personal Details first_name - Employee's first name. Required. last_name - Employee's surname. Required. number - Your own employee number or staff ID. date_of_birth - Date of birth. Accepted formats include 15/04/1990 and 1990-04-15. Required for AU tax calculations. gender - MALE, FEMALE, INDETERMINATE, or UNKNOWN. email_address - Employee's email address. phone_home - Home or mobile phone number. address1, address2, city, state, postcode, country - Residential address fields. position - Job title or position. Tax and Employment tax_file_number - The employee's TFN. Leave blank if the employee has not provided one. is_foreign_resident - true or false. Defaults to false. is_closely_held - true or false. Set to true for closely held payees such as family members of a closely held business. has_claimed_tax_free_threshold - true or false. has_help_liability - true or false. Set to true if the employee has a HELP, VSL, SSL, ABSTUDY SSL, or TSL debt. has_sfss_liability - true or false. Set to true if the employee has a Student Financial Supplement Scheme debt. employment_status - Full-time, Part-time, Casual, or Labour Hire. start_date - Employment start date. Accepted formats include 15/04/2024 and 2024-04-15. Required. pay_period - Pay frequency: Weekly, Fortnightly, or Monthly. Required. pay_rate_per_hour - Base hourly rate, e.g. 32.50. leave_loading - Leave loading percentage, e.g. 17.5 for 17.5%. primary_department - Department name. Must match an existing department in the company. Leave Opening Balances annual_leave_hours - Opening annual leave balance in hours. personal_leave_hours - Opening personal/sick leave balance in hours. lsl_leave_hours - Opening long service leave balance in hours. rdo_days - Opening rostered day off (RDO) balance in days. Bank Details primary_bank_bsb - BSB for the primary bank account, e.g. 062-000. primary_bank_account_number - Account number for the primary bank account. primary_bank_account_name - Account name for the primary bank account. secondary_bank_bsb, secondary_bank_account_number, secondary_bank_account_name - Secondary bank account details. secondary_bank_amount_per_period - Fixed dollar amount to pay into the secondary account each period. secondary_bank_reference - Reference text for the secondary account payment. Superannuation default_employee_fund_usi - The Unique Superannuation Identifier (USI) of the employee's chosen super fund. default_employee_fund_member_number - The employee's member number with that fund. Year-to-Date Figures Year-to-date (YTD) figures let you carry an employee's earnings and deductions forward from a previous payroll system. Enter the date the figures are accurate as at in ytd_as_at_date, then populate the relevant YTD columns. ytd_as_at_date - The date your YTD figures are accurate as at, e.g. 2025-07-01. ytd_ordinary_time - YTD ordinary time earnings. ytd_overtime - YTD overtime earnings. ytd_bonus_commission_non_directors_fees - YTD bonuses and commissions (excluding directors' fees). ytd_directors_fees - YTD directors' fees. ytd_tax - YTD PAYG withholding tax deducted (includes STSL). ytd_stsl - YTD study and training support loan repayments (HELP, SFSS, etc.). ytd_super_compulsory - YTD compulsory super guarantee contributions. ytd_super_resc - YTD reportable employer super contributions (RESC). ytd_super_post_tax - YTD post-tax voluntary super contributions. ytd_salary_sacrifice_super - YTD salary sacrificed to superannuation. ytd_salary_sacrifice_other - YTD salary sacrificed to other items. Allowance columns follow the pattern ytd_allowance_<type>. Supported types are: award_transport, cents_per_km, travel, laundry, other_allowance, meals_overtime, qualifications, tasks, and tools. Leave payment columns follow the pattern ytd_leave_<type>. Supported types are: holiday, sick, long_service, other, paid_parental, employer_funded_paid_parental, workers_comp, compassionate, ancillary, paid_public_holiday, and annual_leave_loading. Deduction columns follow the pattern ytd_deduction_<type>. Supported types are: normal, union_fees, charity, child_support_garnishee, and child_support_deduction. After the Import Lightning Payroll imports all rows it can read and reports any rows that could not be processed. Review the import summary and correct any flagged rows, then re-import if needed. Some employee settings cannot be imported from CSV and require manual setup after the import is complete. These include: Allowances and salary sacrifice arrangements assigned to an employee Deductions Additional pay rates beyond the base hourly rate Pay items belonging to collections or custom configurations Open each imported employee to review and complete their details before running a pay. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-import-employee-records-into-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Disconnect or Re-Connect Farm Focus? A: You may need to disconnect Farm Focus if you want to link a different Farm Focus account, if your token has expired, or if you are troubleshooting an export problem. After disconnecting, you can reconnect at any time by completing the OAuth login flow again. In the Desktop App The Disconnect Farm Focus button appears on the Review step of the Farm Focus export wizard. Open the Farm Focus export wizard from the Pays screen by clicking the Farm Focus export option. If you are already connected, proceed through the pay selection step to reach the Farm Focus Review screen. Click Disconnect Farm Focus at the bottom of the Review screen. Confirm the prompt - Are you sure you want to disconnect Farm Focus? - by clicking Yes. The token is removed and the wizard returns to the authentication screen. To reconnect, click Connect to Farm Focus on the authentication screen. Lightning Payroll will open your browser to the Farm Focus login page. After you have authorised the connection in your browser, return to Lightning Payroll and click Check For Token. The status label will update to confirm the connected farm. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App The Disconnect Farm Focus button is available on both the pay-selection step and the review step of the Farm Focus export flow. Navigate to the Farm Focus Export section from the Pays area. Click Disconnect Farm Focus on either the Select Pays To Export To Farm Focus screen or the Review Pay Run Before Export screen. A confirmation modal appears - Disconnect Farm Focus? This will remove the Farm Focus token and return you to the Pays screen. Click Disconnect to confirm, or Cancel to go back. To reconnect after disconnecting, click Connect to Farm Focus. The app will redirect you to Farm Focus in your browser to complete the OAuth authorisation. Once authorised, return to the app and click Check For Token to load your token and farm details. After Disconnecting The stored Farm Focus token is deleted from Lightning Payroll. No previously submitted invoices are affected in Farm Focus itself. If the disconnect is successful but the remote revocation in Farm Focus fails, a warning is shown. The token is still cleared locally, so you can reconnect immediately. Your GL code mappings are not affected by disconnecting - they are retained and will still be in place when you reconnect. For a full walkthrough of setting up and using the Farm Focus integration, see How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-disconnect-or-re-connect-farm-focus Q: How Do I Set Up A Salary Sacrifice In The Online App? A: A salary sacrifice is a pre-tax deduction set up at the employee level. The steps below cover both the online (web/mobile) app and the desktop app. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Employees and select the employee from the list. Navigate to Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice. Click the add button to create a new sacrifice record. An edit form will appear. Enter a Description for the sacrifice. Enter the Amount, or tick Is Percentage? and enter a Percentage instead. (AU only) If the sacrifice is a super/RESC sacrifice, tick Is Super?. A Super Fund dropdown will appear - select the employee's fund. If the sacrifice counts towards ordinary time earnings, also tick Is Included In Super Calculations (OTE)?. Save the record. Changes are saved automatically when you confirm the form. In the Desktop App Open the Employees tab and select the employee on the left. Click Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice. Click the green plus symbol to add a sacrifice, fill in the details, and click Save. (AU only) To record a super sacrifice, tick Is Super/RESC? and Included in Super?, then attach the employee's super fund. Notes In NZ, salary sacrifice is typically an agreement to trade salary for benefits such as KiwiSaver. The super-specific fields (Is Super? and Is Included In Super Calculations (OTE)?) do not appear for NZ companies. Pre-tax super sacrifices must be entered here, not on the Super Contributions screen. The Super Contributions screen is for post-tax contributions and standalone RESC. To edit or remove an existing sacrifice, click the edit or delete icon in the sacrifice table. For more detail on the desktop setup, see How Do I Setup A Salary Sacrifice? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-a-salary-sacrifice-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Set Up Farm Focus GL Codes in Lightning Payroll? A: Farm Focus GL code mapping lets you link your payroll pay items to Farm Focus account codes so that pays can be exported directly to your Farm Focus farm management system. This feature requires the Farm Focus add-on on your subscription. For details on purchasing or adding the add-on, see How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? Enabling Farm Focus GL Codes In the desktop app: Go to Company >> GL Codes and tick Enable Farm Focus GL Codes. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Company >> General Ledger Codes and switch on Enable Farm Focus GL Codes. Enabling this toggle switches the GL code table into Farm Focus mode. Standard account label and code fields are replaced with Farm Focus account code fields. Downloading Farm Focus Codes After enabling Farm Focus GL codes, click Download Farm Focus Codes. A browser window will open. Complete the Farm Focus login to authorise the connection. Return to Lightning Payroll and click Download Farm Focus Codes again to complete the download. Once codes are downloaded successfully, a status message confirms that the codes were downloaded (Farm Focus Codes Downloaded). If the download fails, an error message will appear - check your internet connection and try again. Mapping Pay Items to Farm Focus Codes After downloading, use the mapping table to assign a Farm Focus account code to each pay item row. Click a row in the table to edit it. Select the appropriate Farm Focus Code from the dropdown. The Selected Code label updates to confirm the code name. Optionally tick Split submissions by pay for this code if you want each individual pay submitted separately under this account code rather than as an aggregate total. Save the row and repeat for each pay item. Every pay item row must have a Farm Focus code assigned before you can submit pays to Farm Focus. If any rows are missing a code, Lightning Payroll will warn you when you attempt to submit. Restore Defaults The Restore Lightning Payroll Defaults, Restore Xero Defaults, and Restore MYOB Defaults buttons reset the GL code table to preset values. These actions overwrite your current mappings, so use them with care. They are not Farm Focus-specific and will clear any Farm Focus code assignments you have made. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-farm-focus-gl-codes-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Split An Employee's Pay Across Multiple Bank Accounts? A: Lightning Payroll supports paying an employee into more than one bank account. You set a Default Account (which always receives the remainder of net pay) and any number of Additional Accounts (each with a fixed dollar amount that is paid first). In the desktop app Open the employee and go to Employees >> Details >> Bank Accounts. The Default Account section shows the account that receives whatever is left after all additional accounts are paid. Enter the account details there if you have not already done so. Under Additional Accounts, add each extra account and enter a fixed Amount for that account. The amount is deducted from the employee's net pay first; the remainder goes to the default account. Use the up and down arrow buttons in the table to change the order in which additional accounts are paid. Save the employee record. The Priority column shows Default for the default account and a number for each additional account. Any amount you enter against the default account is ignored - it always receives the remainder. In the online (web/mobile) app Open the employee and select Details >> Bank Accounts. The Default Account section explains that all pay goes to the default account unless additional accounts are defined. The remainder always goes there. Under Additional Accounts, add an extra account. Fill in the account details and enter a fixed Amount. Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change the priority order of additional accounts. Changes save automatically when you add, edit, delete, or reorder an account. If a fixed Amount is entered on the default account itself, the app will warn you that it is ignored - the default account always receives the remainder, not a fixed amount. Field reference (AU) Account Name - a label for your reference. BSB - 6-digit BSB number. Account Number - the bank account number. Amount - the fixed dollar amount to pay into this account each pay run (additional accounts only). Alt. Transaction Reference - an optional reference that appears on the employee's bank statement instead of the default payroll reference. Portal-owned accounts If the employee has been granted permission to manage their own bank accounts through the employee portal, the Bank Accounts tab will be locked in both the desktop and online apps. To make changes on the employee's behalf, you must first disable that permission or use the portal refresh option. See also: Why Are Employee Details or Bank Account Changes Not Saving? For NZ bank account number format requirements, see What Format Should I Use For An Employee's Bank Account Number? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-split-an-employees-pay-across-multiple-bank-accounts Q: How Do I Assign An Employee To Departments And Split Their Pay? A: Departments must exist before you can assign an employee to them. If you have not yet created your departments, see How Do I Setup Departments? first. In the Desktop App Open the employee record, then go to Employees >> Details >> Departments. Add each department the employee works in and set the Percentage Assigned for each one. The percentages represent how each pay is split across those departments. If an employee works entirely in one department, set that department to 100%. To override the split for a specific pay, open the pay and adjust the department split within the pay editor. To update department allocations across multiple past pays at once, use Tools >> Retrospective Tool. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Navigate to the employee record, then select the Departments tab. The tab heading reads Assign this employee to departments and set how their pay is split across them. Click the add row button to add a department entry. Choose the Department Name from the drop-down list. Set the Percentage Assigned for that department. Save the row. Repeat for each additional department. The combined percentages must not exceed 100%. If they do, a warning will appear and the record will not save correctly. If the department you need is not in the list, go to Company >> Departments and add it there first. To override the department split for a specific pay, open the pay from the Pays screen and select the Departments section within the pay editor. To update department allocations across multiple past pays at once, use the Tools >> Retrospective Tool and select Departments as the change type. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-assign-an-employee-to-departments-and-split-their-pay Q: How Can I Set Up Awards, Classifications or Pay Rate Groups? A: Awards, Classifications and Pay Rate Groups let you organise employees and share common pay rates across your company. Use Awards to record the award or agreement name, Pay Rate Groups to define shared classifications and rates, and then assign employees to the relevant group. In the Desktop App Open Company >> Pay Rate Groups to create and manage groups. Australian companies also have a Company >> Awards tab where you can record the award name; this tab is not shown for New Zealand companies, so use Pay Rate Groups directly. Australian companies: go to Company >> Awards and create an award or classification heading if you want one. Go to Company >> Pay Rate Groups and create a pay rate group for each role or grade. Add the pay rates that belong to that group. Assign employees to the group. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Company >> Pay Rate Groups/Classifications to create and manage groups. Australian companies also have a Company >> Awards screen; this screen is not available for New Zealand companies. Australian companies: go to Company >> Awards and create an award record. Classifications are then managed from the Pay Rate Groups screen. Go to Company >> Pay Rate Groups/Classifications and select New to create a group. Use Manage pay rates within this group to add the rates for that group. Use Manage employees within this group (or the Save Employees option) to assign employees. Pay Rate Fields When you add a pay rate to a group, you set the following: Type: choose Normal (a multiple of the employee's hourly rate) or Special (a fixed dollar amount). Units: enter the unit the rate is paid in, such as Hours, KMs or Buckets. Is Hours: tick this when the unit represents worked hours. Is Overtime: tick this if the rate represents overtime or another non-ordinary earning type. To show an award or classification name on payslips without setting up shared pay rates, you can assign the award and classification directly to an employee under Employees >> Pay Settings. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-set-up-awards-classifications-or-pay-rate-groups Q: How Do I Set Up A Closely Held Payee Or Super-Only Contractor? A: Lightning Payroll provides two checkboxes on the Pay Rates screen for payees who sit outside the normal salary-and-wages reporting stream: Is Closely Held? and Super-only contractor? (no TFN, not reported in STP). Both are AU-only settings. Closely Held Payees A closely held payee is typically a family member of a business owner, a director, or another person who is directly related to the business entity. Ticking Is Closely Held? changes the employee's STP income stream to Closely Held Payee (ATO code CHP). Their wages, tax, and super are still reported through Single Touch Payroll - the flag signals to the ATO that a quarterly reporting concession may apply under STP Phase 2 rules. Confirm with your adviser or the ATO whether the concession applies before deferring any lodgements. In the desktop app: open the employee, go to Pay Settings >> Pay Rates, and tick Closely held employee/payee?. The STP Income Stream field will update automatically to Closely Held Payee. In the online (web/mobile) app: select the employee, navigate to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates, and tick Is Closely Held?. Save with OK. Super-Only Contractors A super-only contractor is set up in the system solely to receive superannuation contributions. They have no TFN, are not reported in STP, are excluded from PAYG withholding, and are not included in payment summaries or end-of-year processing. In the desktop app: open the employee, go to Pay Settings >> Pay Rates, and tick Super-only contractor? (no TFN, not reported in STP). Leave the tax file number field blank - it is not required or validated for this type of payee. In the online (web/mobile) app: select the employee, navigate to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates, and tick Super-only contractor? (no TFN, not reported in STP). Save with OK. The TFN requirement is waived automatically when this option is ticked. Once set up, process the contractor's super through the normal pays workflow. For a step-by-step guide see How Can I Pay Super For Contractors Or Non-Employees? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-a-closely-held-payee-or-super-only-contractor Q: How Do I Configure General Ledger Codes in the Lightning Payroll Online App? A: The General Ledger Codes screen lets you map your pay items to accounting codes and control how payroll data is exported to your accounting software. Navigate to Company >> GL Codes in the online app. Export Settings At the top of the screen, configure how the CSV export is formatted: Negate credit amounts? - when ticked, credit amounts are negated. When unticked, all amounts remain positive and a separate debit/credit column is added. Include date in the export? - adds a date column to the CSV. Include software name (Lightning Payroll) in the export? - adds the software name as a column (online app only). Include zero dollar amounts in the export? - includes rows with a $0.00 value (online app only). Date Format - choose the date format that matches your accounting package's import requirements. Which date should be exported? - select which date from the pay run to include. Xero Department Tracking Category Name (Optional) - if you use Xero department tracking, enter the tracking category name here. Restore Defaults Use the restore buttons to reset GL codes to a known starting point for your accounting software: Restore Lightning Payroll Defaults - resets to the standard Lightning Payroll default codes. Restore Xero Defaults - sets codes to match Xero's default account structure. Restore MYOB Defaults - sets codes to match MYOB's default account structure. Editing GL Codes Per Pay Item The table lists every pay item. Select a row to edit its settings: GL Code - enter the account code from your accounting software. Split By Department (When Applicable)? - when enabled, you can assign separate GL codes to each department. This makes the main GL code for the row redundant, as the department codes are used instead. Include In CSV Export? - controls whether this item appears in the exported file. Is Debit? - marks the row as a debit entry. Farm Focus GL Codes If you have the Farm Focus add-on, a checkbox labelled Enable Farm Focus GL Codes appears at the top of the screen. Enabling it switches the table to Farm Focus code mapping mode. Click Download Farm Focus Codes to retrieve your Farm Focus account codes, then map each pay item to the appropriate code. If you do not have Farm Focus and the feature is available on your plan, an upgrade prompt will appear in its place. Exporting GL Postings Once your codes are configured, export the GL postings from the Pays screen. The export options (CSV and PDF) are available after selecting a pay run. For information on configuring and exporting GL files in the desktop app, see How Do I Configure and Export GL (General Ledger) Files in Lightning Payroll To My Accounting Software? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-configure-general-ledger-codes-in-the-lightning-payroll-online-app Q: How Do I Rehire a Previously Terminated Employee? A: To rehire a previously terminated employee, you first need to locate them in the terminated employee list, then run the reinstatement assistant to set their new start date and opening leave balances. Desktop App Go to the Employees tab and tick Show Terminated Employees? to make the terminated employee visible in the list. Select the employee, then click Actions and choose Reinstate Employee. This opens the Reinstate Employee Assistant. New Start Date - Enter the employee's new start date. The date must be on or after the day after their termination date. Click Next to continue. Leave Balances - Set the opening leave balances for the rehired employee. The values shown are those recorded at termination. You can carry these forward or reset them. The three fields are: Holiday Leave Balance Sick Leave Balance Long Service Leave Balance If the employee has been away for at least three months, entitlements can generally be reset to zero. If you are unsure, contact Fair Work Australia before making a change. Summary - Review the details, then click Finish to complete the reinstatement. The employee will be returned to active status with the new start date and the leave balances you entered. Online (Web/Mobile) App In the Employees section, select the terminated employee from the employee selector (terminated employees appear with a "Terminated" label). Click Actions and choose Reinstate Employee. On the Reinstate Employee screen, enter the employee's new Start Date and click Save Changes. The online app reinstates the employee with the new start date. Leave balances can be reviewed and adjusted separately via the employee's leave screens after reinstatement. Cannot Reinstate? If the assistant displays a message that the employee cannot be reinstated, it is likely because their termination pay is part of a pay run that has not yet been processed. Process that pay run first, then attempt the reinstatement again. Alternatively, if the termination was entered in error, open the employee's current pay, untick Termination Pay?, and save. For a general overview of reinstating an employee, see How Can I Reinstate A Terminated Employee? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-rehire-a-previously-terminated-employee Q: How Do I Setup The Lightning Payroll Mobile/Web Application (and STP)? A: Lightning Payroll is available as both a web application and a mobile application for iOS and Android. These versions allow you to access and manage your payroll data from anywhere, whether you're using a browser or a mobile device. To use the web app, visit app.lightningpayroll.com.au in any supported browser. To use the mobile app, download it from your device's store: Download for iPhone/iPad (App Store) Download for Android (Google Play) The login screen accepts an email address or username along with your password. The account holder logs in with the email address and password used to register the Lightning Payroll subscription. Sub-users created under Settings >> User Management log in with their username (not email address). If you're having trouble logging in, see: Why Can't I Login to this Website? Initial Setup After logging in for the first time, the app will detect that no data is present and prompt you to choose one of the following options: "Yes, create a new company." "No, I have existing data and would like to restore a local backup file." "No, I have an existing online backup I'd like to restore." Creating a New Company Select Yes, create a new company if you are starting fresh. You will be guided through setting up your company and a new payroll database. Restoring from a Local Backup Choose No, I have existing data and would like to restore a local backup file if you have previously created a backup on the desktop version. To create one, open the desktop app and go to Tools >> Create Backup, choose a save location, then click Save Backup. You can upload that file into the web or mobile app during setup. Restoring from an Online Backup If you have been using the Online Backups feature, select No, I have an existing online backup I'd like to restore. You will need to log in with your Online Backup credentials. For details, see: How Can I Set Up Online Backups? You do not need to manually restore your licence. Your account is recognised automatically when you log in. If you have set up Web Sync on the desktop, your backup will be available automatically after login. For help with Web Sync, refer to: How do I Set Up and Use Web Sync Across My Devices? Single Touch Payroll (STP) Setup Once your data is loaded, you can send Single Touch Payroll from the web or mobile app. Before your first submission, you must register your app's SSID with the ATO. Your SSID appears beside your company name at the top of the web and mobile app. For step-by-step instructions on registering your SSID and sending STP, see: How Can I Send STP Using Lightning Payroll? Desktop vs Web and Mobile Applications For a comparison between the desktop version and the online options, see: What Are The Main Differences Between The Lightning Payroll Desktop and Web/Mobile Applications? Note: The mobile app functions identically to the web app, providing the same features, interface, and data across all your devices. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-setup-the-lightning-payroll-mobileweb-application-and-stp Q: How Do I Disconnect Lightning Payroll From My MYOB Account? A: To remove Lightning Payroll's access to your MYOB account, follow these steps: Go to https://secure.myob.com/ and log in. Navigate to your account settings and locate the section for connected or third-party apps. Find Lightning Payroll in the list and revoke its access. Once access is revoked, Lightning Payroll will no longer be able to connect to your MYOB account. You can reconnect at any time by initiating a new MYOB export from within Lightning Payroll - see How Do I Submit General Ledger Journals and Bank Transactions to MYOB AccountRight? for details. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-disconnect-lightning-payroll-from-my-myob-account Q: How Do I Get Started in Lightning Payroll? A: If you are using Lightning Payroll for the very first time, there are two main steps to get up and running: add your company, then add your employees. Step 1. Add Your Company Lightning Payroll does not limit the number of companies you can manage in the software. In the desktop app: Click &Entities >> Add New Company from the menu. The Create New Company Assistant will guide you through entering your company name, your tax identifier (ABN for Australian companies, or IRD number for New Zealand companies), and the payroll jurisdiction. You will also be asked to set your pay schedule (weekly, fortnightly, and/or monthly) and the end date of your current pay period. In the online (web/mobile) app: Select the Entities section, then click Add Entity. You will be taken to the company details form where you can enter your company name, tax identifier (ABN for AU, or IRD number for NZ), and jurisdiction. Once the company details are saved, navigate to Company >> Pay Dates to configure your weekly, fortnightly, and/or monthly pay end dates. Step 2. Add Your Employees Before you get started, it is recommended you collect the following information from each employee: AU: Tax File Number (TFN), bank account details (BSB, account name, account number), and super fund details (fund USI and member number) NZ: IRD number, NZ tax code (from an IR330 declaration), bank account details, and KiwiSaver details (contribution rate and status code) In the desktop app: Click Employees >> Actions >> New Employee. The Add Employee Wizard will prompt you to fill in the employee's details. If you don't have all information on hand, you can add it to the employee profile later. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to the Employees section and click Actions >> Add New Employee. You can either enter the details yourself or send the employee an onboarding email so they can fill in their own details through the employee portal. Below are some links that may be helpful when a new employee starts: New Employee Basic Information Sheet (PDF, Word Doc) AU: ATO Super Choice (Nomination) Form AU: ATO Tax File Declaration Form AU: Fair Work Information Statement NZ: IR330 Tax Code Declaration NZ: IRD KiwiSaver information for new employees Note: If an AU employee has not yet provided a TFN, Lightning Payroll accepts standard ATO placeholder codes. For NZ employees with no declaration, use the ND tax code. For more detail on adding employees, see How Can I Add a New Employee? You can also watch our short tutorial video on the company and employee setup process. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-get-started-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Add a New Employee? A: Before you start, it is recommended you collect the following information from your new employee: In Australia Tax File Number (TFN) Bank account details (BSB, account name, account number) Super fund details (fund USI and the employee's member number) In New Zealand IRD number NZ tax code (from the employee's Tax code declaration - IR330) Whether the employee has a student loan KiwiSaver employee and employer contribution rates, and KiwiSaver status Bank account details (account name and number) Adding a new employee - desktop app Go to Employees >> Actions >> New Employee. This opens the New Employee Assistant. Follow the prompts to fill out the employee's details. If you do not have all the information now, you can add it to the employee's profile later. In New Zealand, the wizard asks for an IRD number and a valid NZ tax code. If the employee has not yet provided a declaration, tick No declaration provided and select the ND tax code. Adding a new employee - online (web/mobile) app Go to Employees >> Actions >> Add New Employee. You will be offered three options: Enter Details Yourself - fill in the employee's personal, tax, and pay details using the form. Have Employee Onboard Themselves - enter only the employee's name and email address. They will receive an onboarding email with instructions to set up their own details through the employee portal. Import from CSV - create one or more employees from a CSV file. In Australia, the form includes a Tax File Number field and an ATO Employment Status field. If the employee has not yet provided a TFN, a prompt will display the ATO placeholder TFN codes you can use in the meantime. In New Zealand, the form includes an IRD Number field, an NZ Tax Code dropdown, a Student Loan borrower checkbox, and KiwiSaver Employee Rate, KiwiSaver Employer Rate, KiwiSaver Status Code, and ESCT Rate fields. If the employee has not provided a declaration, tick No declaration provided - this automatically sets the tax code to ND. After saving, you will be prompted to import historic gross earnings if this is a migrated employee. Helpful resources New Employee Basic Information Sheet (PDF, Word Doc) (AU) ATO Super Choice (Nomination) Form (AU) ATO Tax File Number Declaration Form (AU) Fair Work Information Statement (NZ) IRD Tax Code Declaration (IR330) (NZ) Employment New Zealand - Starting employment Note (AU): if the employee does not yet have a TFN, the ATO has more information about placeholder TFNs here. You can also watch our short tutorial video on the company and employee setup process. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-add-a-new-employee Q: How Can I Add Awards and Classifications for Employees? A: Lightning Payroll lets you assign a Fair Work award and classification to each employee. This information appears on their payslips and helps you select the correct pay rates when processing a pay run. Before assigning an award to an employee, make sure you have already created the award under Company >> Awards and set up the relevant classifications and pay rates under Company >> Pay Rate Groups. See How Can I Set Up Awards, Classifications or Pay Rate Groups? for that step. In the Desktop App Open Employees >> Pay Settings and select the Pay Rates tab. Use the Award dropdown to select the award the employee works under. The Classification (Award) dropdown then shows the classifications available for that award. Select the employee's classification. Once an award and classification are selected, use the Base Ordinary Rate field to optionally set the employee's ordinary rate from one of the pay rates imported under that classification. If you leave this blank, the employee's ordinary rate defaults to the value in the Pay Rate Per Hour field above. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Open Employees >> Pay Settings for the employee. The Award and Classification fields are available on this screen (Australian companies only). Select the relevant award from the Award dropdown, then choose the employee's Classification. You can also set the Award Hours Per Week and Base Ordinary Rate (Requires company pay rates) if applicable. Once saved, the employee's award and classification name will appear on their payslips, and any pay rates defined under that classification will be available to select when processing their pays. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-add-awards-and-classifications-for-employees Q: What Is STP Employment Status And Which Option Should I Choose For My Employee? A: STP Employment Status is the ATO classification that Lightning Payroll includes in every Single Touch Payroll submission. It tells the ATO what kind of income relationship exists between the employer and the worker. Choosing the wrong value can cause incorrect income statements and reporting errors, so it is worth reviewing this field for every employee. Where to find this field In the desktop app: go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates and look for the STP employment status dropdown. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates and look for the STP Employment Status dropdown. This field is only shown for AU companies. Which option should I choose? Full Time — a permanent employee working their contracted full-time hours. This is the most common setting for salaried staff and full-time wage employees. Part Time — a permanent employee working less than full-time hours on a regular, ongoing basis. Casual — an employee with no guaranteed ongoing hours who is paid a casual rate (usually including casual loading). Voluntary Agreement — a contractor or individual who has entered into a written voluntary agreement with you for PAYG withholding. If you select this status, also review the tax settings for that employee. See the related FAQ on setting up Voluntary Agreements. Death Beneficiary — use this only when making post-death payments to a deceased employee’s beneficiary or estate. Labour Hire (desktop app only) — a worker placed with your business by a labour-hire firm, where the labour-hire firm is responsible for their employment. Select this if the ATO has advised this classification applies. Unclassified — a temporary placeholder. This should be changed to the correct status before you next submit STP; leaving employees as Unclassified will generate a warning when submitting. Related flags on the same screen The Pay Rates screen also contains several checkboxes that affect how the employee is reported in STP: Active Pay Recipient? — tick this for any employee who is currently receiving pays. Untick it only for employees who are on extended leave, have been terminated, or will not receive a pay for an extended period. Inactive employees are still included in STP submissions with zero amounts unless they are excluded. Is Closely Held? (AU only) — tick this for a closely held payee, such as a director or family member of a private company who is not at arm’s length. This changes the STP Income Stream to Closely Held Payee (CHP), which affects how the ATO treats their income. Closely held payees have different quarterly reporting obligations. Super-only contractor? (no TFN, not reported in STP) (AU only) — tick this for a contractor to whom you pay superannuation but who is not an employee and should not be reported in STP at all. These workers will not appear in STP submissions. Do not tick this for employees. STP Income Stream (read-only) The STP Income Stream field on this screen is read-only and is derived automatically from the employee’s settings: Salary & Wages (SAW) — the default for most employees. Closely Held Payee (CHP) — set automatically when Is Closely Held? is ticked. Working Holiday Maker (WHM) — set automatically when the employee’s tax scale is set to Working Holiday. See the related FAQ on setting up tax for working holiday employees. Voluntary Agreement (VOL) — set automatically when the employee has a voluntary agreement tax rate and an ABN on file. You do not set the income stream directly; it is controlled by the fields above. If the income stream shown does not look right, check the Is Closely Held? flag, the tax settings, and whether an ABN and voluntary rate are configured. For more information on the differences between full-time, part-time, and casual employee setup, see the related FAQ on setting up full-time, part-time, and casual employees. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-stp-employment-status-and-which-option-should-i-choose-for-my-employee Q: Can I Merge or Split Companies Across Databases/Backups? A: Business entities cannot be merged between backups or databases, but they can be split into separate backup files. Splitting is useful when payroll data for multiple companies has ended up in the same backup and you need to separate them — for example, when data has been shared between multiple PCs without a consistent backup chain. To split two companies into separate backups: Open the company that contains both entities and go to Tools >> Create Backup to save a backup containing both companies. Keep this safe — it is your starting point for both steps below. Go to Entities >> Delete company and delete Company B, leaving only Company A. Then go to Tools >> Create Backup to save a backup containing only Company A. Go to Tools >> Restore Backup and restore the original two-company backup you saved in step 1. Go to Entities >> Delete company and delete Company A, leaving only Company B. Then go to Tools >> Create Backup to save a backup containing only Company B. You now have two separate backup files, one for each company. For more information on creating and restoring backups, see How Can I Backup My Lightning Payroll Data? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-merge-or-split-companies-across-databasesbackups Q: What Is the Farm Focus Add-On and How Do I Get It? A: Farm Focus is a farm management platform. The Farm Focus add-on for Lightning Payroll connects your payroll directly to Farm Focus, allowing you to map pay items to Farm Focus account codes and submit pay run totals as invoices into Farm Focus for farm costing and analysis. Once the add-on is active, you can import Farm Focus account codes into Lightning Payroll, map wages, allowances, superannuation, tax, and other pay items to those codes, and export completed pays as invoices with a few clicks. Purchasing the Add-On The Farm Focus add-on is available as part of a new or existing Lightning Payroll subscription. New subscription: Select the Farm Focus add-on on the buy now page during checkout. Existing subscription: Log in and upgrade your subscription to add it. You can add it without changing your base plan — charges are prorated to your remaining term. Setting Up GL Code Mapping In the desktop app: go to Company >> GL Codes, tick Enable Farm Focus GL Codes, then click Download Farm Focus Codes to import your account codes from Farm Focus. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Company >> GL Codes, tick Enable Farm Focus GL Codes, then click Download Farm Focus Codes. You will be prompted to connect to Farm Focus via OAuth before codes are downloaded. Once the codes are downloaded, use the GL Codes table to map each pay item to the appropriate Farm Focus account code. You can add, edit, or delete mappings at any time. Exporting Pays to Farm Focus In the desktop app: from the Pays screen, use the export menu and select Farm Focus Add-On to open the Farm Focus wizard. Connect to Farm Focus if prompted, select the pays to include, review the journal entries, then click Submit to Farm Focus. In the online (web/mobile) app: from the Pays screen, open the export menu and select Farm Focus Export. Connect to Farm Focus if prompted, select pays to include, review the journal entries on the next screen, then click Submit to Farm Focus. After a successful submission, the summary screen shows the status, submission date, and farm details. Use Print/Preview to generate a PDF record of the submission. For a full step-by-step walkthrough of the export process, see How Do I Export Payroll Data to Farm Focus? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-farm-focus-add-on-and-how-do-i-get-it Q: How Do I Set Up Allowances In The Online App? A: To set up allowances for a specific employee, select the employee and navigate to Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Allowances. The screen lists all allowances currently attached to that employee. To add a new allowance, click the add row button. Fill in the following fields: Description — a short label for the allowance (required). Amount — the dollar amount paid per pay. STP Category — select the appropriate Single Touch Payroll category (e.g. Cents per KM, Laundry, Overtime Meals, Tools, Other). This field is required and must not be left as Unclassified. Is Taxable? — tick if the allowance is subject to withholding tax. Is Itemised? — tick if the allowance should be reported separately in STP and on payment summaries rather than rolled into gross wages. Auto Apply to Pending Pays? — tick to have the allowance added automatically to each new pay created for this employee. Included in Super Calculations? — tick if the allowance forms part of Ordinary Time Earnings and should be included when calculating superannuation. Save the row to apply the changes. The allowance will appear on the employee’s next pending pay if Auto Apply to Pending Pays? is enabled. Company-Wide Allowances If the same allowance applies to multiple employees, set it up once under Company >> Allowances. When creating or editing a company allowance you can select which employees receive it using the Employees field. Company allowances share the same tax, itemisation, super, and STP category settings as employee allowances. For the desktop app equivalent, see How Do I Enter Allowances? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-allowances-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Set Up Company-Wide Allowances And Assign Them To Employees? A: Company-wide allowances let you define a common allowance once and share it across multiple employees, rather than adding the same allowance to each employee individually. In the desktop app Go to Company >> Allowances. Click Edit allowances and use the add button to create a new allowance. Enter a description, amount, and configure whether the allowance is taxable. On AU companies you can also set whether it is itemised for STP purposes, whether it is included in superannuation calculations, and select an allowance category. Once an allowance is saved, select it in the list and click Edit employees to open the employee selection wizard. Choose the employees who should receive this allowance and confirm. To remove an allowance from the company, select it and delete it. An allowance cannot be deleted while employees are still assigned to it - remove those employees first. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Company >> Allowances. Click the add row button in the Company Allowances table to open the allowance form. Fill in the fields: Description - a unique name for the allowance (required). Amount - the default dollar amount per pay. Is Taxable? - whether tax is withheld on this allowance. Is Itemised? (AU only) - tick to report the allowance separately in STP submissions. Included In Super Calculations? (AU only) - whether the allowance forms part of ordinary time earnings for super. Auto Apply To Pay? - automatically include this allowance on new pays for assigned employees. Allowance Category (AU only) - select the ATO category that best describes the allowance (for example, Cents per KM, Overtime Meals, Tools, or Other). Employees - select one or more employees to assign the allowance to. Save the allowance. It will appear in the table showing how many employees it is assigned to. To add a company-wide allowance to an individual employee's record directly, go to Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Allowances and use Add Company Allowances. For more on entering allowances for individual employees, see How Do I Enter Allowances? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-company-wide-allowances-and-assign-them-to-employees Q: How Do I Set Up Employee Deductions In The Online App? A: To set up a recurring deduction for an employee in the online (web/mobile) app, navigate to the Employees section, select the employee from the list, then go to Allowances/Deductions >> Deductions. The page heading reads Deductions with the subtitle "Set up recurring deductions to take from this employee's pay." Click the add button in the table to create a new deduction. Fill in the following fields: Description — a name for the deduction (required, must be unique for the employee). Amount — the fixed dollar amount to deduct each pay. This field is hidden when Is Percentage? is ticked. Classification (AU only) — select the type: Normal, Union/Association Fees, Charity/Workplace Giving, Child Support Garnishee, or Child Support Deduction. Child support classifications trigger a protected earnings check when the pay is processed. Auto Apply to Pay? — tick this to have the deduction added automatically to every new pay run for this employee. Bank Acc. (optional) — link the deduction to one of the employee's secondary bank accounts so the amount is included as a separate line in the direct entry banking file. Is Percentage? — tick to enter the deduction as a percentage of pay instead of a fixed dollar amount. Percentage and % Based On — visible when Is Percentage? is ticked. Choose whether the percentage is calculated on Gross or Net pay. Max Applications, Max Total Amount, and Limit Start Date — optional fields that automatically stop the deduction after a set number of pay runs or once a cumulative dollar cap is reached. See How Do I Set Up An Employee Deduction With Automatic Limits? for details. Click Save in the deduction form to add the row, then the table saves automatically. The deduction will appear on the next pay run for this employee. Editing a deduction on an individual pay Once a pay run is created, you can view or adjust the deduction amount directly on the pay. Open the pay from the Pays section and find the Deductions table within the pay editing screen. You can edit the amount for that pay without changing the employee's recurring deduction settings. For setting up deductions in the desktop app, see How To Setup A Deduction? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-employee-deductions-in-the-online-app Q: What Web Addresses and Domains Does Lightning Payroll Need To Communicate With? A: Some users (such as many South Australian schools) need additional network configuration from their IT team to allow Lightning Payroll to function. This is mainly about network restrictions and blocked web addresses that Lightning Payroll needs to communicate with. Below is a list of the web domains and URLs the program needs to access to work properly. General Lightning Payroll URLs https://backup.lightningpayroll.com.au/ https://appbackend.lightningpayroll.com.au https://download.lightningpayroll.com.au/ https://api.lightningpayroll.com.au/ https://update.lightningpayroll.com.au/ https://lightningpayroll.ozedidirect.com.au https://emailsettings.firetrust.com https://www.google.com https://api-superstream.ozedi.com.au/api https://api-ebusiness.ozedi.com.au/v2 ATO / STP https://sbr.gov.au/services https://prod2.ato.sbr.gov.au/services https://authentication.business.gov.au/R3.0/vanguard/S007v1.2/service.svc https://softwareauthorisations.ato.gov.au/R3.0/S007v1.2/service.svc Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-web-addresses-and-domains-does-lightning-payroll-need-to-communicate-with Q: How Do I Setup And Manage Different Users? A: Lightning Payroll lets you create user profiles and set permissions for each one individually, giving you control over who can access your data and what they can do. Before you start on the desktop app, set a password for the application administrator. The application administrator can set up other users and decide what access they have. Setting Up Users (Desktop App) To set the application administrator, go to Settings >> Password And Security and enter an application administrator password. Once that is done, click Add New User. You will be prompted for a username, an email address (used for password-reset emails) and the user's login password. You can then select which companies the user has access to. After clicking Save, the user is added. You can then set the App Permissions for each section of the program. Permissions fall into three categories: Locked — cannot access the section. Read Only — can view but not change data in the section. Editable — full access to the section. Click in the appropriate box to choose a permission for each section. The Settings, Entities and Tools sections are marked with (G) because they apply across all companies (if you have multiple companies set up). A permission set on a (G) section applies to that section for every company. Editing or Removing Users The application administrator can edit a user's permissions or remove a user at any time. Deleting a user does not remove any work they completed in Lightning Payroll; it prevents them from logging in going forward. Logging In and Out (Desktop App) When opening Lightning Payroll, choose which user to log in as from the username drop-down menu, then enter that user's password. To log out, close Lightning Payroll. Forgotten Password If the application administrator forgets their password, they can enter it incorrectly three times at the login screen; after the third failed attempt the program shuts down and a recovery password is sent to the email address registered to the Lightning Payroll subscription. The process is the same for a non-administrator user, who receives a temporary access password at their own email address. Only the application administrator can permanently change a non-administrator user's password, by clicking Edit Selected User under Settings >> Password And Security. User Management in the Web App To set up user accounts in the Lightning Payroll web application, go to Settings >> User Management. Click Add New User and enter a username and email address, along with the companies the user can access. After clicking Save, the user is added and emailed a link to set their own password. They must follow that link and set a password before they can log in. You can then set what permissions the user has for each section. The permission categories are the same as on the desktop app: Locked, Read Only and Editable. Click in the appropriate box to choose a permission. The account holder/administrator can edit a user's permissions or remove a user at any time. Deleting a user does not remove their completed work; it prevents them from logging in. Users log in at the usual web address, but they enter their username rather than their email address. Once their details are entered and two-factor authentication is complete, they reach your database. To log out, use the Logout button in the sidebar. If an administrator or user forgets their password, they can reset it using the "Forgot password?" button on the login screen. Administrators use their registered email address; users use their username. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-setup-and-manage-different-users Q: My Company is Changing ABN and/or Ownership, What Do I Need to Do? A: This article explains how to handle a change of ABN within Lightning Payroll. Finalising for the Old ABN Before changing details over to the new company, make sure Single Touch Payroll and super payments have been sent off for the previous entity. To finalise STP, submit the final pay run to be paid from the previous ABN and, when doing so, tick the box indicating it is the final pay for the current financial year. It is also recommended to finalise and pay any super owed from the old entity now, since sending super after updating the company details and ABN would result in the super coming from the wrong (new) entity. Splitting and Restarting Financial Year YTD Amounts If the company is changing ABN and/or ownership part way through a financial year, but all or most employees are staying, split the financial year using the processed date of the final pay run made from the old company. For example: Company A's last pay is processed on 10 November (pay run start and end dates do not matter). Company B's first pay is processed one week later, on 17 November. You would split the financial year in Lightning Payroll to break on the 10th/11th. Originally there is one financial year (1/7 to 30/6). After splitting, there are two (1/7 to 10/11 and 11/11 to 30/6). To split the financial year and create two distinct YTD boundaries (one per company), go to Company >> Financial Years. Click the pencil button to edit the current financial year, change the end date to match the final pay processed date of the old company, and click Save. Then click the green plus button to add a second copy of the financial year, setting its start date to the day after the block you just edited ends. If the company is changing ABN and/or ownership at the beginning of a financial year, and all or most employees are staying, finalise the pays, Single Touch Payroll and super under the current company, then update the business details under Company >> Details. In either scenario, keep in mind you will need to add a new machine credential to your existing keystore file so you can send STP for the new ABN as well as the old one, in case you need to fix or resubmit any older data. Updating ABN and Other New Entity Details Finally, update the Company >> Details section with the new company details and ABN. Please also report the new ABN to our support team so we can register it for SuperStream messaging with our gateway provider. You can do this yourself by logging into your Lightning Payroll website account. Do not remove the old ABN if possible, as you may need to make a follow-up super payment later. Just add the new ABN under My Account >> Superstream Registration (Additional Companies). Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/my-company-is-changing-abn-andor-ownership-what-do-i-need-to-do Q: How Do I Setup Departments? A: Departments help you organise payroll reporting by cost centre. This article covers creating departments, assigning employees, and running departmental reports. Creating Departments To create a department, go to Company >> Departments and click the green plus (+) icon to add one. Assigning Employees to Departments To assign an employee and set their default pay percentage allocation, go to Employees >> Details >> Departments, then assign the employee to their department and set their default pay % allocation. Editing Departmental Allocation for Pays If an employee's departmental % allocation needs to change for a specific pay, go to Pays >> Edit Pay/s >> Dept % (at the top of the window). To edit departmental allocation for past pays and multiple employees at once, use Tools >> Retrospective Tool. Allocating Shifts to Departments If your organisation uses shifts, a shift can be allocated to a department under Employees >> Shifts by editing the shift. Running Departmental Reports Build a custom report via Reports >> Pay Report Builder. Select the columns you want and tick Group by department for consolidated departmental data. Use Reports >> Departmental Analysis for a ready-made departmental report. Exporting General Ledger Files by Department To export general ledger files by department, go to Pays >> Reports >> GL Postings (Export CSV). More detailed instructions are available here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-setup-departments Q: What Things Does Lightning Payroll Calculate? A: Lightning Payroll calculates your employees' super, tax and leave accruals out of the box. Lightning Payroll uses the latest built-in tax tables to calculate the correct tax for each employee. To make sure the right tax is calculated, enter the employee's correct Tax File Number under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. Lightning Payroll also calculates each employee's holiday, sick and long service leave entitlements on a pay-by-pay basis. You choose which settings to use when setting up an employee and the program does the rest. You can also enter existing leave balances for employees. Finally, Lightning Payroll is set up to calculate the standard 12% Super Guarantee by default. You can adjust these settings under Employees >> Super. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-things-does-lightning-payroll-calculate Q: How Do I Email Payslips and Reports from Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll offers two ways to email payslips, reports and payment summaries from the program. Both are set up under Company >> Email. If you would like Lightning Payroll to send emails for you, tick the box at the top of the Company >> Email page labelled Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own email provider? and the program will handle sending for you. If you prefer to use your own email server, leave that box unticked and fill out the SMTP Server Settings section instead. Lightning Payroll then acts as a basic email client that logs in to your email account to send emails. Each email provider (Bigpond, Optus, Google, Yahoo and so on) has its own SMTP server settings, which may change from time to time. The Lightning Payroll support team cannot provide these email server settings. Likewise, Lightning Payroll cannot troubleshoot error responses from your email provider, because the error comes from your email account and provider, not from Lightning Payroll. The settings for your provider are usually easy to find by searching the internet for terms like "(provider name) outgoing email settings" or "(provider name) smtp settings" — for example, "Telstra Bigpond smtp settings" or "iiNet outgoing email settings". You can also look up commonly used settings under Company >> Email >> Search for Settings, which uses a third-party email-settings provider to gather the server settings for you. Once you have entered your SMTP settings, click Send a test email to confirm they are correct. If you cannot find working SMTP settings for your account, consider using an alternative provider, or tick Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own email provider? under Company >> Email to use our email server instead. Gmail Complexities If you choose Gmail as your provider, be aware it can be tricky to set up, because Google offers a high level of security configurability. The best way to use Gmail for SMTP in Lightning Payroll is to go to https://myaccount.google.com/security and turn on 2-Step Verification. You can then create a Google App Password specifically for Lightning Payroll (choose "Other - Custom Name"). For more information on managing App Passwords, see Google's App Passwords help page. Microsoft Complexities As of September 2024, Microsoft has fully deprecated Basic Authentication across most of its services, which includes removing "App Passwords" for email accounts. Because Lightning Payroll relies on Basic Authentication for SMTP, you can no longer use App Passwords to authenticate a Microsoft account for sending emails from Lightning Payroll. For more information, refer to this Microsoft Community post. To continue sending emails, you now have two options: Let Lightning Payroll send emails on your behalf: tick Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own email provider? under Company >> Email. Use an alternative email provider: choose one that still supports Basic Authentication, as Microsoft no longer does. Lightning Payroll does not support Microsoft's newer authentication methods, so using Microsoft accounts directly for SMTP is no longer possible. We pass this on as a courtesy, and our support team is unable to assist with email troubleshooting, as explained here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-email-payslips-and-reports-from-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Enter Existing Year-to-Date Figures? A: If you are starting part way through a financial year and need to carry over existing year-to-date amounts for employees, you have several options. The recommended option is to import employees by CSV so that personal details, tax, banking, super and YTD amounts are set up together in one pass. Recommended: Import Employees by CSV With YTD Amounts This is the quickest and most reliable way when changing software part way through a year. Create your employee CSV using our import guide, then include the YTD columns. Follow the steps in How Do I Import Employee Records Into Lightning Payroll. Include ytd_as_at_date for each employee when you want YTD figures imported. If ytd_as_at_date is blank, all other YTD fields in that row are ignored. Use the same date for all employees if your source data is taken as at a single cutover date. Check that dollars use a full stop for decimals (for example 1200.50) with no dollar signs or commas. The outcome is that all employee records and their opening YTD balances are created together. This reduces manual work and keeps reporting and Single Touch Payroll consistent. Option 2: Enter All Prior Pays for the Year This gives the best historical detail, although it takes longer. Go to Pays, step back through the year using the Last Pay Run button, and recreate each past pay. Ensure the processed date is correct for every past pay; this is the banked or payment date. You can set the date for the whole run using Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run after completing a run. The outcome is full detail on reports and employee histories. This is ideal if you need granular audit trails. Option 3: Create a Single Catch-Up Pay per Employee Faster than re-entering the whole year, with less detail. Before your first official pay in Lightning Payroll, create one pay per employee that brings totals up to date for earnings, tax and super. Use pay items and contribution lines to match your external YTD summary. The outcome is reasonable accuracy with minimal data entry, suitable when you do not need line-by-line history for the earlier period. Option 4: Legacy YTD Adjustment per Employee Last resort — use only if the other methods are not possible. YTD adjustments are available in the desktop app only; they are not available on the web or mobile versions. Go to Employees >> Year to Date >> Adjust YTD Totals and enter figures for each employee. Figures entered here are mainly for STP submissions and the YTD totals on payslips. These amounts will not appear with full detail on most reports or in other areas of the program. The outcome is the quickest on a per-employee basis, but the least flexible for reporting and reconciliation. Tips for a Smooth Changeover Choose one cutover date and apply it consistently. Use YYYY-MM-DD for all dates. Reconcile totals against your previous system's YTD reports after import or data entry. If using CSV with YTD columns, remember that ytd_as_at_date must be present for YTD figures to import. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-existing-year-to-date-figures Q: How Do I Install Lightning Payroll on a New or Replacement Computer? A: Installing Lightning Payroll on a replacement or additional computer is a four-step process. 1. Download the Program Download and install the program using the appropriate link below: Download for Windows (Windows 8.1 and above) Download for Mac OSX (Version 10.14 and above) 2. Install the Licence If you are given a free trial, press Enter Paid Subscription Details to enter your details into the Licence Assistant (also found under Tools at the top of the screen). Use your email address and the six-digit subscription ID, which you can find under Tools >> Licence Details in Lightning Payroll on the original computer. 3. Restore Your Payroll Data First, create a backup of your current payroll data from Lightning Payroll on the existing computer (a .lpb file) through Tools >> Create Backup, or send one online through Tools >> Online Backups if you use that feature. Then, in Lightning Payroll on the new computer, restore the backup (the .lpb file) through Tools >> Restore Backup, or restore the most recent online backup under Tools >> Online Backups if you use that feature. 4. Set Up Single Touch Payroll (STP) To keep sending STP submissions to the ATO on your new computer, export the machine credential from your existing computer. See our FAQ on machine credentials for instructions. Once these four steps are complete, you are ready to go. One final note: while each Lightning Payroll subscription can be used on two computers at one time, this does not mean the data is automatically shared. Lightning Payroll is a desktop app and stores its data locally on your PC's hard drive. If you run the program across two computers, keep both copies up to date by regularly creating and restoring backups. Our Online Backups feature is the best way to do this. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-install-lightning-payroll-on-a-new-or-replacement-computer Q: How Do I Add a New Employee or a New Company Entity? A: Lightning Payroll lets you set up an unlimited number of companies and employees. This article covers adding a new employee and adding a new company entity. Add a New Employee Before adding a new employee, it helps to collect their details and the standard onboarding forms: New Employee Basic Information Sheet (PDF, Word Doc) ATO Super Choice (Nomination) Form ATO Tax File Number Declaration Form Fair Work Information Statement The key details to record are the employee's full name and contact details, Tax File Number (TFN), superannuation fund details, and bank account details for pay. To add the employee, go to Employees >> Actions >> New Employee. This opens the New Employee Assistant. Follow the prompts to enter the employee's details. You can leave fields blank for now and complete them on the employee's profile later. Add a New Company Entity If you run more than one business entity, you can manage them all in Lightning Payroll. There is no limit to the number of companies you can add. To add a company, go to Entities >> Add new company at the top left of the Lightning Payroll window. You will be asked for the company name and ABN, and to set the pay period (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and the day the pay period ends on. Tips for New Businesses Ensure your business is registered with the ATO for PAYG withholding and superannuation guarantee obligations. Check which awards or enterprise agreements cover your employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman website has more information. Keep records of employee hours, wages and entitlements for at least seven years, as required by law. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-new-employee-or-a-new-company-entity Q: How Can I Give Payroll Access To My Accountant Or Another Person? A: Sharing payroll data in Lightning Payroll can be done in several ways, depending on whether you use the desktop or web version. Below are simple steps for different scenarios. Example 1: Desktop User Sharing Data With a Non-Subscriber If your accountant or recipient does not subscribe to Lightning Payroll, you can set them up as an additional user. Go to Settings >> Password And Security, then use Add New User under the Additional Users list to create them with their email address. Creating a user in the desktop app does not automatically create a web account for them. To share data via the web, sync your desktop data up to the web version: Go to Settings >> Other Settings in the desktop app. Tick “Sync Data Up To Web App?”. Log in using your website credentials (not necessarily the same as your local database password). Optionally, tick “Manually control web sync uploads/downloads?” so you are not prompted to log in each time you use the desktop app. Once the data is synced to the web, any missing non-admin user accounts are created automatically, and each new user receives an email with their login details. For detailed instructions on web syncing, see this support article. Example 2: Desktop User Sharing With Another Lightning Payroll Subscriber If the recipient already uses Lightning Payroll, create a backup file and send it to them: Go to Tools >> Create Backup to generate a backup file. Email the backup file to the recipient. The recipient can restore the backup via Tools >> Restore Backup. This method works whether the recipient uses the desktop or web version of Lightning Payroll. Example 3: Web App User Sharing Data With a Non-Subscriber If you use the web app and want to share data with someone who does not have a Lightning Payroll subscription: Go to Settings >> User Management in the web app. Create a new user by entering their email address. The account is created immediately and the new user is notified by email. Learn more about managing users here. Scroll down for web-app-specific information. Example 4: Web App User Sharing With a Subscriber If the recipient already uses Lightning Payroll, you can either use the steps from Example 3 or use the Data Sharing feature: Go to Settings >> Data Sharing. Use this feature to connect your account to the recipient's account for easier data sharing. This option simplifies sharing by letting linked accounts access shared data directly. These methods provide secure, flexible sharing of payroll data in Lightning Payroll, tailored to your needs. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-give-payroll-access-to-my-accountant-or-another-person Q: How Do I Connect Lightning Payroll to the Internet if I'm Behind an Authenticated Proxy? A: If your company uses a network that involves an authenticated proxy you may have to enter settings under Settings >> Proxy to allow Lightning Payroll to access the internet. This means Lightning Payroll is able to keep you up-to-date with automatic update downloads and allows you to connect to the ATO via SBR and to the national Superstream network. All of these features require Lightning Payroll to have internet access. Contact your network administrator, or IT department for appropriate settings if you're unsure of what to enter. Here's an example of a proxy setup: Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-connect-lightning-payroll-to-the-internet-if-im-behind-an-authenticated-proxy Q: How Do I Export Employees Or Merge Lightning Payroll Databases? A: If you have multiple Lightning Payroll database files and would like all of your business entities managed from a single database, it is important to note that Lightning Payroll databases cannot be merged. Instead, the process outlined below is the next best solution. It allows you to export and import employee records only between database files so they can be recreated under another company within a different database. This process does not merge company data, entities, or settings. Company profiles must always be created manually. Important Clarification About Company Data The employee export and import tools work exclusively with employee records. They have no impact on: Company or entity details Business settings Pay item structures at a company level If you are importing employees into another database, you must first recreate the company profile they will belong to. This is done by navigating to Entities >> Add New Company in the destination database. Employees are always imported into the currently selected company. If the correct company is not selected at the time of import, the employees will be created under the wrong entity. How The Export And Import Process Works Lightning Payroll includes a dedicated export and import feature designed to transfer employee data between database files. From the Employees screen, above the employee list, open the Actions menu. Here you will find options to export and import employees. The export feature creates a CSV file containing key employee information for the selected financial year. This file is generated in the exact format required by the Lightning Payroll import tool. The export includes: Employee personal details Leave balances Superannuation fund information Year-to-date earnings in an STP-friendly structure You can then open your other Lightning Payroll database file, select the appropriate company, and import the CSV file. This recreates the employee profiles under that company so payroll processing can continue. Important Limitations And Manual Setup Some employee settings require manual configuration after import. This applies to any pay items that belong to a collection, including: Allowances Salary sacrifice arrangements Deductions Any other multi-item pay components These items must be manually added back to each imported employee profile. Please also be aware that the export only includes data from the current financial year. Historical payroll records are not transferred and the original database should be retained for reference. Steps To Export Employees First, select the employees you wish to export. Click Next, choose a filename and save location, then confirm the YTD as at date. This is set to today's date by default. Importing Employees Into The New Database Before importing, ensure the destination database has the correct company already created and selected. The import process is accessed from Employees >> Actions in the destination database. For a full step-by-step walkthrough, please refer to the following FAQ: How Do I Import Employee Records Into Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-employees-or-merge-lightning-payroll-databases Q: Should I Create Separate Company Profiles For Each Location If My Business Has One ABN? A: If your business operates multiple locations under a single ABN, the recommended setup in most cases is to use one company profile in Lightning Payroll and allocate each location using departments or costing categories. This approach keeps payroll reporting simple while still allowing you to track wages and costs for each location. Why a single company profile is usually the best option: STP reporting aligns with the ABN. Single Touch Payroll reporting is linked to the payer ABN and branch registered with the ATO. If all locations operate under the same ABN and PAYGW account, they generally belong in the same payroll file. Simpler STP reporting. Using one company profile means submitting one STP report per pay run rather than multiple reports for each location. Employees will also see one income statement under the business name in their ATO Online Services. Easier year end processing. Keeping all employees in one payroll file avoids duplicate employee records and multiple income statements, helping ensure accurate year to date payroll reporting. Location based costing. Departments allow you to track payroll costs by location, run reports for accounting purposes, and keep a single employee record even if staff work across different locations. When separate company profiles may be appropriate: Each location runs completely separate payroll cycles Different staff manage payroll independently for each location The business has separate PAYGW branches registered with the ATO Locations operate almost like independent businesses Typical setup example: 1 company profile Departments created for each location Employees or hours allocated to the relevant department for reporting and costing This structure keeps STP reporting straightforward while still providing clear payroll reporting by location. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/should-i-create-separate-company-profiles-for-each-location-if-my-business-has-one-abn Q: How Do I Enter Allowances? A: Allowances for individual employees can be entered under Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Allowances using the green plus icon. If you have common allowances to share amongst your employees, you can create company allowances under Company >> Allowances. If you wish to itemise an allowance separately within an end of year or Single Touch Payroll submission be sure to tick the Itemised? box when editing or creating your allowance. If you wish to edit multiple pay allowances at the same time you can do so under Tools >> Retrospective Tool.   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-allowances --- Category: Single-Touch --- Q: An STP Message Has Failed, What Do I Do Now? A: If you notice a Failed message in your STP (Single Touch Payroll) mailbox, please do not panic. In most cases, this does not mean that your STP submission was rejected by the ATO. It usually means Lightning Payroll was unable to collect the ATO's response within the available response-checking window. The STP mailbox can show four different statuses: Transmission Successful Transmission Unsuccessful Sent / Awaiting Response Failed The colour of the STP button shows the status even before you open the mailbox. The colour by itself is not usually an issue. If Lightning Payroll detects a problem that needs your attention, it will show a pop-up alert. If no pop-up alerts are appearing, there is usually nothing you need to do immediately. Transmission Successful This means the ATO has accepted the STP submission. No further action is normally required. Transmission Unsuccessful This is the main status that normally requires action. It means the ATO has rejected the submission, so something needs to be corrected and resent. If this happens, Lightning Payroll will continue alerting you on the Pays screen until the issue is resolved. This is different from a Failed response check. Sent / Awaiting Response This means the STP submission has been sent, but Lightning Payroll has not yet collected the ATO's response. In many cases the response is available quite quickly, but the ATO can take up to three days to provide a response. Failed A Failed STP message does not mean your file failed to reach the ATO. It means Lightning Payroll was not able to collect the ATO's response, whether successful or unsuccessful, within the available response-checking window. Once a message has been marked Failed, Lightning Payroll will not check for its response again. Reopening the Single Touch Mailbox will not retrieve it, and there is no resend or retry button for a failed response check. This is expected: the submission itself has already gone to the ATO, and only the response receipt was missed. To confirm the lodgement arrived, check the ATO's own records using the steps below. This is usually nothing to worry about unless it happens repeatedly. A Failed response check is not the same as an ATO rejection. If the ATO actually rejects the submission, Lightning Payroll will normally show this as Transmission Unsuccessful and alert you because action is required. Lightning Payroll will trigger a response check when you open Pays >> Single Touch >> Single Touch Mailbox more than two minutes after sending an STP submission. This is a good habit to get into, as it helps confirm whether the submission has been accepted. It is rare for an STP response to take longer than a few minutes, although the ATO can take up to three days to provide one. If the response has not appeared straight away, you can check again later. The desktop app can also check for responses when you close the program, while the online and mobile versions check overnight. Using more than one computer or platform One common cause of a Failed response check is using Lightning Payroll on more than one system or platform, for example using both the desktop version and the web version, or using the desktop software on multiple computers. The ATO only makes each STP response available to download once. Once one system has collected the response, the ATO removes it from their end. This means another system using a different or unsynchronised database may not be able to collect that same response later. For example, if one computer successfully downloads the ATO response, but another computer has not been updated with the same backup or database, the second computer may still show the message as Failed because it missed the response. How to confirm whether the ATO received your STP submission For extra peace of mind, you can log in to the ATO's Online Services for Business and go to Employees >> STP reporting to view your STP submission history. If the ATO shows the submission as received, there is usually nothing further you need to do in Lightning Payroll. When should I contact support? Please contact Lightning Payroll support if: You are repeatedly seeing Failed STP messages. You see a Transmission Unsuccessful message. The ATO portal does not show the submission after waiting for the ATO response period. You are unsure whether you are using the same database across multiple computers or platforms. In most cases, a single Failed STP response check is not a cause for concern. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/an-stp-message-has-failed-what-do-i-do-now Q: Why Am I Getting an Authentication Error When Sending STP From the Web App? A: When you click Submit on the Single Touch Payroll Preview screen in the online (web or mobile) app and receive an authentication error, the most common cause is that your account's SSID has not been registered with the ATO. How Online STP Authentication Works The online app does not use a machine credential (M2M keystore file) on your computer. Instead, the ATO identifies your account through a unique Software ID (SSID) that is linked to Lightning Payroll's cloud credential on the ATO's systems. Until that link is in place, the ATO will reject STP submissions with an authentication error. Finding Your SSID Your SSID is displayed in the top navigation bar of the web or mobile app, directly below your company name. It appears as SSID: [10-digit number]. Note it down - you will need it for the next step. Registering Your SSID With the ATO You only need to do this once per account. Choose one of the following methods: Self-service via ATO Access Manager: Log in to the ATO Access Manager and follow the steps under Notify us of your hosted services. When prompted, enter your SSID and Lightning Payroll's ABN: 41 133 738 682 (Intellitron Pty Ltd t/a Lightning Payroll). By phone: Call the ATO on 1300 852 232 and provide your SSID. They will complete the registration for you. Once the SSID is registered, return to the STP wizard and click Submit again. If the error persists after confirming the SSID is registered, contact Lightning Payroll support. Other Possible Causes ABN issues: If your company's ABN is inactive or your business has been deregistered with the ATO, submissions will be rejected. Internet connectivity: A disrupted connection during the submission attempt can cause the request to fail with an authentication-style error. Try again once your connection is stable. If you are using the desktop app instead and see an authentication error, the cause is different - the desktop app uses a machine credential (M2M keystore). See Why Do I Get the STP Error Saying Failed to Collect an STP Authentication Token? for desktop troubleshooting steps. For a full walkthrough of sending STP from the online app, see How Do I Process Single Touch Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-getting-an-authentication-error-when-sending-stp-from-the-web-app Q: How Do I Submit Single Touch as a Supplier or Agent? A: Single Touch Payroll messages can be sent from Lightning Payroll under three capacities: Submitting from a company directly (most common, the default submission type). Submitting as a Business Intermediary - a business with the authorisation to act on behalf of another business. Submitting as a Registered Agent - such as a BAS agent or a tax agent. If you wish to submit as either a Business Intermediary or a Registered Agent, tick Submit as a third party/tax agent? on the first screen in the STP area (Pays >> Single Touch >> Submit Payroll To ATO). Next, select your submission capacity: Submit as a Registered Agent or Submit as a Business Intermediary. Supplier company/agent details must be entered into the program under Settings >> Supplier Information. Agents must include an agent number; Business Intermediaries do not require one.In the online app, a submission lodged as an agent or intermediary is checked before it is sent and will be blocked if these supplier details are incomplete. Four fields are required: ABN, Name, Email and Phone. If any are missing, an error names the missing fields and the submission will not proceed until they are filled in. The Supplier Information screen does not force these fields when you save, so it is worth checking them before your first lodgement. The online app also requires the ATO payer declaration to be accepted for the client company before an agent submission is sent. The wizard normally handles this for you; if a submission is blocked with a declaration message, accept the declaration at the bottom of the Company >> Details screen for that company, or restart the submission and accept it when prompted. Submitting as a third party or supplier also requires that you are authorised to submit on behalf of your clients. The two supplier modes have two different means of authorising clients. Registered Agents must add client links for either the BAS role or STP role with the ATO (these authorisations usually already exist) via the Online Services for Agents page. Business Intermediaries must have the child/client ABN nominate the parent/intermediary ABN for STP authorisations by: Logging into the Access Manager website. Selecting Who has access to my business on the left-hand side. Clicking Appoint new business and entering the ABN of the parent/intermediary business to act on their behalf. Pressing Continue and setting the permissions (for STP, make sure the View and Lodge permissions for Payroll Event Form are ticked). Using Select all and Clear all to select or clear all available permissions. Clicking Save to preserve the changes. To check it has worked, logging into the Access Manager website as the intermediary/parent company and clicking Whose business I can access on the left-hand side to confirm your client's business details are displayed. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-submit-single-touch-as-a-supplier-or-agent Q: What Is a Zero Dollar STP Event and When Should I Use One? A: A zero dollar STP event sends a $0.00 figure for every YTD amount to the ATO for each selected employee. All gross, tax, RESC, ordinary time, and super figures in the submission are set to zero. Because it effectively tells the ATO the employee has earned nothing in the financial year, this option should be used with caution and only in specific circumstances. When to Use It Correcting an over-reported employee: If an employee's YTD figures have been over-reported to the ATO and a standard Update Event cannot correct them, a zero dollar event resets the employee's YTD records at the ATO back to $0.00 so you can then send accurate figures. Removing a test or incorrectly added employee: If an employee was submitted to the ATO in error and needs to be cleared from the ATO's records for the financial year. Do not use this option as part of routine payroll reporting. For ordinary end-of-year corrections, an Update Event or Adjust Event is usually more appropriate. See What Are the Differences Between a New, Adjust and Update Events? How to Send a Zero Dollar STP Event In the desktop app: Open the relevant pay run in the Pays screen, then go to Single Touch >> Submit Payroll To ATO. On the Single Touch Selection step, tick Submit zero dollar values?. A confirmation dialog titled Confirm Zeroing of YTD Values will appear asking: Are you sure you would like to send a $0.00 STP Event for each of the selected employees to the ATO? This option should be used with caution. Click Yes to proceed. Select the employees to zero out, then continue to the preview and submit as normal. In the online (web/mobile) app: Open the relevant pay run, then select Single Touch >> Submit Payroll to ATO. On the Single Touch Selection step, tick Submit zero dollar values?. A confirmation prompt will appear with the same caution message. Confirm to proceed, then select the employees and continue to the preview and submit. What the ATO Receives When a zero dollar event is submitted, every income and tax figure for the selected employees is sent as $0.00. The submission also marks each employee with a final pay indicator, which is how the ATO's system processes the zeroing of their YTD record. After the ATO accepts the event, you can submit a corrected Update or New Event with the accurate figures. Note: This option is not available for Adjust Events. It applies only to New (pay) events and Update events. For more detail on end-of-year STP finalisation, see How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-a-zero-dollar-stp-event-and-when-should-i-use-one Q: How Do I Zero Out or Correct an Employee's STP Year-To-Date Figures? A: Lightning Payroll includes a Submit zero dollar values? option in the Single Touch wizard. When ticked, it sends a $0.00 STP event for each selected employee to the ATO, effectively resetting their year-to-date (YTD) figures on the ATO's records to zero. Use this with care - it is intended for situations where an employee's ATO income statement needs to be cleared entirely, such as when figures were submitted in error and cannot be corrected through a standard Update or Adjust event. When to Use the Zero Dollar Option An employee's YTD figures were submitted incorrectly and a standard Update Event would not fully correct them. You are restarting STP reporting for an employee after a data migration issue. ATO support has advised you to clear an employee's income statement before resubmitting. Do not use this option routinely. After zeroing, you will need to submit a follow-up New or Update event with the correct YTD amounts to restore the employee's income statement. In the Desktop App Open the Pays screen and navigate to the relevant pay run. Click Submit Payroll To ATO to open the Single Touch wizard. On the Single Touch Selection page, select the employee(s) whose YTD figures need to be zeroed. Tick Submit zero dollar values?. A confirmation dialog titled Confirm Zeroing of YTD Values will appear, asking: Are you sure you would like to send a $0.00 STP Event for each of the selected employees to the ATO? This option should be used with caution. Click Yes to proceed. Continue through the wizard to preview and submit. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Open the Pays screen and select the relevant pay run. Click Submit Payroll to ATO to open the Single Touch wizard. On the Single Touch Selection step, select the employee(s) to zero. Tick Submit zero dollar values?. A confirmation prompt will appear asking you to confirm that a $0.00 STP event will be sent for each selected employee, and that this option should be used with caution. Confirm to proceed. Continue through the wizard to the Single Touch Payroll Preview step and click Submit. Correcting YTD Figures Without Zeroing (Desktop Only) If you need to adjust an employee's YTD totals within Lightning Payroll rather than at the ATO level, the desktop app also provides a manual YTD adjustment wizard. Open the employee record, go to the Year To Date tab, and use the adjustment wizard to enter corrected amounts. This creates a YTD adjustment record that feeds into future STP submissions. Related FAQs What Are The Differences Between a New, Adjust and Update Events? Why Are Single Touch Payroll Update Events Showing As $0.00 Gross And Tax? How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-zero-out-or-correct-an-employees-stp-year-to-date-figures Q: How Do I Send Single Touch Payroll From the Lightning Payroll Web or Mobile App? A: The Lightning Payroll web and mobile apps submit Single Touch Payroll (STP) directly to the ATO over the internet. No ATO Machine Credential (M2M) file is required. Before your first submission, you must register your company's SSID with the ATO so it can authenticate cloud-based submissions. See How Can I Send STP Using Lightning Payroll? for SSID registration steps. Submitting STP From the Pays Screen Open the Pays screen and navigate to the pay run you want to submit. Make sure all pays in the run are marked as complete before submitting. Click the Single Touch menu, then select Submit Payroll To ATO. The Single Touch Selection step loads. Select the employees to include and confirm the event type: Create a new/pay event - sends additional year-to-date figures for a pay run not yet reported. Create an update event - refreshes existing year-to-date figures for a period already sent. Adjust incorrect pay/new event parent totals - corrects the gross (W1) or tax (W2) total of a previously sent event without resending employee figures. If the pay run has pays processed across more than one date, choose the correct Processed Date from the drop-down. The financial year and available employees update automatically. If this is the last pay run for these employees in the financial year, tick Final pay for the financial year? If you are submitting on behalf of a client as a tax agent or intermediary, tick Submit as a third party/tax agent? and choose Submit as a Registered Agent or Submit as a Business Intermediary. Click Next. On your first submission, a Declaration modal appears. Read and accept the declaration to continue. A separate Cloud Software Authentication & Authorisation Declaration also appears; accept it to authorise Lightning Payroll to transmit on your behalf. Lightning Payroll validates the submission data. Any issues are listed on the validation screen. Resolve them and click Retry if needed. The Single Touch Payroll Preview screen shows the employee records that will be sent. Use Detailed Report or Summary Report to review the figures before submitting. Click Submit to send to the ATO. Checking Submission Responses After submitting, open Single Touch >> Single Touch Mailbox from the Pays screen to review the ATO's responses. The mailbox shows all submissions, their status, and any error or warning messages returned by the ATO. Click any row to see the Employee Records and ATO Responses (Errors/Warnings) for that event, and download a PDF record if needed. Finding Your SSID Your SSID is displayed beside your company name in the top navigation bar of the web and mobile apps. You need this to register Lightning Payroll with the ATO before your first cloud submission. See How Can I Send STP Using Lightning Payroll? for full registration instructions including using ATO Access Manager. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-send-single-touch-payroll-from-the-lightning-payroll-web-or-mobile-app Q: How Do I Process End of Year Single Touch Payroll in the Web or Mobile App? A: Note: this method only works if you have submitted STP for at least one event throughout the financial year being reported. Before You Begin Online and mobile users must have a valid SSID registered before sending STP. See How Can I Send STP Using Lightning Payroll? for setup details. Submitting the Final Pay of the Financial Year Open the pay run that contains your last pays for June. Click the Single Touch button in the Pays screen, then select Submit Payroll To ATO. On the Single Touch Selection screen, select the employees to submit and confirm the event type (New or Update). Tick the Final pay for the financial year? checkbox. If you are submitting as a third party, also tick Submit as a third party/tax agent? and choose the appropriate role. Click Next. If this is your first STP submission, you will be prompted to agree to the ATO declarations before continuing. If the app detects this is likely your last pay for the financial year and the Final pay for the financial year? checkbox is not yet ticked, a prompt titled Final Pay Of Financial Year? will appear asking whether this is the last pay for these employees. Answer Yes to set the final pay indicator automatically. Review the preview and submit to the ATO. Sending a Second Submission to Cover All Employees A New event only includes employees from the current pay run. If some employees were paid earlier in the year but are not in this final pay run, send STP a second time from the same pay run with Final pay for the financial year? ticked. The second submission will be an Update event, which lets you include all employees paid during the financial year. It is safe for an employee to appear in both the New and Update finalisation events - their figures will not be doubled up. Checking ATO Responses To check for responses, click Single Touch in the Pays screen and select Single Touch Mailbox. Lightning Payroll checks for new responses automatically overnight. Responses from the ATO can take anywhere from two minutes to three days. Verifying Finalisation Status To confirm which employees have been finalised, go to Reports and open the STP Finalised Employees For Financial Year report. Set the date range to cover the financial year and use the Tax Readiness Filter to find employees who have not yet been marked as tax ready. This report shows the processed date, submission date, and whether each employee's submission was marked as a final event. For further detail on the desktop version of this process, see How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-end-of-year-single-touch-payroll-in-the-web-or-mobile-app Q: What Is Changing With Single Touch Payroll Phase 2? A: Lightning Payroll was updated (versions 2022.3 and above) to include the Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 changes that all employers were required to adopt from 1 January 2022. These changes are mostly behind the scenes in Lightning Payroll, but you will notice a number of differences and you may also have to slightly alter the way you enter certain pay items. Key changes are described here, by the ATO, these are: Disaggregation of gross Directors fees Cents are now included Classification of back payments Employment and taxation conditions Income types Built-In leave types Removal of pre-tax deductions Country codes Child support garnishees and child support deductions Reporting previous business management software IDs and payroll IDs Time in lieu Cessation/Termination reasons  See below for information on how each of these changes are handled in Lightning Payroll. Disaggregation of Gross Gross has always been disaggregated, or split-up to a degree when reporting to the ATO. Itemised allowances and ETP amounts have typically been broken apart. STP2 goes a lot further and splits out additional YTD amounts such as bonuses, leave, overtime and more. You will notice these in the new Single Touch Payroll reports (detailed and summary versions) now shown on the STP submission screen. If an amount you meant as an allowance is being reported under Overtime, see Why Is An Allowance Being Reported As Overtime In STP? If an amount you meant as an allowance is being reported under Overtime, see Why Is An Allowance Being Reported As Overtime In STP? The Detailed Report shows individual employee YTD amounts grouped by income stream (described below), and totals broken down into disaggregated gross amounts. When comparing these amounts to other reports in Lightning Payroll (E.g. Pay Summary, Net Balancing, etc.) please keep in mind that anytime Gross amounts are mentioned, they are aggregated/combined, as disaggregation only occurs here, when submitting STP. Another point to note regarding non-STP/traditional reports is that gross values exclude sacrifices, raw gross values include sacrifices. The Summary Report aims to provide an overview of the submission. It excludes detailed individual employee breakdowns and aims to show the disaggregation alongside total tax, RESC and deduction amounts. Directors Fees Directors Fees are now to be reported through STP. These are entered into Lightning Payroll via the Bonus/Commission sections, by ticking the Directors Fees? box. Bonuses (including Directors Fees, Commissions, Return To Work Payments, etc.) are configured under Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Bonuses/Misc.. They can then be edited individually on pays via Pays >> Edit Pay >> Edit (beside Bonus/Commission). Cents Are Included Traditionally, when reporting to the ATO cents have been truncated/dropped. With this STP2 update you will notice that exact amounts are now being reported to the ATO, including cents. The End of Year section still truncates cents in the old way, so that payment summaries remain unchanged. Back Payment Classification Back payments must now be marked with a valid disaggregated gross category. This is a simple matter of choosing the right classification from the dropdown menu. Employment and Taxation Conditions In the past, Lightning Payroll would provide an option to include an employee's TFN declaration info (tax/employment settings) in the next new STP submission. STP Phase 2 now always includes this information by default, so there is nothing extra you need to do. It is most noticeably communicated via the new STP Tax Treatment code shown under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. Income Types (Aka. Income Streams) Lightning Payroll has been approved by the ATO to handle the four following STP 2 income streams. These income streams are set as a side-effect of configuring an employee's general settings. An employee's income stream is visible under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates.  Salary and Wages Most common, default income stream. Closely Held Payees Set by ticking Employees > Pay Settings >> Pay Rates >> Is Closely Held? Working Holiday Makers Set by activating the Working Holiday tax scale under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates. Voluntary Agreement Set by ticking Manual variation of PAYG withholding/Voluntary Agreement (and including a valid ABN) under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. When completing a pay it will use an employee's income stream at that time. You can view or edit the income stream of an individual pay via Pays >> Edit Pay >> Edit (beside Tax). Built-In Leave Types When an employee is on leave you will now be able to select from a broad range of leave types. Each type is mapped directly to a specific STP 2 reporting category. Removal of Pre-Tax Deductions Pre-tax deductions are not able to be reported through STP2, so they are no longer possible to be entered into Lightning Payroll. We have found that most users were using these pay items to either: reverse overpayments made to employees, or handle salary sacrifices. If you've used these pre-tax deductions throughout the financial year these will have been converted to negative backpayments automatically. This would suit the recouping of overpaid funds to an employee. If you were using pre-tax deductions for salary sacrifices, it is recommended that you convert these items to a dedicated salary sacrifice pay item for the whole financial year which can be configured under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice and then controlled via Pays >> Edit Pay >> Sacrifice (on the right hand side). This will ensure that the amounts are correctly reported via STP2 as a salary sacrifice, since these are now reportable to the ATO. Country Codes (Working Holiday Maker Change) For Working Holiday Maker employees you will need to set their home country under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates. Lightning Payroll will request this when sending STP 2 for the first time. Child Support Deductions Lightning Payroll has included classification of STP 2 child support deductions (garnishee and standard deduction types) for several months now, editable under Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Deductions. These classifications and amounts are now able to be reported to the ATO via STP2. If you do not wish to report child support deductions or garnishee amounts, just set the deduction classification to Normal under Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Deductions. If you need to change deduction classifications on past pays we recommend you use our Retrospective Tool under the Tools menu at the top of the screen. Reporting Previous Business Management Software IDs and Payroll IDs Occassionally - though very rarely - it may be necessary to report changes in employee IDs and company BMS IDs. This might occur when you've changed your business structure or changed software and can't zero out or finalise previous records. You can now view and edit (not recommended) these employee and BMS IDs under Employees >> Details and Company >> Details, respectively. Time In Lieu When recording a time in lieu custom leave item you will now need to mark it as such under Company >> Leave Balances so that it can be reported correctly through STP2. Time off in lieu (TOIL) is considered overtime when cashed out, and will be reported as such in STP 2. Termination Reasons When terminating an employee you will now notice a new dropdown box where you can specify the detailed reason why an employee is being terminated. This may reduce the need for the ATO and Services Australia from requiring an employment separation certificate. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-changing-with-single-touch-payroll-phase-2 Q: Why Is An Allowance Being Reported As Overtime In STP? A: In Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2, gross pay is split into separate categories, including a dedicated Overtime amount. Sometimes an amount you meant to be an allowance is reported under Overtime instead. Whether this happens is decided by two tickboxes on the allowance — not by the STP Allowance Category you choose. Why An Allowance Reports As Overtime Lightning Payroll only counts an allowance towards the STP Overtime figure when the allowance is both not itemised and not included in super. That is, on the allowance: Itemised is unticked, and Included In Super Calculations is unticked. When both are unticked, that allowance is treated as overtime for STP. If the allowance is itemised, it is reported under its own allowance type (including the Other category) and never as overtime. The rest of the STP Overtime figure comes from pay lines paid at an overtime rate and from cashed-out time in lieu, so an itemised allowance will not appear there. How To Fix It First work out how the amount was actually entered, because the fix is different for each. If It Is Set Up As An Allowance Tick Itemised on the allowance and choose the correct Allowance Category. This moves the amount out of Overtime and into its own itemised allowance for STP. You do not need to redo the pays — use the Retrospective Tool to correct past completed pays: Go to Tools >> Retrospective Tool. Under What would you like to change? choose Allowances. Find the allowance, tick Itemised?, set the correct Allowance Category, and save. The Retrospective Allowance Editor can change only the description, category and itemised setting — it cannot change the amount, the taxable setting or the super setting. If It Was Entered As An Overtime Pay Line If the amount was actually paid on a pay line using an overtime pay rate (set under Employees >> Pay Rates), or as cashed-out time in lieu, the Retrospective Allowance Editor cannot move it. Edit the original completed pay instead: remove the overtime pay line, re-enter the amount as a correctly set-up allowance, and complete the pay again. Re-Reporting The Correction To The ATO STP reports year-to-date totals, so you do not resend the old pays individually. Once the amounts are corrected, send your next STP pay event as normal and the corrected year-to-date figures are reported. If the employee has no further pays this year, send an Update Event instead. See What Are The Differences Between a New, Adjust and Update Events? Please note: overtime and allowances can be treated differently for tax withheld and for super, so reclassifying an amount may change those figures. If you are unsure, check with us or your accountant before changing past pays. The online (web/mobile) app works the same way — open the Retrospective Tool, choose Allowances under What would you like to change?, and edit the itemised setting and category there. For how allowances are set up, see How Do I Set Up Company-Wide Allowances And Assign Them To Employees? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-an-allowance-being-reported-as-overtime-in-stp Q: What Are STP Adjust Events & How Can I Use Them to Correct BAS Pre-Fill Amounts? A: This FAQ explains how STP Phase 2 affects W1 and W2 pre-filling on your BAS, and when you might use an Adjust event in Lightning Payroll. Accurate Year-to-Date (YTD) Reporting Is What Matters Most Every New and Update STP submission carries the correct year-to-date (YTD) figures for each employee. These YTD totals feed the employee's Income Statement and are the part of STP the ATO relies on most. What W1 and W2 Are W1 is the total gross payments you have made to workers for the BAS period. W2 is the total tax withheld from those payments. Under STP Phase 2 the ATO uses the gross and tax components of your New and Adjust events to pre-fill W1 and W2 on your activity statement. Pre-fill is only a convenience. You can and should overwrite it with the figures from your own payroll reports if they differ. To confirm your real BAS totals, run a Group Tax or Pay Summary report in Lightning Payroll for the period and enter those W1 and W2 values when you lodge. The figures you lodge are what matter for PAYG, not the pre-fill. The Three STP Event Types New — sends full YTD data for all employees in the pay run, plus employer-level W1 and W2 for that pay date range. Update — sends updated YTD data only; it does not affect employer W1 or W2. Adjust — sends only the difference to add to or subtract from previously lodged W1 and W2 totals for the period. Employee YTD data stays unchanged. Because BAS relies on the totals you actually lodge, Adjust events are largely for tidy record-keeping. Your BAS will be correct as long as you key in the right W1 and W2 figures, even if you never lodge an Adjust. For more detail on the event types, see our FAQ on New, Adjust and Update events. When To Use an Adjust Event Avoid an Adjust event unless you are certain the ATO's pre-fill is out by a known amount and you want it cleared for peace of mind. An Adjust is optional and is not required to lodge a correct BAS or PAYG. Reconciling Your Totals With the ATO Generate a Group Tax report using the processed date filter and note the W1 and W2 totals. Open Pays >> Single Touch >> Single Touch Mailbox and filter to the same dates. Compare the totals shown beneath the mailbox table (these include New and prior Adjust events only). Calculating and Lodging an Adjust Event If the totals differ: Subtract the mailbox W1 and W2 from your report W1 and W2. For example, a W1 difference of $56,773.39 - $54,465.70 = $2,307.69, and a W2 difference of $14,427.00 - $13,813.00 = $614.00. Go to Pays >> Single Touch >> Submit Payroll To ATO and choose Adjust incorrect pay/new event parent totals. Enter positive values to increase W1 or W2, or negative values (for example -500.00) to reduce them. After You Lodge Allow up to 72 hours for the adjustment to appear in Online Services for Business and to refresh any BAS pre-fill, although it usually updates straight away. The figures you type on your BAS are final for PAYG. Your accurate employee YTD data is already handled by your regular New or Update events, so there is no need to worry if an Adjust event feels unnecessary. Lodge the right W1 and W2 and you are compliant. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-stp-adjust-events-amp-how-can-i-use-them-to-correct-bas-pre-fill-amounts Q: Why Do My Report Totals Not Match STP Submissions On The ATO Online Services Page? A: All references below are taken from the ATO Single Touch Payroll Business Implementation Guide v3 (published August 2023). This is the official document used to implement business logic regarding Single Touch Payroll. Within the ATO's Online Services For Business page (under Employees >> STP Reporting) you can see a record of your STP event history, which will coincide with the more detailed records shown in Lightning Payroll under Pays >> Single Touch >> Single Touch Mailbox. In the Online Services For Business page you will see totals for STP New/Pay Events & Adjust Events, but not for Update Events. The W1 (gross salary and/or wages) and W2 (PAYG tax withholding) STP pay run totals can cause a lot of confusion, as do the three event types (New/Pay Event, Adjust Event and Update Event). In Lightning Payroll we most often refer to Pay Events as New Events, since they are for submitting new pay information (ie. submitting for the first time), and not for updating or adjusting earlier lodgements (ie. subsequent submissions). The main difference shown in the Online Services For Business page is that Pay/New Events contain W1 and W2 totals, where Update Events do not. This is not a Lightning Payroll rule, this is an ATO STP rule. Said another way, the reason your pay run totals are not showing up in the Online Services For Business page is because you are sending Update Events, when you should be sending New/Pay Events. This is not a major problem, however as the main point of STP is to report employee YTD amounts, and these will be reported in full either way; the difference is only in what you can view. The pay run totals shown in the Online Services For Business page are just used for prefilling BAS amounts, as mentioned below. If you are unable to select employees to send in a New Event it is because you are sending STP for pays with processed dates too far in the past. 14 days is as far back as fixups are allowed, and past dates are discouraged by the ATO. You must send a New Event on or before pay day for pay run W1 and W2 totals to be included in the message and on the Online Services For Business page. If your processed dates are incorrect you will need to fix these in Lightning Payroll under Pays >> Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run at the bottom of the screen. If you use direct entry to pay your staff, your pay processed dates will be automatically adjusted to reflect the processing date of your direct entry (ABA) banking file. Pay Event (New Event) A Pay Event (called a New Event in LP) is the primary STP message type. "Whenever an employer makes a payment to an employee that is subject to withholding they are required to lodge a Pay Event message with the ATO on or before the date the payment is made." B.I.G. page 17. Lightning Payroll will always automatically suggest a New Event whenever you're sending pay/s for the first time (based on processed date, not pay run dates). New Events only include totals for employees with completed pays on the particular pay run you're submitting from. Adjust Event An Adjust Event reports adjustment amounts for the 'Payer Total Amounts' of gross salary/wages (BAS label W1) and PAYG withholding (BAS label W2) previously reported via a submit action for the specified payment date. The adjust action cannot be used to report or correct individual payee details; it is for adjusting the total gross (W1) and total tax (W2) of a pay run (these totalled figures can be found along the bottom of pay runs in the Pays screen). The payee details are corrected through an Update Event, or with the next Pay/New Event sent for that employee. Update Event The Update Event allows the employer to report changes to employee YTD amounts previously reported, or to report fix-ups within 14 days of payment. The update event cannot be used to supply (B.I.G. page 19): Employer 'Total gross payments' and 'Total PAYGW Amounts'. The onboarding section (which contains the employee withholding details and declaration). "As there is no associated payment to the employee when changes are reported via the update event, the employer pay period totals for gross payments and PAYG withholding cannot be included in an update event." What Are The Pay Event W1 and W2 Totals Shown in the Online Services For Business Used For? "For an employer who pays their PAYG withholding with their BAS, the ATO will aggregate W1 and W2 across all BMS IDs for pre-filling of the employers BAS." B.I.G. Section 3.1.2 (part 3). How Do I Correct These Totals? To correct the W1 and W2 totals shown in the Online Services page you may send an Adjust Event under Pays >> Single Touch >> Submit Payroll To ATO >> Adjust incorrect pay/new event parent totals. The amounts entered can be positive or negative value, and will add to, or subtract from, existing amounts submitted - they do not overwrite. Adjust Events will correct pre-filled BAS figures, whereas Update Events will not. Where Can I Find More Information? To read more about the rules of STP, please visit the ATO web site. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-do-my-report-totals-not-match-stp-submissions-on-the-ato-online-services-page Q: What Is an STP Income Stream and How Do I Set It Up for STP Phase 2? A: An STP income stream (also called an income type) is the category that describes the nature of an employee's engagement. Lightning Payroll reports one of four ATO-approved income streams for each employee, and the correct stream must be set before processing pays so that STP Phase 2 submissions are accurate. The Four Income Streams Salary & Wages - the default for most employees. No extra configuration is required. Closely Held Payee - for owners, directors, or family members who are closely related to the employing entity. Working Holiday Maker - for employees on a working holiday visa who are taxed under the working holiday tax scale. Voluntary Agreement - for contractors paid under a voluntary PAYG withholding agreement (the contractor must supply an ABN). Viewing an Employee's Current Income Stream In the desktop app: open Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. The STP Income Stream field is displayed there and updates automatically as you change the settings described below. In the online (web/mobile) app: open the employee, go to Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. The STP Income Stream field is shown as a read-only indicator - it reflects the income stream derived from the employee's current settings. Setting the Income Stream The income stream is set as a side-effect of the employee's general configuration - there is no single dropdown to pick it directly. Use the following settings for each stream: Salary & Wages: no action needed. Any employee not configured for the other three streams defaults to Salary & Wages. Closely Held Payee: Desktop: tick Closely held employee/payee? under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. Online: tick Is Closely Held? under Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. Working Holiday Maker: Desktop: enable Working Holiday Tax Scale under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates and select the employee's home country. Online: tick Use Working Holiday Tax Scale under Employees >> Tax >> Special Tax Rates and select the employee's home country. Voluntary Agreement: Desktop: tick Manual variation of PAYG withholding/Voluntary Agreement and enter a valid ABN under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. Online: tick Manual variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement and enter the Payee's ABN (If employed under a voluntary agreement) under Employees >> Tax >> Tax Settings. Checking the Income Stream on an Individual Pay Once a pay is processed, the income stream recorded on that pay can be viewed or edited: Desktop: go to Pays >> Edit Pay >> Edit (beside Tax). The STP Income Stream field is shown in the Edit Tax dialog. Online: open the pay and select the tax edit option. The STP Income Stream field is available on the Edit Tax screen. Correcting the Income Stream on Past Pays If pays have already been processed with the wrong income stream, use the Retrospective Tool to bulk-update them without triggering a tax recalculation: Desktop: open the Tools menu and choose Retrospective Tool. Select the pays to change, then choose Income Stream as the attribute to edit. Online: navigate to Tools >> Retrospective Tool. Set What would you like to change? to Income Stream, select the relevant pays, and apply the new stream. For a full overview of all STP Phase 2 changes, see What Is Changing With Single Touch Payroll Phase 2? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-an-stp-income-stream-and-how-do-i-set-it-up-for-stp-phase-2 Q: How Do I Process Single Touch Payroll When Moving From Another Payroll Program? A: The ATO offers several methods to switch payroll providers when it comes to Single Touch Payroll, as explained on the ATO website. We recommend the Zeroing Out Method (if your previous software allows it): Before you transfer the YTD (Year-to-Date) amounts to Lightning Payroll, send an Update Event from your previous software that shows all the YTD amounts for your employees as zero. Transfer your employees' YTD amounts into Lightning Payroll via the Pays screen (recommended for accuracy), or by making a YTD adjustment: open the employee record, select the Year to Date tab, then click Adjust YTD Totals. See How Do I Enter Existing Year-to-Date Figures? for a full comparison of methods. Start sending STP regularly through Lightning Payroll. This will notify the ATO that you have made these changes. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-single-touch-payroll-when-moving-from-another-payroll-program Q: How Can I Check Whether My STP Submissions Have Been Attributed to the Correct Financial Year? A: Lightning Payroll includes an STP FY Submission Check report that scans your STP history for pays that may have been reported under the wrong financial year. Run this check after end of financial year, or any time you suspect a mismatch between a pay's processed date and the financial year it was submitted under. Running the Check Open the company you want to check. From the menu bar, go to &Tools >> Check STP EOFY Submissions. The STP FY Submission Check report opens immediately - no date filter is required. Understanding the Report The report has two sections: Possible wrong-year STP records - These are STP submissions where the STP FY (the financial year of the STP processed date) does not match the Pay FY (the financial year of the pay's own processed date). The columns shown are Employee, STP FY, Pay FY, STP Processed Date, Pay Processed Date, STP Submission Date, and Final Submission for FY?. A mismatch here means the employee's year-to-date amounts may have been reported under the incorrect year, which can result in duplicate reporting or an employee appearing in a year in which they did not work. Pays possibly missed due to early finalisation - These are pay records that fall after the date of a final STP submission for that year, and so may never have been reported to the ATO. The columns shown are Employee, Pay Run Date, Pay Processed Date, Current Unattributed FY, Likely Intended FY, Gross, and Tax. A common cause is submitting the end-of-year finalisation from the second-last pay of the year, leaving the final pay unreported. If no issues are detected, the report displays: No obvious STP financial year date errors have been detected. How to Fix a Mismatch The recommended resolution is to correct the processed date on the affected pay run so it falls within the intended financial year, then resubmit the STP event to the ATO. Navigate to the pay run containing the affected pay. On the pay selection screen, click Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run to adjust the processed date to the correct financial year. Once the date is corrected, submit a new STP event for that pay run to update the ATO with the corrected figures. If you are unsure how to correct the dates or the mismatch is complex, contact the Lightning Payroll support team for assistance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-check-whether-my-stp-submissions-have-been-attributed-to-the-correct-financial-year Q: How Do I Export or Import My Machine Credential to Move It to Another Computer? A: Lightning Payroll desktop includes built-in wizards to export your ATO machine credential keystore file and import it on another computer. This lets you use the same credential on a second PC without reapplying through RAM. Exporting the Machine Credential Run these steps on the computer that already has the machine credential: Open Lightning Payroll desktop and click Tools >> Export Machine Credential in the menu bar. The Export Machine Credential wizard opens. A file path is pre-filled - click the folder icon to change the save location (for example, a USB drive or a shared folder). Click Export. A confirmation message appears once the credential has been saved successfully. This copies the keystore XML file to your chosen location. It does not remove the credential from the current computer - both PCs can send STP after the import is complete. Importing the Machine Credential Run these steps on the second computer: Open Lightning Payroll desktop and click Tools >> Import Machine Credential in the menu bar. The Import Machine Credential wizard opens. Click the folder icon to browse to and select the XML keystore file you exported. Click Import. If a keystore file already exists on this PC, you will be asked whether to overwrite it - click Yes to proceed. A confirmation message appears once the import is successful. If you do not have a USB drive available, attach the exported XML file to an email and download it on the second PC before importing. If Tools >> Export Machine Credential is greyed out or shows a No Machine Credential Found warning, the current computer does not yet have a machine credential. See How Do I Create a Machine Credential? to obtain one first. If you need a completely separate credential for the second computer rather than a shared one, see How Do I Get a New Machine Credential On My Second Computer with Lightning Payroll Desktop? for the alternative approach using RAM. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-or-import-my-machine-credential-to-move-it-to-another-computer Q: How Do I Process Single Touch Payroll? A: Since July 2019 the ATO has required employers to align their ATO reporting with their pay schedule and submit employee year-to-date figures using the Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting standard each time pays are processed. Lightning Payroll supports STP Phase 2, which became compulsory on 1 January 2022. Before You Begin In the desktop app: you need an ATO machine credential (M2M keystore file) on your computer. See How Do I Create a Machine Credential? for setup instructions. In the online (web/mobile) app: you need to register your SSID with the ATO instead of using a machine credential. Your SSID is displayed beside your company name in the top navigation bar of the web or mobile app. Lightning Payroll's ABN (Intellitron Pty Ltd t/a Lightning Payroll) is 41 133 738 682. To register your SSID with the ATO, you can either: Add it yourself via the ATO Access Manager website - instructions are available here, under the Notify us of your hosted services section; or Call the ATO on 1300 852 232 and provide your SSID to have them set it up for you. Submitting STP - Desktop App Complete your pays as usual, then click Submit Payroll To ATO from the Pays screen. The Single Touch wizard opens: Select the employees and event type. Lightning Payroll automatically suggests a New event for pay runs that have not yet been reported. Always report pays in chronological order of the processed date - STP uses only the processed date to determine what to report, not the pay run date. Review the preview of the STP data. You can view, print, or save the Detailed Report or Summary Report from this page. Click Submit To The ATO to send. You can only have one New event per processed date, so keeping accurate processed dates on your pay runs is important. To check for STP response messages from the ATO, click Single Touch Mailbox from the Pays screen. Submitting STP - Online (Web/Mobile) App Complete your pays as usual, then click Submit Payroll to ATO from the Pays screen. The Single Touch wizard opens: Select the employees and event type on the selection screen. Review the Single Touch Payroll Preview screen. You can view the Detailed Report or Summary Report from here. Click Submit to send. To review your submission history and ATO responses, navigate to Single Touch Payroll Mailbox from the Pays screen. You can filter by date, employee, or status. Read the ATO's Single Touch Payroll Factsheet This video tutorial demonstrates how to submit Single Touch Payroll from the desktop app. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-single-touch-payroll Q: How Can I Test my Machine Credential? A: If you would like to check that Lightning Payroll is successfully recognising your installed ATO Machine Credential, go to Pays and click Submit Payroll To ATO. Next, select Submit Payroll to the ATO. It will not submit immediately, so there is nothing to worry about when selecting this option. If Lightning Payroll then shows an employee and pay selection screen, your ATO Machine Credential has been detected and should be ready to use within the program. If Lightning Payroll does not detect your Machine Credential, please see our guide on creating a Machine Credential or contact the Lightning Payroll support team for assistance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-test-my-machine-credential Q: Single Touch Setup Product ID A: If you have been told by the ATO that a software product ID is required when calling them for help with Single Touch Payroll, this is not correct for most Lightning Payroll users. Desktop users: Lightning Payroll desktop sends STP directly to the ATO using a locally installed ATO Machine Credential (M2M). Desktop-based programs do not use a software ID (SSID). If the ATO asks for one, let them know you are using a desktop payroll application and need assistance with your machine credential instead. See our FAQ on creating a machine credential for setup steps. Online and mobile app users: The Lightning Payroll web and mobile apps do use a software ID (SSID). Your SSID is displayed beside your company name in the app and must be registered with the ATO before you can send STP. See our FAQ on sending STP using Lightning Payroll for the full setup process. Lightning Payroll is fully registered with the ATO as an STP-compliant Digital Service Provider (DSP). Our registered ABN is 41 133 738 682. If the ATO specifically requests our Single Touch Product ID, you can provide: 179468. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/single-touch-setup-product-id Q: Single Touch Errors A: If you receive an error when submitting Single Touch Payroll, the most common cause is that the ATO's online service is temporarily unavailable. This typically produces a List index out of range error. Check the ATO SBR2 Cloud status page at https://sbr2.status.ato.gov.au/. Look for the PAYEVNT.0004 entry - if it is red or degraded, the STP service is currently down. Wait and try again later. For a full walkthrough of checking both ATO service endpoints, see How Can I Check the ATO STP Server Status? If the ATO service is showing as healthy, the issue is likely something specific to your submission or setup. Common STP errors are covered in the articles below: Failed to collect Authentication Token - see Why Do I Get the STP Error Saying - Failed to Collect an STP Authentication Token? Invalid XML error - see STP Invalid XML Error Location ID prompt - see Why is Lightning Asking Me For a Location ID? Failed status in the Single Touch Mailbox - see An STP Message Has Failed, What Do I Do Now? Other common sending errors - see Why Am I Having Problems When Trying to Submit Single Touch Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/single-touch-errors Q: STP General Failure - SBR.GEN.FAULT.GENERALERRORINCORE A: If you receive the STP response error code SBR.GEN.FAULT.GENERALERRORINCORE, it means that a general error has occurred while checking for responses from the ATO. This is usually caused by an invalid, cancelled, or revoked machine credential. Log in to the ATO's Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) website and download a fresh machine credential and try again. If the error persists after obtaining a new credential, please contact the Lightning Payroll Support Team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/stp-general-failure-sbrgenfaultgeneralerrorincore Q: What are the Differences Between a New, Adjust and Update Events? A: There are three types of STP messages you can send from Lightning Payroll: a New Event, an Adjust Event, and an Update Event. A New Event is the most common submission type and is the recommended way to send Single Touch information to the ATO; it basically means you are submitting new pay information. a New Event will automatically be suggested by Lightning Payroll the first time (based on processed date) you submit a pay run. You can only ever send a New Event once, the first time you process a pay or pay run through STP; to send STP for that pay or pay run again if information has changed, you will need to use either an Adjust Event or Update Event. Adjust Events are a more recent option, which are particularly helpful in that they update and adjust pre-filled BAS totals, unlike Update Events. An Adjust Event allows you to adjust the total gross (W1) and total tax (W2) of a pay run, when changes have been made after having already initially sent a New Event. These events can be done as either a positive or negative dollar value, and relate to the pay run totals as a whole, not to individual employees. Read more about the specifics of Adjust Events here. Update Events are also used to submit amendments made to pay runs already lodged as a New Event. They can also be used for submitting YTD figures for terminated staff who are not available for a New Event submission due to not being paid within the pay period being lodged. This is particularly useful at end of financial year to ensure all employees are being finalised, and not just the employees on the final pay run of the financial year. It's for this reason we ask you to submit your end of financial year STP twice - first as a New Event, then as an Update Event. New Events should not be regularly sent for pay runs processed/paid in the past. The ATO will allow past processed dates on new/pay events, but they discourage it. It is best practice to submit STP regularly when you pay your employees, in chronological order by processed date (pay run dates are irrelevant to STP). Update Events cannot be sent for pays processed/paid in the future. Lightning Payroll collects YTD values using the pay processed/paid date, and lodges using the pay period's most recent processed date within the same financial year. For more information on STP events and guidelines, see here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-differences-between-a-new-adjust-and-update-events Q: Why Am I Receiving a Software Required Error in the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) site? A: If you're attempting to create a machine credential in the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) and are receiving the Software Required error, you will need to ensure you have installed and enabled the ATO's ATO Online software on your browser. Please see the ATO's RAM support page for instructions on how to resolve this issue. If you get stuck, please contact the ATO's RAM helpline on 1300 287 539 (select option 3 for RAM enquiries) between 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-receiving-a-software-required-error-in-the-relationship-authorisation-manager-ram-site Q: The ATO Said I Need To Get My Machine Credential From My Payroll Provider - Is That Right? A: Lightning Payroll desktop requires users to obtain an ATO machine credential keystore file so that they can send Single Touch Payroll from the software to the ATO each pay run. Lightning Payroll online/mobile app users will instead need to register their SSID. We often get calls from users requesting assistance with ATO machine credential keystore files. These files are generated and managed on the ATO's Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) website; instructions can be found here. For online/mobile app users, Lightning Payroll's ABN and the user's SSID must be registered through the ATO's Access Manager; instructions can be found here. You can contact the ATO's Technical Helpdesk on 1300 287 539 (option 3 for RAM) between 7.00am and midnight, Monday to Friday for assistance with this. It is sadly a very common occurrence that some ATO staff do not seem to have enough training to understand what users are asking for when requesting assistance with machine credentials. If you speak with their helpdesk and are told that machine credentials come from your payroll provider this is false. We recommend you request to speak with an ATO helpdesk Team Leader so that they can be made aware that their staff are mistaken. Sometimes they might also tell you that you must provide Lightning Payroll's ABN or your software ID (SSID) to register - this too is incorrect if using Lightning Payroll desktop - you just need a machine credential. Only online/mobile users require this information for STP registration. As you can see here in the ATO's machine credential documentation, the machine credentials come from the ATO, not from payroll providers such as Lightning Payroll. There is nothing you have to do in Lightning Payroll desktop to register or connect a machine credential to the ATO; you obtain the file from their RAM website (using their ATOBE software extension) and Lightning Payroll knows where to find it automatically. We have raised this issue with the ATO a number of times - hopefully they will improve their training in future. Machine Credential Tips and Useful Links Machine credential keystore passwords cannot be reset. You must obtain a new one if you lose the password. Click here if you have lost your machine credential password. Keystores often last for two years, however, the staff member who is granted one will likely need renewal of their own access permissions every 12 months. These too are managed by the ATO. ATO machine credential instructions. Lightning Payroll machine credential instructions (our attempt to simplify the above). Software required error in ATO RAM webpage. Lightning Payroll requirements, limitations and support boundaries. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/the-ato-said-i-need-to-get-my-machine-credential-from-my-payroll-provider-is-that-right Q: What Does STP Error Code CMN.ATO.AUTH.007 Mean? A: If you receive the STP error code CMN.ATO.AUTH.007, it means the ATO credential used to make this Single Touch submission does not have sufficient permissions. To increase your credential permissions, please contact the ATO or try the steps below: Login to the ATO Access Manager page. Click on Access and Permissions on the left. Click the blue name link for the desired Single Touch Payroll credential. Scroll down the following page and ensure that, beside Payroll Event Form (under ATO Transactions), the two boxes are ticked to View and Lodge. Save your changes by clicking Save at the very bottom of the page. Return to Lightning Payroll and resubmit the pay run via Single Touch >> Submit Payroll To ATO using your updated permissions. Two minutes later, go into the Single Touch Mailbox and it will check for ATO responses regarding your resubmission. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-stp-error-code-cmnatoauth007-mean Q: What Does the Supplier Not Authorised - CMN.ATO.AUTH.008 Error Mean? A: If you receive the STP error code CMN.ATO.AUTH.008, it means the supplier credential or ABN used to make this Single Touch submission is not authorised to submit on behalf of the client or child company. Please see our FAQ on submitting STP as a third party for more information. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-the-supplier-not-authorised-cmnatoauth008-error-mean Q: What Do The Single Touch Button Colours Mean? A: The button colour highlights the result of the most recent Single Touch message response. Blue means this pay currently has no messages sent. Grey means the message has been sent and is awaiting a response, or that a new message has been received and you need to view it. Green means the ATO successfully processed your STP event. Red means there is an unsuccessful or failed STP response message. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-the-single-touch-button-colours-mean Q: Why Am I Having Problems When Trying to Submit Single Touch Payroll? A: Below are the most common Single Touch sending errors you might receive: Failed to collect Authentication Token: If you are receiving this error, check the following: (For desktop users) Check the credential dropdown for any other credentials for the same ABN. Make sure your computer's time, date and timezone are exactly correct, to the minute. Check that you are connected to the internet. Security software may be preventing Lightning Payroll from accessing your computer's internet connection. To test the connection on the desktop version, go into Tools >> Licence Assistant. If you see an Online Licence Install window, Lightning Payroll is connected and you may close the Licence Assistant. If instead you see a Local Licence Install window, you will need to configure, update and potentially disable your security software and try again, as it is preventing Lightning Payroll from connecting to the internet. Check that there are no errors displayed on the ATO machine credential server page. (For desktop users) Ensure your Machine Credential is not revoked or expired. When you select it from the Credential dropdown under 'Submit Single Touch', it should say VALID on the right-hand side and have a reasonable expiry date. Even if it says valid, it may still be revoked on the ATO's servers. If your credential has expired you will need to renew it; if it has been revoked you will need to make a new one. If you are sending with proxy enabled under Settings >> Proxy, try sending STP without proxy enabled. Many users no longer need proxy enabled if it is preventing STP from sending. (For desktop users) If your error log says 'LookupError: unknown encoding: idna', your program is not installed correctly. Please reboot your PC and reinstall using the free trial links on our homepage. (For desktop users) If your error log says '[Errno 11002] getaddrinfo failed', go to Settings >> Display/Time Settings and tick Override DNS? (Restart application for changes to take effect). After this, restart Lightning Payroll before re-attempting STP submission. Once you have checked all of the above, try resubmitting. If you still receive the same error, please login to the ATO Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) and get a new machine credential. Lightning Payroll freezes after clicking 'Submit To The ATO' (Windows desktop users): If this issue is occurring, do the following: Close Lightning Payroll. Right-click on the Lightning Payroll desktop shortcut and select Properties. Click on the Compatibility tab. Make sure run in compatibility mode is unticked. Click Apply and then OK. Reopen Lightning Payroll and try submitting again. DNS Caching Sometimes DNS needs refreshing to get STP to send correctly. Please try this if your STP is failing to send from the desktop version: Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. Search for Command Prompt in the Windows Start menu, right-click on it, and select Run as administrator. In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter. Reboot your computer. Resend Single Touch Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-having-problems-when-trying-to-submit-single-touch-payroll Q: How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? A: Note: this method only works for users who have submitted STP for at least one event throughout the financial year being reported. Before You Begin For online/mobile users, you will need to register your SSID. For desktop users, you will require a valid ATO Machine Credential. Lodgement Submit STP as usual, by clicking Yes on the prompt when completing your pay run, or by clicking Single Touch >> Submit Payroll To ATO from the last pay run with a processed date in June in the Pays screen. The only difference when submitting the last pay of the financial year is to tick the box that says Final pay for the financial year?. On the next page you can select your credential (for desktop users), then print, preview and submit as normal. If submitting a New event finalisation only, you may find that employees not included in the final pay run are missing. This is normal. For the final pay run of a financial year only, we recommend you send STP a second time, again ticking the Final pay for the financial year? box. This second submission will naturally be an Update event, which lets you send STP for all employees paid within the financial year, so no one misses out on being finalised. It is fine to submit employees in both the New and Update finalisation events; their figures will not be doubled up. The next pay run begins your new financial year, and all YTD figures start again once you complete your first pay run with a processed date in July. ATO Responses: To check for responses, go into Single Touch >> Single Touch Mailbox and Lightning Payroll will see if anything has been returned from the ATO. Lightning Payroll also automatically checks responses for you on shutdown of the desktop program, and overnight for online/mobile users. Responses take anywhere from two minutes to three days to come back. The program will not recheck until at least two minutes since the last check. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-end-of-year-using-single-touch-payroll Q: How Can I Renew or Register for an AUSkey? A: AUSkeys have now been replaced by the ATO Machine Credential for desktop users, and by registering an SSID for online/mobile users. The AUSkey service was closed down on 27 March 2020. Please see here for information on getting a machine credential if you are a desktop user, or see here for information on registering your SSID if you are an online/mobile user. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-renew-or-register-for-an-auskey Q: STP Invalid XML Error A: If you are receiving an 'Invalid XML Error' when attempting to submit your Single Touch, it usually means there is an issue with the personal information of the employee named in the error message. Examples of this include the employee's address being more than 38 characters long, or a non-standard character in the employee's name (such as ö or é). If you are not able to identify the issue, please go to Help >> Send Backup/Log To Support from the very top-left of the desktop program, or from the left-hand side of the online/mobile versions, to send us a copy of your data. Once you have sent the backup, please give our support team a call on 07 3051 5895. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/stp-invalid-xml-error Q: How Do I Create a Machine Credential? A: Machine credentials are what allow your payroll data to be securely sent and verified by the ATO when using Single Touch Payroll on the desktop Lightning Payroll application. The following FAQ will guide you through the steps to download a machine credential for your business. There is nothing you need to do in Lightning Payroll to link your machine credential, it is automatic so long as you complete the steps below. If you get stuck, please contact the ATO's Technical Helpdesk on 1300 287 539 (option 3 for RAM). If the ATO representative advises that you need to get an SSID, ABN or Software ID from us, this is not correct, as you are using a desktop application, not an online one. You simply need a machine credential. Please see here if you are told this. Also, we have been informed that if your business is a trust you will likely need to contact the ATO hotline above to have them manually link you to your ABN, or else it will not be available in RAM. Note: This guide requires you to use Google Chrome web browser. If you don't have Google Chrome installed on your computer, you can visit the Google Chrome page here to download it. What Do I Need To Do? A) Install Both Required Software 1) Download the myID (your Digital ID, formerly called myGovID) app to your smart device and set up your myID using your identity documents. 2) On your Lightning Payroll computer, you will need to install the ATOBE extension to continue. Depending on your operating system, download and install the appropriate version of ATOBE below. Download ATOBE for Windows Download ATOBE for Mac After installing the correct version of the ATOBE extension, continue with the setup process in Chrome. If you are still getting the 'software required' error in RAM, despite installing the ATOBE extension via Chrome browser, please click the link here and manually download and install the extension from beneath the 'Before you start' header. You should check that the extension is showing and is active by going to the menu option (three dots) at the top-right corner of Chrome browser, then clicking Extensions >> Manage Extensions. The ATOBE extension should now be seen here, and the toggle should be blue, with the white circle on the right side, indicating the extension is switched on. B) Create and Download Your Machine Credential Once you have installed the required software, you can create your machine credential. These new credential files last for two years, so this process might seem painful, but it is not going to be a frequent exercise, and you can also quickly renew your machine credential (before expiry) in the program via Tools >> Renew Machine Credential >> Attempt Renewal in the future. For detailed instructions from the ATO on creating a machine credential (including pictures), see here. The usual process is to: Open your myID app on your smart device, then login to the ATO's Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) using the same Chrome or Firefox web browser that the ATOBE extension was installed onto. Click View or manage authorisations, machine credentials and cloud software notification. Click on your business/company name in blue writing (not on 'View'). If the business is not visible you need to click Link your business on the main RAM entry page, then follow the prompts. Only the ABN's principal authority can claim the ABN. Update your ABN details with the Australian Business Register if your ABN is not linkable in the RAM website. If the business is visible, but unclickable, then you do not have correct administrative privileges and will need to contact your principle authority or the ATO for assistance. Click Manage Credentials at the top of the page. If this option is not visible you are not a machine credential administrator and need to contact your principle authority or the ATO for assistance. Click Create Machine Credential and follow the prompts. Please take note of the following tips: If you get a Software Required error, the browser extension software is not being detected. We have a FAQ on this. When creating your machine credential, do not change the keystore path as Lightning uses this to automatically detect the new keystore file, meaning it will be ready to go in Lightning as soon as you've downloaded it from RAM. Create and remember a new keystore password as this will be required to submit through Lightning Payroll. This password cannot be reset, so please be sure to remember it. Note that if you already had an existing machine credential, but it expired, you will be asked for this password instead of being asked to create a new one. If you elected for Lightning Payroll to save your keystore password in the program, you can find your existing keystore password in Lightning Payroll by going to Tools >> Renew Machine Credential and clicking Show Password here. You can then cancel out of the renewal tool, as it cannot be used to renew an already-expired or revoked machine credential. The credential name is up to you and usually is a word which represents the PC you use Lightning Payroll on (E.g. Reception, admin, office, etc.). It cannot contain spaces or special characters. Agree to the terms and click Download at the bottom of the page. Lightning Payroll will then automatically detect your new keystore, so there is no need to import it or do anything on your end to make the machine credential available in the program. You will be able to select it and enter the new password (unnecessary if using the previously saved password) when you next submit STP through the program. Repeat steps 1-5 for any additional ABNs you process STP for on this computer, using the same password for each. C) Test Your New Credential To test your new credential has been installed correctly, go into the Pays screen within Lightning Payroll and click Single Touch >> Submit Payroll to the ATO. On the preview/submission screen (seen after you click Next) you should see the new credential in the dropdown list with a new expiry date two years in the future. If you have followed all of the step above but you can still only see the expired machine credential, you might be running an old version of Lightning Payroll. Please see our FAQ here for help updating. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-a-machine-credential Q: Why Are Two Income Statements Showing For The Same Employment? A: Some employees may see two income statements in their ATO MyTax account for the same job, especially when preparing their tax return. One statement is often marked Tax Ready while the other remains Not Tax Ready. This situation can be confusing but is a known issue. The ATO has identified that duplicate records can occur when an employee is reported more than once in Single Touch Payroll (STP) using different identifiers. This can happen if the employer's STP reporting includes changes to the: Company ABN Payroll Software PAYG Branch ID (Company Location ID) Employee STP ID Employee Name, DOB or TFN If any of these values change within a financial year, it can make the ATO system treat the same employment as separate records, resulting in multiple income statements for one job. Is It Safe to Use the 'Tax Ready' Statement and Ignore the Other? Yes. In most cases, employees can proceed with their tax return using the income statement marked as Tax Ready and disregard any duplicate that is Not Tax Ready. According to ATO guidance, if the employer cannot correct the error, the duplicate can be ignored and manually removed during the return process. Can Employers Fix the Duplicate Record? Yes. Employers can usually correct or retract incorrect STP submissions through their payroll software. If a BMS ID or payroll ID has changed mid-year, it may be possible to update the record or submit an Update Event to align the data. If the duplication was caused by changes such as ABN or PAYG branch ID, employers can often resolve the issue by temporarily reverting the altered value and sending a $0.00 STP Update Event dated for the last pay run processed in June of the affected financial year. This can help link the records and remove the redundant income statement. If this is not possible, and the duplicate cannot be removed by the employer, the ATO allows employees to ignore the incorrect statement when lodging their tax return. More information is available on the ATO Community site. What Should Employees Do If They See Two Statements? Use the income statement marked Tax Ready when lodging your return. Check with your employer if you are unsure which record is correct or if you suspect an error. If needed, ask your employer to submit a correction via STP. If the incorrect record cannot be fixed, it is safe to ignore it as per ATO guidance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-two-income-statements-showing-for-the-same-employment Q: Why Has Services Australia Contacted Me About Child Support Deductions? A: Being contacted by Services Australia about child support deductions can be unexpected, but in most cases it is not a sign that anything is wrong. This is usually caused by how Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2 data is interpreted when pay dates or deduction timing change. Under STP Phase 2, reporting child support deductions is optional. If you do report them, Services Australia monitors the timing and frequency of the deductions reported through STP. When their system detects something that looks different from the usual pattern (such as a change in pay date, pay cycle, or deduction timing), they are legally required to contact the employer to confirm what is happening. A common example is where the pay period covers one set of days (for example, Thursday to Wednesday), but the actual payment is made on a different day (such as Friday). Even though this is valid payroll practice, it can look like a schedule change to Services Australia and trigger a follow-up call. These contacts are almost always routine. Based on guidance we have received from the ATO STP technical team, they rarely result in any action being required by the employer and can generally be treated as informational only. If you would prefer to avoid being contacted about child support deductions, you can choose not to report them as child support through STP. Instead, set the deduction classification to Normal. This is safe to do because reporting child support deductions via STP Phase 2 is optional. To change the classification for future pays: Go to Employees >> Allowances/Deductions >> Deductions Edit the relevant deduction Change the classification to Normal This change will only apply to pays going forward. To update the classification on past pays: Go to the Tools menu and open the Retrospective Tool Select the employee and the required date range Update the deduction classification in bulk Using the retrospective tool does not change the pay amounts or payroll history. It only changes how the deductions are classified and reported through STP. If you are unsure which option is best for your situation, or you need help making these changes, please contact support and we can assist. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-has-services-australia-contacted-me-about-child-support-deductions Q: Why Have Centrelink Recorded An Incorrect Pay Amount For An Employee? A: There have been situations where Centrelink have received incorrect pay information for employees, via STP Phase 2. This can result in claim payment amounts being paid incorrectly to employees.One common cause of these errors is having the wrong processed (payment) date on pays when submitted; accurate processed dates are a cornerstone of STP, and the pay run dates themselves are irrelevant. Another common cause is missed STP reporting.For example, imagining an employee paid weekly: STP is sent as usual for week 1. STP is not sent in week 2. STP is sent in week 3, for both weeks 2 & 3 (both with the same processed date as week 3). Centrelink now believe the employee was paid twice as much as normal in week 3. Unfortunately, this can not be resolved through the software. Our customers have reported that only through manual communications with Centrelink and the sharing of payslips was the issue able to be resolved.We've discussed this with the ATO also, and the ATO has advised: "To avoid this scenario the employer should ensure they correctly report (ie do not miss reports). The individual can correct their Services Australia prefill income reporting via the standard SA process. It is the expectation that an individual is reviewing the prefill to ensure it is accurate." Click here to learn more about how an employee can correct their reported pay data directly with Centrelink, as it cannot be fixed within STP. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-have-centrelink-recorded-an-incorrect-pay-amount-for-an-employee Q: How Can I Use the Single Touch Recon Tool to Check ATO STP Records? A: The Single Touch Recon tool in Lightning Payroll's desktop version allows you to view your Single Touch Payroll (STP) submission records as received by the ATO. It's designed to help reconcile your STP totals against your ATO activity statement and PAYG withholding pre-fill amounts. You can find this feature by navigating to Pays >> Single Touch >> Check ATO STP Records in the desktop software: This tool is not available in the web or mobile versions of Lightning Payroll. If you are using those platforms, or prefer to access this information directly, you can always log in to the ATO's Online Services for Business page. How to Use the Tool To check your ATO STP records using this tool: Select the correct machine credential for the current company's ABN. Enter your M2M (Machine-to-Machine) credential password. Set a date range to search. The selected range must be less than 12 months. Click Search to retrieve your ATO STP submissions within the chosen period. If records are found, they will be listed with full details, allowing you to compare them to your ATO activity statement or PAYG withholding totals. Resolving Discrepancies If you notice discrepancies in your PAYG pre-fill amounts, you may need to submit an STP Adjust event from the affected pay run. These events allow you to correct amounts previously sent to the ATO. For step-by-step guidance on using Adjust events, see this FAQ. Important Notes About Errors When using the recon tool, ensure the ABN and PAYG Withholding Branch ID under Company >> Details match the original details used during STP submission. If these have changed since your original submissions, the tool may not be able to locate your past records. The branch ID is entered here in Lightning Payroll: Company >> Details >> PAYG Withholding Branch/Location ID If necessary, you can temporarily change these fields to match a previous ABN or branch ID to look up older submissions. Just be sure to change them back to your current values afterwards. Alternative Access to STP Records This tool is provided as a convenience. You do not need to use it to access your STP history. All STP records can always be reviewed through the ATO's Online Services for Business portal: We recommend checking this site if you cannot locate submissions within Lightning Payroll or if you are using our web or mobile versions. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-use-the-single-touch-recon-tool-to-check-ato-stp-records Q: Why Are Single Touch Payroll Update Events Showing As $0.00 Gross And Tax? A: In STP Phase 2, an Update Event refreshes each employee's year to date (YTD) details only. It does not report the company level pay run totals for W1 (Gross) and W2 (PAYG Tax Withheld) that are used for BAS/PAYG pre fill. As a result, the ATO portal will show $0.00 for gross and tax on an Update Event. This is normal, expected behaviour and part of STP design. Affects W1/W2 totals: Pay Events (new events) and Adjust Events. Does not affect W1/W2 totals: Update Events (they adjust employee YTD figures only). Click View in the Single Touch mailbox to see individual employee amounts within an Update Event submission. If you need to change BAS pre fill amounts, send an Adjust Event or lodge any unsubmitted Pay Events. Related FAQs Why Do My Report Totals Not Match STP Submissions On The ATO Online Services Page? What Are STP Adjust Events And How Can I Use Them To Correct BAS Pre Fill Amounts? What Are The Differences Between a New Event, an Adjust Event and an Update Event? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-single-touch-payroll-update-events-showing-as-000-gross-and-tax Q: What Can I Do if I Forget My Machine Credential Password? A: If you have forgotten your machine credential keystore password there is unfortunately no way to reset it. The steps below are how you can most easily test your keystore password outside of Lightning Payroll, and fix the issue if you cannot remember it:  Log in to RAM on your Lightning Payroll computer using MyGovID, like you did when you first downloaded your machine credential. Click View or manage authorisations, machine credentials and cloud software notification. Click on the business/company name (not on 'View') you need the credential for. Click on Manage Credentials at the top of the screen. Click Create Machine Credential. If it says Software Required, please see here to learn how to fix the issue. Test your keystore password, or change the path and create a new password. If you are seeing only one password field, then the ATO's page is detecting the existing keystore file. The location of this file is shown in the keystore path. You can test your password here. If your password is correct a new credential will be inserted into the existing keystore file. If you are seeing two password fields, then the ATO's page is not detecting the existing keystore file. The default location of this file is shown in the keystore path. This means you will be creating a new password and a new keystore file. The Credential name isn't too important it is up to you. Payroll or Lightning or a name for your computer (so long as it is a single word) is OK. Tick the box to authorise yourself as the custodian, and download the new credential to the keystore path shown. If you have additional ABNs which require a credential, you'll need to click back to the RAM homepage and repeat steps 2-7. Importing a keystore from a manually edited keystore path/filename If you are using the default ATOMAS/keystore-new.xml filepath, Lightning will automatically detect and use your keystore.If you have changed the keystore path/filename, you will need to manually import it into Lightning Payroll under Tools >> Import Machine Credential. Click on the blue folder button to browse. Find and double click on the new keystore file, then import to finish the process. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-can-i-do-if-i-forget-my-machine-credential-password Q: Why Should I Have To Pay For Machine Credential Assistance? A: At Lightning Payroll, we strive to provide comprehensive support for our payroll software. However, assistance with obtaining or managing your ATO Machine Credential falls outside the scope of our standard support. This is because the Machine Credential is a tool provided and managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), not by us. Our Support Policy clearly outlines that assistance with external websites and software, such as those provided by the ATO, is not included in our free support services. The ATO is responsible for their systems and offers free support for their website and software, and there are several resources available to help you obtain your Machine Credential without incurring any cost: Contact the ATO’s Technical Helpdesk Call 1300 287 539 and select option 3 for RAM (Relationship Authorisation Manager). Their helpdesk staff can guide you through the process. Their contact details are found here. Follow the ATO’s Step-by-Step Guide The ATO provides a detailed guide on how to install a Machine Credential: https://info.authorisationmanager.gov.au/guide-how-to-install-a-machine-credential Refer to Lightning Payroll’s Guide We’ve created a helpful guide to assist our users. You can find it here: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq?selected=188 Why Does Lightning Payroll Charge for Assistance? While the ATO provides free support, we understand that their helpdesk may not always offer the level of expertise or responsiveness that some users expect. For those who find the process particularly challenging or frustrating, we offer a paid support service as a last resort. This optional service is available to provide hands-on assistance, saving you time and hassle. You can learn more about our paid additional support service here: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/buy-now?prod_id=259 We encourage you to explore the free options first, as they are often sufficient to resolve common issues. However, if you require further assistance, our paid service is available to help. If you have any questions about how Lightning Payroll integrates with your ATO Machine Credential, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-should-i-have-to-pay-for-machine-credential-assistance Q: Why Do I Get the STP Error Saying - Failed to Collect an STP Authentication Token? A: a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } When using Lightning Payroll's desktop version to send Single Touch Payroll (STP) reports to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), you may encounter the error message: "Failed to collect an STP authentication token." This error indicates that the software was unable to retrieve the necessary authentication token required for secure communication with the ATO's systems. Here is an example of some 'Valid' machine credentials. While an expired Machine Credential is one common cause, it's important to understand that a valid expiry date does not guarantee that your Machine Credential is healthy or valid. There are several reasons why this error might occur even if your credential hasn't expired: Expired, Revoked, or Invalid Machine Credential: Machine Credentials have a validity period of two years from the creation date. However, even with a valid expiry date, your credential might not be healthy. It could have been manually revoked in the ATO's Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM), become corrupted, or been improperly installed. System changes, software updates, or security software can also affect its validity. In such cases, reissuing or reinstalling the Machine Credential may resolve the issue. Learn how to renew your Machine Credential in Lightning Payroll. Expired/Revoked Personal Authorisation: The Basic Authorisation for staff members (such as payroll officers) in RAM lasts for 12 months and needs to be renewed annually. If it has expired or been revoked, you won't be able to authenticate. Find out how to renew a Basic Authorisation. Internet Connectivity Issues: A stable internet connection is required to communicate with the ATO. Any disruptions can cause authentication to fail. Incorrect PC Clock Time or Timezone: Ensure your computer's date, time, and timezone settings are correct. Incorrect settings can lead to authentication errors. ABN Issues: If your Australian Business Number (ABN) is inactive or your company has been deregistered, the ATO will reject authentication attempts. If you're using our web or mobile versions, note that Machine Credentials are not required for STP submissions. You can learn more about this process here. For more information on Machine Credential expiry and the ATO's notification process, please refer to the ATO's guide on Using myGovID, RAM and Machine Credentials. If you've checked all the above and are still experiencing issues, please contact our support team for further assistance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-do-i-get-the-stp-error-saying-failed-to-collect-an-stp-authentication-token Q: Why Can I Not Select Employees For Single Touch Payroll? A: When submitting Single Touch Payroll you may discover that no employees are available for selection. This can be due to a couple of different reasons. Please check for updates (at the bottom of Lightning Payroll desktop) and ensure you are on the very latest version before continuing. The most common reason is the selected event type (new event vs update event). New/pay events can only include unsubmitted employees who were paid within the chosen pay period, whereas update events are broader and can include anyone paid within the financial year, including terminated staff. The next most common reason that employees are not available is that you are submitting from a pay or pay run which is not the most recently completed in the financial year. Please only submit STP from the most recent pay so that valid YTD amounts are sent, not outdated YTD amounts. If you have completed/saved a pay on a later date then only it will be able to be sent. Another rule is that you cannot submit a new/pay event for any pay which has already been submitted, only an adjust or update event is possible. Note that Update events can only be sent for pays processed today or earlier than today. Please see here for more information on the ATO rules for STP submissions. If you have considered and checked the above information and still no employees are available for either new, adjust or update events, there may be a conflict with the pay run processed date and the financial year boundary dates. Please ensure that the most recent processed date of the pay run falls within the desired financial year dates under the Company >> Financial Years tab. You can then either edit the pay processed dates or the financial year boundaries to correct the issue, depending on which is most appropriate for your situation. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-can-i-not-select-employees-for-single-touch-payroll Q: What Can I Do If I Have Been Notified That Some of My Employees Are Not Tax Ready? A: If you have received a notification from the ATO stating that one or more of your employees are not tax ready, you are able to easily rectify this through a Single Touch Payroll Update event. This issue usually occurs because only a New event has been sent with the final pay for the financial year? option ticked, whereas the final pay for the financial year is recommended to be submitted twice (to avoid missing any inactive employees within that final pay run), as both a New, and then Update event from Single Touch Payroll. Sending a New event only includes figures for the employees listed on the particular pay run you're sending from, and will not report any figures for employees that have been terminated, or had their final pay on an earlier pay run in the financial year. Fortunately, this can be easily fixed by navigating to the final pay run of the financial year in question (please note that this is the final pay run with a processed date in late June - pay run end date is insignificant) and sending an Update Event, ensuring that all employees are selected and that the tick box Final Pay for the financial year? is ticked. The program should automatically elect to send this as an Update event for you, and all employees should be auto-selected. If a New event is being auto-selected instead, this means that some employees in this pay run have not yet had their figures finalised through Single Touch Payroll for this particular financial year. The fix remains the same, however: resend Single Touch as both a New, and then Update event, both times having the Final pay for financial year? tick box ticked. We always recommend sending both a New and then Update event for the final pay of a financial year (only the final pay - it is not necessary on your regular STP submissions) in order to ensure all employees are reported and finalised, regardless of whether they were paid and/or employed at the time of the final pay of the financial year in question. Submitting employees in both the New and Update finalisation events is fine to do, and will not 'double up' their totals for the financial year. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-can-i-do-if-i-have-been-notified-that-some-of-my-employees-are-not-tax-ready Q: Why does my STP Error say "This Submission ID Already Exists"? A: What is this error? This error occurs when you try to send payroll information to the ATO, but the submission ID used for your report is not unique. How are submission IDs created? Our software creates a submission ID by combining: Your ABN (Australian Business Number) Your location or branch ID The year, month, and day of the submission A sequence number that indicates how many submissions have been made that day Why does this error occur? This error typically occurs in the following scenarios: If submissions are made from different systems that do not share the same database, like a copy of the desktop software on another computer. If a submission is made, then a backup of the database is restored, erasing the record of the original submission, and then the same information is submitted again on the same day. How can I fix this? To avoid this error, ensure all your submissions are made from a single, synchronized database. If you encounter this error, continue submitting; our system will automatically adjust the sequence number to create a unique submission ID. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-does-my-stp-error-say-quotthis-submission-id-already-existsquot Q: How Can I Check the ATO STP Server Status? A: Below are the two web addresses used for Single Touch Payroll in Lightning Payroll. ATO SBR2 Cloud shows current server status of their main services. PAYEVNT.0004 is the STP service. If it is red, the service is down. Please try again later. https://sbr2.status.ato.gov.au/ The other service required to send STP is the STS/Machine Credential Secure Token Service. Below is an example of how a healthy page would look. https://softwareauthorisations.ato.gov.au/R3.0/S007v1.2/service.svc Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-check-the-ato-stp-server-status Q: How Can I Renew My ATO Machine Credential for Lightning Payroll Desktop? A: Lightning Payroll desktop can connect with the ATO's machine credential renewal service. This allows you to easily renew machine credentials used for sending Single Touch Payroll through to the ATO. You can renew your credentials under Tools >> Renew Machine Credential. All you need to do is select the credential you wish to renew and click Attempt Renewal. Renewals are not guaranteed since it is outside of our control. You may need to create a new machine credential if a problem arises or if you have forgotten your ATO keystore password. To find out how to create a new machine credential, click here.To find out what to do if you have forgotten your machine credential keystore password, click here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-renew-my-ato-machine-credential-for-lightning-payroll-desktop Q: Why is Lightning Asking Me For a Location ID? A: A Location ID is required by Lightning Payroll for PAYG reporting (STP and End of Year). This value is also known as a PAYG Branch ID. The default value is 1, which means your company has one PAYG Reporting branch. The ATO states that "A branch is formed where a business entity separately registers its branch to suit the structural, management and accounting arrangements of the organisation. When an entity registers a branch for GST or PAYG purposes, the entity is called the 'parent entity'." You will need to register with the ATO for additional PAYG branches. See here for more information - https://www.ato.gov.au/Forms/Register-GST-or-PAYG-withholding-branch/ Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-lightning-asking-me-for-a-location-id Q: How Do I Get a New Machine Credential On My Second Computer with Lightning Payroll Desktop? A: When using Lightning Payroll desktop, if you already have an ATO machine credential file on your PC and need it on a second PC for STP, there are a couple of ways to do this. The first way is to simply copy the credential file and move it to your new PC in two steps using Lightning Payroll's Tools menu at the top of the program: 1. Click Tools >> Export Machine Credential from your PC with the existing machine credential to save a copy of your ATO keystore XML to a USB or other location of your choice; click the blue folder on the right to choose where you will save the file. Please note: this will not remove your machine credential from this PC, it will just create a copy for your second PC, so that you can send STP from either one. 2. Then, click Tools >> Import Machine Credential >> blue folder from Lightning Payroll on your second PC to locate and load the machine credential XML file into this copy of Lightning Payroll desktop. For example: export the machine credential on the existing STP payroll PC, saving it to a USB. Then transfer the USB to the second PC and use the Import Credential option to locate the XML file on the USB and import it for STP usage on PC #2. If you don't have a USB or similar to use, you may wish to attach the exported XML file to an email, and email it across to the second PC, where you can download the attachment from your email, and import it into your second PC. The other option is to reapply for a new machine credential afresh from the ATO's RAM website. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-get-a-new-machine-credential-on-my-second-computer-with-lightning-payroll-desktop Q: Why Is the ATO Asking Me To Provide a Software ID or Lightning Payroll's ABN? A: When contacting the ATO for help regarding machine credentials, they may ask you to provide a software ID (SSID), or ask you for our ABN. If you are using Lightning Payroll desktop, this does not utilise or require a software ID for Single Touch Payroll. Desktop-based programs instead utilise locally installed machine credentials (please see the following from the ATO's website). In cases such as this, you can inform the ATO that you do not have a software ID since you use a desktop software, and simply need advice on how to install your own machine credential. You can see instructions on how to download a machine credential yourself here. If using Lightning Payroll online or mobile applications, you will need to register your SSID, along with our ABN in the ATO Access Manager. Please click here to read our FAQ on setting up Single Touch Payroll on the online/mobile versions of the program. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-the-ato-asking-me-to-provide-a-software-id-or-lightning-payrolls-abn Q: What is Single Touch Payroll? A: Single Touch Payroll (STP) is an initiative for reporting your employees' pay, tax and super information to the ATO. It is mandatory for all businesses to be using STP from the 1st of July, 2019, and has been available in our program since that time. STP Phase 2 was then also introduced into Lightning Payroll in late 2021, in preparation for its mandatory start date of January 1, 2022. STP is built into Lightning Payroll, and simply requires a valid ATO Machine Credential installed on your computer for desktop users of the program, or the registration of your SSID via the ATO Access Manager for online/mobile users. STP allows you to report the rolling year-to-date (YTD) figures for each employee at the end of every pay period, and is also now the way that your end of financial year submission is processed. It doesn't change how you pay your employees or how you make their superannuation contributions. STP is a reporting tool only. For more information, you can visit the ATO's STP page here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-single-touch-payroll Q: How Can I Setup Single Touch Payroll? A: Setting up Single Touch Payroll is easy with Lightning Payroll. For desktop users of the program, you simply need to make sure there is an ATO Machine Credential installed on the machine on which you run Lightning Payroll. For web/online or mobile users of the program, you just need to ensure your SSID has been registered. If you already have your Machine Credential installed on your computer, or have registered your SSID, you do not need to do anything else to link it to Lightning Payroll directly. Lightning Payroll will automatically find and recognise your Machine Credential, or registered SSID. The only other step is to make sure your Lightning Payroll program is up to date. To do this on the desktop version, click Check for updates now, at the bottom of the Lightning Payroll program. If an update is available, click Yes. The online/web and mobile apps will be kept up to date automatically, so long as your mobile app store settings are setup to update automatically. You are now ready to go! See our FAQ on how to process STP here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-setup-single-touch-payroll --- Category: Superannuation --- Q: Why Does CBA Reject My ABA File For Duplicate Entries? A: Commonwealth Bank may reject an ABA file with an error such as "Your file has duplicate entries. Remove the duplicates and try again." This can happen when the ABA file contains more than one payment line going to the same CBA bank account, even if each line has a different payment reference, lodgement reference or amount. This is not a restriction of the ABA or Cemtex file standard. It appears to be an additional CBA upload rule, and we have reported this issue to CBA. To our knowledge, this same restriction is not commonly applied by other banks. This can be especially difficult for SuperStream payments, as super contributions need unique payment or lodgement reference numbers for each transaction. Some super funds or USIs may share the same receiving bank account, which can result in multiple ABA lines going to the same account. Pays and wages files are now split automatically For the pays and wages banking file created under Pays >> Direct Entry, Lightning Payroll now handles this for you. When a pay run pays the same account more than once and your company banks with CBA, the file is split into several files automatically, so no single file contains the same account twice. The Save Direct Entry File step lists every file it is about to write. If your CBA account does accept a repeated destination account, you can turn the split off. On the Save Direct Entry File step, untick Split into separate files when an account is paid twice. The setting is remembered for the company and does not affect other banks. SuperStream files are not split automatically Please note: the automatic split applies to the pays and wages direct entry file only. SuperStream deposit files are created separately and are not split, so if CBA rejects a super ABA file for duplicate entries you will still need one of the options below. If CBA rejects your ABA file for this reason, you can try one of the following options: Use another payment method, such as PayTo or PayID, where available. Use a SAFF file instead of an ABA file, if suitable for your super payment process. Split the payments into two separate ABA files, so the same bank account does not appear more than once in each file. Pay the affected transactions manually through your bank. Consider using another bank that does not apply this additional ABA upload restriction. For more information about available SuperStream payment methods in Lightning Payroll, please see What SuperStream Payment Options Are Available For Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-does-cba-reject-my-aba-file-for-duplicate-entries Q: Why Are My Pays Purple (Already Connected To A Super Deposit) After Starting Payday Super? A: If pays show in purple on the Payday Super screen, those pays are already attached to a super fund deposit, so they are no longer available to be picked up again. This is the normal, expected state once super has been collected from a pay — it is not an error. You only need to act if the Payday Super process was interrupted part-way through, if you need to recreate a file, or if you want to start that pay run's super again from scratch. How a pay turns purple When you run Create Deposits, Lightning Payroll gathers the super from each completed pay into super fund deposits. From that moment the pays are part of a deposit and turn purple — whether or not that deposit has yet been sent to the fund or paid. To change anything about those pays, you work with the deposits they are attached to, not the pays themselves. Step 1 — Find the deposits behind the purple pays Go to Super Fund Deposits and tick Show Search Filter? to bring up the search options. You can locate the deposits in question two ways: Select Deposit Date and enter the date you originally chose when creating the deposits (the Payday Super date), or Select Pay Period End Date and enter the end date of the pay period you were processing. The matching deposits appear in the table. Two columns tell you exactly where you stopped: In Message? — whether the deposit has been forwarded to the super fund provider in a SuperStream contribution message. You can view the messages themselves under SuperStream Mailbox. Status — whether the deposit has been marked as paid. A deposit is usually marked paid automatically once it is included in a direct entry file, or you can set it manually with the Mark as Paid button. Step 2 — Work out where you stopped Read the two columns together to find your situation: In Message? = No — the contribution was never sent, so you are still near the start. See Continue sending and paying below. In Message? = Yes and Status = Unpaid — the message was sent but the payment / direct entry file was not finished. See Recreate the direct entry file below. In Message? = Yes and Status = Paid — the process actually completed, and the purple is correct. There is nothing to fix. If you only need another copy of the payment file, see Recreate the direct entry file; if you genuinely want to undo everything, see Start the pay run's super over. Continue sending and paying (In Message? = No) If the deposits were never sent, you can pick up exactly where you left off. From the Super Fund Deposits screen, click SuperStream Contribution, search for your deposits, and continue. This is the standard SuperStream process, so it will look familiar to existing Payday Super and SuperStream users — it sends the contribution message and lets you pay using your usual preconfigured payment method. Recreate the direct entry file (In Message? = Yes) If the message has already been sent and you just need to create or recreate the direct entry payment file: Note the date the message was sent (the deposit date). Go to Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox >> Direct Entry. Search for the message by its sent date, select it, and step through to generate a fresh file. You can do this at any time. The direct entry screen lets you re-include a message even if it was previously added to a file, so recreating a lost file does not undo anything. Start the pay run's super over If you want to walk everything back and restart Payday Super for that pay period, the deposits must be deleted — and a deposit cannot be deleted while it is still in a SuperStream message. Work in this order: Use the search filter from Step 1 and check the In Message? column for the deposits. For any deposit showing In Message? = Yes, go to SuperStream Mailbox, find the message the deposit belongs to using the filters at the top, open it with View, and click Manually Fail. Repeat for each message you want to undo. Return to the Super Fund Deposits screen and confirm In Message? now shows No for those deposits. Delete the deposits: Desktop app: right-click the Mark as Paid button on the deposit row and choose Delete Deposit. Online and mobile: tick the checkboxes for the deposits and click Delete Selected (the red delete button). Once the messages are failed and the deposits deleted, the pays for that pay period will no longer be purple, and you can start Payday Super for that period again from scratch. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-my-pays-purple-already-connected-to-a-super-deposit-after-starting-payday-super Q: What Is the Difference Between Salary Sacrifice and Voluntary Post-Tax Member Contributions? A: Salary Sacrifice (Pre-Tax Contributions) Salary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to direct some of your gross pay into your super fund before income tax is calculated. These are known as concessional contributions and are taxed at 15% inside the fund. Because the amount is deducted before tax, your taxable income is reduced and you may pay less income tax overall. Example: If your gross income is $1,000 and you salary sacrifice $100, your taxable income becomes $900. The $100 goes into super and is taxed at 15% rather than your marginal rate. Salary sacrifice must be reported through Single Touch Payroll (STP) as Reportable Employer Super Contributions (RESC) and will appear on the employee's income statement. It does not qualify for the government super co-contribution. Voluntary Post-Tax Member Contributions Voluntary post-tax contributions are payments made to a super fund from net (after-tax) pay. These are called non-concessional contributions. The money has already been taxed so it is not taxed again on entry into the fund, and no tax deduction applies. Example: The employee receives their full net pay and separately transfers $50 to their super fund by BPAY or direct deposit. Post-tax contributions are not reported by the employer through STP and do not appear as RESC on the income statement. They may be eligible for the government super co-contribution if the employee meets the income and work tests. Contribution Caps Concessional (salary sacrifice + employer super guarantee): $32,500 per year from 1 July 2026 Non-concessional (post-tax): $130,000 per year from 1 July 2026, or up to $390,000 using the bring-forward rule Note: These caps are set by the ATO and may change each financial year. Entering Salary Sacrifice in Lightning Payroll In the desktop app: go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice and add a new sacrifice row with the amount, frequency, and description. In the online (web/mobile) app: select the employee, go to Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice, then add a new row. The Super Contributions screen (under the Super tab) explicitly notes that pre-tax salary sacrifices must be entered on the Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice screen - not on the Super tab. Entering Post-Tax Super Contributions in Lightning Payroll In the desktop app: go to Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Contributions. Under Post-Tax Additional Superannuation Contributions on the right-hand side, click the green + button to add a new row, then enter a description (e.g. Member Contribution) and the amount. In the online (web/mobile) app: select the employee and go to Super >> Super Contributions. Under Post-Tax Additional Superannuation Contributions, add a new row with a description and amount. Note: Post-tax contributions added here are not treated as RESC and are not reported through STP. See also: How Do I Setup A Salary Sacrifice? and What Are Concessional Super Contributions? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-salary-sacrifice-and-voluntary-post-tax-member-contributions Q: How Do I Pay Super in Lightning Payroll (No Clearing House Required)? A: Lightning Payroll fully supports the ATO's SuperStream standard, enabling employers to send superannuation registration and contribution messages directly to Australian super funds via our SuperStream gateway partner, Ozedi. This makes Lightning Payroll a complete, standalone solution for meeting your super obligations. What Is SuperStream? SuperStream is a mandatory Australian Government standard that requires super contributions to be sent electronically in a consistent and secure format. It ensures that both the data and payment reach the employee's super fund efficiently. Do I Need a Clearing House to Comply with SuperStream? No. While using a clearing house is one way to comply with SuperStream, it is not required. The ATO allows several electronic options to meet SuperStream obligations, including: A compliant payroll system (like Lightning Payroll) A super fund's online system A commercial super clearing house The Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) A messaging portal Lightning Payroll falls into the first category - a compliant payroll system capable of sending all required SuperStream registration and contribution messages without the need for a clearing house. This direct integration helps you avoid delays, extra registration processes, or third-party fees often associated with clearing house services. You can verify Lightning Payroll's compliance on the official ATO SuperStream Certified Product Register. Lightning Payroll's SuperStream Process The recommended workflow is a three-step process run from the Pays screen after completing each pay run. From 1 July 2026, Payday Super is mandatory and contributions must reach the fund within 7 business days of payday. Before You Begin Make sure your super setup is complete. For instructions, see How Do I Check If I Am Set Up For Super? Step-by-Step Overview Create Deposits: After completing a pay run, click Payday Super on the Pays toolbar. Set the Payment Date, select the pays to include, and click Create. Lightning Payroll validates your setup and flags any issues such as missing member numbers, no primary fund, or invalid USI details. Send SuperStream Messages: Once deposits are created you are taken to the SuperStream Summary screen. Click Send Messages to transmit the super contribution data to the relevant funds via Ozedi. Lightning Payroll waits for Ozedi to confirm each message has been accepted before unlocking the payment step. Make the Payment: After all messages are accepted, complete the payment using your configured method: Direct Credit (ABA/XML): Click Create Direct Entry Payment File to generate and download the bank file, then upload it to your bank. PayTo via Ozedi: Ozedi automatically debits your approved bank account - no manual bank upload is required. PayID via Ozedi: Click PayID Payment Report to see the Ozedi PayID email address and the exact amount to transfer from your bank. Important: Creating deposits, sending SuperStream messages, and making the payment must all occur on the same day. Ensure you are ready to complete the full process before you begin. Payment Method Setup To set up PayTo or PayID for faster super payments, see How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayTo For Automatic Super Payments? and How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayID For PayDay Super? Video Tutorial For a quick visual demonstration, please watch the video below. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-pay-super-in-lightning-payroll-no-clearing-house-required Q: How Can I Recover An Overpayment Of Compulsory Super? A: If you've accidentally overpaid an employee's superannuation, don't worry — there are two legitimate ways to handle it depending on your situation. This guide explains your options, legal references, and what to avoid to stay compliant with Australian tax and super laws. Option 1: Treat It as a Pre-Payment of Future SG Under Section 23(7) of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992, an employer may treat a super contribution as a pre-payment, as long as the following conditions are met: The employee is still employed and earning ordinary time earnings (OTE). The overpayment is applied to future super guarantee (SG) obligations within the next 12 months. You document your intent to treat it as a pre-payment — not a mistake. You maintain detailed records showing when the overpayment occurred and how it was applied to future pay periods. This allows you to reduce SG contributions in future pay runs until the overpaid amount is "used up", as long as the correct SG is attributed to each future OTE payment. Important: If you said or documented that the overpayment was accidental — for example, in an email to your payroll software or accountant — you may not be able to use the pre-payment option without issuing a written correction that redefines your intent. Option 2: Request a Refund from the Super Fund If you cannot or prefer not to treat the overpayment as a pre-payment, you can request a refund under APRA Prudential Practice Guide SPG 270 (sections 24–36). To do this: Contact the super fund and explain the situation as a 'contribution in error'. Be prepared to provide supporting documents, such as payroll records and the payment date. Processing times vary, but it commonly takes up to 3 months to receive the refund. What You Cannot Do Do not underpay SG in a future pay run to 'balance out' an earlier overpayment without treating it as a pre-payment. Do not assume that STP reporting YTD totals are enough to justify underpaying per pay period — SG must match each pay's OTE. Do not apply an overpayment to a past shortfall — only future SG obligations qualify under s23(7). ATO Guidance and Community Advice The ATO has acknowledged both methods above as legitimate. For a helpful summary and discussion from an ATO community representative, visit: ATO Community: Super contribution in error (ATO link) Still Unsure? Speak with your accountant, contact your super fund, or reach out to the ATO to confirm your best course of action. This article is general guidance only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Always check current laws or consult a qualified advisor. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-recover-an-overpayment-of-compulsory-super Q: What Are Concessional Super Contributions? A: Concessional super contributions are payments made to your superannuation fund before tax is taken out. They are generally taxed at 15% inside the fund, which is usually lower than most people's marginal income-tax rate. They include: Employer contributions such as the Super Guarantee (SG) and any additional pre-tax amounts your employer agrees to pay on your behalf. Salary-sacrifice contributions, where you redirect part of your gross wages into super. Personal contributions that you claim as an income-tax deduction. Certain amounts transferred from foreign super funds or paid by third parties on your behalf (e.g. some insurance or compensation payments). Lightning Payroll handles the following types of contributions: SGC (Super Guarantee) contributions Salary sacrifice RESC (Reportable Employer Super Contributions) Post-tax member contributions (non-concessional) Miscellaneous RESC — bonus or additional employer contributions above the SG, not part of a salary sacrifice agreement Note: Personal deductible contributions and foreign fund transfers must be managed outside of Lightning Payroll, as these are handled by the employee directly through their super fund or tax return. Contribution cap: For the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years, the concessional contributions cap was $30,000 per person, per year. From 1 July 2026 it is $32,500 per person, per year. This applies to the total of all concessional contributions made to any of your super funds. If your total super balance was under $500,000 on 30 June of the previous year, you may be eligible to carry forward unused cap amounts from the past five years. High-income Division 293 tax: If your combined taxable income and concessional contributions exceed $250,000 in a financial year, an additional 15% tax may apply to some or all of your concessional contributions. What about post-tax (non-concessional) contributions? Voluntary member contributions made from your take-home pay are non-concessional and do not receive the 15% concessional tax rate. For a full comparison, see our FAQ on salary sacrifice versus voluntary post-tax contributions and the ATO's guide to understanding concessional and non-concessional contributions. For more information, including current thresholds, visit the ATO's super contributions caps page. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-concessional-super-contributions Q: What Does A 'New Superstream Response Received' Email Mean? A: Lightning Payroll watches the SuperStream network for responses to the messages you have sent. When a super fund or the network returns a response for one of your submissions, an email with the subject New Superstream Response Received is sent to your registered address. It lists the conversation ID, message UUID, original upload time and message status, and attaches the fund's response as a PDF. Do I need to do anything? Often, no. Funds mainly respond when something needs your attention, but some responses are simple acknowledgements. Open the attached PDF and check what it reports: If the response reports an error or a rejected contribution — for example a member could not be matched, or the fund has returned money to your account — open the message in the SuperStream Mailbox (reached from the Super Fund Deposits screen in both the desktop and online apps) to read the full details, then correct the problem and resend. See How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages and Super Deposits When the Super Fund/s Have Returned the Money to My Account? and How Do I Manually Fail A SuperStream Message To Resend It? If the response is an acknowledgement with no errors or warnings, no action is needed. The same responses can be reviewed inside the program at any time. See How Do I Check SuperStream Responses And Read Message Details In The Online App? and How Can I Search My Super Deposits And SuperStream Mailbox? Receiving more of these emails than you would like? Notifications for successful scheduled contributions can be turned off from the website under My Account — see How Do I Stop Getting Super Email Notifications After Scheduling Superstream? Error notifications are always sent. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-a-new-superstream-response-received-email-mean Q: How Do I Manually Complete A SuperStream Message? A: Manually completing a SuperStream message tells Lightning Payroll to stop waiting for a SuperStream response for that message. Nothing is sent to the super fund. Use it when you have received confirmation outside the SuperStream network that the message was processed successfully, or when a contribution needs to move forward even though its response never arrived. Steps Open the SuperStream Mailbox from the Super Fund Deposits screen, in either the desktop or online app. Click Mark Complete on the message's row, or click View to open the message and click Manually Complete. Confirm at the Manually complete this message? prompt. For a contribution message, the prompt reminds you that manually completing does not pay the Direct Entry contribution — you can still create its Direct Entry payment afterwards. For any other message type, only continue if you received confirmation outside the SuperStream network that the message completed successfully. The buttons are only available for messages that are still waiting on a response (for example in a Sent status). Undoing a manual completion A contribution message that was manually completed can be reverted. Open the message and click Undo Manual Complete. The message returns to its Sent status, and any Direct Entry payment already created is left untouched. Manually completing is the opposite of manually failing, which releases a message's deposits so they can be corrected and resent — see How Do I Manually Fail A SuperStream Message To Resend It? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-manually-complete-a-superstream-message Q: Where Can I See The Concessional Super Cap In Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll applies the concessional contributions cap when it checks an employee's super, but it does not display the cap amount anywhere on screen beforehand. The figure only appears inside the warning itself, once an employee has already gone over. The setting The check is per employee and is switched on by default. In the desktop app it is Alert When Over Concessional Cap? under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Contributions. In the online app it is Alert when over concessional cap? on the Super Contributions screen under Employees >> Super. Untick it to stop the warning for that employee. What you will see When a pay is completed and the employee's year-to-date super has passed the cap, Lightning Payroll shows a Concessional Super Cap Warning naming the employee and the cap amount it applied. The warning is advisory only and does not stop the pay from being completed. The cap Lightning Payroll uses The cap is built into the program and is updated with each release, so there is nothing for you to enter or maintain. The general concessional contributions cap is $32,500 from 1 July 2026. It was $30,000 for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years, and $27,500 for the three years before that. Lightning Payroll selects the cap that matches the pay's financial year. What counts toward the cap The running total adds up compulsory super guarantee, salary sacrifice to super, and any additional employer (RESC) contributions across the financial year. Please note personal contributions an employee claims as a tax deduction, and contributions from any other job, are not visible to Lightning Payroll. An employee's actual position with the ATO can therefore be higher than the total the program checks. This is not the maximum super contribution base The two figures are often confused. The concessional cap limits how much can go into super each year at the concessional tax rate. The maximum super contribution base is a separate figure that caps the earnings super is calculated on. See What Are the ATO's Qualifying Earnings Rules for Super? for that one. Related Does Lightning Payroll Alert When Paying Above the Concessional Super Cap? What Are Concessional Super Contributions? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-see-the-concessional-super-cap-in-lightning-payroll Q: Does Lightning Payroll Alert When Paying Above the Concessional Super Cap? A: Lightning Payroll can warn you before paying above the super concessional cap, to help employees avoid paying excess tax. From the ATO: "Concessional contributions are made into your super fund before tax, and include: employer contributions, such as compulsory employer contributions any additional concessional contributions your employer makes salary sacrifice payments made to your super fund other amounts paid by your employer from your before-tax income to your super fund, such as administration fees and insurance premiums Once the concessional contributions are in your super fund, they are taxed at the 15% rate. There are caps on the concessional contributions you can make each financial year. If you go over the cap, you may have to pay extra tax." Lightning Payroll includes a setting to help monitor this cap under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Contributions >> Alert When Over Concessional Cap? by ticking this box the program will alert you whenever the employee's super has exceeded the cap for a given year. From 1 July 2026 the general concessional contributions cap is $32,500 per year, regardless of your age. It was $30,000 for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years. This alert will appear when you try to Save + Close an employees Pay who has gone over the cap. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/does-lightning-payroll-alert-when-paying-above-the-concessional-super-cap Q: How Do I Manually Fail A SuperStream Message To Resend It? A: Manually failing a SuperStream message releases its associated super fund deposits so they can be included in a new message. This is typically needed when a fund has refunded money due to an error, or when the original message was never received. For the equivalent process in the desktop app, see How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages and Super Deposits When the Super Fund/s Have Returned the Money to My Account? Open the SuperStream Mailbox Go to Super Fund Deposits in the main menu. Click SuperStream Mailbox. Use the Start Date and End Date fields to narrow the date range to when the original message was sent. You can also filter by Filter By Status, Filter By Fund, or Filter By Employee to locate the message more quickly. Open the Message Locate the message you need to fail in the list. Click View next to that message to open the Message Information screen. Manually Fail the Message On the Message Information screen, click Manually Fail. A confirmation prompt will appear. Review the details, then confirm to proceed. If the message has a pending scheduled payment, a warning will appear: "This contribution has a pending scheduled payment. If you continue, the scheduled payment (and the Ozedi upload) will be cancelled." If you are happy to cancel that scheduled payment, confirm to continue. Note: The Manually Fail button is only available for messages that are eligible to be failed (for example, messages in a Sent status). If the button is greyed out, the message may already be in a failed state - in that case no action is needed before resending. Delete The Deposits Instead Of Resending After a message is manually failed, Lightning Payroll asks Delete deposits and start over? Choose this if you want to remove the deposits entirely rather than resend them — for example, if the pay itself needs correcting first. Deleting removes the deposits from this message, and the super is offered again the next time you create SuperStream deposits for that pay. If the contribution was already included in a direct entry file, Lightning Payroll instead shows This contribution was already paid so you can check whether the money has actually reached the fund before deleting anything. Resend the Deposits Once the message is marked as failed, its deposits are released. Return to Super Fund Deposits and use SuperStream Contribution to include those deposits in a new message and resend them.If the released deposits do not appear in the list, check the date range first. The SuperStream Contribution screen opens with the date range set to today only, and it searches on the deposit date rather than the pay date. Widen the Start Date and End Date so the range covers the original deposit date, and the released deposits will be listed for selection. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-manually-fail-a-superstream-message-to-resend-it Q: Why Doesnt Lightning Payroll Automatically Update the USI for a Super Fund? A: Lightning Payroll automatically updates details such as a super fund's name, phone number, ABN, and bank account information based on the USI (Unique Superannuation Identifier) entered. However, it does not silently change an existing USI on its own. Where the ATO fund register names a successor fund, Lightning Payroll detects it and offers to make the change for you, but it is always your decision to confirm. This is by design and for good reason. Why are other details updated automatically? When you enter a valid USI into Lightning Payroll, we match it against daily updates from the APRA Super Fund file via the ATO's ATOP Fund Validation Service. This file contains reliable and up-to-date information about: Super fund name ABN Contact phone number Bank account details Since these details are tied directly to the USI, it is safe and consistent to auto-populate them once a valid USI is provided. So why can't Lightning Payroll just update the USI too? We cannot automatically update the USI itself because: USIs are unique: They act as identifiers for specific fund products and accounts. Automatically changing a USI could lead to incorrect super contributions or compliance issues. A successor is not always published: Where a fund closes through a successor fund transfer, the ATO fund register does now name the replacement USI, and Lightning Payroll uses it (see below). Where a fund simply winds up, rebrands, or retires a product without naming a successor, no such link exists and only the fund can tell you the correct new USI. Only the super fund can confirm: USI changes are often due to mergers or product changes. Only the fund can tell you what the correct new USI is for your employee's specific account. Data integrity matters: Automatically replacing a USI could interfere with historical records, reporting, and audit trails. What if I think a USI has changed? If you're aware of a change (e.g., a fund merger), the best approach is to: Confirm the new USI with the employee's super fund. Enter it as a new fund entry in Lightning Payroll, unless Lightning Payroll has already offered to move the fund onto the successor USI for you. Assign that new fund to the employee. This ensures clean data, accurate historical records, and compliance with ATO reporting requirements. When the register names a successor fundWhen a fund closes through a successor fund transfer, the ATO fund register records the replacement fund and its USI. Lightning Payroll reads this each time it validates a fund for a super payment. If the payment date falls after the old USI's end date, a Super Fund USI Has Changed prompt appears naming both the fund stored in your software and the successor fund.Choose Update Now to move the fund onto the successor USI and refresh its ABN, name, bank account and electronic service address from the register.Choose Not Now to leave it unchanged. Nothing is altered, and the contribution will be rejected until the USI is corrected.The prompt appears when you process super from Pays >> Payday Super, when you use Create Deposits on the Super Fund Deposits screen, and on the SuperStream contribution and direct entry steps. If the payment date is still before the old USI's end date, an advisory notice appears instead and Lightning Payroll offers to make the change once the new USI takes over.Please note that updating changes the existing fund record in place, so the employees, deposits and history already attached to it are kept. There is no undo, and SuperStream messages that have already been sent are not altered. If you already store the successor USI against another fund, Lightning Payroll will not make the change, because two funds cannot share a USI.Helpful resources USI Validator Tool: Check USI details here ClickSuper Fund Changes List: Review known fund changeovers (note: not official or comprehensive) Summary We update details like fund names and ABNs based on the USI because they are reliably tied to it via government data. We don't change the USI itself without asking, because outside a published successor fund transfer there is no reliable way to know which USI should replace another without direct confirmation from the fund. This protects your payroll records, ensures compliance, and avoids incorrect contributions. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-doesnt-lightning-payroll-automatically-update-the-usi-for-a-super-fund Q: Should I Create a New Super Fund or Edit the Existing One When the USI Changes? A: When a superannuation fund's USI (Unique Superannuation Identifier) changes, employers often wonder whether to create a new fund entry in Lightning Payroll or simply edit the existing one. The answer is: either method works, but there are important pros and cons to consider. Option 1: Create a new super fund entry This is the preferred and more accurate method moving forward. Pros: Preserves historical records: Past super contributions remain linked to the original USI and fund name. This ensures that reports, audit trails, and contribution files reflect what actually occurred at the time. Improves clarity: It's easy to distinguish between old and new fund data when reviewing employee history or preparing reports. Aligns with industry best practice: Since a changed USI often represents a new fund product or post-merger structure, treating it as a new entity avoids confusion. Cons: Slightly more setup: You'll need to reassign the new fund to the employee and ensure the correct fund is selected when processing future pays. Option 2: Edit the existing fund entry This is a quicker method, but with some downsides. Pros: Faster setup: Simply update the USI, ABN, or other changed details in the existing fund entry without needing to reassign anything. Cons: Historical inaccuracy: Past super payments will now appear as if they were made to the new fund, which may not be correct. This can cause issues with reporting, audits, or reconciling past contributions. Potential confusion: Editing the old fund makes it harder to track when the change occurred, especially across financial years or reporting periods. Option 3: Let Lightning Payroll move the fund for youWhere a fund closes through a successor fund transfer, the ATO fund register names the replacement fund. Lightning Payroll detects this when it validates the fund for a super payment and shows a Super Fund USI Has Changed prompt. Choosing Update Now moves the existing fund onto the successor USI and refreshes its ABN, name, bank account and electronic service address from the register.Pros:Nothing to reassign: the fund record is updated in place, so employees, deposits and existing history stay attached to it.Uses official data: the successor USI comes from the ATO fund register rather than being typed in by hand.Cons:Only for published successors: the prompt appears only when the register actually names a replacement fund. A rebrand or a retired product with no named successor still needs one of the options above.No undo: the old USI and bank details are overwritten, and the fund's past contributions will display under the new fund name.Recommended Approach If Lightning Payroll offers to move the fund onto a successor USI, take that option, because it uses the ATO's own record of the replacement fund. Otherwise, while both remaining options are technically valid, we recommend creating a new fund entry in Lightning Payroll whenever the USI changes. This approach protects the integrity of your payroll history and aligns with superannuation reporting standards. Summary Create new fund: More accurate, preserves history, ideal for USI or fund product changes. Edit existing fund: Faster, but overwrites historical fund data and can create confusion.Let Lightning Payroll update it: Best where the ATO fund register names a successor fund, because the replacement USI comes from official data and nothing needs reassigning. Need to check a USI? Use our USI Validator Tool to confirm up-to-date fund details before making changes. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/should-i-create-a-new-super-fund-or-edit-the-existing-one-when-the-usi-changes Q: Why Are Some Employees Skipped When I Create Super Fund Deposits? A: Before it builds super fund deposits, Lightning Payroll checks each employee's super fund. Employees whose super cannot be paid to a valid fund are left out of the batch rather than producing a deposit the fund would reject. The screen tells you who was left out and why. Where you see it The check runs on the Create Deposits wizard, reached from the Super Fund Deposits screen, and on Pays >> Payday Super. A message above the employee list explains that employees whose super cannot be paid to a valid fund are skipped, and that the totals show how much that leaves payable. Affected rows are highlighted, and in the desktop app you can hover over a row to read the reason. The wizard also shows a separate total for the amount being left out, labelled Total (Invalid Fund) in the desktop app and Total (Invalid Fund Details) in the online app, alongside Total Payable (Valid Fund). Click Show Invalid Super Fund Information to list each affected employee, the fund involved, and the reason. After the deposits are created, a Some employees were skipped message repeats the list. Why a fund is treated as invalid No primary super fund is set for the employee. No USI is recorded for an APRA-regulated fund. The USI is not valid for the payment date, for example because the fund's listing on the ATO fund register has ended. The fund's BSB is invalid, for funds paid by direct credit or direct debit. A self managed super fund has no electronic service address, or the address is out of date or not a recognised alias. The fund is set to a payment method that cannot be sent. PayTo or PayID is selected but Ozedi credentials have not been set up. How to fix it Attach the employee to a fund under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund, or correct the fund's details under Settings >> Super Fund Providers, then create the deposits again. For PayTo and PayID, set up your credentials under Company >> Ozedi Superstream. The check covers every fund attached to the employee's unpaid pays, including a salary sacrifice fund or a separate RESC fund, not just the primary one. If the register could not be reached A separate message says that some super funds could not be checked against the ATO fund register just now. That is a temporary problem reaching the register rather than a problem with the fund. Those employees are not skipped, but confirm their details before paying. Related Why Am I Seeing an Invalid BSB Warning? Why Doesnt Lightning Payroll Automatically Update the USI for a Super Fund? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-some-employees-skipped-when-i-create-super-fund-deposits Q: How Do I Delete An Unsent SuperStream Message In The Online App? A: A SuperStream message that was created but never sent can be deleted from the SuperStream Mailbox in the online app, so an abandoned draft does not sit in the list. Messages that have already left your software cannot be deleted. Delete the message Go to Super Fund Deposits and click SuperStream Mailbox. Find the message in the list. Use the date and status filters to narrow it down if needed. Click Delete on that row. Confirm at the Delete unsent message prompt, which warns that this cannot be undone. A confirmation appears once the message is removed. The deposits themselves are not deleted, so the super remains available to include in a new message. When the Delete button is greyed out The button stays visible but is disabled for any message that cannot be deleted. In the online app only messages with a status of New or Unsent can be removed, and only while they have not yet been uploaded to Ozedi. An unsent message that has already reached the gateway is kept so its response is not stranded. Anything that has been sent, completed, failed or partially processed cannot be deleted. If you need to undo a message that was already sent, mark it as failed instead. See How Do I Manually Fail A SuperStream Message To Resend It? Please note the desktop app is slightly more permissive. It also allows a message with a status of Failed Validation or Failed Send to be deleted, because neither has left your software. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-delete-an-unsent-superstream-message-in-the-online-app Q: What Is The Default Company Super Fund And How Does It Affect Employee Self-Enrolment? A: The Default Company Super Fund is your nominated fund for employees who do not choose their own. When set, employees completing onboarding or updating their super details through the employee portal can select Use company default super fund instead of entering a fund manually. Lightning Payroll will then automatically send a SuperStream member registration message to that fund on their behalf. Setting the Default Company Super Fund In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers. Use the Default Company Super Fund dropdown to select one of your active super funds. The setting saves immediately. If no funds are listed, add one first using New Super Fund (Online Search). In the desktop app: go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers and edit the fund you want to use as the default. Set it as the default fund from within the fund's details. Only active funds can be set as the default. How It Works for Employees in the Portal When an employee logs into the employee portal and opens the Super section, they will see a Use company default super fund checkbox. If they tick it: The fund you have nominated as the default is applied to their account. A SuperStream member registration message is sent to that fund automatically. They do not need to know or enter their own USI or member number. If the employee has not completed their personal details (name, address, tax file number) before ticking this option, the portal will prompt them to complete those fields first. Personal details are required for the registration message to be valid. When No Default Is Set If you have not selected a default company super fund, the Use company default super fund option in the portal is disabled. Employees must enter their own super fund USI and member number manually. You can still register members manually through the Create New Super Member Registration screen in the online app, or under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund in the desktop app. For instructions on adding or registering a super fund account for an individual employee, see How Do I Create a New Super Fund Account for an Employee in Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-default-company-super-fund-and-how-does-it-affect-employee-self-enrolment Q: How Do I Check SuperStream Responses And Read Message Details In The Online App? A: The SuperStream Mailbox in the online app lets you check for new responses from the SuperStream network and review the full details of any contribution or registration message. Navigate to Super Fund Deposits in the sidebar, then click SuperStream Mailbox. Check for New Responses Click Check Responses to download any new response messages from the SuperStream network. A notification appears when the check is complete, showing how many new responses were received. It is normal to receive no responses - super funds are only required to send a response when an error has occurred. Messages that have gone through without issue will typically remain in a Sent status. Open a Message Find the message you want to inspect. Use the Filter By Status, Filter By Fund, Filter By Employee, and Filter By Type dropdowns, along with the Start Date and End Date fields, to narrow the list. Then click View beside the message to open its detail page. Reading Message Details The Message Information page shows a summary of the message status at the top, followed by three sections: Contribution Details - shows the super fund or funds covered by the message, the payment method, the ABA reference number, and the total payable amount. Employee Records - lists each employee included in the contribution with their Super Levy, Member Contribution, RESC, Salary Sacrifice, and Total Amount. ATO Responses (Errors/Warnings) - lists any response messages returned by the ATO for this contribution, including the date received, total errors, total warnings, and maximum severity. If a response is present, a Response Details section below it shows the individual error or warning codes, their severity, and more detail about each item. Download the PDF Report If a PDF report is available for the message, a Download PDF button appears at the top of the page. Click it to save a copy of the contribution report to your device. Manually Fail a Message If a super fund has returned the money due to an error, or a message was never received, you can release the deposits so they can be included in a new message. Click Manually Fail to mark the message as failed. A confirmation prompt explains that this will release the deposits for resending. If the contribution has a pending scheduled payment, that payment and the Ozedi upload will also be cancelled. For more information about what to do after a message fails or funds are returned, see How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages and Super Deposits When the Super Fund/s Have Returned the Money to My Account? For a guide to searching and filtering the mailbox list, see How Can I Search My Super Deposits And SuperStream Mailbox? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-check-superstream-responses-and-read-message-details-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Export A SAFF File Manually For A Third-Party Clearing House? A: The SuperStream Alternative File Format (SAFF) is an ATO-defined CSV layout that some employers upload directly to a third-party clearing house or SuperStream gateway (such as SuperChoice or Ozedi) instead of sending contributions through Lightning Payroll's built-in SuperStream connection. The export is optional - use it only when your clearing house requires a manual file upload. In the Desktop App There are two ways to trigger a manual SAFF export during the SuperStream contribution wizard. Option 1 - Generate CSV from the deposit selection screen Go to Pays >> Payday Super and complete your pay selection as usual, then click Create. On the deposit selection screen, under Output Option, select Generate CSV instead of Send Superstream. Choose the deposits to include and click Next. The CSV export screen opens. The default layout is the ATO Alternate File Format (SAFF v1.0 with 133 columns). Tick Include ATO Headers to add the three required header rows that most clearing houses expect. Click Save As, choose a location and file name, then save. The file downloads as a .csv. Upload the saved file to your clearing house and complete their payment process. Option 2 - Export from the SuperStream Summary screen Complete the SuperStream wizard as normal (select Send Superstream). On the SuperStream Summary screen you will see a Need a manual SAFF file export? button at the bottom of the screen. Click Need a manual SAFF file export?, confirm the prompt, then choose a save location. The file is saved. Upload it to your clearing house. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Pays, complete the pay run, then open Payday Super. Select the pays to include, set the Payment Date, and click Create. Work through the SuperStream contribution wizard until the SuperStream Summary screen. Click Need a manual SAFF file export? (shown below the other action buttons when deposits are available). A confirmation modal titled Manual SAFF Export appears. Click Yes, export. The file downloads automatically as Lightning-Payroll-SuperStream-SAFF.csv. Upload it to your clearing house. Date Format Setting (Desktop App) By default Lightning Payroll writes dates in the SAFF file as YYYY-MM-DD, which matches the ATO SAFF v1.0 specification and is accepted by most clearing houses. If your clearing house rejects the file and requires DD-MM-YYYY dates instead, go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers and tick Use DD-MM-YYYY dates in SAFF exports (instead of the default YYYY-MM-DD)?. The online app always uses the ATO default format. Notes The SAFF export is a contingency option. If your Ozedi account is set up for the built-in SuperStream connection, there is no need to use a manual export. Contribution timing still applies - from 1 July 2026, super generally needs to reach the employee's fund within 7 business days of payday. Allow time for your clearing house to process and remit the file. After exporting, the deposits remain in Super Fund Deposits so you can mark them as paid once the clearing house confirms receipt. For a broader overview of clearing house and gateway options, see Can I Use A Clearing House Or Another Super Gateway For Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-a-saff-file-manually-for-a-third-party-clearing-house Q: How Do I Create A SuperStream Direct Entry ABA File In The Online App? A: The SuperStream Direct Entry wizard lets you generate an ABA file for SuperStream contribution payments using internet banking. It is accessed from the SuperStream Mailbox and lets you select which sent messages to include, preview the payment, then download the file. Open the Direct Entry Wizard Go to Super Fund Deposits from the main navigation. Click SuperStream Mailbox. Use the filters (Start Date, End Date, Filter By Status, Filter By Fund, Filter By Employee, Filter By Type) to find the messages you want to pay, if needed. Click Direct Entry to open the wizard. Select Messages The wizard opens on the Select Messages step. Select the messages to include in the file. You can filter by Sent Date, Status, and whether messages have previously been included in a payment file. Note: for Progressive messages, failed deposits are not included in the file. Preview Payment Information Click Preview to generate a summary of the payment to be made. Review the fund totals and payment details before proceeding. The optional Send Transactions To? field lets you direct the transactions if required. If all details are correct, click Next to continue. Download the ABA File On the Save Direct Entry File step, choose your options and click Download Direct Entry File. Include Debit Entry? - tick this if your bank requires a debit entry in the ABA file. If the bank rejects the file with an error, try enabling this option and regenerating. Include company name in filename - tick to add your company name to the downloaded filename. Upload the downloaded ABA file to your internet banking using the same reference details shown for each fund. Do not change the lodgement reference in internet banking - SuperStream messages and bank payments are matched by this reference, and altering it may cause the fund to fail to allocate the money. After Downloading Once the file has been downloaded the wizard shows a Summary confirmation. Click Show Report to open a summary report of the direct entries made. For help resending existing deposits or recovering a failed SuperStream message, see How Do I Send Existing Super Fund Deposits?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-a-superstream-direct-entry-aba-file-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Process Payday Super In The Online App? A: Payday Super becomes mandatory from 1 July 2026. From that date, employers generally need to ensure super contributions are received by the employee's fund within 7 business days after payday. The online app supports this workflow directly from the Pays screen. Before You Start Confirm each employee has a valid active superannuation fund set up under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund. Check that APRA funds have a valid USI and member number, and that SMSFs have the correct ABN, BSB, account number and Electronic Service Address. If you use PayTo or PayID via Ozedi, confirm your Ozedi credentials are configured under Company >> Ozedi Superstream. Step 1 - Open Payday Super Go to the Pays screen and ensure the correct pay run is selected. Click the Payday Super button. Step 2 - Select Pays and Set the Payment Date Set the Payment Date. This is the date the super payment is made or scheduled. PayID payments cannot be future-dated and will be reset to today automatically. In the Select Employees panel, select each pay you want to include in this super batch. Pays are colour-coded to indicate issues such as no active fund, invalid fund details, or an existing deposit. If the Show Invalid Super Fund Information button appears, click it to review which pays cannot be processed and why, then fix the fund details or deselect those pays before continuing. If your company uses Ozedi PayTo or PayID and the Combine Ozedi PayTo/PayID contributions into one payment per method option appears, tick it to aggregate all Ozedi contributions into a single upload per payment method rather than one message per employee. Review the Total Selected panel on the right. It shows a breakdown of Super Guarantee, Sacrifice RESC, Additional RESC, Voluntary/Post-Tax, and the Total Payable. Any amounts in red (no active fund), purple (deposit already exists), or pink (invalid fund details) will be excluded from the batch. Step 3 - Create the Deposits Click Create. Lightning Payroll creates a super fund deposit for each selected pay and then opens the SuperStream Contribution wizard automatically. If a PayTo agreement is inactive, a warning will appear - log in to your Ozedi dashboard to reactivate the agreement, then try again. Step 4 - Send the SuperStream Messages The SuperStream Contribution wizard walks through the following steps: Select deposits - the new deposits are pre-selected. Message Details - review the contribution message details and total amount. Validation - Lightning Payroll checks for errors before sending. Remote Validation - the messages are validated against the SuperStream network via Ozedi. SuperStream Summary - choose your send action: Send Messages - sends the contribution via Ozedi (PayTo or PayID). Make the matching payment from your bank immediately for PayID, or allow PayTo to debit automatically. Create Direct Entry Payment File - generates an ABA/XML bank file for Direct Credit payment. Upload the file to your bank or use your bank's direct entry service. PayID Payment Report - produces a report listing the PayID amounts and references to help you make the bank transfer manually. Need a manual SAFF file export? - use this only when an external clearing house will handle the messaging and payment. After sending, Lightning Payroll returns you to the Pays screen. You can review the deposit history and check SuperStream responses at any time from Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox. For a printable rundown of a pay run's super — including each fund's details, any validation issues, and Deposited / Sent / Paid progress — click the Payday Super Report button on the Payday Super screen, or run the Payday Super report from the Reports list. See How Do I Use The Payday Super Report? For general Payday Super background, setup steps and payment method details, see How Can I Handle Payday Super In Lightning Payroll? To schedule a Payday Super batch in advance of a public holiday or leave period, see How Do I Process Payday Super In Advance In Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-payday-super-in-the-online-app Q: What Do The SuperStream Send Status Messages Mean And When Can I Create A Direct Entry File? A: After clicking Send Messages in the SuperStream Summary, Lightning Payroll uploads each contribution message to Ozedi using a deferred-confirmation model. The SuperStream Send Status screen (a dialog on desktop; a panel in the online app) then shows each fund's current status while Ozedi processes the uploads. The screen re-checks Ozedi automatically every few seconds so you do not need to do anything while messages are processing. What Each Status Means Accepted — Ozedi has confirmed it received and accepted the message. This is the terminal success state. Processing — the message has been uploaded to Ozedi but Ozedi has not yet accepted it. The screen continues checking automatically. No action is needed while messages are in this state. Failed — Ozedi rejected the message. A reason is shown in the row (hover the row on desktop to see the full text). Use Retry failed to re-upload the affected messages once you have resolved the underlying issue. Not sent — the message was never uploaded, for example if sending was interrupted. Use Retry failed to upload these alongside any failed messages. The Status Summary Line Across the top of the board you will see a count in the form X accepted · Y processing · Z failed · N not sent. This gives a quick overview of where all messages stand. The board header also describes what action (if any) is needed: All X messages accepted by Ozedi — every message reached a terminal success state. Accepted is not the same as paid — sending only transmitted the contribution details to each fund, so no money has moved yet. If you pay super by Direct Entry, you still need to create the payment file (see below). X of Y accepted — still processing — automatic checking is in progress. Wait, or click Refresh to check immediately. X of Y accepted — action needed — one or more messages failed or were not sent. Resolve the issue shown and click Retry failed. Using the Buttons Refresh — sends a manual re-check to Ozedi right now. The button is active only when messages are still processing. After about five minutes of automatic checking the auto-poll pauses; clicking Refresh lets you keep checking manually. Retry failed — re-uploads all failed and not-sent messages and restarts automatic checking. Use this after fixing the cause of a failure (for example a missing member USI or invalid fund details). Create Direct Entry File — opens the Direct Entry wizard to generate the ABA or XML payment file. This button is locked until every message has been accepted by Ozedi. This prevents a contribution that Ozedi has not confirmed from being included in the payment file. Close (or Done when all accepted and no Direct Entry applies) — closes the board and returns you to the SuperStream Summary. No payment has been made at this point if you have not yet created the Direct Entry file. Why Is Create Direct Entry File Greyed Out? The Create Direct Entry File button remains locked until all messages reach Accepted status. If the button is still greyed out, check the board for any messages showing Processing, Failed, or Not sent. Once every message shows Accepted, the button becomes available automatically. Accepted Is Not Paid — One Step Left If you pay your super by Direct Entry (Direct Credit), sending the SuperStream messages only transmits the contribution details to each fund — it does not move any money. Once every message is accepted, the board heading turns amber and reads Messages accepted — your employees' super is NOT paid yet, with a note that one step is left. To actually pay the super, click Create Direct Entry File / Report (previously labelled "Create Direct Entry File") to build the payment file to upload to your bank, or to print the Direct Entry report and key the payments in manually. The super is not paid until you do this. If you try to close the send-status board, or navigate away, while the super is still unpaid, Lightning Payroll warns Super not paid yet and asks whether to leave without creating the payment file. Choose Go back to return and create the file, or Close anyway if you intend to pay later. This warning applies to Direct Entry (Direct Credit) users. For help understanding the responses that arrive later in the SuperStream mailbox, see How Can I Search My Super Deposits And SuperStream Mailbox? For help with resending after a returned payment, see How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages and Super Deposits When the Super Fund/s Have Returned the Money to My Account? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-the-superstream-send-status-messages-mean-and-when-can-i-create-a-direct-entry-file Q: How Can I Search My Super Deposits And SuperStream Mailbox? A: Lightning Payroll keeps a history of super fund deposits and SuperStream messages. Use this history to check previous batches, find payment details, review message responses, or follow up on failed or returned payments. Open the Super Fund Deposits Screen In the desktop app: Select Super Fund Deposits from the main navigation. This lists all super fund deposits, with the most recent records at the top. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Super Fund Deposits in the sidebar. The list loads with the most recent deposits shown first. Search Deposit History Tick Show Search Filter? to reveal the filters, then narrow the list: Choose Deposit Date to filter by the date the payment was made or scheduled for the fund. Choose Pay Period End Date to filter by the dates of the pays included in the deposits. Use the date range fields to limit results to a specific period. Use Show Deposits for Selected Employees (desktop) or the employee filter (online) to show only deposits for particular employees. To inspect a deposit in more detail, select it from the list and open it. Be careful editing historical deposits, especially if they are linked to a SuperStream message. Open the SuperStream Mailbox From the Super Fund Deposits screen, click SuperStream Mailbox. The mailbox lists all contribution and registration messages with their current status. Filter and Find a Message Use the controls across the top of the mailbox to find the message you need: Status: filter by where the message is up to, such as Sent, Processing, Failed or Complete. Fund and Employee: narrow the list to a particular super fund or employee. Type: switch between contribution messages and registration messages. Dates Between (desktop) or Start Date / End Date (online): limit the list to a date range. Click Check Responses at any time to retrieve the latest responses from the SuperStream network for the messages shown. It is common to have no responses yet — super funds are only required to respond when an error has occurred. View a Message and Check Its Status Select a message from the list to view its details. In the desktop app this shows a summary including the Conversation ID, which acts like a tracking number for that message and can be provided to a super fund if needed. In the online app the message detail shows sections for Contribution Details, Employee Records, ATO Responses (Errors/Warnings) and Response Details. If your SuperStream message was successfully processed and forwarded to the super fund, the Conversation ID (desktop) will have a value. Messages that have been sent and not yet rejected are likely to stay in a Sent status. Understanding Message Statuses Sent — the message was delivered to the SuperStream network. No error response has been received. This is the normal state for a successfully processed message. Failed or Progressive — an error response was returned. Open the message to read the response details and contact the super fund directly for further information. Complete — the message has been confirmed as complete. In the desktop app you can also mark a message as complete yourself if you are confident the payment was received and processed by the fund. For steps on resending a message after a failure or returned payment, see How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages and Super Deposits When the Super Fund/s Have Returned the Money to My Account? For help sending existing deposits that have already been created, see How Do I Send Existing Super Fund Deposits? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-search-my-super-deposits-and-superstream-mailbox Q: How Do I Recalculate Super Amounts Across Past Pays In The Online App? A: The Recalculate Super On Pays tool lets you correct the compulsory Super Guarantee (SGC) and Reportable Employer Super Contributions (RESC) across a range of historical pays. Use it when an employee's super settings were wrong at the time pays were processed and you need to bring those pays into line with the correct settings. Opening the Tool In the online app, go to Tools >> Recalculate Super On Pays. The wizard opens and walks you through four steps. Step-by-Step Date Range - Enter the earliest and latest pay dates you want to include in the recalculation. Only pays whose pay date falls within this range will be considered. Select Employees - Choose which employees to include. Active (non-terminated) employees are pre-selected; untick any you want to exclude. Select Pays - A list of pays matching your date range and employee selection is shown. Tick the specific pays you want to recalculate super on, then click Next. Super Recalculation Results - A preview table shows the tentative recalculated amounts for each selected pay. Columns include Date, Processed Date, Employee Name, Compulsory Rate, Total Super Rate, Based On, Based On Amount, Current Super Guarantee, Recalc. Super Guarantee, Current Excess RESC, and Recalc. Excess RESC. Green values indicate an increase in super for that pay; red values indicate a decrease. Totals for the Total Compulsory Super (SGC) Difference and Total Reportable Employer Super Contributions (RESC) Difference are shown above the table. Use Print/Preview to download a PDF copy of the preview before committing. Confirming the Recalculation When you are satisfied with the preview, click Finish. A Confirm Super Recalculation dialog asks you to confirm before any changes are written. Click Yes to apply. The app updates all selected pays to the recalculated super amounts and displays a success message when complete. Important Notes Recalculations are based on each employee's current super settings, which may differ from what was in place when the pay was originally processed. Review current settings before running the tool if you are unsure. Pays that have already been included in a super fund deposit cannot be recalculated via this tool. Remove or reprocess the deposit separately if you need to adjust those pays. This tool adjusts the super figures on the pay records themselves. It does not create or modify super fund deposits - you will still need to process a super deposit for any additional amounts owed. If you need to correct a contribution that was missed or already paid to a fund, see How Can I Correct A Missed Or Already-Paid Super Contribution? In the Desktop App The same wizard is available in the desktop app under Tools >> Recalculate Super On Pays. The steps and behaviour are the same as described above. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-recalculate-super-amounts-across-past-pays-in-the-online-app Q: How Can I Handle Payday Super In Lightning Payroll? A: Payday Super becomes mandatory from 1 July 2026. From that date, employers generally need to pay Super Guarantee for each payday and ensure contributions are received by the employee super fund within 7 business days after payday, unless an ATO exception applies. In Lightning Payroll, the proper workflow for current super processing is Pays >> Payday Super for each completed pay run. The Super Fund Deposits screen remains available for deposit history, SuperStream mailbox responses, resends, SAFF follow-up, legacy catch-ups and exceptional manual adjustments, but it is no longer the recommended place to start ordinary super payments. Before Your First Payday Super Run Complete employee super setup. Go to Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund and make sure each employee has the correct active fund. Check APRA fund details. Most employees need a valid USI, the correct member number, and one fund marked as the primary fund. Check SMSF details. Self-managed super funds need the correct ABN, BSB, account number and Electronic Service Address, unless a business-related SMSF exemption applies. Choose fund payment methods. Go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers and confirm whether each fund uses Direct Credit (ABA/XML), PayTo, PayID or another supported workflow. Review payment timing. Direct Credit and external clearing houses can take longer than NPP methods such as PayTo and PayID, so allow for bank cut-off times. Process Super For A Pay Run Complete the pay run on the Pays screen. Click the Payday Super button on the Pays toolbar. Set the Payment Date. Select the completed pays to include in this super batch. Review any validation messages. Lightning Payroll will flag issues such as no payable super, an existing deposit, no primary fund, invalid USI, invalid ESA or missing fund details. Fix the issue or untick the affected pay, then click Create. Review the SuperStream Summary. Click Send Messages, unless you are intentionally using the SAFF export option for an external clearing house. Make the matching payment immediately using your selected method. Payment Methods Direct Credit (ABA/XML): Lightning Payroll prepares the bank file or Direct Entry preview. You upload the file to your bank or pay each line manually. PayTo via Ozedi: A near real-time NPP option where Ozedi can debit the approved bank account automatically once the remittance is sent. PayID via Ozedi: A fast NPP option where you send the funds manually from your bank to the Ozedi PayID after submitting the remittance. SAFF export: Use this only when you want an external clearing house or SuperStream gateway to handle the messaging and payment workflow. Where To View History After a batch is created, you can search deposits and check SuperStream responses from the Super Fund Deposits screen in the SuperStream section. This screen is for viewing, editing and recovering existing deposits rather than starting the normal Payday Super process. For a printable rundown of a single pay run's super — one row per employee and fund with the super breakdown, fund details, validation issues, and Deposited / Sent / Paid progress — run the Payday Super report from the Super column of the Reports screen, or click Payday Super Report on the Payday Super screen. See How Do I Use The Payday Super Report? For a guided walkthrough, see the interactive Payday Super guide: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/payday-super For ATO guidance, see About Payday Super and qualifying earnings. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-handle-payday-super-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Does Lightning Payroll Handle Member Verification Requests (MVR)? A: A Member Verification Request (MVR) is a SuperStream message that asks an employee's super fund to confirm the member's account details before you make a contribution. From 1 July 2026 the ATO requires this check before the first contribution to an employee's fund, as part of the move to Payday Super. Lightning Payroll handles this for you automatically — there is nothing extra to set up. When Lightning Payroll sends a Member Verification Request The check runs automatically while you are submitting your super contributions through SuperStream. You do not send it from a separate screen. It applies from 1 July 2026 onwards. Before that date, your super submissions are unchanged. It is sent only before the first contribution to a given employee-and-fund combination. Once a contribution to that fund has gone through for that employee, no further verification is sent for that pairing, so you will not see it on every pay. It applies to Australian super funds. Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are not verified this way. What you will see when sending super Lightning Payroll does not hold up your super waiting for the funds to reply. When verification is needed, it sends the requests, pauses just a few seconds to confirm the SuperStream gateway accepted them, and then sends your contributions straight away. The funds' replies arrive later — sometimes within seconds, sometimes hours — and are matched up automatically in the SuperStream Mailbox, so there is nothing to watch and no need to wait. In the online (web/mobile) app, a Review member verification window appears before the contributions go, listing each affected member by outcome: Delivered to fund — the verification request reached the fund; its reply is still pending. Rejected by fund — the fund could not confirm the member's details. Held from this send — the request could not be delivered, so that member's super is held back and offered again next time. Choose one of the following: Continue with eligible contributions — send the contributions for every member whose verification was delivered or already completed. Members a fund has rejected are held back for a later send. Approve & Skip Future Checks — send every listed contribution now and stop verifying those employee-and-fund pairings from now on. The fund may still reject a contribution if the member details are wrong, so use this only when you are certain the details are correct. Cancel send — stop without sending anything. In the desktop app there is no decision to make at send time. Lightning Payroll sends the contributions for every member whose verification was delivered, and if any members had to be held back it shows a Verification held back message listing who was held back and why. To approve skipping future checks after a fund rejection on desktop, open the rejected verification message under Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox and click Approve & Skip Future Checks. Where the funds' replies end up Over 99% of verifications succeed, so a pending reply almost never means a problem. When a fund does reply, Lightning Payroll sends a SuperStream response notification to your registered account email address, with the fund's response attached, so you do not have to keep checking. You can also review a completed verification at any time under Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox by setting the message Type filter at the top of the screen to Mvr. Anything held back is not lost — those amounts stay owing and are offered again, and verified again, the next time you contribute to that fund. If a member cannot be verified A member that could not be verified usually means the account details the fund holds do not match what is recorded for the employee. Check the employee's super fund details (the USI, member number and personal details) against what the fund has on file, then try again. If Lightning Payroll tells you a fund is not yet certified to receive Member Verification Requests, that fund has not finished setting up for this part of SuperStream. Contributions to that fund are sent without verification, so nothing is held up and you do not need to do anything. You can still choose to send a contribution that a fund has rejected, but the fund may reject it again. Where possible, resolve the verification first. If an employee's details are incomplete To be verified, an employee needs a date of birth and something the fund can match them on — either a Tax File Number or their fund member number. If an employee who needs verifying is missing one of these, Lightning Payroll does not hold up everyone else. It holds back just that employee's super, verifies and sends everyone else, and shows you a Member details needed message listing who was held back and why (for example, "no date of birth on file"). The held-back amounts are not lost — they stay owing and are offered again the next time you send super. Add the missing details to the employee's record, then send again and those members will be verified along with the rest. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-lightning-payroll-handle-member-verification-requests-mvr Q: How Do I Use The Payday Super Report? A: The Payday Super report is a printable rundown of a single pay run's super. It shows one row per employee and fund with the super breakdown (Super Guarantee, sacrifice and additional RESC, and post-tax contributions), the fund's USI or ESA and member number, any validation issues, and Deposited / Sent / Paid progress, along with pay run totals and the Total Payable. Opening The Report In the desktop app: go to the Reports screen and click Payday Super in the Super column, or click Payday Super Report on the Payday Super processing screen to pre-fill the current pay run. In the online (web/mobile) app: open Reports and choose Payday Super under the Super category, or click Payday Super Report on the Payday Super screen. You can preview the report, download it as a PDF, export a CSV, or email it. Reading The Report The report covers one pay run at a time and needs at least one completed pay in the selected run. Its colour coding matches the Payday Super screen, so amounts excluded because an employee has no active fund, a deposit already exists, or the fund details are invalid are totalled separately from the Total Payable. For the full Payday Super process, see How Can I Handle Payday Super In Lightning Payroll? and How Do I Process Payday Super In The Online App? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-payday-super-report Q: What Superstream Payment Options Are Available for Payday Super? A: Payday Super changes when super must be paid. From 1 July 2026, employers generally need to pay Super Guarantee for each payday and have contributions received by the employee super fund within 7 business days after payday, unless an ATO exception applies. In Lightning Payroll, start ordinary super processing from Pays >> Payday Super after the pay run is complete. The payment method controls how the money moves after the SuperStream contribution data has been prepared. Payment Options At A Glance Direct Credit (ABA/XML): Lightning Payroll prepares a bulk bank file. You upload the file to your bank and submit the payment. This is included with Lightning Payroll and suits most businesses. Manual bank transfer: If your bank does not support file uploads, use the Direct Entry preview report and pay each line manually through internet banking. PayTo via Ozedi: Ozedi can automatically debit the approved bank account after the remittance is submitted. This is the most automated option and uses the New Payments Platform. PayID via Ozedi: Ozedi provides a PayID email address. You submit the remittance, then send the funds manually from your bank via NPP. SAFF export: Lightning Payroll prepares a SuperStream Alternative File Format file for upload to an external clearing house or SuperStream gateway. Direct Credit (ABA/XML) This option uses Lightning Payroll to prepare the SuperStream contribution data and a payment file. You remain responsible for logging into your bank, uploading the file, approving the payment, and keeping the generated reference details unchanged. Most banks process these payments through BECS or similar batch rails, so allow for bank cut-off times and settlement delays. Sending the bank file on payday is usually the safest habit. PayTo And PayID Via Ozedi PayTo and PayID are available when you connect your own Ozedi Unified Experience Dashboard account. PayTo is the most automated option. Once the PayTo agreement is approved, Ozedi can debit the approved bank account after the remittance is sent. PayID is fast but manual. You send the payment from your bank to the Ozedi PayID immediately after the remittance is submitted. Ozedi is a separate prepaid service and may charge its own transaction or payment processing fees. Contact Ozedi for current account, pricing or billing questions. Using A Clearing House Or Another Gateway If you prefer an external clearing house or SuperStream gateway, complete the pay run, click Payday Super, create the contribution batch, then use the manual SAFF export option instead of sending messages directly through Lightning Payroll. Upload the generated CSV to your chosen provider and allow time for their validation and payment process. How Super Fund Bank Details Are Handled For most APRA-regulated funds, Lightning Payroll validates the USI and retrieves payment and messaging details from the ATO Super Fund Validation Service. You do not normally need to manually maintain bank details for APRA funds. For SMSFs, enter and check the BSB, account number and Electronic Service Address manually because SMSFs are not handled by the ATO validation service in the same way. Lightning Payroll also shows whether each APRA fund can accept contributions over the New Payments Platform (NPP) and, if so, the fund's own PayID. Look for the NPP? and PayID columns under Settings >> Super Fund Providers, and a Pay via PayID (NPP) line beneath the fund on the Direct Entry preview and report. This is informational — the Direct Entry file still pays each fund by BSB and account number — but if you pay a fund manually through internet banking, you can use its PayID for a faster NPP transfer instead. This is the fund's PayID, separate from the Ozedi PayID option above. Related Setup Guides How do I set up Ozedi PayTo for automatic super payments? How do I set up Ozedi PayID for Payday Super? Can I use a clearing house or another SuperStream gateway for Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-superstream-payment-options-are-available-for-payday-super Q: What Is Causing SuperStream Validation Errors? A: SuperStream validation errors occur when the data in a contribution or registration message does not meet the requirements of the SuperStream network or the receiving super fund. The following covers the most common causes and how to resolve them in each stage of the process. Pre-Send Validation Warnings (Payday Super Screen) Before a SuperStream batch is created, Lightning Payroll checks each pay for fund and employee data problems. Any pay with issues appears under Total (Invalid Fund Details) on the Payday Super screen and is excluded from processing by default. Click Show Invalid Super Fund Information to see a detailed list of affected pays and the specific issues found. Common pre-send issues include: missing or incorrect member number, no primary fund assigned to the employee, an invalid USI, missing SMSF details (BSB, account number or Electronic Service Address), and a fund that is not contribution-ready. Correct the fund or employee record, then return to the Payday Super screen to include the previously excluded pays. Validation Page Errors (During the SuperStream Wizard) Both the desktop and online app run a local validation step before building the SuperStream messages. If errors are listed on the Validation step, fix each one before continuing. Errors on this page relate to fund setup, employee details, or company bank account configuration. In the online app, the Validation step shows Please fix the following errors and may offer an inline fix option for some fields. In the desktop app, the ValidationPage lists the same categories of errors and blocks progress until they are resolved. Remote Validation Errors (Final Network Check) After local validation passes, Lightning Payroll performs a Remote Validation step that sends the draft message to the SuperStream network for a format and content check before it is lodged. If an error appears at this step: Read the Validation message or Error Message shown on the Remote Validation screen - it usually identifies which field or fund is the problem. Go back and correct the relevant fund, employee, or company detail, then restart the wizard. If no validation errors are found, the wizard proceeds automatically to the SuperStream Summary. Connection and Gateway Errors A failed internet connection or a temporary issue with the Ozedi SuperStream gateway can also produce validation-like errors during sending. If you receive an error that refers to a connection failure or the Ozedi gateway: Check that your internet connection is working. If you see an Internet Error, see Why Do I Get An Internet Error When Sending Superstream? - this is often a licence refresh issue. If the gateway is temporarily unavailable, wait a short time and retry. Do not create new deposits for the same pay run; use the existing-deposit resend workflow instead. Contributions Rejected Due To An Outdated Version If sending your super returns an error that your contributions are not allowed, or refers to a "V1" contributions version that is no longer accepted, your Lightning Payroll is an older version that sends super to a SuperStream gateway address the network no longer accepts. There is nothing wrong with your employee or fund data. Update Lightning Payroll to the latest version to resolve this — the current version sends contributions to the up-to-date gateway. This affects the installed desktop app; the online (web/mobile) app is always kept up to date. See How Can I Update to the Latest Version of Lightning Payroll? Contributions Rejected Due To An Outdated Version If sending your super returns an error that your contributions are not allowed, or refers to a "V1" contributions version that is no longer accepted, your Lightning Payroll is an older version that sends super to a SuperStream gateway address the network no longer accepts. There is nothing wrong with your employee or fund data. Update Lightning Payroll to the latest version to resolve this — the current version sends contributions to the up-to-date gateway. This affects the installed desktop app; the online (web/mobile) app is always kept up to date. See How Can I Update to the Latest Version of Lightning Payroll? Member Verification (MVR) Failures After messages are sent, the receiving fund returns a Member Verification Response (MVR). Lightning Payroll checks automatically in the background — you do not click Wait or refresh anything. It only stops to ask for a decision if a fund rejects a member or a reply is taking longer than about five minutes, offering Send Verified Now, Send All Anyway (Override), Approve & Skip Future Checks, or Cancel And Roll Back. See How Does Lightning Payroll Handle Member Verification Requests (MVR)? for the full flow. Sending an unverified contribution may be rejected by the fund. For a broader list of reasons a contribution can be rejected after sending, see Why Has The Super Fund Rejected Or Not Processed My Super Contribution? To check the status of sent messages, open the SuperStream Mailbox. See also How Do I Check For Superstream Response Messages? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-causing-superstream-validation-errors Q: How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages and Super Deposits When the Super Fund/s Have Returned the Money to My Account? A: A super fund can return (refund) money to your bank account when it cannot match a contribution to a member. Before you resend anything, work out which of these two situations you have — the cause and the fix are different. Was Only One Employee Refunded, Or The Whole Fund Payment? One employee's contribution was refunded. This is almost always a member-identity mismatch — something about that person does not match the fund's records. The whole payment to a fund was refunded. Each fund is paid once for all of its members, so a full refund points to a payment-matching problem between the SuperStream message and the money, not to any one employee. If Only One Employee Was Refunded Check that employee's details against the fund's records before you restart the contribution. A refund for a single member usually means the USI, the member number, or the employee's date of birth, TFN or name does not match what the fund holds for them. Open the employee and check their name, date of birth and TFN are correct. Go to Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund and confirm the fund's USI and the employee's member number are correct for that fund. Fix whatever does not match, then restart the contribution for that employee using Restarting A Contribution below. If you are not sure which detail is wrong, the fund can usually tell you which field failed to match. If The Whole Fund Payment Was Refunded When a fund refunds the entire payment, the SuperStream message and the payment did not line up. This applies to Direct Credit (ABA/XML) payments only — with Ozedi PayTo or PayID, Ozedi moves the money from the same message it holds, so this kind of mismatch cannot happen. Common causes: A banking delay. The payment must be made on the same day the SuperStream message was sent (or scheduled to be sent). The fund matches the money to the message using that date, so a payment that reaches the fund on a different day can be returned. Allow for your bank's cut-off times. The message was never sent. Go to Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox and set the date filter to the payment date to confirm the message was actually sent and accepted. If it never sent, there is nothing for the payment to match. The payment does not match the SuperStream record. The lodgement reference, the amount and the destination bank account in your banking must exactly match what Lightning Payroll generated. A typo, an edited reference, or stale bank details keyed in by hand will break the match. This is why we recommend uploading the ABA file Lightning Payroll creates rather than keying the payment into your bank manually. Restarting A Contribution You cannot simply click Payday Super again for the affected pays. Because they already have a contribution attached, they appear in purple (grouped under Total (Deposit Exists)) and are skipped. You first need to remove or release the existing deposits. 1. Find The Deposits Go to Super Fund Deposits and tick Show Search Filter? at the bottom of the screen. Under Show Deposits By Date, leave Deposit Date selected and set the Start Date and End Date to the original contribution date (this is the date recorded as the deposit date, that is, when the payment was made to the fund). Check the In Message? column for those deposits. 2a. If In Message? Shows No The deposits are not attached to a message, so you can remove them directly. Tick the deposits and click Delete Selected Deposits, then go to Pays >> Payday Super and create the contribution again as normal. 2b. If In Message? Shows Yes The deposits are still attached to a SuperStream message and cannot be deleted until that message is released. Go to Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox and use the date filter to find the original message. Click View beside the message, then click Manually Fail and confirm at the Confirm marking message as failed? prompt. Lightning Payroll then asks Delete deposits and start over? Choose Yes to remove the deposits from the message at the same time — this saves deleting them separately and frees the super to be offered again the next time you create SuperStream deposits. If the contribution was already paid you will also see This contribution was already paid. Only continue if you are sure the money did not reach the fund, since deleting removes that payment record. 3. Send It Again With the deposits removed, go to Pays >> Payday Super, select the pays, then create, send and pay the contribution as normal. If you corrected an employee's fund or details first, the corrected information is picked up automatically when you create the new deposits. The online (web/mobile) app works the same way — Super Fund Deposits, Show search filter?, the In Message? column, the SuperStream Mailbox and Manually Fail are all in the same place. For help resending deposits that are already correct, see How Do I Send Existing Super Fund Deposits? To understand the send-status board and why an accepted message is not the same as a paid one, see What Do The SuperStream Send Status Messages Mean And When Can I Create A Direct Entry File? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-resend-superstream-messages-and-super-deposits-when-the-super-funds-have-returned-the-money-to-my-account Q: What Does 'Super Fund Bank Account Changed' Mean? A: If Lightning Payroll shows that a super fund's bank account looks wrong, is different or not the same as before, or doesn't match what you had stored, that is the Super Fund Bank Account Changed message. It is not a mistake in your data — it means the account you have stored no longer matches the one the fund currently has registered with the ATO. When you create a SuperStream payment, Lightning Payroll checks each super fund's stored bank account against the account that fund currently has registered with the ATO Fund Validation Service (FVS). If the stored account no longer matches, or a fund cannot be verified, it shows the Super Fund Bank Account Changed message and pauses the payment so it cannot be sent to an out-of-date account. The message lists each affected fund in a table with two columns — Stored in your software and Registered with the fund (ATO) — so you can see exactly what changed. Super funds occasionally move their banking, and the payment must use the account the fund has registered with the ATO. Lightning Payroll refreshes these details from the ATO every day. What to do The account has changed. When the registered account is shown, choose Update Now to replace your stored details with the ATO-registered account and continue. Choose Cancel to stop instead — the payment will not proceed until this is resolved. A fund could not be verified. If the ATO Fund Validation Service could not be reached (for example, a dropped internet connection), choose Try Again to re-run the check. A fund's USI was not recognised. Retrying will not help — the USI is likely incorrect or no longer valid for the payment date. Correct the fund's USI under Settings >> Super Fund Providers, then create the payment again. Confirm the details yourself You can check the live, ATO-sourced bank account for any fund at any time using our USI Validator tool. Enter the fund's USI to see the account currently registered with the ATO, and compare it against the details stored in your software. Keeping your own bank details If you deliberately want to keep your stored bank details for a fund and skip the ATO check, open that fund under Settings >> Super Fund Providers and set its Type to Non-compliant Super Fund. Non-compliant funds are not checked against the ATO fund register. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-super-fund-bank-account-changed-mean Q: Can I Use A Clearing House Or Another Super Gateway For Payday Super? A: Yes. You can use an external clearing house or SuperStream gateway for Payday Super if you prefer. Lightning Payroll supports this by preparing a SuperStream Alternative File Format (SAFF) file that can be uploaded to many third-party providers. For ordinary processing, still start from Pays >> Payday Super. The SAFF option changes who sends the SuperStream messages and handles the final payment after Lightning Payroll has prepared the contribution data. If you previously used the ATO's Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH), note that it closed permanently from 1 July 2026 as part of the Payday Super reform — its quarterly design does not support the more frequent contribution schedule Payday Super requires. Choose a commercial clearing house or SuperStream gateway that accepts a SAFF file instead, or use one of Lightning Payroll's built-in payment methods above. See the ATO's guidance on transitioning from the SBSCH for more detail. Export A SAFF File For A Payday Super Batch Go to Pays. Complete the pay run as usual. Click Payday Super. Select the pays to include and resolve any validation warnings. Click Create. Review the super amounts, funds, employee details and member numbers. On the SuperStream Summary, choose the manual SAFF export option instead of sending messages directly through Lightning Payroll. Save the generated CSV file. Upload the CSV to your chosen clearing house or gateway and complete their payment process. Important Timing Notes From 1 July 2026, contributions generally need to be received by the employee super fund within 7 business days after payday, unless an ATO exception applies. If you use an external provider, allow time for their upload checks, validation queue, payment processing and fund allocation. The Super Fund Deposits screen may still be used to search the created deposit or follow up on a SAFF batch, but it should not be used as the normal starting point for a new Payday Super contribution. If you are new to Payday Super, see How can I handle Payday Super in Lightning Payroll? For other payment options, see What SuperStream payment options are available for Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-use-a-clearing-house-or-another-super-gateway-for-payday-super Q: How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayTo For Automatic Super Payments? A: How Do I Set Up PayTo For Super Payments Using Ozedi? PayTo is an Ozedi payment method that uses the New Payments Platform (NPP) to automatically debit your bank account for super payments. Once set up, Ozedi handles the payment process for you based on your approved PayTo agreement. While PayTo involves more initial setup than PayID, it is generally easier ongoing because payments are automatically deducted after you send your super remittance. Need help with Ozedi? T | 1300 737 614 E | support@ozedi.com.au Step 1: Register Your Ozedi Portal Access Register for the Ozedi portal using the link below. Activate your account from the email sent by Ozedi. Sign in to the Ozedi dashboard. Register For The Ozedi Portal Step 2: Create Your Ozedi Account In Ozedi, create an Account. Enable the SuperStream service for that account. Add at least one contact. Important: Your Ozedi account is your main (overarching) account. Each business or ABN you process in Lightning Payroll must be set up as a separate client under this account. Step 3: Add Funds To Your Ozedi Account Go to Accounts > Manage Account > Add to Account. Enter the amount you wish to add. Accept the terms and conditions. Click Add to Account to complete the payment. The account balance shown in Ozedi is used to pay for the Ozedi SuperStream service. It is not used for the actual super contributions. You can add funds using: PayPal account Credit card via PayPal guest checkout Important: Ozedi is a prepaid service. You must have a sufficient account balance before you can create a client or process super payments. Step 4: Add Your Business As A Client And Choose PayTo Go to Manage Service > Manage Clients. Click + Add. Enter the client details, including the business name and ABN or WPN. For the payment provider, select Instant Payments (Zepto) - PayTo Agreement. Add at least one client contact and enable notifications if required. Save the client. Important: You must create a separate client in Ozedi for each company or ABN you use in Lightning Payroll. Step 5: Complete The PayTo Agreement After saving the client, a PayTo agreement form will appear. Enter your bank account details. Set appropriate limits, including the maximum transaction amount and payment frequency. Submit the agreement to your bank. Important: Make sure your limits are high enough to cover your largest expected super payments. If the limits are too low, payments may fail. Next: Log in to your online or internet banking and authorise the PayTo agreement to activate it. How Do I Change PayTo Agreement Limits For An Existing Client? If you need to update limits such as the maximum transaction amount or the payment frequency limits, you cannot edit an existing PayTo agreement. Instead, you must cancel the current agreement and create a new one. Log in to your internet banking and terminate the existing PayTo agreement. In Ozedi, go to Accounts > Manage Service > Manage Clients. Click Edit next to the relevant client. Select Change to manual payments. Click Update Client. Edit the client again and change the payment method back to Instant Payments (Zepto) - PayTo Agreement. Click Update Client to reopen the PayTo agreement form. Enter the new limits and submit the form. Return to your internet banking and authorise the new PayTo agreement. Important: The new agreement will not be active until it has been authorised in your bank. Step 6: Create An API User In Ozedi This user allows Lightning Payroll to connect securely to Ozedi. It is not your normal dashboard login. Go to Accounts > Manage Account. Open the Manage Users tab. Click + Add. Enter the user details. Select External App Access (API). Save the user and complete the password setup from the email Ozedi sends. Important: The API user email address must be different from your main Ozedi login email. Step 7: Enter Your Ozedi Details In Lightning Payroll In Lightning Payroll, go to Company > Ozedi Superstream. Enter your: Ozedi Client ID API User Email API User Password Ozedi Account Number Save the changes. Important: The API user email, API password, and Ozedi account number are usually the same across companies, but each business must use its own Client ID. Why Am I Getting A 403 Error When Sending Super? A 403 error usually means Ozedi has rejected the connection or message details. This is most often caused by incorrect setup details, so carefully check each part of your Ozedi and Lightning Payroll setup. The most common causes are: The API user email or API user password entered in Lightning Payroll is incorrect. The API user details entered are for the main Ozedi account holder, rather than the separate External App Access (API) user. The Ozedi client has not been set up with Instant Payments (Zepto) - PayTo Agreement. The ABN in the Ozedi client record does not exactly match the ABN for the company in Lightning Payroll. The wrong Ozedi Client ID has been entered for the company in Lightning Payroll. To check your setup, go to Company > Ozedi Superstream in Lightning Payroll and use the Test Connection button. Important: If the Test Connection button works, but sending the actual super message fails with a 403 error, the most likely cause is an ABN mismatch. Check that the ABN for the client in Ozedi's dashboard is the same as the ABN for the company in Lightning Payroll. In most cases, a 403 error can be fixed by reviewing these steps carefully and double-checking the API user details, Client ID, PayTo setup, and ABN. Step 8: Set The Super Fund Payment Method To PayTo Go to Settings > Super Fund Providers. Edit the relevant super fund provider. Select PayTo via Ozedi as the payment method. Save the fund provider. Step 9: Confirm PayTo Agreement Is Active Before sending any super payments, confirm that your PayTo agreement status is Active in Ozedi. Important: If the agreement is not active, payments will not be processed. Step 10: Send The Remittance From Lightning Payroll Click the Payday Super button in Lightning Payroll. Select the pays to include. Send the super remittance. Once sent, Ozedi will automatically debit your bank account based on your PayTo agreement and distribute the payments to the super funds. Tip: We recommend checking your bank account or the Ozedi dashboard to confirm payments have been processed correctly, especially the first few times. Open Ozedi Dashboard Need More Help? If you run into any issues, you can refer to Ozedi's official guides: Quick Start Guide (Short) Full User Guide (Detailed) Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-ozedi-payto-for-automatic-super-payments Q: What Does 'Combine Ozedi PayTo/PayID Contributions Into One Payment Per Method' Mean? A: When you process Payday Super with Ozedi PayTo or PayID funds, Lightning Payroll shows a checkbox labelled Combine Ozedi PayTo/PayID contributions into one payment per method. This option only appears when your pay run includes at least one fund using an Ozedi payment method and your Ozedi credentials are configured. What The Option Does By default, Lightning Payroll creates one separate SuperStream message for each super fund. With this option enabled, all funds that use the same Ozedi payment method are merged into a single upload: All PayTo funds are combined into one SuperStream message (one automatic debit from your bank account). All PayID funds are combined into one SuperStream message (one manual bank transfer from you to Ozedi). If your pay run uses both PayTo and PayID funds, you get one message per method - two messages total, not one per fund. What This Means For Your Bank Payment PayTo (combined): Ozedi debits your bank account once for the combined total of all PayTo funds. You do not need to make individual payments. PayID (combined): You make one manual bank transfer to your Ozedi PayID address for the combined total of all PayID funds. Without combining, you would need to send a separate PayID transfer for each fund at its exact amount. When combined mode is active, the SuperStream Details screen notes that aggregate mode is in use so you can see exactly how much is going to each fund within the combined message. When To Enable It Enable it when you have multiple super funds using the same Ozedi method and you want to make a single bank payment rather than one per fund. Enable it to simplify bank reconciliation - one transaction per payment method is easier to match against your bank statement. Leave it unchecked if you need individual fund-level payments to appear as separate bank transactions, for example because your accounting system reconciles each fund separately. For background on Ozedi payment methods, see How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayTo For Automatic Super Payments? and How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayID For PayDay Super? For the full Payday Super workflow, see How Can I Handle Payday Super In Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-combine-ozedi-paytopayid-contributions-into-one-payment-per-method-mean Q: How Can I View A Report On Unpaid Super Liability? A: The Super Liability Report shows superannuation amounts from processed pays that have not yet been assigned to a super fund deposit, helping you identify and fulfil outstanding superannuation obligations. Accessing the Report In the desktop app: Navigate to Super Fund Deposits >> Reports >> Super Liability. In the online (web/mobile) app: Navigate to Super Fund Deposits, then select Super Liability from the action buttons on that screen. Search Modes The report has two distinct search modes: Pays Mode: Searches for pays within the selected date range that have super owing and no record of the pay's super on an existing deposit. Deposits Mode: Searches for super from deposits, with the option to filter by paid or unpaid status. This search is based on the deposit date within the chosen date range. Running the Report When running the report, you can specify the following parameters: Start Date: The beginning date of your search range. End Date: The end date of your search range. Selections for including paid or unpaid deposits. Option to include super payments not yet in a deposit. Whether to show totals only or detailed entries. A choice to use the processed date when searching pays. Note Pays Mode and Deposits Mode cannot be used simultaneously, as they operate on different date types: pay dates for pays and deposit dates for super fund deposits. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-view-a-report-on-unpaid-super-liability Q: How Do I Create a New Super Fund Account for an Employee in Lightning Payroll? A: As an employer, you must first offer eligible employees a choice of superannuation fund. If they don’t exercise their choice, you must check whether they have a “stapled super fund” (an existing account tied to them that follows them from job to job) via the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Stapled super funds for employers outlines the rules. Once you have the correct super fund (either the employee’s choice, their stapled fund, or your nominated default fund if neither applies) you can register a new super account in Lightning Payroll. How Super Fund Details Are Retrieved Super funds no longer provide their bank account details directly. Instead, they provide a USI (Unique Superannuation Identifier) for the specific fund option the employee is enrolled in. Lightning Payroll uses this USI to query the ATO database and retrieve the fund’s current banking and SuperStream details automatically. Note that Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) are handled differently and do not have a USI. Registering a Super Fund for a Single Employee In the desktop app: Open the employee record and navigate to the Superannuation Fund tab under Super. In the online (web/mobile) app: Open the employee record and go to Super >> Superannuation Fund. From this screen: If the desired super fund already exists in your system, select it and proceed to register the employee under it using Create New Super Member Registration. If the fund does not already exist, click Create New Super Fund (Online Search). Enter the fund’s USI, search the ATO database, and save the fund. You can then register the employee under it. For a Self-Managed Super Fund, click Create Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) (online app) or Create Super Fund (SMSF/Manual Entry) (desktop app) and enter the fund details manually. Registering Multiple Employees with a Super Fund When you need to create accounts for multiple employees under the same fund at once, go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers and click Create Multiple Super Accounts. Ensure the super fund already exists in your system. If it does not, add it first using the online search as described above. Follow the prompts to select which employees will have accounts created under the fund. Send the registration request to the fund. The fund will respond within a few days with a member number for each employee. You can check responses in the SuperStream Mailbox. Editing an Existing Super Fund If a super fund changes its USI or ABN, create a new fund entry rather than editing the existing one. This keeps an accurate record of the funds and accounts used for past deposits and messages. See Should I Create a New Super Fund or Edit the Existing One When the USI Changes? for more detail. SMSFs are an exception: their details can be updated in place. Go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers and click Edit Provider next to the SMSF entry. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-a-new-super-fund-account-for-an-employee-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Add a Super Fund to Lightning Payroll? A: Adding/Editing A Self-Managed Super Fund Please see our FAQ on how to add or edit a self-managed super fund. For a normal, APRA fund, see below. Connect An Employee To An Existing Super Fund Existing superannuation funds can be connected to your employees under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund and click on the green plus. Clicking the pencil will allow you to edit an existing employee/fund association. You can add more than one fund per employee if you need to. Make sure you tick Is Primary Fund? beside their primary super fund (The fund which will receive all super amounts by default). Create A New Super Fund If a super fund you wish to add is not available in the pre-filled list you'll need to create a new super fund under Settings >> Super Fund Providers. Method 1: Online Search The Online Search method is the easiest way to add most super funds since all you need to begin is the employee fund's USI (unique superannuation identifier). Lightning Payroll then uses this information to connect to the ATO's Fund Validation Service and download the related information for any fund/s you've searched for. You'll then see the search results downloaded from the registered ATO super fund registry. Tick the box beside the super fund/s you would like to add to the program and then click Finish. Method 2: SMSF/Manual Entry For self managed super funds or non SuperStream compliant funds you will need to set them up manually under Settings >> Super Fund Providers >> Create Super Fund (SMSF/Manual Entry). For major funds the most important information to include is the Fund Name, the ABN and the USI. Lightning Payroll can complete the rest of the fund information (bank details, telephone, etc.) using the Populate Fund Data tool, demonstrated below. You can obtain super fund ABN/USI information from your employees, from the super funds directly, or from the ATO's Super Fund Lookup page. Self-managed super funds have an electronic address (ESA) instead of a USI. This example sets up an Australian Super product. Once the primary information has been entered, you can also Populate Fund Data to refresh the fund info against the product USI (non-SMSF funds only). Select the fund or funds you wish to download details for and click Next. If the ABN and USI are correct, the ATO's fund validation service should locate details and they'll be displayed in the upper box. If no extra details were found, the previously selected fund appears in the lower box. Click Finish and the chosen fund profiles - formerly only partly complete - now include extra information. Once you've created the fund, remember to attach it to relevant employees under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund by clicking the green plus and marking the fund as Primary. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-super-fund-to-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Send Existing Super Fund Deposits? A: This FAQ is for existing super fund deposits that have already been created and now need to be sent, resent, or recovered. It is not the normal starting point for new Payday Super processing. For a new completed pay run from 1 July 2026 onwards, start from Pays >> Payday Super. Use the steps below only when you are working with deposits that already exist, such as a failed or refunded SuperStream message, a batch you exited before sending, a legacy catch-up, or a manual support-directed adjustment. Before You Resend Existing Deposits Confirm why the deposit needs to be resent, such as a failed message, returned money, corrected member number, changed USI, or corrected SMSF details. If the original SuperStream message is still marked Sent, open it in the SuperStream Mailbox and use Manually Fail before resending, if that is the correct recovery step. If money was returned by a fund, make sure the employee or fund details are corrected before sending again. If the fund or member number on the deposit itself is wrong, edit the deposit, unlock it with the padlock, update the fund/member details, then save. Send Or Resend The Existing Deposits Go to the Super Fund Deposits screen. Use Show search filter? if needed to find the relevant deposit by deposit date or pay period end date. Click SuperStream Contribution. Set the date range so it includes the deposits you need to send. Tick Include Paid Deposits if the deposits were already marked as paid but still need a replacement message or payment file. Select the relevant deposits and click Next. Review the fund totals, employee details, member numbers, USIs, SMSF details and payment references. Send the SuperStream messages, or export SAFF if you are intentionally using an external clearing house. Make the matching payment using the same payment method and reference details shown for the batch. Important Reference Rules For Direct Credit or ABA payments, do not change the lodgement reference unless a fund or support team has specifically told you to do so. SuperStream messages and bank payments are matched using the reference generated for the contribution. If the reference is changed in internet banking, the fund may not be able to allocate the money. If you are unsure whether a message should be manually failed, resent, or left alone, contact Lightning Payroll support before sending a second message or making a second payment. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-send-existing-super-fund-deposits Q: How Can I Register for SuperStream? A: SuperStream registration in Lightning Payroll is handled through the Ozedi gateway. You register directly with Ozedi, then enter your Ozedi credentials into Lightning Payroll. There is no separate registration step on the Lightning Payroll website. How The Registration Works SuperStream uses the Ozedi eBusiness portal as the payment gateway. Registration involves two parts: Creating your account and business client in the Ozedi portal. Entering your Ozedi credentials into Lightning Payroll under Company >> Ozedi Superstream. The fields required in Lightning Payroll are: Ozedi Client ID API User Email API User Password Account Number If you run more than one company, each company needs its own Client ID in Ozedi. The API user email, password, and account number are typically shared across all companies under the same Ozedi account. Which Payment Method Should I Choose? Ozedi supports two payment methods for super contributions. Choose the guide that matches your preference: PayTo — Ozedi automatically debits your bank account after each remittance. Less manual work once set up. See How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayTo For Automatic Super Payments? PayID — You manually send funds from your bank to an Ozedi PayID address after each remittance. More control over when the payment leaves your account. See How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayID For PayDay Super? Both guides cover the full Ozedi portal setup and the steps to enter your credentials into Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-register-for-superstream Q: How Can I Add a Self Managed Super Fund? A: Adding a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) to Lightning Payroll To add a self managed super fund to Lightning Payroll: Navigate to Settings > Super Fund Providers Click on Create Super Fund (SMSF/Manual Entry) Select Self Managed Super Fund from the Type dropdown Business Directors and SMSF Contributions The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) provides specific guidance for business directors managing their own superannuation: "If you're paying your own super contributions to your own SMSF, you don't need this information for these contributions." This means that when you are a business director making direct contributions to your own Self Managed Super Fund, the SuperStream messaging requirements outlined below may not apply to your personal contributions. Additionally, the ATO provides an example where contributions to an SMSF from a family business may also be exempt from SuperStream messaging requirements: Example 2: SMSF Receives Contributions Only From Family Business SuperSavings SMSF has been established for your family, and all members of the SMSF are either owners or employees of the family business. No members receive contributions from other employers. Because of the direct link between ownership of the family business and membership of the SMSF, the SMSF meets the related party exemption. This means the SMSF doesn't need to receive contributions sent using SuperStream. Your family business also has other employees who belong to other super funds. Your business will need to use SuperStream to send employer contributions to their funds. For more information, visit the ATO's examples for SMSFs and SuperStream page. Handling Business-Related SMSFs in Lightning Payroll If your business is paying contributions into an SMSF that is related to the business, such as one belonging to a director or owner (rather than an unrelated employee), Lightning Payroll provides a specific fund type to handle this scenario. To categorise an SMSF as business-related: Navigate to Settings > Super Fund Providers Edit the relevant SMSF Change the Type from Self Managed Super Fund to Self Managed Super Fund (Business-Related) This setting tells Lightning Payroll that the SMSF belongs to a business-related party, such as a director. As a result: No SuperStream messages will be sent to this fund The fund's contributions will still be included in the SuperStream .aba (bank file) alongside other employee contributions This reclassification helps avoid unnecessary SuperStream error messages while maintaining accurate and complete payment records. SuperStream Messaging Requirements When setting up a Self Managed Super Fund for employees, there are important messaging requirements to be aware of: Electronic Service Address (ESA) To send SuperStream messages, you will need to input an electronic address (aka. electronic service address or ESA). This is crucial for correctly routing SuperStream messages for the fund. The person with the self managed fund should be able to provide this electronic service address. Employee SMSF Messaging Provider Employees will need to have a SMSF messaging provider connected to their SMSF to receive SuperStream messages from the national super network. For a comprehensive list of SMSF messaging providers, please refer to the ATO's register of SMSF messaging providers. SuperStream Response Messages Lightning Payroll will automatically download any SuperStream responses, though these are not very common (only about 1 in 50 messages generate a response). Responses typically occur when there is an error or when a new employee account is registered, such as in the case of a new member registration message. If a response is received from the super fund, an email will be sent to the main registered account email address. This email will include a PDF attachment containing the super fund's response message. It is important to review these responses promptly to address any issues. Common SMSF SuperStream Error The most common issue encountered is an error indicating that the SMSF does not have an account set up with an SMSF messaging provider. This can result in rejection messages, as illustrated in the example below: For business directors, it is important to note that contributions to their own SMSF do not require SuperStream messages. Directors should avoid sending SuperStream messages for their own contributions, as this is unnecessary and can generate error responses. If the SMSF belongs to an employee and does not have a messaging provider, you will need to help the employee set up an account with a registered provider from the ATO's list. Failure to fix this issue will result in continued error response emails if contributions are repeatedly attempted without a valid SMSF messaging provider account associated with the provided ESA. Additional Resources For a detailed overview of SuperStream requirements, including how it applies to employers, visit the ATO's SuperStream for Employers page. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-add-a-self-managed-super-fund Q: How Do I Bulk-Update The Super Guarantee Rate For Multiple Employees? A: The Update Super Guarantee Rate tool lets you apply a new compulsory and total superannuation rate to multiple employees at once. Use it after a legislated SG rate increase, or whenever you need to adjust rates across your workforce in a single step. In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Open Tools from the sidebar, then select Update Superannuation Guarantee Rate. Enter the New Compulsory Super Rate and the New Total Super Rate. The compulsory rate cannot be greater than the total rate. In the Employees table, tick the checkbox next to each employee you want to update. You must select at least one employee. Click Save Changes. The updated rates are applied immediately. If the New Total Super Rate is higher than the New Compulsory Super Rate, the difference is treated as RESC (Reportable Employer Super Contributions) and will appear on employee payment summaries accordingly. In the Desktop App Go to Tools >> Update Superannuation Guarantee Rates. A wizard opens where you set the new rates and select which employees to update, then click Finish to apply. For information on how Lightning Payroll automatically handles SG rate increases at the start of a new financial year, see How Does Lightning Payroll Handle Compulsory Super Rate Increases? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-bulk-update-the-super-guarantee-rate-for-multiple-employees Q: How Can I Correct A Missed Or Already-Paid Super Contribution? A: If a superannuation contribution was missed, under-recorded, over-recorded or entered against the wrong fund, do not edit the original completed pay unless support has specifically instructed you to do so. Create a new pay entry or adjustment so the payroll audit trail stays clear. This applies to Super Guarantee, salary sacrifice RESC, additional employer RESC and voluntary post-tax member contributions. If The Super Has Not Been Paid Yet Open the affected employee's current pay run. In the desktop app, go to Pays and launch the New Pay Wizard. In the online (web/mobile) app, go to Pays and select Create Pays. Create a new pay for the affected employee. Use the correct processed or paid date for the adjustment. If you only need to record a super correction, untick Create Full Pay (with normal hours/rates)? so the pay starts as a $0.00 adjustment. (In the online app this option appears on the Create Pays screen; the desktop wizard starts with a blank pay when no hours template applies.) Edit the pay and add the missed or corrected super amount. Save and complete the pay. Process the unpaid correction through Pays >> Payday Super with the relevant pay run. If The Super Was Already Paid Outside Lightning Payroll You may still need a new pay entry so payroll records, reports and STP data are correct. However, do not pay the same contribution a second time through Payday Super. Keep evidence of the external payment, such as the bank receipt, clearing house receipt or fund confirmation. Record the payroll correction so the employee and employer records are accurate. If you need Lightning Payroll deposit history to match an external payment, use the existing deposit or manual adjustment workflow only with care, and contact support if you are unsure. If The Wrong Fund Or Member Number Was Used Correct the employee fund setup before making the next contribution. Go to Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund, confirm the USI or SMSF details, update the member number if required, and make sure the correct fund is marked as primary. If the original money has already gone to the wrong fund, contact that fund before changing payroll records. The fund may return the money or ask for corrected SuperStream details. Related FAQs How can I handle Payday Super in Lightning Payroll? What SuperStream payment options are available for Payday Super? How can I recover an overpayment of compulsory super? Should I create a new super fund or edit the existing one when the USI changes? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-correct-a-missed-or-already-paid-super-contribution Q: How Do I Stop Getting Super Email Notifications After Scheduling Superstream? A: You can choose to turn off successful scheduled SuperStream contribution notification emails if you no longer wish to receive alerts when contributions are scheduled for a future date. Please note that error notifications will still be sent to ensure you are informed if any issues occur with your SuperStream submissions. To disable successful notifications: Log in to the Lightning Payroll website and click My Account in the navigation. Scroll down to the View registered ABNs section. Locate the relevant ABN row and untick the checkbox under Scheduled Success Notifications. Once this setting is updated, you will no longer receive notifications for successful scheduled contributions, but you will continue to be alerted if a problem arises. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-stop-getting-super-email-notifications-after-scheduling-superstream Q: Super Step-By-Step Guide A: This guide covers the full process for paying super in Lightning Payroll, from creating deposits through to sending SuperStream messages and making the payment. Step 1: Create Super Deposits In the desktop app: Go to Super Fund Deposits from the main menu. Click the Create Deposits button to open the Create deposits for all unpaid super you wish to pay today wizard. In the online (web/mobile) app: Go to Super Fund Deposits. Click Create Deposits to open the Create Super Deposits screen. Select a date range using one of the preset options (This month, Last month, This quarter, Last quarter) or choose Custom dates and enter a start and end date. Tick Use processed date? if you want to filter pays by their processed date rather than the pay period end date. Review the employee list and the calculated totals. The totals section shows amounts broken down by contribution type (Super Guarantee, Sacrifice RESC, Additional RESC, Voluntary/Post-Tax) as well as a Total Payable (With Active Fund) figure that excludes employees with no active fund. Select the employees you wish to pay super for. Employees shown under Total (No Active Fund) cannot be included until a valid super fund is set up on their record. Click Create to generate the super fund deposits. Step 2: Send SuperStream Messages In the desktop app: From the Super Fund Deposits screen, use the SuperStream Wizard (accessible via the deposit list or the Output Option step) to proceed through the contribution flow. In the online (web/mobile) app: From Super Fund Deposits, click SuperStream Contribution. Select the deposits you wish to include and click through to the Message Details screen, which shows the total amounts grouped by super fund. The wizard proceeds to Remote Validation. Wait for the validation check to complete. If validation errors appear, correct the indicated details before continuing. On the SuperStream Summary screen, click Send Messages to transmit the contribution messages to each fund via the Ozedi SuperStream gateway. Lightning Payroll uploads each message to Ozedi and begins verifying member details. The SuperStream Send Status board appears. It shows each fund's message status as accepted, still processing, or failed. The Create Direct Entry Payment File button remains locked until every message has been accepted by Ozedi. Use Refresh to re-check, or Retry failed to resend messages that did not go through. Step 3: Make the Payment Once all messages are accepted, choose your payment method: Direct Entry file: Click Create Direct Entry Payment File. Follow the wizard to preview the payment, then download the ABA file and upload it to your online banking portal. Some banks require a debit entry to be included; if your bank returns an error, tick Include Debit Entry? and regenerate the file. PayID: If your Ozedi account is set up for PayID, click PayID Payment Report on the SuperStream Summary screen. The report lists each fund's Ozedi PayID email address and the exact payment amount to transfer. Each payment amount must exactly match the figure shown. PayTo (automatic): If PayTo is active on your Ozedi account, the payment is initiated automatically when the message is sent. No separate banking action is required. Once the payment has been made, the process in Lightning Payroll is complete. Check the SuperStream Mailbox over the following days to review fund responses and confirm each contribution was accepted. For help setting up Ozedi PayTo or PayID, see How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayTo For Automatic Super Payments? and How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayID For PayDay Super?. For information on Payday Super (mandatory from 1 July 2026), see How Can I Handle Payday Super In Lightning Payroll?. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/super-step-by-step-guide Q: What Are the ATO's Qualifying Earnings Rules for Super? A: The ATO introduced new Qualifying Earnings rules for superannuation as part of Payday Super, which applies to pays processed through Single Touch Payroll (STP) from 1 July 2026. From this date, Qualifying Earnings replaces the previous Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE) figure in STP reporting. What Are Qualifying Earnings? Qualifying Earnings is the amount of an employee's pay that is subject to the Super Guarantee under Payday Super rules. Not all payments count - the ATO specifies which payment types are included. The Super Guarantee rate applies to this amount to determine the compulsory employer super contribution for that pay. For each pay on or after 1 July 2026, Lightning Payroll calculates and reports Qualifying Earnings in the STP submission. The annual total is capped at the maximum super contribution base ($270,830 for the 2026 / 27 financial year). Employees earning above this amount in a financial year are not entitled to super on the excess. What Lightning Payroll Does Automatically Calculates Qualifying Earnings for each pay processed on or after 1 July 2026. Applies the annual cap and prevents super being charged above the maximum super contribution base. Reports Qualifying Earnings in the STP event, visible in the Pays >> Single Touch >> Mailbox event detail screen. Stops reporting Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE) for pays dated on or after 1 July 2026, as the ATO now requires Qualifying Earnings instead. What Employers Need to Do No configuration is required. Lightning Payroll calculates and reports Qualifying Earnings automatically for any pays in the 2026 / 27 financial year and beyond. Confirm employee pay items are correctly categorised in pay templates. Lightning Payroll derives Qualifying Earnings from pay item classifications - if unusual allowances or deductions are in use, check they are set to the correct type so the calculation is accurate. Process super for each pay run via Pays >> Payday Super as normal. The Qualifying Earnings figure is used to validate and calculate the correct super obligation for each pay. For more information about Qualifying Earnings and which payment types are included, see the ATO website: What Payments Are Qualifying Earnings? For the full Payday Super workflow in Lightning Payroll, see How Can I Handle Payday Super In Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-atos-qualifying-earnings-rules-for-super Q: How Do I Set Up An Employee With Salary Inclusive Of Super? A: If an employment contract is established where it gives a salary that is inclusive of super, you must figure out the base salary amount and use this in Lightning Payroll, as super is always calculated separate to any wages or salary, for ATO and super fund reporting purposes. Take the following two scenarios as an example:(a) Kevin is a full time employee paid $50 000 per year salary PLUS 12% ($6 000) compulsory super. A total cost of $56 000 to the employer. Weekly = $961.54 gross per week + $115.38 super (b) Kevin is a full time employee paid $50 000 per year salary INCLUSIVE OF 12% ($5 357.14) compulsory super. A total cost of $50 000 to the employer. A gross annual salary exclusive of super needs to be entered into this employee's pay settings. To result in $50 000 (inclusive of 12% super) it would be $44 642.86.($50 000 / 112) * 100 = $44 642.86 Weekly = $858.52 gross per week + $103.02 super What happens when super increases? As explained here: "Depending on whether an employee’s salary is expressed as inclusive or exclusive of superannuation, it may result in decrease in an employee’s take home pay, or increased costs for the employer" Whether you can reduce the employee's salary to offset the super increase is a complex legal question, and - ethical questions aside - care must be taken as to whether this is legal action. Please see here for more information - https://employmentlawhandbook.com.au/bulletin/can-you-offset-the-cost-of-the-superannuation-increase-against-wages/ Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-an-employee-with-salary-inclusive-of-super Q: How Do I Process Payday Super In Advance In Lightning Payroll? A: You can prepare some Payday Super batches in advance by setting a future Payment Date. This is useful before leave, public holidays, bank cut-offs or planned office closures. Advance processing is available for supported payment methods such as Direct Credit (ABA/XML) and PayTo. It is not suitable for PayID, because PayID requires you to make the NPP payment manually from your bank immediately after the remittance is submitted. Process Payday Super In Advance Go to the Pays screen. Complete the relevant pay run. Click the Payday Super button. Set the Payment Date to the date the super messages and payment should be processed. Select the pays to include and fix or exclude any validation warnings. Complete the Payday Super process as usual. Payment Method Notes Direct Credit (ABA/XML): Lightning Payroll creates the payment file with the selected processing date. Check that your bank accepts future-dated upload files and that the payment will be released on the selected date. PayTo: The debit is scheduled for the selected payment date once the PayTo agreement is active and the remittance is accepted. PayID: Use same-day processing instead. Send the PayID payment from your bank as soon as the remittance is submitted. From 1 July 2026, the key deadline is when the employee super fund receives the contribution. Plan ahead so the fund receives the money within 7 business days after payday, allowing for bank and provider processing times. If you receive successful scheduled SuperStream notification emails and would prefer not to, see How do I stop getting super email notifications after scheduling SuperStream? For payment method differences, see What SuperStream payment options are available for Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-payday-super-in-advance-in-lightning-payroll Q: Can I Split Super Between Two Super Accounts? A: Yes. Lightning Payroll can handle different super contribution types going to different funds, but the best setup depends on what the employee is trying to split. For normal Payday Super processing, complete the setup first, then process the pay run through Pays >> Payday Super. Do not start ordinary Payday Super from the older Super Fund Deposits creation tools. Best Option: Salary Sacrifice To A Second Fund If the employee wants salary sacrifice amounts paid to a different fund from their Super Guarantee, set up the second fund as the salary sacrifice destination. Go to Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund. Add both active funds for the employee. Mark the fund that receives ordinary Super Guarantee as the primary fund. Go to Employees >> Pay Settings >> Salary/Wage Sacrifice. Link the salary sacrifice item to the secondary super fund. Once this is set up, Lightning Payroll can send Super Guarantee to the primary fund and salary sacrifice RESC to the secondary fund when you process the pay through Payday Super. Splitting Ordinary Super Guarantee Lightning Payroll does not treat a percentage split of ordinary Super Guarantee between two funds as the standard setup. If an employee asks for this, first consider whether the request can be handled as salary sacrifice or by changing their primary fund from a future date. If you genuinely need to manually divide a Super Guarantee amount between funds, treat it as an advanced manual adjustment. This may require editing existing deposit lines or creating an extra legacy/manual deposit line after the Payday Super batch has been created but before messages are sent. This should only be done when you understand the audit and SuperStream matching impact, or when Lightning Payroll support has walked you through it. Manual Adjustment Rules The total across all fund deposits must equal the employee total super for the period. Each fund needs its own accurate member number, USI or SMSF details. Do not send SuperStream messages until the adjusted deposits are correct. Keep notes explaining why the split was manually adjusted. For future pays, prefer employee fund setup and salary sacrifice setup over repeated manual edits. If you need help reviewing a split-super setup, contact Lightning Payroll support before sending the SuperStream messages or making the bank payment. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-split-super-between-two-super-accounts Q: How Can I Pay Super For Contractors Or Non-Employees? A: Lightning Payroll can be used to record and pay superannuation contributions for contractors or non-employees when your business has a super obligation for them. The recommended approach is to set them up so their super is included in the normal Pays >> Payday Super workflow. The Super Fund Deposits screen should only be used for exceptional catch-up, legacy or support-directed handling. Set Up The Contractor Add the contractor or non-employee as an employee record. In Pay Settings, set their pay period in line with the relevant pay cycle. Tick Super-only contractor? (No TFN, not reported in STP) if the person is being recorded only for super and should not be included in STP wage reporting. Do not enter a TFN for a super-only contractor unless your reporting setup specifically requires it. Enter the basic contact details and add their super fund, member number and primary fund selection under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund. Create The Super-Only Pay Go to the Pays screen and open the contractor pay. Click Edit next to Super. Enter the required amount in Compulsory Super or the appropriate super contribution field. Save and complete the pay. Process The Contribution After the pay is complete, click Payday Super on the Pays screen and include the contractor pay with the other pays in the run. Lightning Payroll will validate the fund and member details before creating the contribution batch. Important: If the contractor is not being reported through STP, untick or exclude them when lodging STP for that pay run. Paying super and reporting wages are separate decisions. If you are unsure whether a contractor is entitled to super, confirm with the ATO or your adviser before processing the contribution. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-pay-super-for-contractors-or-non-employees Q: Can I Pay SuperStream with BPAY in Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll no longer supports BPAY as a payment method for SuperStream contributions. While a BPAY option was available in earlier versions of the software around 2014, it has since been retired. You may still see some BPAY-related fields in older desktop areas, but these are only kept for legacy and historical reference purposes. For current Payday Super processing, use Pays >> Payday Super after each completed pay run, then pay using one of the supported payment methods. Supported Payment Options Direct Credit (ABA/XML): Lightning Payroll prepares a bank file for upload, or a Direct Entry preview so you can pay each line manually through internet banking. PayTo via Ozedi: Ozedi can debit the approved bank account automatically once the remittance is submitted. PayID via Ozedi: You send the payment manually from your bank to the Ozedi PayID after the remittance is submitted. SAFF export: Use an external clearing house or SuperStream gateway if you prefer that provider to handle the final lodgement and payment. For help with the recommended super process, see: How can I handle Payday Super in Lightning Payroll? What SuperStream payment options are available for Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-pay-superstream-with-bpay-in-lightning-payroll Q: Why Has The Super Fund Rejected Or Not Processed My Super Contribution? A: A super contribution can be rejected, delayed or left unallocated when the SuperStream message, payment details, fund details, or employee details do not match what the receiving fund expects. For current Payday Super processing, the normal workflow is Pays >> Payday Super after each completed pay run. The older Super Fund Deposits creation tools are retained for history, resends, legacy catch-ups and exceptional manual adjustments, but they should not be used as the ordinary way to start a new Payday Super payment. The Correct Payday Super Workflow Complete the pay run on the Pays screen. Click Payday Super. Set the Payment Date, select the completed pays to include, and fix or exclude any rows with validation warnings. Click Create to build the super contribution batch. Review the SuperStream Summary. Click Send Messages, unless you are intentionally exporting a SAFF file for an external clearing house. Make the payment using the method selected for the fund, such as Direct Credit (ABA/XML), manual transfer from the Direct Entry preview, PayTo, PayID, or SAFF through a clearing house. From 1 July 2026, super contributions generally need to be received by the employee super fund within 7 business days after payday, unless an ATO exception applies. Do not leave a gap between sending the remittance and making the payment. Common Reasons A Contribution Is Rejected Or Not Processed The payment reference was changed or entered incorrectly. SuperStream payments rely on the reference generated for the batch. If the bank payment reference does not match the message, the fund may not be able to allocate the money. The payment was made too late. Bank cut-off times, BECS settlement, clearing house queues, weekends and public holidays can all affect when funds are received. The employee member number is missing or wrong. The fund may reject the contribution if the member number does not match the employee account. The USI or fund product is wrong. Some funds have multiple USIs. A valid USI still needs to be the correct product for the employee account. The employee name or date of birth does not match the fund record. The fund may require the employer to confirm details with the employee. SMSF details are incomplete. SMSFs need correct BSB, account number and Electronic Service Address details unless a business-related SMSF exemption applies. The bank details are invalid or outdated. Lightning Payroll validates BSBs to reduce this risk, but manually entered SMSF details should still be checked carefully. An external provider delayed or rejected the file. If you use SAFF or a clearing house, their validation and payment timing still affect whether the contribution arrives on time. What To Do Next Open the SuperStream Mailbox and check the message status and any response details. Funds commonly respond only when there is a problem. If the money is still with the fund, contact the fund first and ask what detail needs correcting. Correct the employee, fund, SMSF or payment details in Lightning Payroll before resending. If the message needs to be resent for an already-created deposit, use the existing-deposit resend workflow: How do I send existing super fund deposits? If the fund returned the money to your bank, manually fail or delete the original message where appropriate, correct the details, then resend and repay the contribution. For payment-method choices and timing differences, see What SuperStream payment options are available for Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-has-the-super-fund-rejected-or-not-processed-my-super-contribution Q: How Do I Check If I Am Set Up For Super? A: Before processing Payday Super in Lightning Payroll, check that your company, fund and employee details are complete. From 1 July 2026, normal super processing should be done from Pays >> Payday Super for each completed pay run. 1. Set Up Your Super Funds Go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers and confirm that each required fund exists in Lightning Payroll. For most APRA-regulated funds, add or refresh the fund using Create Super Fund (Online Search) and the correct USI. For SMSFs, use the SMSF/manual entry process and check the ABN, BSB, account number and Electronic Service Address. Confirm the payment method for each fund, such as Direct Credit (ABA/XML), PayTo, PayID or an external SAFF workflow. For SMSF setup, see How can I add a self managed super fund? 2. Connect A Super Fund To Each Employee Go to Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund and check each employee who will receive super. Add the employee chosen fund, stapled fund, or your default fund where appropriate. Enter the employee member number exactly as provided by the fund. Make sure one active fund is marked as the Primary fund for ordinary Super Guarantee. If salary sacrifice goes to a different fund, confirm the salary sacrifice setup points to the correct secondary fund. 3. Check Company Bank Details Go to Company >> Bank Account and confirm the account used to pay super is recorded correctly. Select the correct Bank Account for Super. If you use Direct Credit (ABA/XML), confirm any bank-required Direct Entry or ABA User ID details. If you use PayTo or PayID, confirm your Ozedi setup is complete and active before relying on it for deadline-sensitive payments. 4. Run Super From The Pays Screen After a pay run is complete, go to Pays >> Payday Super. Lightning Payroll will validate the selected pays and flag issues such as missing member numbers, no primary fund, invalid USIs, invalid ESA details or existing deposits. For the full current process, see How can I handle Payday Super in Lightning Payroll? For payment methods, see What SuperStream payment options are available for Payday Super? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-check-if-i-am-set-up-for-super Q: How Do I Set Up Ozedi PayID For PayDay Super? A: How Do I Set Up PayID For Super Payments Using Ozedi? PayID is an Ozedi payment method that uses the New Payments Platform (NPP) and a dedicated PayID email address for your client. After you send the super remittance from Lightning Payroll, you then send the money yourself from your bank to Ozedi using that PayID. PayID can still be a fast option, but it is less automated than PayTo because you must manually make the payment from your bank after each remittance. It is often preferred by businesses that want to control the bank payment themselves rather than authorising automatic deductions. Need help with Ozedi? T | 1300 737 614 E | support@ozedi.com.au Step 1: Register Your Ozedi Portal Access Register for the Ozedi portal using the link below. Activate your account from the email sent by Ozedi. Sign in to the Ozedi dashboard. Register For The Ozedi Portal Step 2: Create Your Ozedi Account In Ozedi, create an Account. Enable the SuperStream service for that account. Add at least one contact. Important: Your Ozedi account is your main (overarching) account. Each business or ABN you process in Lightning Payroll must be set up as a separate client under this account. Step 3: Add Funds To Your Ozedi Account Go to Accounts > Manage Account > Add to Account. Enter the amount you wish to add. Accept the terms and conditions. Click Add to Account to complete the payment. The account balance shown in Ozedi is used to pay for the Ozedi SuperStream service. It is not used for the actual super contributions. You can add funds using: PayPal account Credit card via PayPal guest checkout Important: Ozedi is a prepaid service. You must have a sufficient account balance before you can create a client or process super payments. Step 4: Add Your Business As A Client And Choose PayID Transfer Go to Manage Service > Manage Clients. Click + Add. Enter the client details, including the business name and ABN or WPN. For the payment provider, select Instant Payments (Zepto) - Transfer. Add at least one client contact and enable notifications if required. Save the client. Important: You must create a separate client in Ozedi for each company or ABN you use in Lightning Payroll. Step 5: Wait For Ozedi To Generate The Transfer Details After saving the client, Ozedi will prepare the transfer details for that client. Wait a few minutes, then edit the client again. Confirm the client now shows as Active. Locate the client's PayID email address. Ozedi may also provide a BSB and account number. Step 6: Create An API User In Ozedi This user allows Lightning Payroll to connect securely to Ozedi. It is not your normal dashboard login. Go to Accounts > Manage Account. Open the Manage Users tab. Click + Add. Enter the user details. Select External App Access (API). Save the user and complete the password setup from the email Ozedi sends. Important: The API user email address must be different from your main Ozedi login email. Using the same email can prevent the connection from working correctly. Step 7: Enter Your Ozedi Details In Lightning Payroll In Lightning Payroll, go to Company > Ozedi Superstream. Enter your: Ozedi Client ID API User Email API User Password Ozedi Account Number Save the changes. Important: The API user email, API password, and Ozedi account number are typically the same across all companies, but the Client ID must match the specific client created in Ozedi for that business. Step 8: Set The Super Fund Payment Method To PayID Go to Settings > Super Fund Providers. Edit the relevant super fund provider. Select PayID as the payment method. Save the fund provider. Step 9: Send The Remittance From Lightning Payroll Create and review your super contribution batch in Lightning Payroll. Send the remittance through Ozedi. Wait for the success message confirming the remittance was sent. Step 10: Send The Funds To Ozedi By PayID Open your banking app or internet banking. Send the payment to the client's Ozedi PayID email address. Send one separate payment for each super fund provider. Make sure each payment exactly matches the remittance amount for that fund provider. Important: Do not send one combined total for all super funds in a single PayID payment. If Fund A is $1,250.00, send one PayID payment of $1,250.00. If Fund B is $980.00, send a separate PayID payment of $980.00. Once Ozedi receives the funds, it forwards the payments to the relevant super funds. Why businesses choose PayID: PayID can be a good option if you want a fast NPP payment method but still prefer to manually control when the funds leave your bank account. Unlike PayTo, it does not automatically debit your bank account. Tip: Each Lightning Payroll company must use its own Client ID from Ozedi, even if all companies share the same API login and Ozedi account. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-ozedi-payid-for-payday-super Q: Why Am I Seeing an Invalid BSB Warning? A: As part of our ongoing payday super and payment improvements, Lightning Payroll has recently introduced enhanced validation of BSB numbers. Previously, BSBs entered into Lightning Payroll were not actively validated. We now validate BSBs in real time using a connection to the Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet) BSB Lookup, which is the authoritative source of BSB data in Australia. AusPayNet is the organisation responsible for issuing, maintaining, and publishing BSB details for Australian banks. This means Lightning Payroll is checking BSBs against the same official directory used by banks and payment systems, helping ensure payments are sent using valid and current banking information. You may see this warning if a BSB has been closed, merged, or replaced by the bank. In these cases, the old BSB is considered deprecated and can no longer be used for payments. If you see an invalid BSB warning, we recommend checking the BSB directly using the official AusPayNet lookup tool that Lightning Payroll relies on: https://bsb.auspaynet.com.au/ When you search for the BSB, the lookup may show that it has been merged into another BSB. In this situation, AusPayNet will clearly display the new BSB that should be used instead. Once you have the replacement BSB, update the employee, supplier, or super fund record in Lightning Payroll and the warning will be resolved. This change improves payment reliability and helps prevent failed or delayed transactions caused by outdated or invalid banking details. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-seeing-an-invalid-bsb-warning Q: How Does Lightning Payroll Handle Compulsory Super Rate Increases? A: How Does Lightning Payroll Handle Superannuation Rate Increases? The superannuation guarantee (SG) rate is set by the Australian Government and may increase in future financial years. Lightning Payroll automatically updates an employee's SG rate when you process their first or second pay dated in July, provided their current rate is at or below that financial year's compulsory minimum. If an employee is already set above the required rate, Lightning Payroll will not adjust it. We recommend checking your employees' super rates after running your first pay of the new financial year. In rare cases, unusual workflows may prevent the automatic update from triggering. For example, completing test July pays while keeping June processed dates can confuse older versions of the software. Newer versions handle this more reliably, but it is still good practice to double check. Can I Control Super Rate Increases Manually? Yes. You can disable automatic SG rate checking under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Contributions. What Should I Do If The Super Rate Did Not Update Automatically? If the automatic rate update does not occur, follow these steps to correct it: Make sure you are running the latest version of Lightning Payroll. Check that the processed dates for your pays are correct. You can update processed dates for an entire pay run from the main Pays screen by using the Set Processed/Paid Date For Pay Run button. Update your SG rates manually under Tools >> Update Superannuation Guarantee Rates. Recalculate super for affected pays under Tools >> Recalculate Super On Pays. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-lightning-payroll-handle-compulsory-super-rate-increases Q: How Do Amount and Age Thresholds Work for Super? A: How Does Lightning Payroll Calculate Superannuation? The $450 super threshold was removed on 1 July 2022. Since then, ordinary eligible employees must be paid the superannuation guarantee (SG) on all ordinary time earnings, regardless of how much they earn in a month. Lightning Payroll calculates SG on a monthly basis. This means that super is assessed across all ordinary earnings within a calendar month, even if employees are paid weekly or fortnightly. To review how the system is calculating super, we recommend running the Super Levy report for the entire month with Show Totals Only unticked. This provides a clear breakdown of earnings and super contributions for each pay within that month. If you check super calculations using only a single pay period, the figures may not appear to match your expectations. Looking at the full month gives the correct picture of how SG has been applied. Under 18 Employees If you have ticked the age threshold setting for an employee who is under 18, they must work more than 30 hours in a week to qualify for SG. This requirement still applies, but the former $450 monthly earnings threshold no longer does. For more information, please see the ATO's guidance on super obligations for employees under 18: ATO Under 18 Rules. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-amount-and-age-thresholds-work-for-super Q: How Does Super Work On Time In Lieu Leave? A: Time In Lieu (TIL) and Superannuation Rules Time in Lieu (TIL) has specific treatment under the ATO's STP Phase 2 reporting requirements. These rules impact how superannuation is calculated and reported in Lightning Payroll. What Makes TIL Different? Unlike other custom leave types (such as RDOs), TIL has mandatory reporting rules. In Lightning Payroll, any custom leave type marked as "Time In Lieu?" will follow these rules, regardless of other settings. When Is TIL Considered OTE? TIL Taken: If TIL is taken as leave (not cashed out), it is treated as Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE), and superannuation is always payable. TIL Cashed Out: If TIL is cashed out during employment, it is treated as Overtime, and superannuation is not payable. What Happens to the "Treat as Overtime?" Setting? If a leave type is marked as "Time In Lieu?", the "Treat as overtime?" checkbox is ignored. This is because TIL treatment for STP reporting and superannuation is already set by the ATO: Cashing out TIL is always treated as Overtime for STP reporting. TIL taken as leave is always reported as Other Paid Leave and included in OTE, regardless of the "Treat as overtime?" setting. For more details on ATO reporting categories such as Other Paid Leave and Overtime, including how TOIL is treated, please refer to the ATO's STP Phase 2 employer reporting guidelines. Setting Up TIL or RDO Leave Types You can set up custom leave types in the program for things like RDOs and Time Off in Lieu by following these steps: Go to Company >> Leave Balance and click Create Leave Balance to create your custom leave type. Once the leave type exists, go to Employees >> Leave >> Leave Accruals. Use the green plus symbol to add the newly created leave type to each employee who requires it. What Should I Do When Paying Out TIL? If an employee is being paid out their TIL balance instead of taking it as leave: In their pay run, select the appropriate TIL leave type. Tick the "Cash Out?" option to ensure the leave is treated correctly for STP reporting and superannuation. Superannuation will not be paid on cashed-out TIL. Do not use the "Spread Tax" feature when cashing out TIL. Summary Only tick "Time In Lieu?" for genuine TOIL leave types. When "Time In Lieu?" is ticked, Lightning Payroll will automatically apply ATO rules and ignore the "Treat as overtime?" setting. Cashing out TIL = no super. Taking TIL = super owed. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-super-work-on-time-in-lieu-leave Q: What is a USI? A: The Unique Superannuation Identifier (USI) is used in SuperStream to uniquely identify an APRA fund and/or its superannuation product which an employee (member) is contributing to.  These are kind of like a superannuation product code, required in Lightning Payroll to be able to send SuperStream messages from the program. Your employees will need to provide these USIs to you along with their member information if they are with a typical APRA super fund. They can get a USI by contacting their super fund. USIs are best entered into the program under Settings >> Super Fund Providers >> Create Super Fund (Online Search). We have a tool to check if a USI is valid, available here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-a-usi Q: How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages When the Super Fund/s Are Holding the Deposited Funds? A: Sometimes you may need to resend the accompanying SuperStream messages for Super Fund deposits that you have already made. This may be due to the messages failing or otherwise not being received by the Super Fund. To resend messages for deposits you have already paid, you can follow the steps below: 1. Go to the Super Fund Deposits screen and make a note of the 'Deposit Date' of the Super Fund deposits for which you need to resend the messages. (NOTE: If you cannot see any deposits listed, or you cannot see the correct deposits, you can click 'Show Search Filter' on the bottom left and use the 'Show Deposits by Date' menu on the left. Widen the start and end dates to display more deposits based on when they were created.) Then, click on the SuperStream Mailbox button. Inside the Mailbox, set the 'dates between' dates to be the same as the 'deposit date' of the deposits that we will be resending the messages for. For example, if the deposit date is the 4th of April, 2019, set the 'Dates Between' to be 04/04/2019 to 04/04/2019 In the box below, you will see the sent messages for your recently created Super Fund deposits. 2. Click View next to the first message that will need to be resent. 3. Then, click Manually Fail on the bottom right of the message information screen and confirm that you wish to fail the message. Finally, hit Finish. (NOTE: If you are not able to manually fail the message, this means the message is already in a resendable state (like FAILED or PROGRESSIVE) and you can just hit Finish and move on to the next step.) 4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the remaining messages. 5. Once all the original messages have been set to status 'Failed' or 'Manually Failed', click Contributions Report on the bottom right of the Mailbox screen. Make sure the start and end dates are set to the sent date of the original messages. Then, 'select all' and click OK. A SuperStream contributions report will be generated with each Super fund and their reference ID on each line. Save or print this report. 6. Back in the main Super Fund Deposits page, click on the SuperStream Contribution button. Under 'Show Deposits by Date', set the date range to once again be the same as the 'deposit date' of the original deposits. Make sure to click 'Include Paid Deposits' 7. Select all the deposits you wish to resend and then click Next on the bottom right. 8. On this screen, you will be shown the amounts to go to each Super Fund. Click the pencil icon to edit the ABA reference for each fund. Delete the current reference and replace it with the reference ID for that Super Fund from the SuperStream Contributions report you created earlier. Complete this step for every Fund listed on the screen. Once completed, click Next again and on the SuperStream Summary page, click Send Messages. Once the messages have been finished sending, click Finish. You have now successfully resent the SuperStream messages. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-resend-superstream-messages-when-the-super-funds-are-holding-the-deposited-funds Q: Why Do I Get An Internet Error When Sending Superstream? A: If you are encountering an "Internet Error" when attempting to send your SuperStream messages, it is likely due to an issue with your Lightning Payroll subscription status. The most common reason for this error is that your subscription is either invalid or not matching our server records. To resolve this issue: Go to Tools >> Licence Assistant within the Lightning Payroll software. Enter your registered email address and Subscription ID. Click Download Licence to update and refresh your licence. Once your licence is successfully refreshed, you should be able to connect to the SuperStream service and continue submitting your super contributions without any further errors. To pick up where you left off, go back to the main Super Fund Deposits page, then follow the How Do I Send Existing Super Fund Deposits FAQ here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-do-i-get-an-internet-error-when-sending-superstream Q: How Does Lightning Payroll Calculate Super For Employees Under 18 Years Of Age? A: As per the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), superannuation must be paid to employees under 18 years of age if they work more than 30 hours in a week, regardless of how much they earn. This is outlined in Superannuation Guarantee Determination SGD 93/1, which specifies that the calculation is based on the actual hours worked in a single week. You cannot average these hours across fortnightly or monthly pay periods. Using Lightning Payroll to Apply the ATO Guidelines Lightning Payroll includes a setting to assist with superannuation calculations for employees under 18. You can find this setting under: Employees > Super > Superannuation Contributions > Age Threshold Enabled When enabled, this feature automatically applies the ATO’s rule that super is only paid if the employee works over 30 hours in a single week. However, this setting works perfectly only for employees who are paid weekly. For employees paid fortnightly or monthly, additional steps are required due to the complexity of tracking weekly hours within these pay cycles. Options for Managing Super for Under-18 Employees Paid Fortnightly or Monthly If your employee is paid fortnightly or monthly, here are some options: Edit the super manually: For each pay period, click “Edit” beside super and adjust the “Compulsory Super” amount manually based on the hours worked. Disable the age threshold: Treat the employee as if they are over 18 years old by disabling the “Age Threshold Enabled” option. This will result in paying super on all earnings, regardless of hours worked. Configure pay rates: Set up different pay rates for hours with and without super as follows: Setting Up Pay Rates for Hours With and Without Super To configure pay rates, follow these steps: Navigate to Employees > Pay Settings > Special User Defined Pay Rates, or use Company > Pay Rate Groups if the rates are shared among multiple employees. See our FAQ on setting up pay rate groups here. For an individual employee: Create one pay rate with the type “Normal”, set to a multiple of 1x their ordinary base pay rate. Name this rate something like “Ordinary Rate Under 30 Hours In Week” and mark it as Overtime so super does not apply. Create a second pay rate, also of type “Normal”, but do not mark it as overtime. Name this rate “Ordinary Rate Over 30 Hours In Week” so super will apply. Once set up: Go to Employees > Super > Superannuation Contributions and untick “Age Threshold Enabled” to manually manage super. When processing a pay, select the appropriate pay rate for the hours worked under and over 30 hours in the week. Enter the hours accordingly to apply super to the correct portion. In the following example the employee has worked 25 hours one week (no super to apply), and 35 hours in another week. At $19 per hour the 11.5% super should only calculate on the 35 hours ($665), resulting in a rounded super amount of $76.48. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-lightning-payroll-calculate-super-for-employees-under-18-years-of-age Q: How Do I Use the Stapled Super Fund Lookup Feature in Lightning Payroll? A: In our ongoing effort to provide you with comprehensive payroll solutions, we've integrated the ability to directly look up your employees' stapled super funds within Lightning Payroll. You can access this feature under the Company tab, specifically within a new subtab labelled ATO API. This feature requires two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security. When you attempt to use it, a 2FA code will be generated and sent to your registered email address. You will then be asked to enter this code into the program to continue. After you've successfully verified your identity through 2FA, the page will update. You'll notice a dropdown menu from which you can select the machine credential required for your request, as well as a field to input your keystore password. Conveniently, you can choose to save your password for future use. If you are acting as a third party or tax agent, simply select the respective tick boxes. When your details are ready, click the Register for ATO API Services button to register for the service. Upon successful registration, a prompt will appear. Then, new fields will emerge, enabling you to search for selected employees' stapled super fund details. Once you've registered, you won't have to do it again. The next times you use this feature, you'll only need to verify your identity with 2FA. To proceed, select an employee and click on Stapled Super Fund Lookup. A prompt will appear, asking you to wait at least five minutes before clicking the Check for Responses button. This is to ensure that your request is processed properly. The section below will then display the requests you've made for your selected employee, along with the details and responses associated with each request once retrieved. After the waiting period, check for responses. If your request was successful, you'll see a success prompt indicating that a response has been received, along with information on the details that were retrieved. This will also update the Responses column in the table for the respective employee. If our system locates a valid USI, it retrieves all associated fund details from our server. These details are then automatically linked to the relevant employee, seamlessly incorporating their superannuation fund information directly into their employee profile. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-stapled-super-fund-lookup-feature-in-lightning-payroll Q: What Do I Need To Do With New Super Stapling Changes, and 'Your Future, Your Super'? A: From the ATO: "From 1 November 2021, where new employees do not choose a super fund, most employers will have to check with the ATO if their employee has an existing super account, known as a 'stapled super fund', to pay the employee's super guarantee into." There is nothing you need to do in Lightning Payroll regarding these changes, but you will need to slightly change your employee onboarding process. Please see here to learn what you need to do differently when setting up a new employee's super, from November 1st, 2021. Other helpful links: Standard Super Choice Form How Do I Enter Super Fund Information in Lightning Payroll? ATO Online Services for Business Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-i-need-to-do-with-new-super-stapling-changes-and-your-future-your-super Q: What are the Due Dates for Super Payments? A: The due dates for Superannuation payments can be found here. Usually super needs to be paid by the 28th of the first month following the end of a quarter. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-due-dates-for-super-payments Q: Is Annual Leave Loading Considered Ordinary Time Earnings? A: The ATO has clarified its position on whether annual leave loading is to be considered ordinary time earnings (OTE), and thus applicable to super guarantee calculations. This categorisation of leave loading as OTE has traditionally been a grey area, where OTE has widely been understood to not include annual leave loading amounts. This clarification of the SGR 2009/2 Super Guarantee Ruling may change what super employees who receive annual leave loading are entitled to. Why Do Your Staff Get Paid Annual Leave Loading? Annual leave loading is NOT considered OTE (and NOT to be included within super calculations) whenever it can be demonstrated that it was paid for a notional loss of opportunity to work overtime. In short, if the loading is paid to replace a missed opportunity at working overtime - it is not OTE (not included in super calculations). If the loading is applied for some other reason, or you are not able to reasonably show that it makes up for overtime lost - it is OTE (included in super calculations). How Do I Know Whether Annual Leave Loading Is Paid For Lost Overtime Opportunity? Award or agreement clauses Some awards, agreements and industries may make this leave loading reasoning apparent, while others may remain silent on why leave loading is paid. In the latter case you should self-assess. For information on awards you should contact Fair Work Australia. Self-assess whether the annual leave loading is or is not OTE We have introduced a tool to assist you self asses whether or not super on leave loading applies based on an employee's frequency of overtime, found under Tools >> Set Include Leave Loading In Super. This gives you a way to quickly determine - absent any award or agreement evidence mentioned above - whether an employee works overtime on a regular basis. Past correspondence between the ATO and ICB indicates this is a reasonable way to approach the issue: "...if an employee is demonstrably working overtime on a permanent regular basis, any annual leave loading that is applicable to that overtime is not considered OTE and therefore no SGC is payable." In each employee's situation is up to employers to decide, and in some cases a backpayment of super for affected employees may be applicable. The ATO states that: "We acknowledge the uncertainty around this topic, and the evidentiary difficulties in identifying the purpose for annual leave loading entitlements. For this reason, we won't apply compliance resources to scrutinise why annual leave loading was paid in previous quarters, where: the employer self-assessed that the annual leave loading was not OTE, with the reasonable position that their annual leave loading was for a notional loss of opportunity to work overtime there is no evidence less than five years old (the statutory period employers are expected to keep records relating to their SG affairs) that suggests the entitlement was for something other than overtime." Lightning Payroll was released in July 2012 and cannot provide information prior to this.   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/is-annual-leave-loading-considered-ordinary-time-earnings Q: How Can I Delete Unused Super Funds? A: You might not be able to delete an unused super fund if it is still connected to an employee or an old deposit, but here's how you can at least make it Inactive and get it out of the way. Go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers. Click Edit Provider beside a fund you wish to get rid of. Set the type to Non-compliant Super Fund. Enter a fake ABN of 10000000000, which is the number one followed by ten zeroes. Untick the Active? box at the bottom. Save the changes. The unused fund is now hidden. To view your hidden/inactive super funds, tick the Show Inactive? box at the bottom of Settings >> Super Fund Providers. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-delete-unused-super-funds --- Category: Tax --- Q: How Can Salary Sacrifice Affect STSL/HELP Repayments? A: Lightning Payroll automatically calculates Study and Training Support Loan (STSL) repayments for employees with an outstanding education debt. This covers all loan types treated as STSL by the ATO: Higher Education Loan Program (HELP/HECS) VET Student Loans (VSL) Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS) Student Start-up Loan (SSL) Trade Support Loan (TSL) Enabling STSL Withholding To make sure STSL is withheld correctly, tick the STSL option on the employee's tax settings. In the desktop app: go to the Employees tab, select the employee, open Tax Rates >> Tax Settings, and tick Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.). Save the changes. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees, select the employee, open the Tax >> Tax Settings tab, and tick Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.). Save the changes. Lightning Payroll follows the ATO's STSL tax scales and adjusts repayments automatically when the ATO updates the thresholds via a tax table update. What Happens When an Employee Salary Sacrifices? Salary sacrifice (for example, into superannuation) reduces an employee's taxable income for PAYG withholding purposes. However, when the ATO calculates the required STSL repayment at the end of the financial year (EOFY), it uses repayment income, which adds the salary-sacrificed amounts back in. This can lead to a situation where: Little or no STSL is withheld during the year because taxable income is lower. At EOFY the ATO assesses the higher repayment income and calculates a larger compulsory repayment. Voluntary Repayments Voluntary repayments an employee makes during the year do not reduce the compulsory amount recalculated at EOFY. Even after voluntary payments, the ATO still calculates the required repayment from the employee's repayment income. Employees should make voluntary repayments directly through their MyGov account, following the ATO's guidelines. Worked Example: Falling Below the Threshold These figures are illustrative only. For the current thresholds and rates, check the ATO link below. Amy earns $65,000 a year and salary sacrifices $10,000 into superannuation. Taxable income: $65,000 - $10,000 = $55,000 Repayment income: $65,000 (includes the salary-sacrificed amount) During the year, if her taxable income sits below the STSL repayment threshold, her employer may withhold little or no STSL. At EOFY, the ATO assesses her repayment income of $65,000 and may calculate a compulsory repayment that she must pay directly to the ATO. Worked Example: A Shortfall at EOFY Ben earns $70,000 a year and salary sacrifices $8,000 into superannuation. Taxable income: $70,000 - $8,000 = $62,000 Repayment income: $70,000 (includes the salary-sacrificed amount) His employer withholds STSL based on the lower taxable income during the year. At EOFY the ATO assesses the higher repayment income, which can fall into a higher repayment rate, leaving a shortfall Ben must pay directly to the ATO. How Can Employers and Employees Manage This? Explain the difference: salary sacrifice lowers taxable income for PAYG withholding but does not lower the repayment income the ATO uses. Withhold extra: an employer can set an upwards variation to withhold additional tax each pay. In the desktop app, go to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings and enable the Upwards variation checkbox. In the online app, go to Employees >> Tax >> Tax Settings and enable Upwards Variation. The extra amount is not reported as STSL/HELP on reports or payslips, but can still go towards covering the EOFY debt. Monitor repayment income: employees should review their taxable income, salary sacrifice amounts and expected repayment income to avoid surprises at EOFY. What If an Employee No Longer Has an STSL Debt? If an employee has repaid their STSL debt in full, they should notify their employer and update their tax declaration. Untick Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.) on their Tax Settings (following the same path as above) and save the changes. Useful Links Study and Training Support Loans repayment thresholds and rates Study and Training Support Loans (ATO) Salary sacrificing for employees (ATO) Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-salary-sacrifice-affect-stslhelp-repayments Q: What Changed For ATO STSL Withholding In September 2025? A: From 24 September 2025, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) updated the Study and Training Support Loans (STSL) withholding rules. The ATO released new Schedule 8 formulas and updated weekly, fortnightly and monthly STSL tax tables to reflect reduced compulsory repayment requirements and a revised calculation method. These apply to payments made on or after 24 September 2025 and run through to 30 June 2026. ATO: Updates to Withholding Schedule and Tax Tables ATO: Schedule 8 – Statement of Formulas for Calculating STSL Components ATO: STSL Weekly Tax Table (payments from 24 September 2025) ATO: Tax Tables Overview (notes on the September 2025 STSL update) When Do Employers Need To Apply The New Tables? Use the new STSL formulas and tax tables for payments made on or after 24 September 2025. Payments made before this date should continue to use the prior tables. The ATO materials above confirm the effective date and that the updated tables cover the remainder of the 2025–26 financial year. Which Loans Are Covered By STSL? STSL withholding applies when an employee has a relevant loan such as HELP, VET Student Loans, Student Start-up Loans, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans and similar programs. Refer to the ATO tax table pages for the full list and any threshold details. What Do I Need To Do In Lightning Payroll? Lightning Payroll Online and Lightning Payroll Desktop versions 2026.72 and above include the new ATO STSL formulas and tax tables. Ensure your software is updated to at least 2026.72 before processing pays dated on or after 24 September 2025. After updating, process pay runs as normal. The new STSL withholding will be applied automatically for employees who have an STSL debt recorded. Do I Need To Reprocess Earlier Pays? No. The ATO update applies to payments made on or after 24 September 2025. Do not adjust pays that were made before that date unless specifically instructed by the ATO or your tax adviser. If a pay period spans the changeover, use the rules that correspond to the actual payment date. Where Can I Read The Official Details? ATO: Updates to Withholding Schedule and Tax Tables ATO: Schedule 8 – Statement of Formulas for Calculating STSL Components (PDF available from this page) ATO: STSL Weekly Tax Table (see also the linked fortnightly and monthly tables) Tip: If you have any uncertainty about thresholds or repayment rates for a specific employee, check the relevant ATO STSL tax table linked above or use the ATO's tax withheld calculator. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-changed-for-ato-stsl-withholding-in-september-2025 Q: What Is The Purpose Of PAYG (Pay As You Go) Tax In Australia A: PAYG (Pay As You Go) tax is a system used by the Australian government to collect income tax from individuals and businesses throughout the financial year. It helps ensure that taxpayers meet their tax obligations progressively rather than facing a large tax bill at the end of the year. How does PAYG tax work? PAYG tax applies to both employees and businesses: For employees: Employers withhold PAYG tax from wages and salaries and remit it to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on behalf of their employees. This ensures that income tax is paid progressively throughout the year. For businesses and sole traders: Businesses may need to make PAYG instalments based on their expected income. These instalments help spread tax payments across the year, reducing the risk of a large lump-sum tax bill. Why is PAYG tax important? The PAYG system is essential for maintaining the country's tax revenue and ensuring that individuals and businesses contribute their fair share. Key benefits include: Simplifies tax management: By spreading tax payments over the year, individuals and businesses can avoid financial strain at tax time. Ensures compliance: Regular tax withholding helps taxpayers meet their obligations without accumulating unexpected debts. Funds public services: PAYG tax contributes to essential government services such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and social security. How do I check my PAYG withholding? Employees can review their PAYG tax by checking their payslips, which should include details of tax withheld. At the end of the financial year, employers provide a Payment Summary (or Income Statement via myGov) showing total earnings and tax withheld. Do businesses need to register for PAYG? Yes, businesses that pay employees must register for PAYG withholding with the ATO. Additionally, businesses and sole traders with significant income may need to pay PAYG instalments as part of their tax obligations. Where can I get more information? For more details on PAYG tax, visit the ATO's PAYG withholding page or consult a registered tax agent. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-purpose-of-payg-pay-as-you-go-tax-in-australia Q: How Is Tax Calculated If An Employee Has Two Pays In One Run? A: When an employee has more than one completed pay in the same pay period within a single pay run, Lightning Payroll adds those pays together and works out the tax on the combined amount, instead of taxing each pay on its own. This is called split-tax calculation, and it is switched on by default. It matters because tax scales are progressive. Two smaller payments taxed separately withhold less than one larger payment of the same total, so taxing each pay in isolation would under-withhold for the period. Where The Setting Lives In the online app, go to Settings >> Other Settings and look for Use split-tax calculations when an employee has multiple completed pays in one pay run?. Leave it ticked unless you have a specific reason not to. Which Pays Are Combined Only pays for the same employee within the same pay run are combined. The pays must share the same pay period. Only completed pays take part. A pending pay is ignored until it is completed. Pays whose tax has already been locked are left alone. With the setting unticked, each pay is taxed on its own figures. Please note: this can leave the employee under-withheld for the period, which they may need to make up when they lodge. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-is-tax-calculated-if-an-employee-has-two-pays-in-one-run Q: Why Is My Employee's Tax File Number Showing As Invalid? A: Lightning Payroll checks every Tax File Number as it is typed, using the Australian Taxation Office's own check-digit formula. A TFN shown as invalid has failed that check, which means the digits entered are not a valid TFN. The check is reliable, so an invalid TFN almost always comes down to a transcription error rather than a fault in the program. One mistyped or transposed digit is enough to fail it, even though the number can look correct at a glance. What To Check Compare the number digit by digit against the employee's own ATO record. Reading it back one digit at a time catches transpositions that the eye skips over. Make sure only digits have been entered. A TFN is 8 or 9 digits, with no spaces, dashes or letters. Confirm the number is a Tax File Number and not another ATO reference such as an ABN or a superannuation member number. If the employee read the number out or sent a photo, ask them to confirm it against a written ATO document. If the number still fails after all of that, ask the employee to confirm their TFN directly with the ATO. Lightning Payroll cannot accept a number that does not pass the ATO check. If The Employee Does Not Have A TFN Yet You do not need to wait for the real number before running a pay. The ATO publishes standard codes for employees who have not yet supplied a TFN, and Lightning Payroll accepts them. See What Do I Do If My Employee Has No Tax File Number? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-my-employees-tax-file-number-showing-as-invalid Q: How Does Australian Residency Impact Tax Rates? A: Your residency status for tax purposes determines how much tax you pay in Australia. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) classifies individuals as either Australian residents for tax purposes or foreign residents. This classification affects your tax rates, access to the tax-free threshold, and eligibility for tax offsets. Who Is Considered An Australian Resident For Tax Purposes? The ATO applies several tests to determine tax residency, including: Resides Test: Whether you live in Australia on a permanent basis. Domicile Test: Whether your permanent home is in Australia, even if you are temporarily overseas. 183-Day Test: Whether you have spent at least half of the financial year in Australia. Superannuation Test: Whether you are an Australian government employee working abroad. Your tax residency is not necessarily the same as your visa status, so it is important to check your classification using the ATO's Residency Tool. Employee Responsibility For Declaring Residency It is the responsibility of the employee to determine and declare their residency status for tax purposes, not the employer or their payroll software provider. This is done by completing a Tax File Number (TFN) declaration form when they start a new job. As the ATO states: 'If your employee has answered no to the question 'Are you an Australian resident for tax purposes'? on their Tax file number declaration, you will need to use the foreign resident tax rates.' See: ATO – Employee Declarations Employers are required to withhold tax according to the answers provided on the TFN declaration. If an employee is unsure of their status, they should use the ATO's Residency Tool or contact the ATO directly for guidance. How Does Residency Affect Tax Rates? Tax rates differ based on your residency status: Australian tax residents are eligible for the tax-free threshold, which reduces the amount of tax they pay on lower incomes. They also benefit from lower progressive tax rates. Foreign residents are taxed at a higher rate from the first dollar earned in Australia and do not qualify for the tax-free threshold. What About Temporary Residents? Temporary residents are generally taxed as Australian residents for income earned in Australia. However, they are not required to pay tax on foreign-sourced income and typically do not have capital gains tax obligations on overseas assets. Do Working Holiday Makers Have Special Tax Rates? Yes. Workers on a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 or 462) are subject to different tax rates from regular residents or foreign workers. These rates are set by the ATO and differ from standard tax scales. How To Configure Working Holiday Visa Tax In Lightning Payroll Employers using Lightning Payroll can set up tax scales for working holiday makers to ensure correct tax withholding. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide: How To Set Up Working Holiday Visa Tax Scales In Lightning Payroll. More Information For further details, visit: ATO: Work Out Your Tax Residency Tool ATO: Employee Declarations ATO: Individual Income Tax Rates Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-australian-residency-impact-tax-rates Q: Two Jobs and PAYG Withholding: Do I Need to Change Any Settings? A: Lightning Payroll can only calculate PAYG withholding on the payments you process in our software. It does not know what the employee earns, or what tax is withheld, by any other employer. This is expected behaviour and aligns with ATO guidance. When an employee has more than one job: The employee should usually claim the tax-free threshold from one payer only (typically their main job). They choose this when completing the Tax File Number (TFN) declaration for each employer. For the second job, the employee typically selects 'No' to claiming the tax-free threshold. This makes withholding higher on that job alone so that overall tax is closer to correct across both jobs. There is no special 'second job' tax scale. Employers simply apply the standard ATO withholding formulas/tax tables based on the threshold, Medicare levy, and any study/training loan settings the employee has declared. It's important to remember that PAYG withholding is only an estimate of annual tax. This is one of the main reasons individuals complete an end-of-year tax return — so that the ATO can reconcile total income and withholding across all jobs and ensure the correct amount of tax is paid. Adjusting Withholding If Needed If the employee is worried about not having enough tax withheld during the year, they can ask you to withhold extra. In Lightning Payroll this can be done by going to: Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings >> Upwards Variation Here you can enter a set amount (for example, $xx.xx per pay) to be withheld in addition to the standard PAYG calculation. Key Takeaways Lightning Payroll can't factor in pay from other employers. That's normal and per ATO rules. Have the employee claim the tax-free threshold with one payer only; select no threshold with others. There are no extra tax scales to configure for a second job. Pays will usually balance out when the individual tax return is lodged at the end of the year. If extra tax should be withheld, set an Upwards Variation in Lightning Payroll. Helpful ATO Links: Multiple Jobs or Change of Job – When to Claim the Tax-Free Threshold Paying Tax on Multiple Sources of Income Withholding Declaration (include extra withholding or change threshold) PAYG Withholding Tax Tables & Calculator Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/two-jobs-and-payg-withholding-do-i-need-to-change-any-settings Q: How Can I Enter Employee Reportable Fringe Benefits? A: If you would like to enter Reportable Fringe Benefits for an employee, you can do this in Employees >> Tax Rates >> Reportable Fringe Benefits. To add in benefits for a particular financial year, click the pencil icon on the right hand side for the relevant financial year. In this next screen, you can also set Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions for the employee for the selected financial year. If you add or change reportable fringe benefits after you have already finalised that financial year through Single Touch Payroll, run the end-of-year finalisation again for the affected year so the ATO receives the updated amounts. See How Do I Process End of Year Using Single Touch Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-enter-employee-reportable-fringe-benefits Q: What Do I Do If My Employee Has No Tax File Number? A: If your employee does not have a Tax File Number (TFN), or has not yet provided one, there are several general TFNs you can use in Lightning Payroll. The ATO publishes the list of general TFNs on its website. Choose the one that fits the employee's circumstances, and read the details for each before applying it. If none of the general TFNs fits the situation, contact the ATO on 13 28 61 for guidance. 000000000 — use if the payee has not provided a TFN, or fails to provide one within 28 days. Tax is withheld at the full (no-TFN) rate. 111111111 — use if the payee declares they have applied for a TFN. Update this with the payee's TFN once provided, or change it to 000000000 if they do not provide it within the 28-day period. 333333333 — use if the payee is under 18 and claims the general exemption because they do not earn enough for tax to be deducted. A TFN will be required if they later earn enough to attract tax. 444444444 — use if the payee receives a social security or service pension or benefit (other than Newstart, sickness allowance, special benefits or partner allowance) and claims an exemption from quoting a TFN. 987654321 — use if alphabetic characters appear in a TFN. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-i-do-if-my-employee-has-no-tax-file-number Q: How Do I Set A Medicare Levy Exemption For An Employee? A: Some employees are entitled to a full or half exemption from the Medicare levy. This applies when the ATO has issued a Medicare levy variation declaration (NAT 0929) granting an exemption - for example, for residents of Norfolk Island, low-income earners below the Medicare levy threshold with a medical certificate, or employees who meet the ATO's dependant family criteria for a reduced levy. Set the exemption in Lightning Payroll so that the correct withholding scale is applied to each pay. In the desktop app Open the employee record, go to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Medicare Levy Exemption. Set Medicare Levy Exemption: to one of the following: NONE - no exemption applies (default for most employees). HALF - the employee has been granted a half exemption from the Medicare levy. FULL - the employee has been granted a full exemption from the Medicare levy. If you select HALF or FULL, the Has Spouse? checkbox and Number of dependent children: field become available. Enter the details as declared on the employee's Medicare levy variation declaration. Save the employee record. Lightning Payroll will apply the appropriate ATO withholding scale to future pays. In the online (web/mobile) app Select the employee, then navigate to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Medicare Levy Exemption. Use the Medicare Levy Exemption Level dropdown to select NONE, HALF, or FULL. If HALF or FULL is selected, two additional fields appear: Has Spouse? - tick this if the employee's declaration includes a spouse. Number of dependant children - enter the number of dependant children as declared. Click Save Changes to apply the setting. When to use each option NONE - use for all standard employees. The Medicare levy (currently 2% of taxable income) is included in their normal PAYG withholding. HALF - use when the ATO has issued a half-exemption variation. The employee's withholding is calculated on Scale 6, which accounts for a reduced Medicare levy. FULL - use when the ATO has issued a full exemption. The employee's withholding is calculated on Scale 5, which excludes the Medicare levy entirely. Always obtain and retain the signed Medicare levy variation declaration (NAT 0929) from the employee before applying an exemption. Do not apply an exemption based solely on an employee's request - the ATO must have issued the variation first. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-a-medicare-levy-exemption-for-an-employee Q: How Do I Apply The Horticulture Or Shearing Industry Tax Scale To An Employee? A: Special tax tables apply to workers in the horticulture and shearing industries (see ATO publication NAT 1013). These tables apply when an employee: works in the horticultural or shearing industries, does not work for the same employer for a continuous period exceeding six months, and has given you a valid Tax file number declaration (NAT 3092) and has claimed the tax-free threshold. In the desktop app Open the employee, go to Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates, and find the Horticulture/Shearing Industries section. Select either Horticulture or Shearing from the industry drop-down. The drop-down is only enabled when the employee has a Tax File Number recorded and has the tax-free threshold claimed on their Tax Settings tab - if it appears greyed out, check those two settings first. In the online (web/mobile) app Open the employee, navigate to Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates. Under the Horticulture/Shearing Industries heading, use the Select the applicable industry if these tables apply to this employee. drop-down and choose Horticulture or Shearing. Select Unspecified if the scale no longer applies. Click Save Changes when done. The same screen also contains the Working Holiday Tax Scale section. If your employee is on a working holiday visa rather than a horticulture or shearing engagement, see How Do I Set Up Tax for Employees on a Working Holiday? instead. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-apply-the-horticulture-or-shearing-industry-tax-scale-to-an-employee Q: Can An Employee Make Repayments to Study or Training Support Loans in Lightning Payroll? A: Yes. Lightning Payroll can withhold the STSL (Study and Training Support Loan) component from an employee's pay once you enable the setting on their tax record. The repayment rate is calculated automatically by the software using the ATO's income-contingent repayment tables - you do not enter a fixed dollar amount. Enabling STSL Withholding In the desktop app: open the employee record, go to Tax >> Tax Settings, and tick Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.). In the online (web/mobile) app: select the employee, go to Tax >> Tax Settings, and enable Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.), then save. Once enabled, Lightning Payroll will include the STSL amount in each pay's withholding. The STSL component is included in the total PAYG withholding figure - it is not a separate deduction line. The note on the pay screen confirms: Tax Amount is inclusive of any Study and Training Support Loan Withholding (that is, HELP, VSL, SFSS, SSL, ABSTUDY SSL and TSL). Voluntary Extra Repayments The repayment rate is set by ATO tables and cannot be overridden to a custom fixed amount in Lightning Payroll. If an employee wishes to make additional voluntary repayments on top of the compulsory withholding, they must do so directly through their MyGov account following the ATO's voluntary repayment guidelines. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-an-employee-make-repayments-to-study-or-training-support-loans-in-lightning-payroll Q: Why is Lightning Payroll Calculating So Much Tax for One Employee? A: The most common reason an employee is being overtaxed is an incorrect Tax File Number. Lightning Payroll validates Australian Tax File Numbers in real-time as you type them. In the desktop app: Open the employee record and navigate to the Employee Tax Rates screen. On the Tax Settings tab, enter the TFN in the Tax File Number field. If the TFN displays in green, it is valid. If it displays in red, it is invalid. In the online (web/mobile) app: Open the employee record and go to the Tax >> Tax Settings section. The Tax File Number field changes colour to indicate validity - green means valid, red means invalid. If the TFN you have been given is invalid, ask your employee to verify their correct TFN. See What Do I Do If My Employee Has No Tax File Number? for information on temporary TFNs and the withholding rates that apply. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-lightning-payroll-calculating-so-much-tax-for-one-employee Q: How Do I Update To The Latest Tax Tables? A: Lightning Payroll has the ability to calculate tax on pays from the 2013 financial year through to the current financial year. Each June we release an update which includes any tax changes for the approaching financial year. The best way to tell that you're using the current financial year's tax tables is to check the first number of your software's version number (i.e 2026.46). Your version number is shown at the bottom of the Lightning Payroll program window. The best way to update is by clicking Check for Updates Now? at the bottom of your program. Click here to find out more on how to update your software. To view public tax tables for the current financial year, you can visit the ATO here - https://www.ato.gov.au/Rates/Tax-tables/ Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-update-to-the-latest-tax-tables Q: How Do I Create an Additional Voluntary Tax Payment? A: Lightning Payroll lets you request that more PAYG withholding be taken from an employee's pay than the standard tables require. There are two mechanisms: an Upwards Variation (the employee lodges NAT 3093 with the ATO and you record the varied amount or rate) and a Manual variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement (used for contractors who hold an ABN; requires NAT 2772). In the desktop app Open the Employees tab and select the employee. Click Tax Rates to open the employee's tax rate settings. Select the Tax Settings tab. To add an upwards variation, tick Upwards variation and then choose a method: a set amount per pay, a minimum withholding percentage of gross, an increase as a percentage of calculated tax, or an increase as a percentage of gross. To set up a Voluntary Agreement instead, tick Manual variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement and enter the payee's ABN. Save the employee record. In the online (web/mobile) app Go to Employees and select the employee. Open the Tax section, then choose Tax Settings. Make sure System Generated Tax Rate? is ticked (this is the default). The Upwards Variation checkbox will then be visible. Tick Upwards Variation and choose either As a set dollar amount per pay or As a percentage of tax, then enter the value. To use a Voluntary Agreement instead, tick Manual variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement, enter the withholding percentage, and provide the payee's ABN. Click Save Changes. For information on setting up a Voluntary Agreement for a contractor, see How Do I Set Up Voluntary Agreements in Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-an-additional-voluntary-tax-payment Q: Which Payroll Reports Should I Use to Accurately Complete my BAS? A: To complete your Business Activity Statement (BAS) accurately, use the right reports with settings that match the period you are reporting. For PAYG withholding figures, we recommend the Group Tax report. To generate it: Go to Reports >> Tax >> Group Tax. Enter the relevant start and end dates. Tick Use Processed Date. Select the employees. Click OK. The totals give you the W1 (Gross) and W2 (Tax) figures, including the HELP/STSL/SFSS components. Ticking Show Totals Only condenses each line into its totals for a more concise report. If you want a more detailed breakdown of other pay components, generate a Pay Summary report: Go to Reports >> Pay >> Pay Summary. Use the same dates as the Group Tax report, with Use Processed Date ticked. Comparing the Pay Summary and Group Tax reports is a good way to spot any discrepancies. To see the W1 and W2 values broken down by month, use the Monthly Tax Deductions Summary report: Go to Reports >> Tax >> Monthly Tax Deductions Summary. Make sure Use Processed Date is ticked. This gives you a useful month-by-month breakdown of your W1 and W2 values. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/which-payroll-reports-should-i-use-to-accurately-complete-my-bas Q: How Do I Use The Tax Calculator In Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll includes a tax calculator that lets you estimate tax figures without processing a live pay. You can start from a gross amount to see the tax and net pay, or enter a net (take-home) amount and work backwards to find the required gross pay. In the desktop app Open the calculator from the menu bar: Tools >> Tax Calculator. A requirement of at least one company being set up in the program must be met before the menu item is enabled. The Tax Scale panel lets you configure the profile for the calculation: Jurisdiction — switch between Australia and New Zealand. The correct fields for each jurisdiction appear automatically. Pay Frequency — Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly, or the other available options. Financial Year — select the year whose ATO or Inland Revenue tax rates should apply. Super % (AU) or KiwiSaver Employee % (NZ) — adjusts the super or KiwiSaver deduction shown in the results. Australia-specific options (shown when Jurisdiction is set to Australia): Tax File Number Supplied? Australian Resident? Claimed Tax Free Threshold? Has STSL (HELP, TSL, etc.) Liability? Medicare Exemption New Zealand-specific options (shown when Jurisdiction is set to New Zealand): IRD Number NZ Tax Code No Declaration (ND)? Has Student Loan? Under Income Details, enter either a Gross Pay amount or a Net Pay amount for the selected pay frequency. The calculator updates the Results panel automatically, showing Gross Pay, Net Pay, Tax (or PAYE), STSL or Student Loan, and the Super or KiwiSaver deduction. On the Lightning Payroll website A free public version of the calculator is available at: Australia: lightningpayroll.com.au/pay-tax-calculator New Zealand: lightningpayroll.co.nz/pay-tax-calculator In the online (web/mobile) app, go to Tools >> Pay Tax Calculator to open the relevant page in a new tab. The AU web calculator includes the same tax scale toggles (Tax File Number Supplied, Claimed Tax Free Threshold, Australian Resident, Has STSL Liability), a Pay Frequency selector, Financial Year, Super percentage, and Medicare Levy Exemption. Enter a gross or net pay amount and the results update automatically. A Show Results As dropdown lets you view the figures in a different frequency from the one you entered. You can also click Email Results to have a summary sent to your inbox. The NZ web calculator works the same way, with fields for Tax Code, KiwiSaver Employee Rate, Has a Student Loan?, pay frequency, and tax year. Results show take-home pay, PAYE, Student Loan, KiwiSaver employee deduction, employer KiwiSaver contribution, and ESCT. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-tax-calculator-in-lightning-payroll Q: What Is The STP Tax Treatment Code And When Do I Need To Change It? A: The STP Tax Treatment Code is a six-character code that Lightning Payroll calculates automatically from each employee's tax settings. It is submitted to the ATO with every Single Touch Payroll (STP) event under STP Phase 2 and tells the ATO which tax scale and withholding conditions apply to that employee. You do not type this code yourself - Lightning Payroll derives it from the settings you have already configured for the employee. Where to See the Code In the desktop app: open an employee, go to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. The current code is displayed as a read-only label next to STP Tax Treatment Code. In the online (web/mobile) app: open an employee, go to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. The Tax Treatment Code field appears near the top of the page. It is read-only and updates automatically when you save changes to the employee's other settings. What Determines the Code? The code is generated in real time from a combination of the following employee settings: Tax File Number - whether a valid TFN has been provided. A missing or special TFN (such as 000 000 000) triggers an N (no TFN) prefix. Foreign Resident - ticking Foreign Resident under Tax Settings sets the residency character to F. Tax Free Threshold Claimed - affects the second character for regular (resident) employees. STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.) - whether the employee has a study and training support loan liability. Ticking Deduct STSL adds an S in the third position. Working Holiday Tax Scale - enabling this under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates sets the first character to H. Horticulture or Shearing industry - selecting one of these industries under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates sets the first character to C. Voluntary Agreement (PAYG) - ticking Manual variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement and supplying a valid ABN under Tax Settings sets the first character to V. Medicare Levy Exemption - a full or half exemption affects characters five and six for resident employees. Dependants and spouse - the number of dependent children and whether the employee has a spouse affect the final character. How to Change the Code Because the code is calculated automatically, you change it by updating the underlying employee settings rather than editing the code directly. Common scenarios: Working holiday employee - tick Use Working Holiday Tax Scale under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates and set the employee's Home Country. The code will begin with H. See How Do I Set Up Tax for Employees on a Working Holiday? Horticulture or shearing worker - select the applicable industry under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates. The code will begin with C. Foreign resident - tick Foreign Resident under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. The code will begin with FF. Employee without a TFN - if no valid TFN is recorded, the code will begin with N and higher withholding rates apply automatically. Voluntary Agreement contractor - tick Manual variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement and enter a valid Payee's ABN under Tax Settings. The code will begin with V. ATO Validation Errors Related to the Code If the ATO rejects an STP submission mentioning the tax treatment code, the most common cause is a mismatch between the code and other data in the submission - for example, a working holiday employee whose Home Country has not been set. Set the missing field, then re-submit. If the code looks correct and the rejection persists, check the STP Phase 2 overview for the full list of employment and taxation conditions that are now reported to the ATO. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-stp-tax-treatment-code-and-when-do-i-need-to-change-it Q: What Should I Do If a New Employee Is Unsure How to Complete Their TFN Declaration? A: If a new employee is unsure how to fill in their TFN Declaration, it's important they seek guidance from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Employers should avoid giving personal tax advice or interpreting what an employee should select on the form. To assist your employee, you can direct them to: The ATO's TFN Declaration help page at ato.gov.au/forms/tfn-declaration The ATO's individual enquiries line on 13 28 61 Once the employee has completed their declaration, enter the correct details into Lightning Payroll: In the desktop app: open the employee record and navigate to Employee Tax Rates >> Tax Settings. In the online (web/mobile) app: open the employee record, select the Tax section, then choose Tax Settings. These details are reported to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll (STP), meaning there is no need to send the TFN Declaration separately. For more details on how TFN Declarations are handled in Lightning Payroll, please see our related FAQ: Can I Submit TFN Declarations in Lightning Payroll? Lightning Payroll provides the tools to store and report tax file number data, but we do not offer tax or financial advice. It is the employee's responsibility to ensure their TFN Declaration is completed correctly, and the employer's responsibility to keep a copy on file. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-should-i-do-if-a-new-employee-is-unsure-how-to-complete-their-tfn-declaration Q: Where Do I Enable HECS/HELP/TSL? A: To enable HECS, HELP, TSL or any other Study and Training Support Loan (STSL) withholding for an employee, tick the Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.) checkbox on that employee's tax settings. In the desktop app: go to the Employees tab, select the employee, open Tax Rates >> Tax Settings, and tick Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.). Save the changes. In the online (web/mobile) app: go to Employees, select the employee, open the Tax >> Tax Settings tab, and tick Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.). Save the changes. Once ticked, Lightning Payroll will automatically calculate and withhold the correct STSL amount based on the employee's income and the ATO's current repayment thresholds. For more detail on how STSL works and how salary sacrifice can affect repayments, see How Can Salary Sacrifice Affect STSL/HELP Repayments? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-do-i-enable-hecshelptsl Q: What Is A Tax File Number (TFN) And Why Do You Need One? A: A Tax File Number (TFN) is a unique identifier issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to individuals and businesses for tax purposes. It is used to track income, tax payments and superannuation contributions. Why Do You Need a TFN? Having a TFN is not legally compulsory, but not providing one can leave you worse off. For example: Your employer must withhold tax at the highest rate (currently 47%). You may not be able to apply for government benefits such as Centrelink payments. Your super fund may deduct extra tax from your contributions. You may face delays when lodging your tax return. How to Apply for a TFN Applying for a TFN is free and can be done in several ways: Online through the ATO website. At an Australia Post outlet, by lodging an application with proof of identity. By mail, if you are unable to apply in person. What If an Employee Does Not Provide a TFN? If an employee does not provide a TFN, the employer must follow certain steps, including withholding tax at the highest rate. For more detail, see our related FAQ: What Do I Do If My Employee Has No Tax File Number? More Information For further detail, visit the ATO: Tax File Number page. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-a-tax-file-number-tfn-and-why-do-you-need-one Q: How Do I Set Up Voluntary Agreements in Lightning Payroll? A: This guide explains how to correctly set up an employee or contractor under a Voluntary Agreement for PAYG withholding in Lightning Payroll. Understanding Voluntary Agreements A Voluntary Agreement is a contract between a payer (the business) and a payee (a contractor) to withhold tax from payments. It suits contractors who hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and helps them meet their tax obligations. Should You Set Up a Voluntary Agreement? Not every worker needs a Voluntary Agreement. It is normally used for contractors rather than regular employees. Incorrectly declaring an employee under a Voluntary Agreement can cause errors when you submit Single Touch Payroll (STP) data. Configuring a Voluntary Agreement Go to the Employees tab. Select the employee's name. Go to Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. In the STP Employment Status dropdown, select Voluntary Agreement. Click the Tax Rates button to the right of Pay Settings. On Tax Rates >> Tax Settings, turn on Manual variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement. Enter the payee's ABN. Important Considerations Make sure the worker is genuinely a contractor eligible for a Voluntary Agreement. Regular employees usually do not qualify, and incorrect use of this setting can cause submission errors. Both the business and the contractor should keep a copy of the agreement for their records. There is no need to send a copy to the ATO, but accurate records help you stay compliant. For more detail on Voluntary Agreements and PAYG withholding, see the ATO website. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-voluntary-agreements-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Set Up Tax for Employees on a Working Holiday? A: From 1 January 2017, employers must register with the ATO before they can tax staff using the working holiday maker tax rates. Once your business has registered, you can apply the working holiday tax scale to an employee under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates >> Working Holiday Tax Scale by ticking Use working holiday tax scale. Make sure you also record the employee's Home Country, which appears below that tick box. For an employee on the working holiday tax scale, go to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings, turn on System Generated Tax Rate, and leave the other options unticked. The Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.), Tax Free Threshold Claimed and Foreign Resident options should all be off. To keep track of working holiday pays, use the report under Reports >> Tax >> Working Holiday Tax Scale Summary. It shows which tax scale has been applied to each employee's pays. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-tax-for-employees-on-a-working-holiday Q: Can I Split a Termination Over Multiple Pays to Reduce Tax? A: No, splitting a termination payment across multiple pays to try and minimise tax does not work the way some employers or employees might assume. Regardless of how a termination is processed'whether it's done all at once or spread over several pays'the employee will still be taxed based on their total earnings and termination amounts for the financial year. Attempting to split a termination is likely to result in either: under-withheld tax at the time of payment, which the employee may have to pay back at tax time, or additional superannuation and leave liabilities if the person remains technically employed during that period Terminations in Lightning Payroll are a one-time event. You cannot partially terminate an employee, then finish the termination later. If an employee is still active in the system and receiving regular payments or leave, they are not yet terminated. If you're considering allowing someone to take leave before terminating them, be aware that: The person is still employed during that leave period Normal super and entitlements will continue to apply You must not process the termination until their final day of employment Trying to manipulate termination timing or payment structure to avoid tax is not only ineffective'it can also lead to compliance issues. We recommend following ATO guidelines and ensuring termination payments are processed correctly and promptly. For a breakdown of how termination tax is calculated in Lightning Payroll, please see our related FAQ: How Are Termination Tax Amounts Calculated? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-split-a-termination-over-multiple-pays-to-reduce-tax Q: How Are Termination Tax Amounts Calculated? A: When terminating an employee, the ATO uses the Unused Leave on Termination Tax Table when determining the amount of tax to take from their termination pay out. There are many tax formulas and calculations that are running side-by-side when determining the amount of tax on a termination payment. Most termination amounts (unused holiday leave, leave loading and long service leave) are taxed using a Marginal Rate Formula. We have developed a web application to assist with these calculations, and to give better understanding on the processes and steps undertaken within the program to provide the tax amounts on terminations. You can view this handy tool here. An important factor in a marginal rate calculation is the normal earnings value; if you are being provided with a very low amount, or no tax amount, on a termination pay out, this is likely due to the normal earnings value being inaccurate. Within the termination process (see here for a more detailed description on the termination process), you are able to view and adjust the normal earnings value by ticking the Advanced Settings option when reaching this page. On the following page, when you click Next, you will be able to view/adjust the normal earnings value at the bottom as displayed below. It is important to consider that this value does not generally need to be edited, as Lightning Payroll handles these calculations automatically by averaging out the pays over the financial year. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-are-termination-tax-amounts-calculated Q: What Is The Tax-Free Threshold And How Does It Work? A: The tax-free threshold is the amount of income an Australian resident can earn before they are required to pay tax. As of the current financial year, the tax-free threshold is $18,200. This means if your annual income is below this amount, you generally will not have tax withheld from your wages. How Do You Claim The Tax-Free Threshold? When you start a new job, your employer will give you a Tax File Number (TFN) Declaration Form. On this form, you can choose whether to claim the tax-free threshold. If you claim the threshold, your employer will withhold less tax from your pay. If you do not claim it, they will withhold tax at a higher rate. What Happens If You Have Multiple Jobs? You should only claim the tax-free threshold from one employer at a time'typically the one that pays you the most. If you claim it from multiple employers, you may not have enough tax withheld and could end up owing tax at the end of the financial year. What If You Don't Provide A TFN? If you don't provide a TFN, you cannot claim the tax-free threshold, and your employer must withhold tax at the highest rate (47%). This means you could pay more tax than necessary. How Does The Tax-Free Threshold Affect Your Tax Return? At the end of the financial year, the ATO calculates your total income and tax withheld. If too much tax was deducted because you didn't claim the tax-free threshold correctly, you may receive a refund when you lodge your tax return. More Information For further details, visit these official resources: ATO: Tax-Free Threshold Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-tax-free-threshold-and-how-does-it-work Q: Why Is Tax Or HELP/STSL Slightly Different To The Manual Tax Tables? A: In some situations, tax amounts in software packages such as Lightning Payroll may differ slightly to the PDF tax tables or XLSX lookup tools that the ATO provides. If you find your tax is differing slightly in the software please test the tax amounts using the ATO's own app. You will find that the tax amounts in their app matches our software. We have confirmed with the ATO that this is normal. In their words, through private correspondence:"Payroll or accounting software written in accordance with the formulas in this schedule should be tested for accuracy against the sample data. The results obtained when using the coefficients in this schedule may differ slightly from the sums of the amounts shown in the PAYG tax tables. The differences result from the rounding of components. Withholding calculated using either method is accepted."   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-tax-or-helpstsl-slightly-different-to-the-manual-tax-tables Q: How Can I Withhold Extra Tax For An Employee? A: Below is how you can withhold additional tax for an employee. Go to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings >> Upwards Variation and enter the amount per pay period for the tax to be increased. The regular tax amount will be withheld, with the extra dollars added on top. Employees must make the request for an upwards variation in writing to their employer, as described here by the ATO. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-withhold-extra-tax-for-an-employee Q: Can I Submit TFN Declarations in Lightning Payroll? A: TFN Declarations do need to be completed by your employees, however, they do not need to be physically sent into the ATO any longer, since Single Touch Payroll reports all of the relevant tax coding to the ATO with each submission. Make sure to configure the employee's tax settings in the program as per their TFN declaration, under Employees >> Tax Rates and this information will be reported along with Single Touch Payroll. You then keep the physical, paper copy of the TFN declaration in your own filing system for the required timeframe (generally 7 years), in case it is ever requested by the ATO. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-submit-tfn-declarations-in-lightning-payroll --- Category: Timeclock-and-Portal --- Q: How Do I Log In To The Employee Portal Using A Code Or Authenticator App? A: The employee portal uses a two-step login. After you enter your password, the portal sends a 6-digit code to your registered email address. You can enter that emailed code, or use a code from an authenticator app if you have already set one up. Signing In Go to the employee portal login page and enter your Email address or username and Password, then click Sign In. The screen changes to Enter your emailed code or authenticator app code. A login code has been sent to your registered email address. Enter the 6-digit code in the Enter your 6-digit code here... field and click Submit. If your email address is linked to more than one employee account, a Choose your employee portal account screen appears. Select the correct account from the list and click Continue. If the code step times out or something goes wrong, click Restart to return to the password screen. Using An Authenticator App Instead Of The Emailed Code If you prefer not to wait for an email each time you log in, you can set up an authenticator app (such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or any other TOTP app) and use that app's 6-digit code at the verification step instead. To set up your authenticator app, log in to the employee portal and go to your Dashboard. Find the Authenticator App panel and scan the QR code displayed there using your authenticator app. Alternatively, enter the Secret key shown below the QR code into your app manually. Keep this key private - if you ever lose access to your authenticator app, you can still sign in using the emailed verification code. Once the app is configured, at the verification step enter the current 6-digit code shown in your authenticator app instead of the emailed code. If you have forgotten your employee portal password, click Forgot Employee Portal Password? on the login screen to reset it. For information on setting up 2FA for your payroll administrator account, see How Do I Use Two-Factor Authentication With My Lightning Payroll Account? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-log-in-to-the-employee-portal-using-a-code-or-authenticator-app Q: What Are My Options For Recording Employee Hours? A: Lightning Payroll offers several ways to get hours into a pay, and it is easy to mix them up. Here is what each one is for. 1. Type Hours Directly Into The Pay The simplest option: open the employee's pay and enter hours straight into the Hours & Pay Rates table. No setup required - this is the right choice if you do not use rosters, a timeclock, or the employee portal. 2. Timeclock App A separate mobile app (Android/iOS), usually installed on a shared device at the workplace. Employees clock in and out on the device, and their times sync back into Lightning Payroll. See How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? 3. Employee Portal Timeclock A different feature to the app above, despite the similar name - employees clock themselves in and out from inside their own Employee Portal in a web browser, rather than a shared device. See How Do Employees Use Timeclock in the Online Portal? 4. Employee Portal Timesheets Employees type their own start and end times for pre-configured shifts directly into their Employee Portal, rather than clocking in and out. See How Do Employees Use Timesheets in the Online Portal? 5. Timeclock/Portal Sync Whichever of options 2-4 is used, the entries do not appear in a pay automatically. A payroll admin reviews and imports them from Timeclock/Portal Sync (also called Import/Manage Shifts), which turns them into rostered shifts a pay run can pick up. See How Does the Timeclock and Portal Sync Window Work? Which One Should I Use? If rosters are already in use, pick whichever of the Timeclock App or Portal Timesheets/Timeclock suits the workplace, then bring the results in through Timeclock/Portal Sync. For a small business with no rosters, typing hours directly into the pay is usually the simplest option. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-my-options-for-recording-employee-hours Q: How Do I Run the Missed Shifts Report? A: The Missed Clock In/Out Report lists employees who were rostered to work in a chosen period but either did not clock in at all (no-show) or clocked in but never clocked out (no clock-out). It helps managers follow up on attendance exceptions before finalising a pay run. In the Desktop App The report is launched from the Timeclock Sync window, which you open via Pays >> Import/Manage Shifts or Rosters >> Import/Manage Shifts. Once the sync window is open, click Missed Shifts Report at the bottom of the screen. Go to the Pays or Rosters screen and select the relevant pay run. Click Import/Manage Shifts to open the Timeclock Sync window. Click the Missed Shifts Report button. A report form opens with Start Date and End Date fields pre-filled with the current pay run's dates. Adjust the dates if needed. Select the employees to include, or leave all unchecked to cover every employee in scope. Click Preview to view the report on screen, or use the export button to save a CSV file. The report columns are Employee, Shift, Date, Rostered Start, Rostered End, Clocked In, and Issue (showing whether the problem is a no-show or a missing clock-out). In the Online (Web/Mobile) App The report is available from the Timeclock/Portal Shift Sync screen, which is reached via the Roster Planner. Open the Roster Planner for the relevant pay run. Click Timeclock/Portal Sync to open the Timeclock/Portal Shift Sync screen. Click Missed Shifts Report. The Missed Clock In/Out Report screen opens. Enter the Start Date and End Date for the period you want to check. Tick individual employees to narrow the results, or leave all unchecked to report on every employee in your scope. Click Generate to display the results. Use Download PDF or Download CSV to save or share the report. Reading the Results No-show — the employee was rostered but there is no clock-in record at all for that shift. No clock-out — the employee clocked in but did not clock out, so the shift end time is unknown. The summary line at the top of the report states the total number of missed events and how many employees are affected. If no missed events are found for the period, the report displays: No missed clock in or clock out events were found for this period. For information on reviewing and importing timeclock shifts into a pay run, see How Does the Timeclock and Portal Sync Window Work? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-run-the-missed-shifts-report Q: How Do I Complete HR Tasks Assigned To Me In The Employee Portal? A: When your employer has HR Suite enabled, several HR sections appear in your employee portal: My Checklists, My Documents, Company Policies, Training, and My Reimbursements. Log in to the employee portal and select the relevant section from the navigation menu. My Checklists This section shows any onboarding, offboarding, or other checklists your employer has assigned to you. Each checklist displays its start date, overall percentage complete, and the individual tasks you need to action. Select a checklist to see its tasks, then work through each item. The checklist updates its progress automatically as you complete tasks. My Documents The Pending Document Requests area lists any documents your employer has asked you to provide. To fulfil a request, select Upload next to the relevant request, choose the file, add any notes, and confirm. You can also upload additional documents using Add Document. Already-shared documents appear in the Documents table below and can be downloaded at any time. Company Policies All published workplace policies appear here with their acknowledgement status: Pending, Acknowledged, or Updated - re-acknowledge (shown when your employer has revised a policy you previously acknowledged). To read and acknowledge a policy: Select View next to the policy. Read the policy content. If a change summary is shown, review what has changed. Select Acknowledge to confirm you have read and understood it. Confirm in the prompt - this action cannot be undone. Training The Outstanding Assignments section lists training items assigned to you, with due dates and status badges (Pending, In Progress, Overdue, Mandatory). To record a completed training item: Select Mark Complete next to the assignment. Enter the Completion Date, select a Result (Attended, Passed, or N/A), and optionally add an expiry date and notes. Select Cancel or confirm to save the record. To attach a certificate or other evidence, find the completed item in the Training Records table and select Upload. My Reimbursements Use this section to submit expense claims for reimbursement. Select New Claim, then fill in the form: Category - select the expense type if your employer has configured categories. Description - briefly describe the expense. Expense Date - the date the expense was incurred. Amount - enter the amount directly, or use Calculate from mileage to calculate from kilometres and a per-km rate. Receipt - attach a receipt image or file (optional, max 10 MB). Submitted claims appear in the Reimbursement Claims list with a status of Pending, Approved, Rejected, or Paid. You can download the receipt for any existing claim using Download. For information on how employers configure and monitor these HR tasks, see How Do Employees Complete HR Tasks In The Employee Portal? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-complete-hr-tasks-assigned-to-me-in-the-employee-portal Q: How Do I View And Manage Timeclock Devices In The Online App? A: Once employees have connected a device by logging in through the Lightning Payroll Timeclock app (Android or iOS), that device appears in your company's timeclock device list. You can review registered devices, update their status, and push fresh employee data to them from both the desktop and online apps. For instructions on downloading and setting up the Timeclock app itself, see How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? In the Online (Web/Mobile) App Go to Company >> Timeclock Devices. The page lists every device registered to your company with the following details: Device ID - the unique identifier assigned when the device first connected Android Version - the Android OS version reported by the device Device Model - the hardware model of the device Nickname - an editable label you can set to identify the device (for example, a location or staff name) Status - set to Active or Inactive to control whether the device can receive shifts and record time Send Updated Employee Data - click the sync icon next to a device to push the latest employee and shift information to it immediately If a newly connected device does not appear in the list, click Check for Devices to refresh from the server. The page also loads automatically each time you open it. In the Desktop App Go to Company >> Timeclock Devices. The same device list is shown. Use Check For Devices to sync new devices from the server. The Send Updated Employee Data action pushes current employee and shift data to the selected device. If the push fails, check your internet connection or proxy settings and try again. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-view-and-manage-timeclock-devices-in-the-online-app Q: How Do I Reset Or Change My Employee Portal Password? A: Forgot Your Password? Reset It From the Login Screen If you cannot sign in to the employee portal, click Forgot Employee Portal Password? on the login page. You will be taken to the Password Recovery screen. Select Employee Portal User as your account type. Enter your employee email address or username. Click Send Password Reset Instructions. A reset link will be emailed to the address registered on your employee account. The link expires after two hours. Open the email and click the Reset Password link. You will be taken to the Set your employee portal password page. If your email address is linked to more than one employee portal account, select the correct account from the list. Enter a New password and Confirm new password that meets the requirements shown on screen, then click Save Password. Click Continue to Login to sign in with your new password. If you did not receive the email, check your spam or junk folder. The system only sends a reset email when the email address or username matches an active employee portal account - it will not confirm whether a match was found. Change Your Password While Logged In Once you are signed in to the employee portal, you can update your password at any time from the Password section in the navigation menu. Open the portal menu and select Password. You can also reach this page from Employee details by clicking Change Password. Enter your New password and Confirm password, meeting all the requirements shown. Click Save Password. Password Requirements At least 10 characters No more than 20 characters One lowercase letter (a-z) One uppercase letter (A-Z) One number (0-9) One special character: ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) - _ + = For information about how an employee portal account and its initial email are first created, see What Generates An Employee Portal Account and Email? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-reset-or-change-my-employee-portal-password Q: How Do I Complete My Employee Portal Setup When I First Log In? A: When your employer activates your online employee portal, you receive an email containing your username and a temporary password. To access the portal, visit the Lightning Payroll website and click Employee Login at the top of the page. Some portal invitations instead contain a setup link. If your email asks you to set up your employee portal, click the link, choose your own password on the Set your password screen, and click Save Password & Continue — you are signed in straight away and use that password for future logins. Signing In for the First Time Enter your Email address or username and Password, then click Sign In. A 6-digit login code is emailed to you. Enter the code when prompted and click Submit. If your email address is linked to more than one employer's portal, a list appears. Select the correct account and click Continue. On your first login, the portal automatically opens the Employee Onboarding wizard. If you dismiss it, you can re-open it by clicking Start Onboarding Wizard from your dashboard. Steps in the Onboarding Wizard The wizard shows only the sections your employer has enabled. Each step is labelled with a progress counter at the top of the screen. Welcome – An overview of what the wizard covers. Click Next to begin. Create your password – Choose the password you will use to sign in to the portal from now on, then click Save Password before continuing. This step appears if you have not yet set your own password. Employee details – Update your contact details and emergency contacts. Save your changes before advancing to the next step. Tax settings – Enter your payroll tax information so deductions are calculated correctly. For AU employees this is your Tax File Number (TFN) declaration; for NZ employees this is your IR330 tax code and IRD number. Save before advancing. Bank accounts – Add or update the bank accounts your pay should be deposited into. You can also rank multiple accounts and set a split amount. Super – (AU only) Enter your super fund USI and member number, or select your employer's default fund. This step is not shown for NZ employees. Pays – View and download any payslips that have already been uploaded. This step is shown only if payslip access is enabled by your employer. Review and Complete – Use Back to revisit any section. When you are satisfied, click Mark Onboarding as Complete to notify your employer and proceed to the dashboard. After Completing the Wizard You are taken to the Employee Dashboard, which shows Quick Links to all the sections you have access to, such as Update Details, Bank Accounts, Payslips, Leave, and Tax Settings. You can return to any of these at any time. For help on what your employer needs to configure before you receive a portal invitation, see How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-complete-my-employee-portal-setup-when-i-first-log-in Q: How Can I Provide Payslips To Employees Online? A: You can allow employees to access their payslips via the Lightning Payroll online employee portal. The steps below cover the desktop app; online app users can configure the same settings from Employees >> Details >> Online Portal and click Refresh Employee Portal to save. To activate payslips for an employee in the desktop app, go to Employees >> Details >> Online Portal and tick Allow Employee to View Their Payslips? You will also need to tick Activate This Employee's Online Portal? Click Refresh Employee Portal to save the changes. Once payslips are activated, the program will automatically upload each newly completed pay as a payslip on app shutdown. When the employee portal is activated for the first time (or if an employee's name changes), a new username and password will be generated and emailed to the employee. This allows them to log in via the portal link at the top of the email. To add payslips for past periods, or to remove payslips from the portal, use the Portal Payslips Wizard found in the upper Tools menu of the desktop app. The same wizard is also available in the online app under Tools >> Portal Payslips Wizard, where a final Apply Changes step confirms exactly what will be added or removed before anything changes. Specify the pay run date range you would like to manage payslips for. Select the employees whose payslips you would like to manage. Only employees with active portal accounts and payslips allowed will be visible. Select the pays you wish to add or remove, then click Finish to save the changes. The employee can then access their payslips by logging into the online employee portal. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-provide-payslips-to-employees-online Q: How Do I Connect Lightning Payroll With BundyPlus? A: Integrating Lightning Payroll with BundyPlus Lightning Payroll integrates with BundyPlus Employee Time And Attendance software via CSV file import/export. We offer our own basic timeclock functionality, but for users in need of more specialised features such as facial recognition, dedicated hardware or GPS tracking we recommend using BundyPlus. Follow these steps to set up and manage your BundyPlus integration: Steps to Setup BundyPlus Integration First, set up your employees and pay rates in Lightning Payroll as usual. Then, proceed with the following steps: Go to either the Rosters or Pays screen in Lightning Payroll. Click Import/Manage Time And Attendance Data. This will open the Time and Attendance Data Import/Export Wizard with three options: Import time and attendance data (default option, used most regularly). Export employee data. Export pay items. Exporting Data for BundyPlus To set up the BundyPlus integration, follow these steps: Select Export Selected Employees To CSV to create a CSV file of your employees. Next, select Export Pay Items To CSV to create a CSV of pay rates, allowances, leave types, etc. Once you've generated these two files, log in to BundyPlus and import your employees and pay items via the settings menu. We recommend contacting BundyPlus support during setup. Make sure to select the appropriate export format option to ensure the files are compatible with Lightning Payroll. Configuring BundyPlus Timeclock The BundyPlus support team will assist you with configuring your timeclock hardware and/or software and setting up your work rules, enabling employees to begin clocking in and out. Importing Pay Runs Back into Lightning Payroll After completing and approving a pay run in BundyPlus, export the pay run to a CSV file. You can then import this file back into Lightning Payroll using the same wizard you used earlier: Select Import Time and Attendance Data. Lightning Payroll will automatically create the required shift associations and prefill the appropriate pay run instantly. If you need further assistance, please contact BundyPlus Support or Lightning Payroll support. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-connect-lightning-payroll-with-bundyplus Q: How Do My Employees View Their Payslips From Their iPhone? A: If an employee is trying to save or view their payslips on an Apple (iOS) mobile device, they can follow these steps. 1. Click Employee Login at the top of the Lightning Payroll website and sign in. 2. Once logged in to the portal, tap Pays. 3. On the Pays screen, tap the Download button next to the payslip you want to save or view. 4. On the prompt that appears, tap Download. 5. Tap the download icon near the address bar, then tap Downloads. 6. Tap the icon to the right of your payslip file on the next prompt. 7. This opens the Files app, where you can view your downloaded payslips. The exact appearance of the download prompt and Files app may vary slightly between iOS versions. The steps above reflect the standard Safari behaviour on iOS 16 and later. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-my-employees-view-their-payslips-from-their-iphone Q: How Does the Timeclock and Portal Sync Window Work? A: The timeclock and portal sync feature downloads employee-entered shift data from the Lightning Payroll server and converts it into rostered shifts inside your company file, ready to flow through to pays. Opening the Sync Window In the desktop app: On either the Pays or Rosters screen, click Import/Manage Shifts to open the sync window directly. (The same area also offers Import/Manage Leave Requests and Import/Manage Time And Attendance Data.) In the online (web/mobile) app: On the Roster Planner screen, click Timeclock/Portal Sync, then choose Import/Manage Shifts from the menu that appears. (The same menu also offers Import/Manage Leave Requests.) What the Sync Window Does Shows eligible employee timeclock and timesheet entries for the currently selected pay period. Lets you filter, review, round, edit and then import those entries. On import, creates new rostered shifts or updates matching rostered shifts so your pays can absorb the correct hours when the pending pay is refreshed. Before You Start Navigate to the exact pay run you want to process, then open the sync window. It only displays entries with a start date and time within this pay period's dates. Ensure staff are submitting shifts via: Lightning Payroll Timeclock app (Android/iOS) Online Employee Portal Timesheets How Shift Data Flows into a Pay Lightning Payroll stores employee-entered shifts on the server as timeclock shifts. When you sync, these become rostered shifts in your payroll file, because pays always absorb hours from rostered shifts. This supports businesses who use rosters, timeclocks/timesheets, or both. Server timeclock shift >> Sync >> Create/Update rostered shift >> pending pay absorbs the rostered hours on refresh. If a matching rostered shift already exists (same employee, shift and start date), the import overwrites that rostered shift's values instead of creating a duplicate. Tour of the Sync Window The main table lists one row per employee shift and shows reported start, end and break times, any existing rostered times, and the paid duration you are about to import. Sorting and Date Filters (top left) - Sort by employee or date, and choose whether to show entries for this entire pay run or a narrower range. Who to Show - Display shifts for all employees or a specific employee. Visibility Toggles (upper middle/right): Show Rostered Shifts / Show Unrostered Shifts - Include shifts that already have a matching roster row, as well as new ones that will create a roster row. Tick both to see everything. Show Previously Imported/Synced Shifts - Useful for auditing what has already been brought in. Show New Shifts (Not Imported/Synced) - Focus only on what still needs action. Prefer Rostered Start/End/Break - Keep selected rostered values when importing a matching timeclock entry. See details below. Shift Source Filter (bottom left) - Choose Show All Employee-Entered Shifts, or limit to Show Timeclock Shifts Only or Show Timesheet Shifts Only. Show Incomplete Shifts - Opens a window listing any shifts that are still in progress (not yet clocked out). Manually Editing a Shift Click the pencil to correct any shift record that needs to change. Make your changes and save. This will not update the source server shift record, but will be used when creating or updating the rostered shift entry, which then flows through to pays. Using Prefer Rostered Options These options give you extra automation when you use pre-scheduled rosters as well as server-entered timeclock shifts. When a server shift matches a rostered shift (same employee, shift and start date and time), the import would normally overwrite the rostered values. Ticking any of the following will retain the chosen rostered field instead of replacing it: Prefer Rostered Start Times - Keeps the rostered start time. Useful when staff clock in too early compared with the scheduled start. Optional sub-setting: In the desktop app: ...Only When Clocking-In Early - Retains the rostered start only if the employee's reported start is earlier than rostered. If they clock in late, the reported start is used. In the online (web/mobile) app: ...But Only When Clocking-In Early - same behaviour as above. Prefer Rostered End Times - Keeps the rostered end time. Helpful when staff clock out later than planned. Optional sub-setting: In the desktop app: ...Only When Clocking-Out Late - Retains the rostered end only if the employee's reported end is later than rostered. If they finish early, the reported end is used. In the online (web/mobile) app: ...But Only When Clocking-Out Late - same behaviour as above. Prefer Rostered Break Durations - Keeps the rostered break length. Handy when you have fixed break rules and do not want ad hoc break entries to alter paid duration. Combine these preferences to preserve your schedule where appropriate while still accepting genuine variances elsewhere. Rounding Options Click Timeclock Rounding Options to apply consistent rounding on import. You can round the Duration (or the Start Time, End Time or Break Duration) by a number of minutes, and choose to round Up, Down or to the Closest interval. Important: If you manually edit a shift, any automatic rounding is overridden for that shift. Double-check all fields before saving. Finalising the Sync Once you are happy with the final Paid Duration values of each shift, give them a tick and click OK (desktop) or Download/Sync Selected Shifts (online) to complete the sync. The new and/or updated shifts will now be visible in the Rosters screen for the same pay period. Resyncing When You Want Server Shifts Only If you only want server-sourced shift data in your roster for the period, you can clear the roster then import again. Open Rosters for the relevant pay period and click Edit Shifts. Use Delete All to clear all rostered shifts for this pay run. Confirm when prompted. This removes roster entries only and does not delete the original timeclock/timesheet records on the server. Open the sync window again (Import/Manage Shifts) and make sure you tick Show Unrostered Shifts. If this is not ticked, the server shifts will not be available to import. (Optional) Tick Show New Shifts (Not Imported/Synced) to focus on fresh entries. Select the shifts to import and confirm to complete the sync. Back in the pay, refresh the pending pay run so it absorbs the rostered hours and allowances. How Pays Absorb Hours When a pending pay is refreshed, the system checks for rostered shifts first: If rostered shifts exist, their hours and any rostered allowances are applied. If not, it can copy hours from last pay (if Copy hours from last pay? is enabled under Employees >> Pay Settings) or use the employee's default award hours. Approved leave requests for the period are added as leave lines. Tips and Troubleshooting If nothing appears in the sync window, confirm you are on the correct pay dates and tick Show Unrostered Shifts. Use the Prefer Rostered options to keep schedule integrity when minor early starts, late finishes or inconsistent breaks are reported. Use Show Previously Imported/Synced Shifts to review what has already been brought in. Manual edits disable rounding for that specific entry. Related Articles How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? How Do Employees Use Timesheets in the Online Portal? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-the-timeclock-and-portal-sync-window-work Q: Timeclock and Portal Menu A: Lightning Payroll offers two ways for employees to record their time and access self-service features: the Timeclock app and the Online Employee Portal. These are separate but complementary features. Timeclock App The Lightning Payroll Timeclock app is a cross-platform mobile app available for Android and iOS devices. Employees use it to clock in and out of their assigned shifts. All recorded hours can then be synced into Lightning Payroll to fill out pays automatically. Android: Download from the Google Play Store iOS: Download from the Apple App Store For full setup and usage details, see How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? Online Employee Portal The online employee portal is accessible from any web browser. Once activated, employees can log in at the Lightning Payroll website to: Clock in and out of available shifts via the portal timeclock Submit and edit timesheet entries Update their personal contact details and timeclock PIN Manage their bank account details View and download payslips Request leave (if enabled) For portal setup instructions, see How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? For employees using the portal timeclock specifically, see How Do Employees Use Timeclock in the Online Portal? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/timeclock-and-portal-menu Q: How Do I Update My Tax Details In The Employee Portal? A: The employee portal includes a Tax Settings screen where you can view and update your tax details. The screen is available only when your employer has enabled this permission for your account. If the Tax Settings tab is not visible in your portal navigation, or you see the message Tax settings are locked by your employer, contact your employer and ask them to tick Allow employee to edit their tax settings under your Online Portal settings. To access the screen, log into the employee portal and select Tax Settings from the navigation menu. Australian employees The form is based on your TFN declaration. Complete the following fields and tick the confirmation checkbox before saving: Tax file number (TFN) - enter your nine-digit TFN. If you do not have a TFN yet, select I don't have a TFN yet - see my options to choose a temporary ATO-issued code. On what basis are you paid? - select Full-time employment, Part-time employment, or Casual employment. Are you: - select your residency status: An Australian resident for tax purposes, A foreign resident for tax purposes, or A working holiday maker. If you select working holiday maker, also choose your Home country. Tax free threshold claimed - tick this for your main job so that less tax is withheld. Do not tick it for a second job. Deduct STSL (HELP, TSL, SFSS, etc.) - tick this only if you have a study or training loan to repay. I declare this information is true and correct and I am submitting it electronically - tick this checkbox to confirm the declaration before saving. Your declaration is stored electronically with the date and audit details of the submission. New Zealand employees The form reflects your IR330 tax code declaration. Complete the following fields: IRD number - enter your IRD number (not required if you select the ND code below). NZ tax code - select the code that matches your situation: M - Main income, standard tax rate ME - Main income, eligible for Independent Earner Tax Credit (IETC) SB - Secondary income, total annual income up to $14,000 S - Secondary income, total annual income $14,001 to $48,000 SH - Secondary income, total annual income $48,001 to $70,000 ST - Secondary income, total annual income $70,001 to $180,000 SA - Secondary income, total annual income over $180,000 CAE - Casual agricultural employee EDW - Election day worker NSW - Recognised seasonal worker, non-resident Pacific countries STC - Special tax code, tailored rate issued by Inland Revenue ND - No declaration provided WT - Withholding tax I have a student loan - tick this if you have a student loan so the correct repayment deduction is applied. I have not provided a tax code declaration - tick this if you have not given your employer an IR330. This automatically sets the ND tax code and the IRD number field is not required. Saving and change history Select Save Changes after updating your details. A confirmation message appears when the save is successful. If any fields are invalid, an error message is shown instead. A Change History section at the bottom of the page records each previous submission, including the date, source, and key values that changed. Select the heading to expand or collapse the list. For information on setting up the employee portal and managing portal permissions, see How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-update-my-tax-details-in-the-employee-portal Q: How Do I Choose Or Change My Super Fund In The Employee Portal? A: The employee portal lets you enter or update your superannuation fund details directly, without contacting your employer, provided your employer has enabled super editing for your account. Log in to the employee portal and select Super from the navigation menu. Adding or Editing a Super Fund The Your super funds table lists your current super fund entries. Each row shows whether the fund is marked as primary, its USI, and your Member number. To add a new fund, click the add row button at the bottom of the table. Enter the fund's USI / Unique Superannuation Identifier and your Member number, then tick Primary fund? if this is your main fund. Save the row. To edit an existing fund, select its row in the table. Update the USI or member number as needed and save. To remove a fund, select the row and use the delete option. You will be asked to confirm before the fund is removed. The first fund you add is automatically set as your primary fund. If you have more than one fund, only one can be marked primary at a time. Using the Company Default Super Fund If your employer has set up a default (choice) super fund, a Use company default super fund checkbox appears at the top of the page. Ticking this opts you into your employer's nominated fund. The fund's name and USI are shown for reference. Your employer's payroll system will pick up this choice on the next portal sync. The checkbox is disabled if your personal details are incomplete. A message will list the missing fields (for example, date of birth or address) that must be filled in before you can select the company default fund. Update your details under Details in the portal navigation, then return to the Super page. If Super Editing Is Locked If your employer has not enabled super editing for your account, the page displays a message: Super funds are locked by your employer. Contact your employer or payroll administrator to request access. For information on how employers enable this setting, see How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? For information on how your employer creates and manages super fund records and sends SuperStream contributions, see How Do I Create a New Super Fund Account for an Employee in Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-choose-or-change-my-super-fund-in-the-employee-portal Q: Why Am I Getting A Timeclock Server Connection Error? A: A Connection error or Failed on internet connection! message in the Lightning Payroll Timeclock app means the device could not reach the Lightning Payroll server. Work through the steps below to resolve it. 1. Check Your Internet Connection Confirm the device has a working internet connection - open a browser and load any website. If the connection is down, restore it and try again. If your network uses a proxy, verify the proxy settings are correct, as an incorrect proxy can also trigger this error. 2. Update Your Android Version Devices running Android 7.1 or lower are not trusted by modern TLS certificates. This causes the Timeclock app to be rejected at the server and is one of the most common causes of a persistent connection error on older hardware. To check your Android version and update it, visit the Google Support page on updating Android. If the device cannot be updated past Android 7.1, it can no longer be used as a timeclock. 3. Update the Timeclock App Make sure you are running the latest version of the Lightning Payroll Timeclock app. Open the Google Play Store (Android) or Apple App Store (iOS) and install any available update. 4. Still Not Connecting? If the steps above do not resolve the error, contact Lightning Payroll support and include the device model and Android/iOS version so the issue can be investigated further. For general setup and usage of the Timeclock app, see How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-getting-a-timeclock-server-connection-error Q: Why Isn't An Employee Appearing In The Timeclock or Portal? A: If you have an employee who is not appearing in the timeclock or online portal, it is likely due to one of the following reasons: Refresh is required. If you use the timeclock app, refresh under Company >> Timeclock Devices >> Send Updated Employee Data. Click on Check for Devices if the device is not listed. If you use the online employee portal, refresh under Employees >> Details >> Online Portal >> Refresh Employee Portal. Employee details are missing. For an employee to be able to use the timeclock or portal the software will require an email address, date of birth and shifts. These are added/edited under Employees >> Details & Shifts tabs, respectively. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-isnt-an-employee-appearing-in-the-timeclock-or-portal Q: How Do Employees Use Timesheets in the Online Portal? A: Before your employees can use timesheets, they need to be set up in the Online Portal with timesheet editing enabled, and you need to have created the shifts they can record time against. See our FAQs on setting up the Online Portal and setting up shifts. Employees sign in through the Employee Login on our website, then open the Timesheets tab. The page lists the shifts already recorded for the selected period. Viewing recorded shifts Use the From and To date filters at the top to choose the period to view. The left and right arrows beside the dates step backwards and forwards one pay period at a time, and Reset to current pay run returns the filter to the current pay run dates. Recorded shifts appear in the Timeclock history table, showing the date, start and end times, break, shift, and when each entry was created. Adding a shift If your business has enabled timesheet editing and set up shifts for the employee, an Add timesheet option appears beneath the table. Select it, then: Choose the Shift from the dropdown. This pre-fills the usual start time, end time and break for that shift. Set the Date, and adjust the Start time, End time and Break minutes if they differ. Save the entry. It is then available to sync into the Pays screen of Lightning Payroll. While timesheet editing is enabled, employees can also edit or delete existing entries directly in the table. Entry dates must fall within the allowed editing window (roughly the last two months through to one month ahead). If no shifts have been set up for the employee, the portal shows a message asking the employer to create employee shifts first. If timesheet editing has not been enabled for the employee, the editing options will not appear. Once shifts are saved, the payroll officer can sync them into the Pays tab of Lightning Payroll for more efficient pay processing. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-employees-use-timesheets-in-the-online-portal Q: How And When Does Lightning Payroll Communicate With The Employee Portal? A: The Lightning Payroll desktop app communicates with the online employee portal and timeclock through this website. It does so in a few ways. Lightning Payroll → Portal Example: new shifts, details, bank accounts and settings sent from the payroll software to the employee's online account. When you click Refresh Employee Portal (updates the portal with portal settings and related data for all relevant employees in the current company). When you shut down the program (updates the portal with portal settings and related data for all relevant employees, across all companies). (Timeclock app users only) When you refresh a timeclock device under Company >> Timeclock Devices >> Send Updated Employee Data. Portal → Lightning Payroll Example: employee-updated personal details, bank accounts and similar downloaded into their Lightning Payroll profile. When you open Lightning Payroll. On a timer, every 5 minutes that Lightning Payroll is open. When you sync leave requests or shifts via the Pays or Rosters screens. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-and-when-does-lightning-payroll-communicate-with-the-employee-portal Q: How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? A: The online employee portal lets employees update their contact and bank account details, request leave, submit timesheets, and clock in and out of available shifts using the timeclock. For leave requests, see our other FAQ on the topic. Once activated, employees access their portal by visiting the Lightning Payroll website and clicking Employee Login at the top right. Before activating a portal account for an employee, make sure the employee's email address has been added under Employees >> Details >> Personal. Activate the portal for a selected employee under Employees >> Details >> Online Portal. Ticking Activate This Employee's Online Portal? lets you choose which features the employee can use. Personal Details – lets the employee update their contact details and timeclock PIN (used if the employee uses the Lightning Payroll Timeclock app on Android devices). Bank Account Details – lets the employee add, edit or delete the bank accounts their pay is sent to. The employee can also split their pay between multiple accounts automatically. Any changes the employee makes to their personal or bank details in the portal are synced back into Lightning Payroll the next time you open the program. Manual Time Entry This is where you choose whether the employee can clock in and out of available shifts, or add and edit timesheet entries, via the portal. To use it, first create shifts and assign them to the employee. Allow Employee to Clock In and Out Through the Timeclock? – lets the employee clock in and out of their available shifts directly in the portal. The recorded clock in and out times can then be synced straight into the employee's pay in Lightning Payroll. Allow Employee to Manually Edit Their Timesheet? – lets the employee manually enter the start and end times for their available shifts. The timesheet data can then be synced straight into the employee's pay in Lightning Payroll. Completing Activation When you are happy with the settings, click Refresh Employee Portal to complete activation. The employee receives an email with details on how to log in. Activating Multiple Employee Portals You can set up and activate the portal for each employee individually. To apply the same settings to several employees at once, use the Configure Multiple Employee Portal Settings wizard under the Tools menu. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-setup-the-online-employee-portal Q: What Generates An Employee Portal Account and Email? A: When the online employee portal is activated for the first time, the employee is emailed their username and password. To trigger the email, first tick the box to activate the employee, then click Refresh Employee Portal under Employees >> Details >> Online Portal. You should see an on-screen notification that looks something like this: The employee receives an email like this with their username and password. They can use these to log in by clicking Employee Login at the top of the Lightning Payroll website. We recommend they change their password after logging in. An employee may also receive a new account email if their name is changed, because their login username is based on their full name. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-generates-an-employee-portal-account-and-email Q: How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? A: Lightning Payroll includes a mobile Timeclock app for Android and iOS devices, which can provide a way for you to precisely record when employees start and finish work. All hours and shifts recorded in the Lightning Payroll app can then be downloaded/synced with the Lightning Payroll Pays screen, filling out pays in seconds. Please click here for related shifts and rosters information. Download & Installation The first thing you'll need to do is download the Lightning Payroll Timeclock app on the device or devices you wish to use as a Lightning Payroll timeclock. To download: Android: Visit the Google Play Store iOS: Visit the Apple App Store Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-lightning-payroll-timeclock-app Q: How Do Employees Use Timeclock in the Online Portal? A: Note: The Online Portal Timeclock and the Timeclock Android App are two separate features. This FAQ pertains exclusively to the Online Portal Timeclock. For information regarding the Timeclock App, please refer to the following FAQ: How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App? Please note, that in order for your employees to use Timeclock (via Online Portal), you will need to first ensure they are set up in the Online Portal with timeclock enabled. Please see our FAQ here on setting up Online Portal. You will then need to set up shifts, please see our FAQ here on setting up shifts in Lightning Payroll. Setting Up Timeclock in the Online Portal To enable the Timeclock feature for an employee within the Online Portal, navigate to Employees >> Details >> Online Portal. By selecting "Allow Employee to Clock In and Out Through the Timeclock?" employees will be able to record their shifts' start and end times. This data is then imported into Lightning Payroll for accurate payroll processing. Viewing and Starting Shifts To log into the Employee portal, navigate to the Lightning Payroll website and enter your credentials. Once logged in, you will be taken to your dashboard. Click on the "Timeclock" tab from the side menu to access your shift details. The Timeclock page displays your available shifts and provides the option to clock in. You can also view a list of previous shifts and use the date range selector to view shifts within different pay periods. Clocking Into a Shift When you're ready to start a shift, click the "Clock In" button next to the relevant shift. The page will update to show that the shift is in progress, indicating the start time and date. The "Clock Out" button will replace the clock in option. Ending a Shift Once your shift has concluded, click the "Clock Out" button. You will receive a prompt to confirm that you wish to end the shift. Confirming this will clock you out of the shift. Reviewing Shift Details After clocking out, the details of the new shift will be listed in the table at the bottom of the Timeclock page, ready for import into the Lightning Payroll system for processing. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-employees-use-timeclock-in-the-online-portal Q: Why Are Employee Details or Bank Account Changes Not Saving? A: If you have edited an employee's address or personal details and they seem to not be saving or keep changing back then you may need to refresh their employee portal.In cases when you have activated the employee portal settings, and in particular, have granted the employee with the ability to edit their personal details or bank accounts you've essentially given the employee permanent right-of-way and responsibility for their own principle data. If you wish to do a change on their behalf you will also need to force the change through to our server by going to Employees >> Details >> Online Portal >> Refresh Employee Portal. This will prevent the employee's online data overriding what is recorded in the payroll system. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-employee-details-or-bank-account-changes-not-saving Q: Can Casual Employees Make Leave Requests? A: Yes, any portal-activated employee can be included in leave requests. This can be useful when tracking unpaid leave or long service for example. Simply activate them like any other employee, as described here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-casual-employees-make-leave-requests Q: How Can I Add An Allowance To A Shift? A: You can add an allowance and change a pay rate applicable to any individual employee's shift under Employees >> Shifts. If the desired shift is not visible please connect the base shift to the employee under Company >> Shifts.An allowance can be on a shift with or without a pay rate, and vice versa. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-add-an-allowance-to-a-shift Q: Why Is An Employee's Shift Not Syncing? A: Sometimes you might sync an employee's shift from the timeclock or portal yet their pending pay is still unaffected, or remains at $0.00. This is most likely to the shift itself not having any pay items (pay rates or allowances) connected to it. Please check under Employees >> Shifts to make sure the shift total is not showing as zero dollars. Another reason the shift might not be available for syncing is if it has been deleted from the employee's shifts. Once a shift has been deleted or disconnected from an employee, it can no longer be synced. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-an-employees-shift-not-syncing --- Category: Troubleshooting --- Q: Why is an Employee 'Locked'? A: If you are trying to edit a past pay in the Pays screen, these are usually locked/unlocked using the padlock button at the bottom of the edit pay window. If however, you ever see one or more employees listed as Locked under Employees, it is usually due to a licence issue. If only some of your employees are listed as Locked then you are exceeding the allowed number of employees for your current licence tier, and will likely need to upgrade. The employees locked are the most recently added ones, counted across all companies in your account. Locked employees are also left out of statutory submissions. A Single Touch Payroll submission will not report their figures to the ATO, and a Payday Super run will not create super fund deposits for them. In both cases Lightning Payroll shows a warning naming the employees who were excluded. Upgrading your subscription includes them again automatically. To check the expiration date or the employee limit of your currently installed licence/subscription, go to Tools >> Licence Details . Note: Sometimes terminated staff affect the limit if they've been left active within the program. Click here to learn how to terminate . If all terminations have been kept up-to-date and you still can't pay all the staff you need to, you'll just need to upgrade to the next licence tier. If all employees are listed as Locked then the program does not detect a valid licence/subscription at all. This means you'll be in 'read-only' mode and will only be able to do things like view and print information, but not add employees or enter pays. Perhaps it has expired, or you're yet to enter the new subscription ID number which gets emailed through each year following payment under Tools >> Licence Assistant. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-an-employee-locked Q: Why is AVG Anti-Virus Preventing Me From Installing or Running Lightning Payroll? A: AVG occasionally flags Lightning Payroll as a threat — a false positive caused by the heuristic scanning methods anti-virus software uses. Lightning Payroll is signed with an Extended Validation (EV) Code Signing Certificate to verify its authenticity, but this does not fully prevent false positives from occurring. The steps below explain how to temporarily disable AVG's real-time shields to complete an installation or update, and how to restore Lightning Payroll if it has already been quarantined. Temporarily Disable AVG to Allow Installation or Update Open the AVG interface from the system tray icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen (AVG icon is circled in the example below). Select Computer from the protection menu. Click the toggle switch to turn off File Shield. Select Turn off for 10 minutes when prompted. Return to the Computer screen, select Behaviour Shield, and again choose Turn off for 10 minutes. You should now be able to successfully download and install Lightning Payroll. AVG will re-enable both shields automatically after 10 minutes. Restore Lightning Payroll From AVG Quarantine If Lightning Payroll has already been quarantined by AVG, you will see a notification in the lower-right corner of your screen. Click Show Details, then select Open Quarantine. In the quarantine folder, select the files identified as Lightning Payroll and click Restore and Add Exception in the bottom-right corner. This restores the file and prevents AVG from quarantining it again. Add a Permanent Exclusion in AVG To prevent AVG from blocking Lightning Payroll in future, add Lightning Payroll’s folders to AVG’s exceptions list. Add the following paths: %localappdata%Lightning Payroll — machine-specific app data (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataLocalLightning Payroll) %localappdata%Intellitron Pty Ltd — update cache folder (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataLocalIntellitron Pty Ltd) %appdata%Lightning Payroll — roaming app data including your payroll database (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataRoamingLightning Payroll) %appdata%ATOMAS — ATO machine credentials (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataRoamingATOMAS) Refer to AVG’s help documentation for instructions on adding file and folder exceptions, or contact our support team for further assistance. For other anti-virus products, see Why Am I Getting An Error After Agreeing To The Update? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-avg-anti-virus-preventing-me-from-installing-or-running-lightning-payroll Q: Why Can't I Open Lightning Payroll? A: If you cannot open the program or receive an error such as 'Failed to execute script payroll' or 'Ordinal 318 Not Found' when trying to open Lightning Payroll, you can resolve this by restarting your computer and reinstalling the program. Your pay data is safe and won't go anywhere. The most common cause of the 'Failed to execute script payroll' error is reinstalling Lightning Payroll while it was still running in the background. Restarting your computer clears this and allows a clean installation. WindowsRestart your computer first, then download and reinstall Lightning Payroll from here (Windows 8.1 and above). Download Lightning Payroll for Windows MacRestart your computer first, then download and reinstall Lightning Payroll from here (macOS 10.14 and above). Download Lightning Payroll for Mac If the error persists after reinstalling, try temporarily disabling your security software and reinstalling again. An outdated or misconfigured antivirus can flag the Lightning Payroll installer as a false positive and prevent a clean installation. Supported Operating Systems If reinstalling does not fix the issue, your operating system may be outdated. On Windows this typically causes DLL errors at startup; on Mac the app icon bounces in the dock without opening. Lightning Payroll supports Windows 8.1 and above, and macOS 10.14 (Mojave) and above. If you are running an older version of Windows or macOS you will need to upgrade your operating system to use the current version of Lightning Payroll. Disclaimer: Legacy versions of Lightning Payroll are no longer receiving updates, including tax tables, bug fixes, or new features. These versions should not be used after June 2024. Please update your system to a supported version, or switch to Lightning Payroll Online for continued support. Windows Startup Issue - User Account Privileges Some Windows users encounter issues opening Lightning Payroll due to insufficient user account privileges. Lightning Payroll requires Administrator privileges to function fully. Before reinstalling, try running Lightning Payroll as Administrator. Right-click the Lightning Payroll shortcut on your desktop or taskbar and select Run as Administrator. On Windows 10 and 11 you may need to right-click the shortcut, then right-click Lightning Payroll within the submenu before the option appears. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-cant-i-open-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Fix a Database Error in Lightning Payroll? A: Database errors in the Lightning Payroll desktop app usually fall into one of two categories: a connection or load failure when the program starts, or corruption caused by an unexpected shutdown, system crash, or hardware failure. The steps below cover both. Step 1: Run the Database Repair Utility If the program shows a message such as "unable to connect to the database" or "unable to load the database", open Lightning Payroll and, on the splash screen that appears on startup, click the small help (question mark) icon in the lower-left corner to open the Utility Options dialog. Under Database Recovery Utilities, click Download Database Repair Utility. This downloads and runs a small tool that attempts to repair the current database file in place. The program should restart automatically afterwards. For more detail on accessing the Utility Options dialog, see How Can I Access Database Recovery Tools And Other Advanced Data Folder Operations for Lightning Payroll Desktop? Step 2: Restore From a Backup Lightning Payroll automatically creates backups at key moments - when the program closes, when a backup is restored, and during software upgrades. These backups are stored locally at C:Users{User}AppDataRoamingLightning Payrollauto_backup. If the repair utility does not resolve the issue, use one of the two restore options also available in the Utility Options dialog: Download Auto Restore Utility - restores your most recent automatic backup that was made before today. This is the quickest option if the corruption happened today. Manual Recovery Tool - opens a list of the most recent backups made on this computer so you can choose which one to restore. Select a backup and click Yes to confirm. A significantly smaller file size compared to other backups may indicate a corrupted file - choose an earlier backup in that case. Step 3: Reinstall the Program If the problem persists after running the recovery tools, try uninstalling and reinstalling Lightning Payroll using the download links on our website. Your payroll data is not affected by a reinstall. Step 4: Contact Support If none of the above steps resolve the error, please contact our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-fix-a-database-error-in-lightning-payroll Q: End Process - Task Manager A: Sometimes Windows can prevent Lightning Payroll from closing down, which also stops the program from restarting. This usually happens when the program has become unresponsive or was interrupted mid-close. The quickest fix is to restart your computer. This clears all running processes and lets Lightning Payroll open cleanly on the next launch. Manually Ending the Process (Advanced) If restarting is not convenient, an experienced Windows user can end the process manually via Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager (or right-click the taskbar and choose Task Manager). Click the Processes tab. Locate payroll.exe in the list. Select it and click End Task. Close Task Manager, then reopen Lightning Payroll normally. If Lightning Payroll still will not open after ending the process, see Why Can't I Open Lightning Payroll? for further steps including reinstalling the program. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/end-process-task-manager Q: Why Might I Be Getting Email Errors? A: Various factors can lead to email errors; we recommend navigating to Company > Email and using the Send a Test Email feature to identify potential issues. Most email errors (such as a socket error) are due to incorrect or missing SMTP server settings. You'll need to check with your email provider to ensure you have the correct Server Name, Port and Encryption details in Company > Email > SMTP Server Settings. If the test email sends successfully, the issue likely lies outside of Lightning Payroll, and we are unable to assist with further troubleshooting. Please contact your email provider for additional support. Authentication Errors If the error message you're seeing mentions a 'username/password' or 'authentication' issue, it may be related to recent changes by email providers regarding the use of normal authentication for third-party applications sending SMTP emails. Many providers have tightened security and may now require app-specific passwords (commonly known as App Passwords) or other forms of authentication. Ensure that the correct username and password for your email account are entered, and check with your email provider to see if they require updated security settings, such as two-factor authentication or app-specific passwords, for third-party apps. Alternatively, you can enable the setting under Company > Email labelled "Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own email provider?". This allows Lightning Payroll to send your emails from our support email address (support@lightningpayroll.com.au), bypassing the need for your own email provider. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-might-i-be-getting-email-errors Q: Why Does Lightning Payroll Keep Updating to the Same Version? A: If you are attempting to update Lightning Payroll to the latest version but after each update you find yourself on the same version as before, there are two options to fix this:   Option 1 (Windows Only) Close down the Lightning Payroll program. Click here to download this file (local_updates_delete.bat). Open the file from your PC and it should delete the broken Lightning Payroll update (It may trigger warnings which you may have to override, but this file is certainly safe). Go back in to Lightning Payroll and click Check for Updates Now? at the bottom of the screen. If this fails, please download and reinstall the full application using this link, or try option 2 below.   Option 2 (Windows and Mac) Windows: Close down the Lightning Payroll program. On your keyboard, press the key with the Windows icon + R at the same time. In the dialog box that opens up, type in %localappdata% and click OK. In the new window that opens up, double click on the Lightning Payroll folder. Double click on the folder named updates Delete the two folders named frozen and prepared Go back in to Lightning Payroll and click Check for Updates Now? at the bottom of the screen. If this fails, please download and reinstall the full application for Windows using this link. Mac: Close down the Lightning Payroll program. Click on Finder and then on the top left select Go and then Go To Folder. In the dialog box, type ~/.LightningPayroll/updates and click Go Drag the two folders named frozen and prepared to the trash. Go back in to Lightning Payroll and click Check for Updates Now? at the bottom of the screen. If this fails, please download and reinstall the full application for Mac using this link. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-does-lightning-payroll-keep-updating-to-the-same-version Q: Why Am I Getting An Error After Agreeing To The Update? A: If you see an Access is denied error when updating Lightning Payroll, or if your anti-virus software has quarantined or blocked the program, this is a false positive. Lightning Payroll is built with Extended Validation (EV) code signing and Mac notarisation to verify its authenticity. Despite this, some security products flag it incorrectly. Common causes of false positives include outdated anti-virus signature databases and running more than one security product simultaneously. Keeping your security software up to date and using a single solution reduces the risk. Trend Micro Trend Micro and Symantec are known to block Lightning Payroll updates with an Access is denied error. A quick short-term fix is to temporarily disable Trend Micro, then run the update again. Right-click the Trend Micro icon in the Windows system tray and untick Protection Against Viruses & Spyware. For a permanent fix, follow these steps to restore the update script and add an exception: After agreeing to the update, watch for a notification in the lower-right corner of your screen. If you do not see it, Trend Micro may be in Mute Mode — right-click the Trend Micro tray icon and untick Start Mute Mode to reveal notifications. Click More details... on the notification. Highlight the quarantined file on the left and click Restore. Confirm by clicking Yes. In some cases this process must be repeated a second time before the exception is saved. Once done, restart Lightning Payroll and agree to the update again — Trend Micro should no longer block it. Norton Norton occasionally flags Lightning Payroll as a threat. We report each occurrence to Norton and they whitelist the app, but it can take several days for the updated whitelist to reach all users. Each new release may trigger the detection again. To prevent recurring detections, add Lightning Payroll’s working folders to Norton’s exclusion list. Follow the instructions on Norton’s official support page: Exclude files and folders from Norton scans. Add the following folders to the exclusion list: %localappdata%Lightning Payroll — machine-specific app data (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataLocalLightning Payroll) %localappdata%Intellitron Pty Ltd — update cache folder (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataLocalIntellitron Pty Ltd) %appdata%Lightning Payroll — roaming app data including your payroll database (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataRoamingLightning Payroll) %appdata%ATOMAS — ATO machine credentials (e.g. C:UsersYourNameAppDataRoamingATOMAS) If Lightning Payroll has already been blocked by Norton, follow these Norton instructions to unblock it. Other Anti-Virus Software For all other security products, locate the whitelist, exceptions, or exclusions settings and add Lightning Payroll’s installation and data folders. Your security software’s help documentation or support website will have specific instructions. If you need assistance, contact our support team. For general update instructions, see How Can I Update to the Latest Version of Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-getting-an-error-after-agreeing-to-the-update Q: Why Can't I Open the Installer File I Have Just Downloaded? A: If you have downloaded the program and see the warning Windows protected your PC, this is a false alarm that can occur when we renew the security certificate used to code-sign Lightning Payroll. This warning disappears with time, once Microsoft recognises that the new certificate belongs to us. To continue, click More info and then Run anyway. Note: Intellitron Pty Ltd is the correct, verified publisher of Lightning Payroll, based in Queensland, Australia, as shown in the pictures below.   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-cant-i-open-the-installer-file-i-have-just-downloaded Q: What If I Have Trouble Viewing This Support Page? A: If you are having trouble viewing these FAQs, please try the following tips: Perform a hard refresh by holding Shift while clicking the browser refresh button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows, Cmd + Shift + R on Mac). This clears cached files and loads the latest version of the page. Open the page in a current version of Chrome or Firefox. Make sure JavaScript is enabled in your browser — the FAQ search and category filter require it to work. See here to learn how to enable JavaScript. Use the Search bar at the top of the FAQ page to quickly find a topic, or use the Filter By Category dropdown to narrow the list. If you still cannot find an answer, please contact our support team directly. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-if-i-have-trouble-viewing-this-support-page Q: Why Does Lightning Payroll Say My Version Is Up To Date When It Is Not? A: If your Windows computer is not kept up-to-date with the latest updates you may encounter an issue with Lightning Payroll's automatic updates. This is due to older Windows systems using outdated root certificates, used for HTTPS/SSL web traffic. Our automatic update server is using renewed certificates which outdated Windows versions cannot communicate with, such as the very common, two year old Windows 10 release number 19041. Your Lightning Payroll should be at least version 2026.xx. If your version number is less than this and Lightning Payroll says incorrectly that Lightning Payroll is up to date. (since it cannot detect newer server updates) then you will need to either: Update your Windows version with the latest patches or, manually update your Windows root certificates with the required file. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-does-lightning-payroll-say-my-version-is-up-to-date-when-it-is-not Q: Why is Lightning Payroll Showing A Blank Preview And Not Opening? A: If Lightning is showing a blank screen on Windows, it may have been dragged outside of the monitor bounds. To fix this issue, please click the blank Lightning Payroll preview window in your taskbar, then press Fn + F11 or Windows logo key + arrow keys. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-lightning-payroll-showing-a-blank-preview-and-not-opening Q: Why Can't I Put My Licence On Another Computer? A: Any annual Lightning Payroll subscription allows you to unlock and use the program on two computers at any one time. This limit is fixed per subscription and is not able to be raised. If Lightning Payroll is giving you either of the following errors you will need to clear one or both of your two allowed seats from the current licence/subscription. Note: Removing the licence from Lightning Payroll does not affect your pay data or your program installation at all. It will simply lock your application soon after removal, putting Lightning Payroll into a read only state until an active licence is again provided. There are three ways to fix this error: Removing the installed licence from an existing Lightning Payroll installation at the top of the program under Tools >> Licence Details >> Remove System. If one of your systems have crashed and you're unable to open the program, you can log in to your client account on our website and navigate to your subscriptions. From there, you can release the seats associated with any subscription. This will free up both seats, allowing you to reassign them as needed. Contact our support team and we can reset your seats for you. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-cant-i-put-my-licence-on-another-computer Q: 'Database is at a Newer Version' Error? A: This issue typically arises when attempting to restore a backup from a newer version of the software into an older one. As your backup may include data or features introduced in later releases, compatibility problems can occur. To resolve this, please download and reinstall the latest version of the software using the appropriate link below. Download for Windows (Supports Windows 8.1 and above) Download for Mac OSX (Supports macOS 10.14 and above) This should ensure your payroll data is restored without errors. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/database-is-at-a-newer-version-error Q: How Do I Contact Your Support Team? A: Our support team can be reached on 07 3051 5895 or by email at support@lightningpayroll.com.au from 8am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday (QLD Time, excluding public holidays). Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-contact-your-support-team Q: Why is Lightning Payroll Not Displaying Correctly? A: If you are using a Windows device with an ultra-high resolution screen (e.g Microsoft Surface) or monitor you may experience display issues with Lightning Payroll, we have found the following solution to be quite helpful: Right click on the Lightning Payroll shortcut on your desktop. Select Properties. Go to the Compatibility tab. Click Change high DPI settings. Tick Override high DPI scaling behaviour and then select System (Enhanced) below. Click OK and then click Apply. This solution will allow Lightning Payroll to be displayed correctly without having to adjust your resolution and will not affect any other programs. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-lightning-payroll-not-displaying-correctly Q: Why Are Emails Not Being Received, Or Being Rejected? A: You Control Your Outgoing Emails If emails sent from Lightning Payroll using your own email address are being rejected or marked as spam, it is beyond our control. Lightning Payroll (Desktop version) sends emails either using your own mail server, or using Lightning Payroll's mail server, depending on your input. You can configure this under the  Company >> Email section of the program, where you can setup your own email's SMTP server settings, or tick Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own provider? here to use our mail server instead. Lightning Payroll (Online version) sends emails from our mail server. These emails will always come from our support@lightningpayroll.com.au address. The same applies when you use the Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own email provider? setting in the desktop version. Avoid Google Spam Filtering With Best Practices Gmail/Google in particular have very strict anti spam and anti spoofing practices (that can change at any time) which can result in rejection of emails if your mail server is not correctly configured. SPF, DKIM, DMARC DNS records are the most important factors in mail filtering. If Lightning Payroll gets a 'success' response when sending, from your outgoing mail server then the email has been sent. What happens after this is completely outside of the control of our software. For more information please see here to learn more about Google's best practices to avoid email rejection. Advising employees to check their spam/junk mail and unmark your emails as spam can also help train receiving mail servers for better future filtering. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-emails-not-being-received-or-being-rejected =============================================================== LATEST NEWS / RELEASE NOTES =============================================================== Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/latest-news ## 2026 APA Payroll Industry Report (2026-06-08 12:30:34) Payroll in 2026: The Quiet Business Risk Hiding in Plain Sight The Australian Payroll Association's 2026 Payroll Industry Report has landed, and its message is clear: payroll is no longer just a back-office task. It is a business-critical function sitting right at the centre of compliance, cash flow, employee trust and technology. For small and medium business owners, bookkeepers and payroll officers, the report is a timely reminder that payroll problems rarely come from one big dramatic mistake. More often, they come from the everyday stuff: incomplete employee details, disconnected systems, late timesheets, manual workarounds, messy onboarding and data that arrives at payroll already broken. In other words, payroll accuracy starts well before anyone clicks "process pay". The big finding: payroll risk is a data problem One of the standout findings from the 2026 report is that 65.3% of respondents selected poor or incomplete data coming into the payroll office as a top operational risk. That should make every business owner sit up a little straighter. Payroll teams can be experienced, careful and highly competent, but they are still relying on information supplied by the rest of the business. If employee details are wrong, hours are incomplete, award information is unclear, allowances are missed or changes are approved too late, payroll becomes a clean-up job. The report reinforces a point every payroll professional already knows: payroll is only as reliable as the data feeding it. Disconnected systems are still causing payroll headaches The report also highlights the ongoing pain caused by poor system integration. 45.2% of respondents selected poor integration between systems as a top challenge, while 45.1% selected payroll technology and process. For SMEs, this is very familiar territory. Many businesses are using one system for payroll, another for accounting, another for rostering, another for timesheets, and sometimes another for HR records. When these systems do not speak to each other properly, payroll officers are left stitching everything together with exports, imports, spreadsheets and crossed fingers. That does not just waste time. It creates risk. Every manual workaround is another chance for something to be missed, duplicated or entered incorrectly. The report makes it clear that improving payroll is not just about buying software. It is about making sure the right information flows through the business at the right time, in the right format, with the right checks. Payday Super is coming, and "somewhat prepared" may not be enough Payday Super is one of the biggest payroll changes on the horizon, and the report shows that many organisations are still working through what it will mean in practice. According to the survey, 37.4% of respondents said they were very prepared for Payday Super, while 53.0% said they were only somewhat prepared. A further 6.9% said they were not prepared, and 2.8% were unsure. The practical concerns are exactly what you would expect: 52.8% identified compliance risk as a key concern, while 37.9% pointed to system integration issues. The report also flags two very real superannuation pain points: 56.7% of respondents selected managing refunds and rejects, and 53.4% selected getting accurate employee data at onboarding. This is where Payday Super becomes more than a payroll deadline. It becomes a process test for the whole business. If employee super details are wrong, if onboarding is rushed, if rejected contributions are not followed up quickly, or if payroll and super systems do not integrate cleanly, those problems will become more visible and more frequent once super is tied more closely to each pay cycle. Payroll software matters, but process matters too Payroll technology is another major theme in the report. While 48.1% of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their payroll technology, 26.2% were unsatisfied or very unsatisfied, and 25.7% were neutral. That middle group is interesting. Neutral often means the system works, but not beautifully. It gets the job done, but the payroll team may still be relying on spreadsheets, manual checking, extra reporting steps or workarounds outside the system. For business owners, this is a good reason to ask a simple question: Is our payroll process genuinely efficient, or have we just become very good at managing the mess? A payroll system should help reduce risk, not simply move the risk somewhere harder to see. Payroll professionals are more valuable than ever The salary data in the report also tells a powerful story. Payroll is becoming a more specialised, higher-value profession. The report shows median salaries of approximately $100,000 for Payroll Officers, $114,000 for Senior Payroll Officers, $151,000 for Payroll Managers, and $193,000 for Group Payroll Managers. That reflects what many businesses are now realising: payroll requires technical skill, legislative knowledge, award interpretation, superannuation knowledge, systems understanding, reporting capability and calm decision-making under pressure. Good payroll people are not just "doing the pays". They are protecting the business. What SME owners should do next The good news is that businesses do not need to wait for a crisis to improve payroll. The report points to practical areas every SME can review now. Clean up employee onboarding: make sure tax, bank, super and employment details are captured accurately from the start. Review timesheet and rostering processes: late or incomplete time data creates payroll pressure and increases the risk of errors. Check system integration: look at where payroll staff are manually moving data between systems. Prepare for Payday Super: review super fund details, rejected payment processes and contribution workflows. Track payroll issues: keep a simple record of errors, corrections, late changes and rejected super payments so the root causes can be fixed. Support your payroll staff: give them the tools, training and authority they need to manage payroll risk properly. How Lightning Payroll helps reduce the upstream payroll mess The report's message lines up with something we see every day: payroll problems often begin before the pay run starts. That is why Lightning Payroll is continuing to build tools that help businesses collect cleaner information, reduce manual chasing and keep payroll moving with fewer surprises. For businesses preparing for Payday Super, our interactive Payday Super guide walks through what is changing, how to get ready and how to process super in Lightning Payroll. From 1 July 2026, super will need to land in the employee's fund within 7 business days of payday. That means businesses should start reviewing employee super details, contribution workflows and rejected payment processes before Payday Super becomes part of the normal payroll rhythm. Lightning Payroll's Payday Super workflow is designed to help reduce common superannuation issues before they become bigger problems. Before processing Payday Super, employers can check that each employee has a valid USI, the correct member number and a primary super fund selected. When processing, Lightning Payroll can also flag issues such as employees with no primary super fund, invalid or expired USI or ESA details, pays with no payable super and pays already attached to a super deposit. You can also view existing super deposits and SuperStream history through the Super Fund Deposits screen and SuperStream Mailbox, helping make super follow-up clearer and easier to track. Read the Payday Super FAQ Cleaner onboarding means cleaner payroll The report's data quality warning is also a perfect reminder that onboarding matters. If a new employee's tax, bank, super, role, manager, start date or employment details are incomplete, payroll is already starting on shaky ground. That is where HR+ can help. HR+ adds documents, policies, onboarding checklists, training, expense claims and a compliance dashboard alongside payroll, giving businesses a more structured way to manage employee information and HR tasks. HR+ onboarding and offboarding templates act like reusable process blueprints. Businesses can assign task ownership, set due timing, link documents or training items, and launch a live checklist for each employee. That makes onboarding less dependent on memory, email trails or "I thought someone else was doing that" moments. HR+ reminder rules and audit logs can also help businesses stay on top of missing documents, policy acknowledgements, checklist deadlines and training expiry, while keeping a record of what changed, when and by whom. Learn more about HR+ | Read the onboarding checklist FAQ Employee self-service can help fix payroll data at the source Lightning Payroll's employee portal is also continuing to evolve, with recent updates adding employee onboarding features that allow employees to control their own tax and super settings. Onboarding notifications can also be sent to the payroll officer or the employee's assigned manager. This matters because it helps move key payroll information closer to the person who knows it best: the employee. Instead of chasing details through emails, forms and follow-up calls, businesses can capture important tax and super information through a more direct onboarding process, with notifications helping the right people know when action is needed. It is a practical way to address one of the report's biggest themes: better payroll starts with better data. The takeaway: payroll deserves a seat at the business table The 2026 Payroll Industry Report makes one thing obvious: payroll is no longer just an administrative function quietly running in the background. It is connected to compliance, employee trust, workforce costs, business systems and operational risk. For SMEs, the lesson is simple. If payroll is painful, do not only look at the pay run. Look upstream. Look at the data. Look at the systems. Look at onboarding. Look at super. Look at who is approving what, and when. Because by the time payroll receives bad information, the risk has already arrived. The businesses that get payroll right in 2026 will not be the ones relying on last-minute fixes. They will be the ones building better processes, cleaner data and stronger payroll foundations now. Read the full Australian Payroll Association 2026 Payroll Industry Report. Explore the Payday Super guide Learn more about HR+ ## Lightning Payroll and Farm Focus Partner for Smarter Farm Financials (2026-02-11 12:29:50) Lightning Payroll and Farm Focus Partner to Power Smarter Farm Financials Lightning Payroll is excited to announce the release of our new integration with Farm Focus, a purpose-built farm financial management platform designed for rural businesses. This partnership brings payroll and farm financials closer together, helping farming operations save time, reduce double handling, and gain clearer insight into labour costs across the business. Farm Focus supports budgeting, cashflow forecasting, enterprise costing, planning and performance reporting, all tailored to the realities of farming. With Lightning Payroll now part of that workflow, farm owners, managers and advisors can better connect payroll figures to the financial story of the farm. Payroll Data That Drives Better Decisions Payroll is one of the largest and most important costs on many farms, yet it often lives in a separate system. That can mean manual re-entry, spreadsheet workarounds, or delays in getting accurate numbers into reports. With the Lightning Payroll + Farm Focus integration, you can export payroll totals directly into Farm Focus as coded invoices. Wages and on-costs are captured cleanly, so Farm Focus can reflect the true cost of labour for better costing, forecasting and decision-making. How the Integration Works The workflow is designed to be simple and practical for busy teams: Import account codes from Farm Focus into Lightning Payroll to support accurate allocation and reporting. Select pays from a completed pay run and export them to Farm Focus as invoices. Use the data immediately in Farm Focus for analysis, budgeting and enterprise performance reporting. This approach keeps payroll processing streamlined in Lightning Payroll while ensuring the financial totals your farm needs are captured where they are most useful. Built for Modern Farming Businesses Both platforms are focused on making administration easier and financial visibility stronger. By connecting payroll with farm financial management, the integration helps reduce repetitive tasks and supports more confident planning based on up-to-date labour costs. Launch Offer Available To celebrate the release, a limited-time launch offer is available for eligible new customers: 90% off the first three months. Check the offer details on the Farm Focus page and get in early while the promotion is running. Ready to Get Started? Learn more about the integration and what it can do for your farm: Lightning Payroll + Farm Focus landing page How to export payroll data to Farm Focus If you are already using Lightning Payroll and Farm Focus, the setup is straightforward and you can begin exporting payroll data as soon as your accounts are connected. ## Payday Super: What Employers Need To Do Before 1 July 2026 (2025-12-09 10:35:59) Payday Super is the most significant shift in superannuation guarantee administration since SuperStream. From 1 July 2026, employers will move from quarterly super deadlines to a payday model, where super is calculated on qualifying earnings and must reach employees’ funds within strict new timeframes. For payroll teams, this change is about more than new dates on the calendar. It affects how you calculate super, how you report through Single Touch Payroll (STP) and how quickly your systems move money through SuperStream to the super funds. From quarterly super to Payday Super Under the current rules, employers must ensure super guarantee (SG) contributions are received by the fund within 28 days after the end of each quarter. From 1 July 2026, that quarterly safety net disappears. Super must be paid on payday and the contribution must be received by the employee’s super fund within 7 business days, with limited exceptions. The definition of the base for SG is changing as well. Instead of being calculated on Ordinary Time Earnings, SG will be based on qualifying earnings, a new term that captures OTE plus salary sacrifice amounts and other payments currently counted for SG. For new starters, fund changes and fund mergers, employers will generally have up to 20 business days for the first contribution to be successfully received, before moving back to the normal 7 business day rule. Key Payday Super changes in one snapshot Area Up to 30 June 2026 From 1 July 2026 (Payday Super) Payment timing Super due by the 28th day after the end of the quarter. Super must be paid on payday and received by the fund within 7 business days, with limited 20 business day exceptions. Calculation base SG calculated as 12 percent of Ordinary Time Earnings. SG calculated as 12 percent of qualifying earnings, which includes OTE, relevant salary sacrifice and other SG covered payments. Maximum Contributions Base Fixed quarterly threshold. Annual concessional contribution cap used as the maximum base, indexed, aligning with SG and contribution cap rules. Super guarantee charge (SGC) Self assessed by employers, interest at 10 percent simple, flat administration fee, not tax deductible. Assessed by the ATO, interest at the general interest charge rate, compounding daily, administrative uplift based on behaviour, and deductible for income tax. STP reporting STP reports OTE or super liability each pay cycle, plus limited voluntary OTE reporting. STP will report both qualifying earnings and super liability for each employee each pay cycle, improving visibility of unpaid SG. Clearing house Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBCH) available to existing users until 30 June 2026. SBCH closed from 1 July 2026. Employers will need SuperStream enabled software or alternative arrangements for contributions. What this means for payroll teams today The Australian Payroll Association has rightly focused on the practical work that needs to start now. Payday Super is not a switch that can be flicked at the end of June 2026. Employers who audit their data, streamline their processes and modernise their payment rails early will be in the strongest position. Onboarding and data quality Capture complete super details for employees and contractors, including fund details, TFNs and choice forms. Make sure your processes support real time validation of member numbers and fund identifiers to reduce rejected contributions. System configuration and reporting Confirm your payroll software is tracking qualifying earnings separately from existing OTE fields. Test how your system will handle multiple pay events, out of cycle bonuses and adjustments against the new 7 business day rule. Review STP configuration to ensure it will report qualifying earnings and super liabilities as required. Clearing house and super fund readiness Plan for the closure of the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House and transition to direct SuperStream payments to funds. Understand how your software connects to gateways and funds, and how quickly payments can clear today compared with NPP options that are coming. Cross department collaboration Work with HR so that onboarding data is complete and accurate from day one. Coordinate with Finance about contractor payments made through accounts payable, which may attract Payday Super obligations within 7 days of payment. Partner with IT on resilience and outage planning, as technology failures will not pause the legislative clock. Prepare simple communications so employees know when to expect super to appear in their fund and where to check it. How Lightning Payroll is preparing employers for Payday Super Lightning Payroll already supports an end to end SuperStream workflow and is adding the final pieces required for Payday Super so that employers can keep paying super confidently as the new rules begin from 1 July 2026. SuperStream built in, not bolted on Gold standard SuperStream certified and integrated with Ozedi, with contribution messaging direct to funds, not via a third party clearing house. Super contributions generated directly from completed pay runs on the Pays screen, which aligns perfectly with the Payday Super requirement to pay on or before payday. Member registration tools built into Lightning Payroll, allowing new fund accounts to be opened from inside the software. Validation and fund data checks Automated validation that checks super data before anything leaves your machine, cutting down on rejections and delays. Integration with the ATO Fund Validation Service to keep USI and banking details current, with work underway to adopt the updated FVS specification so fund mergers and USI changes are managed smoothly. Planned Member Verification Request support so employers can pre verify member details before contributions are sent under Payday Super. Payment rails that match Payday Super timelines Today, Lightning Payroll creates bank upload files (ABA or ISO 20022 XML) that travel across the BECS network. These are familiar to businesses but settlement can vary by bank. In early 2026, Lightning Payroll is bringing in PayTo and PayID through the New Payments Platform, which gives near instant confirmation and better status visibility so employers can be confident contributions reach funds within the 7 business day window. Positioning your business as Payday Super ready The introduction of Payday Super is designed to close the multi billion dollar SG gap and ensure that workers see super contributions landing in their account shortly after each payday. Employers that move early will not only avoid penalties and super guarantee charge exposure, they will also build trust with staff by delivering on entitlements in real time. This change rewards employers who invest in modern payroll systems that connect securely to funds, validate data before lodgement and support faster payment options. Lightning Payroll has been sending SuperStream contributions through Ozedi since 2014 and is tailoring its roadmap specifically to the ATO Payday Super timetable, which positions it as a specialist solution for Australian employers facing these reforms. Whether you are a small business moving off the ATO clearing house, or a larger employer coordinating payroll, HR, finance and IT, now is the time to test your super processes in a Payday Super mindset: complete a pay run, trigger contributions immediately, and confirm money reaches funds on time. See Payday Super in Lightning Payroll Lightning Payroll provides live workflows, detailed FAQs and a demo that show exactly how contributions move from a completed pay run to the super funds in a way that lines up with ATO guidance on Payday Super. Learn more about Payday Super in Lightning Payroll Lightning Payroll acknowledges and thanks the Australian Payroll Association for providing valuable insights that informed much of the technical content in this article. This summary is provided for general information only and should not be taken as professional advice. Employers should confirm their obligations directly with the relevant legislation and official guidance. Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash ## Study and Training Support Loan Withholding Updated Mid-Year by ATO (2025-09-24 11:04:23) STSL withholding has been updated in a mid-year move by the Australian Taxation Office; here is what it means for your payroll from late September. From 24 September 2025, the ATO introduced new Schedule 8 formulas and refreshed weekly, fortnightly and monthly Study and Training Support Loans (STSL) tax tables. The changes reflect reduced compulsory repayment settings and a revised calculation method. These settings apply to payments made on or after 24 September 2025 and continue through to 30 June 2026. Quick summary Effective date is the payment date on or after 24 September 2025. Scope covers STSL components for employees with eligible loans such as HELP, VET Student Loans, Student Start-up Loans and Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans. Duration runs until 30 June 2026, after which the next year’s schedules will apply. What employers need to do Use the new tables and formulas for any pays with a payment date from 24 September 2025. Do not reprocess earlier pays. The update does not change amounts already paid before 24 September 2025. If a pay period straddles the change, follow the rules that match the actual payment date. Confirm employee loan flags. Ensure employees with STSL debts are correctly marked so the revised withholding applies. Lightning Payroll status Lightning Payroll Online and Lightning Payroll Desktop from version 2026.72 already include the ATO’s updated STSL formulas and tax tables. Update to at least 2026.72 before you process pays dated on or after 24 September 2025. After updating, process pay runs as usual; STSL withholding will calculate automatically for employees with a recorded STSL debt. Why this matters The STSL tweak lowers compulsory repayment requirements and adjusts how the component is calculated. Applying the new schedule on time helps prevent over or under withholding, which protects employees from end-of-year bill shock and keeps your payroll compliant. Helpful links Lightning Payroll explainer: What changed for ATO STSL withholding in September 2025 ATO overview of the September 2025 STSL update: Updates to withholding schedule and tax tables ATO Schedule 8 formulas: Statement of Formulas for Calculating STSL Components ATO STSL weekly table: Weekly tax table with links to fortnightly and monthly tables Need a quick checklist Update Lightning Payroll to 2026.72 or later. Confirm which staff have an STSL debt recorded. Run pays as normal for payment dates from 24 September 2025. Do not amend pays made before that date unless the ATO tells you otherwise. Lightning Payroll will keep monitoring ATO guidance and will update customers if anything further changes. If you are unsure about thresholds or a specific employee’s situation, use the ATO’s tax withheld calculator or speak with your tax adviser. This article is general information only and is not tax advice. Always check the ATO’s latest materials for your exact circumstances. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash ## Master Lightning Payroll in Minutes With Our New Tutorial Videos (2025-07-18 13:04:04) We’ve released two brand new videos to help you get the most out of Lightning Payroll, whether you're just starting your free trial or preparing your first pay run. 1. Getting Started with Lightning Payroll New to Lightning Payroll? This video is perfect for you. It shows how to: Start your free trial (no credit card needed) Set up a new company profile Configure pay periods and dates Add and manage employees Set up superannuation funds and employee super settings Select correct ATO tax rates and thresholds Apply company-wide allowances and pay rate groups 2. Processing a Pay Run in Lightning Payroll (Web App) When you're ready to process your first pay, this walkthrough covers: Editing and finalising employee pays Entering hours worked and leave taken Emailing or printing payslips Generating payroll reports Exporting to accounting software Paying wages via Direct Entry (ABA) file Submitting STP reports to the ATO Processing PayDay Super (required from 1 July 2026) Whether you're just getting started or looking to streamline your payroll process, these short videos are the quickest way to get confident with Lightning Payroll. Thanks for choosing Lightning Payroll, supporting Australian employers with every pay run. ## From 1 July 2025: Government to Pay Super on Paid Parental Leave (2025-05-27 08:21:30) Positive news for Australian families — and Lightning Payroll is here to help you understand what it means for your business. From 1 July 2025, a new superannuation policy will take effect: The Australian Government will start paying superannuation on Paid Parental Leave for eligible parents whose child is born or adopted on or after this date. This change will help grow the super balances of parents taking time off work to care for a new child, improving financial outcomes in the long term. What Employers Need to Know As an employer, you’ll be glad to know that there’s nothing additional you need to do. The super contribution will be calculated and paid by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), not by you. Once the relevant financial year has ended, starting from July 2026, the ATO will make a direct super contribution to the employee’s nominated fund. This means there’s no need to calculate or pay this super through your regular payroll process. No Action Required in Lightning Payroll You don’t need to make any changes in Lightning Payroll to comply with this upcoming reform. However, we’re committed to keeping you informed about changes that affect payroll, leave, and superannuation obligations. For more information, visit the ATO’s official page: Paid Parental Leave Superannuation Contribution. Thanks for choosing Lightning Payroll — supporting Australian employers with every pay run. Photo by Heike Mintel on Unsplash ## Major Super Changes Coming by July 2026 — Lightning Payroll Has You Covered (2025-05-01 11:47:35) Big changes are on the way for Australian employers — and Lightning Payroll is ready to help you stay ahead of them. From 1 July 2026, two major government reforms will take effect: Payday Super will become mandatory — requiring all employers to pay their employees’ super at the same time as wages, not quarterly. The Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) will be shut down, with no new employer registrations accepted and all users needing to find a new way to submit contributions. These dual changes mean all Australian employers — especially small businesses — must act soon to ensure they have a secure, compliant super solution in place before the deadline. Lightning Payroll: Payday Super Ready and Clearing House Free Lightning Payroll is already prepared. We’ve released our Payday Super features ahead of time, so you can stay compliant long before the government deadline hits. Our software allows you to pay super on payday at Lightning speed, helping you meet ATO requirements with ease. We’re also proud to be Gold-certified by the ATO for SuperStream compliance. This means you can securely report and pay super directly from Lightning Payroll (via direct entry ABA bulk payment file), without needing any external clearing house — no third parties, no extra steps. If you’re currently using the ATO’s SBSCH, now’s the time to consider your next move. Lightning Payroll gives you full control of your super obligations, simplifying the entire process from payslip to super fund in one secure, seamless system. Stay Ahead of the Changes Don’t wait until the last minute. By upgrading your payroll processes today, you can ensure compliance, avoid stress, and take advantage of Lightning Payroll’s powerful super tools right away. See our FAQ on Payday Super for more information. Whether you're an existing user or new to Lightning Payroll, our team is here to help guide you through the changes. If you have any questions or would like assistance setting up your super payments within Lightning Payroll, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly support team. Thank you for choosing Lightning Payroll — helping Australian businesses stay compliant, efficient, and confident with every pay run. Photo by Melissa Walker Horn on Unsplash ## The Great Aussie Payroll Quiz (2025-03-28 13:40:33) We’re excited to announce the launch of the Great Aussie Payroll Quiz — a fun and educational way for both employees and employers to test their knowledge of Australian payroll rules, rights, and responsibilities. Why Take the Quiz? Payroll mistakes can be costly. Whether you’re a business owner trying to stay Fair Work compliant, or an employee wanting to understand your pay, tax, and super — this quiz is for you. Each quiz is just 10 quick questions and takes about two minutes to complete. Questions change every session, and we’re always adding new ones, so we recommend checking back regularly to stay sharp! Choose Your Quiz Type Employers: Are you 100% payroll compliant? Avoid costly Fair Work fines, backpay claims, and ATO penalties by testing your knowledge on payroll legislation, superannuation, and more. Employees: Do you understand your payslip? Learn more about your entitlements, how tax and super should be handled, and how to spot errors in your pay. Compare your score with others on the live leaderboard and challenge your team to do better! Take the Quiz Now Click here to begin the Great Aussie Payroll Quiz Whether you’re an employer or employee, there’s something for everyone — so give it a go, and see how payroll-smart you really are! ## Lightning Payroll is now ISO 27001 (2022) Certified (2024-11-20 08:58:04) Lightning Payroll is now ISO 27001 (2022) Certified We are thrilled to announce that Lightning Payroll has achieved ISO 27001 (2022) certification, a globally recognised standard for information security management. This certification demonstrates our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the privacy and security of our customers' data. Why ISO 27001? At Lightning Payroll, we’ve always prioritised trust and transparency when it comes to handling sensitive information. As custodians of our customers’ payroll data, we understand the importance of robust security measures in today’s digital world. Achieving ISO 27001 reinforces our rigorous approach to protecting customer data and managing information security risks. It validates the systems, policies, and procedures we’ve implemented to mitigate potential breaches and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data entrusted to us. This milestone underscores our ongoing efforts to meet the highest international standards for information security. How Did We Achieve ISO 27001? Obtaining ISO 27001 (2022) certification is no small feat. It required a thorough review and enhancement of our security practices, policies, and infrastructure. To streamline the process, Lightning Payroll partnered with Sprinto, a cutting-edge compliance platform designed for cloud-hosted businesses. Sprinto provided real-time monitoring of our security controls, ensuring we met the rigorous requirements of ISO 27001 without gaps or delays. With Sprinto’s automated evidence collection and auditor-friendly tools, we were able to complete the certification process efficiently and ahead of schedule. This partnership allowed us to focus on what matters most—protecting our customers’ data. What Does This Mean for You? For our customers and partners, this certification provides third-party validation of the steps we’ve taken to ensure the highest level of security. By meeting ISO 27001 standards, Lightning Payroll demonstrates that we can effectively manage information security risks and continue to deliver a trusted and secure payroll solution. What’s Next for Lightning Payroll? ISO 27001 certification positions Lightning Payroll to better serve enterprise and corporate clients who demand strict compliance standards. As we look ahead, we remain committed to evolving with the needs of our customers while staying at the forefront of security and compliance best practices. For more details on our security and compliance initiatives, visit our Trust Centre. Thank you for trusting Lightning Payroll. Together, we’re building a safer and more secure future for payroll management in Australia. ## Introducing Our New Agent Products and Enhanced Support Services (2024-10-29 15:36:34) At Lightning Payroll, we're always striving to provide top-notch support to help you get the most out of our software. We're thrilled to announce our latest offerings: new agent products and extra support services, designed to better cater to your evolving business needs. New Agent Products for Growing Businesses If you manage payroll for multiple companies, our new agent tier pricing options are tailored just for you. These tiers allow for processing pays for over 10 companies and provide access to the in-app Agent Dashboard. Agent 25 - $3,299 for a 12-month subscription Process payroll for up to 25 companies Unlimited number of employees Agent 50 - $4,999 for a 12-month subscription Process payroll for up to 50 companies Unlimited number of employees Agent 100 - $7,499 for a 12-month subscription Process payroll for up to 100 companies Unlimited number of employees Agent Unlimited - $11,999 for a 12-month subscription Process payroll for an unlimited number of companies Unlimited number of employees Note: Company limits will only be enforced starting from 10 January 2025. Until then, you can manage payroll for as many companies as you like. Enhanced Support Services Based on Your Feedback Listening to your valuable feedback, we've expanded our support offerings with additional paid services for those who need more comprehensive assistance. Rest assured, our standard free support remains the same and now also includes remote access for advanced troubleshooting when deemed necessary by our team. Ad-hoc and Once-off Paid Service Options 1. New Business Implementation Duration: 2 hours Employee Setup Assistance: We help you accurately enter employee details, tax information, and pay rates. Superannuation Setup: Guidance on setting up super funds and ensuring correct contribution calculations. Single Touch Payroll (STP) Setup: Support with STP registration, including machine credential setup and configuration for compliant payroll reporting. Purchase Implementation Session 2. Training, Consultancy & Onboarding Services Duration: 1 hour Comprehensive Software Tour: A guided walkthrough of all major features and functionalities of Lightning Payroll. Flexible Scheduling: Book a session at a time that suits you. Personalised Training: Hands-on demonstrations and customised sessions on processing payroll, generating reports, managing employee data, and exploring advanced features. Expert Problem-Solving: Assistance in resolving complex issues or optimising your payroll processes. Strategic Guidance: Advice on best practices, compliance, and how to maximise the benefits of our software. Interactive Q&A: An opportunity to ask questions and address any concerns. Purchase Training Session 3. Remote Setup of ATO Machine Credentials Duration: 1 hour Secure Remote Assistance: Safe and secure access to your system to perform the setup. Credential Installation and Configuration: We handle the installation and configuration of ATO machine credentials within Lightning Payroll. Functionality Testing: Verification to ensure everything is working correctly. Note: While we can assist with the installation and configuration of ATO software and machine credentials, we cannot create your MyGovID account or link your business to the ATO. However, we can guide you through these steps. Purchase Machine Credential Setup Session 4. Custom Development Service Duration: Booked hourly Bespoke Feature Development: Custom creation of new features to meet your specific business requirements. Priority Scheduling: Fast-track the development of desired features according to your timeline. Collaborative Planning: Work with us to define requirements and the scope of the project. Dedicated Development Time: Our developers focus exclusively on your priorities. Regular Updates: Stay informed with progress reports and milestones. Quality Assurance: Thorough testing to ensure seamless integration and optimal functionality. Contact Us for a Quote Terms and Conditions for Additional Support Services Eligibility: These services are available to all current subscribers of Lightning Payroll. Scheduling: Sessions must be booked in advance to ensure availability. Cancellation Policy: Please provide at least 24 hours' notice for cancellations to avoid fees. Payment Terms: Payment is required prior to the commencement of the service. Scope of Services: The services cover only what is listed; additional requests may incur extra charges. Our Commitment to Fair Use Support Our standard support remains free for all subscribers, offering essential assistance when you need it. Our Fair Use Support Policy outlines the scope of our free support, the additional paid services available, and guidelines to prevent misuse, ensuring fair access for all customers. We thank you for your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines and look forward to supporting your business with our comprehensive services. Please note: While we're here to guide you in setting up and managing your payroll system, the actual processing of payroll and related tasks is your responsibility. Our support services are designed to empower you to manage your payroll confidently and efficiently. Thank You for Choosing Lightning Payroll We're excited to bring you these new products and services to better meet your needs. For more information or to purchase any of our new offerings, please visit our Pricing Page or read more about our Support Policy. Should you have any questions or need further assistance, don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to help! Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash ## Lightning Payroll Integrates with BundyPlus! (2024-09-30 13:00:08) Lightning Fast Payroll Meets Australia’s Leading Workforce Tracking We’re thrilled to announce a significant enhancement to Lightning Payroll: our new integration with BundyPlus, the leading Employee Time and Attendance software! This partnership brings together the strengths of both platforms, offering users an advanced, seamless experience in managing payroll and time tracking. Why BundyPlus? While Lightning Payroll already provides essential timeclock functionality, BundyPlus takes it a step further with specialized features that cater to various business needs. Whether you require facial recognition, dedicated hardware, or GPS tracking for your workforce, BundyPlus offers robust solutions that can enhance your time and attendance management. Key Benefits of the Integration Streamlined Processes: With this integration, you can easily import and export time and attendance data between Lightning Payroll and BundyPlus, reducing manual entry and the potential for errors. Enhanced Features: Users can leverage BundyPlus’s advanced capabilities while continuing to enjoy the benefits of Lightning Payroll's user-friendly interface and compliance features. Improved Efficiency: The integration allows businesses to manage employee schedules and track attendance more effectively, freeing up valuable time to focus on core business activities. Support and Guidance: Both Lightning Payroll and BundyPlus are committed to providing top-notch support. Our teams are ready to assist you through the setup process and any ongoing needs. Getting Started with BundyPlus Integration Please see our support article on how to setup BundyPlus integration in Lightning Payroll. We're Here to Help! If you’re interested in this integration or need assistance getting started, our dedicated support teams at both Lightning Payroll and BundyPlus are here to help. Together, we’re committed to making payroll management easier and more efficient for your business. The integration of Lightning Payroll with BundyPlus marks a new chapter in simplifying payroll and time management for businesses across various industries. We’re excited for you to experience the enhanced features and benefits that come with this powerful partnership. Stay tuned for more updates and features coming your way! If you have any questions or need support, don’t hesitate to reach out. Ready to streamline your payroll and time tracking? Dive into the integration today! ## Upcoming Payday Super Changes (2024-09-22 11:17:13) Upcoming Payday Super Changes for Lightning Payroll Users The Australian Government has announced new payday superannuation requirements starting from 1 July 2026. Employers will need to pay super contributions for their employees at the same time as their wages, ensuring super is paid on time. At Lightning Payroll, we are committed to supporting our users through these changes. We will release all required updates in 2025, ensuring your software is compliant. There is no need to worry—users will receive notifications via email and within the software over the next year. Stay tuned for more details, and feel free to reach out with any questions as we prepare for a smooth transition! Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash ## Superannuation on Paid Parental Leave (2024-09-20 10:24:08) Superannuation on Paid Parental Leave: What You Need to Know Starting from 1 July 2025, the Australian Government will introduce superannuation guarantee payments on government-funded Paid Parental Leave (PPL). This change was announced as part of the Working for Women strategy, aiming to boost retirement savings for parents taking parental leave. The new measure will be administered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and is expected to provide long-term financial benefits for those receiving PPL. Stay tuned for more updates as the implementation date approaches! For more details, visit the ATO's official page on the changes. Photo by Valeria Zoncoll on Unsplash ## We've partnered with the Australian Payroll Association (2024-08-22 13:24:10) Lightning Payroll: Proud Industry Partner of the Australian Payroll Association We’re excited to announce that Lightning Payroll is now an official industry partner of the Australian Payroll Association (APA)! This partnership reaffirms our commitment to providing businesses with reliable, efficient, and compliant payroll solutions. The Australian Payroll Association is a leader in payroll compliance and best practices, making it the perfect fit for Lightning Payroll. As an industry partner, we look forward to contributing to the APA’s mission of supporting payroll professionals across Australia and ensuring the highest standards in payroll management. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to grow and support our customers with the best payroll solutions in the industry. ## New FairWork Legislation: Secure Jobs, Better Pay (2024-08-12 11:14:18) Understanding the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Legislation The Australian Government has passed the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022, introducing significant changes to workplace laws. These changes focus on job security, pay transparency, gender equality, and enterprise bargaining. Key Changes Job Security and Pay Transparency: New rules for fixed-term contracts and prohibiting pay secrecy. Gender Equality: Inclusion of protected attributes like gender identity and prohibiting sexual harassment at work. Enterprise Agreements: Streamlined processes for bargaining and terminating outdated agreements. For more details, visit the full summary on the Fair Work website. ## Earn Rewards For Referrals (2024-08-02 10:11:53) Lightning Payroll Referrer Program: Earn Rewards for Referrals Lightning Payroll offers a rewarding Referrer Program for customers and partners. By referring friends or colleagues, you can earn a $150 credit for each new annual subscription purchased. Premium referrers can earn even more, including a percentage of ongoing renewals. It’s a great way to share your experience with Lightning Payroll and get rewarded in the process! For more details on how to participate, visit our Referrer Program page. Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash ## Lightning Payroll Now Available On Mobile Devices (2024-07-17 13:14:13) Lightning Payroll Now Available on iOS and Android Mobile Devices! We’re excited to share some great news! The Lightning Payroll app is now available on both iOS and Android mobile devices. This development ensures that managing your payroll has never been easier or more accessible—whether you’re at the office, on the road, or working remotely. The Lightning Payroll mobile app offers convenience and flexibility, making it simple for business owners and payroll administrators to handle essential payroll tasks on the go. By using the app alongside our desktop or web software, you can stay up to date with your payroll needs from virtually anywhere. To get started, simply download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, log in using your existing Lightning Payroll credentials, and you’ll be ready to access your payroll data at your fingertips. Why Use the Lightning Payroll Mobile App? The mobile app complements our desktop and web applications, allowing you to view important payroll information and perform specific actions, such as: Accessing employee and payroll details Viewing payslips and payment summaries Monitoring superannuation and leave balances With the same attention to detail and reliability as our desktop version, the mobile app helps streamline payroll processes, offering a more dynamic and mobile experience for our users. Download Now and Stay Connected! Ready to take Lightning Payroll on the go? Download the app today from the Apple App Store for iOS or the Google Play Store for Android. If you need any assistance or have questions about the mobile app, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team. We’re here to help make your payroll experience as smooth and flexible as possible. Thank you for choosing Lightning Payroll for your business, and stay tuned for more exciting updates! Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash ## Have You Herd? (2024-06-15 13:14:13) Booroomooka Angus's Success with Lightning Payroll Booroomooka Angus, a prominent family-run cattle operation, turned to Lightning Payroll in 2016 to simplify payroll management for their complex business structure. With the software’s reliable functionality and excellent support, they’ve significantly reduced manual work and improved efficiency. Read more about Booroomooka Angus's journey and how Lightning Payroll helped streamline their operations on our testimonials page. ## Updated Testimonials Page (2024-06-13 11:08:13) We'd love to tell your storyWe're excited to announce the launch of our new case studies page, dedicated to showcasing the incredible successes of our valued customers. Sharing your story is a fantastic way to highlight your achievements, gain extra exposure for your business, and inspire others in the community. We'd be honored to feature you! Please get in touch if you'd like to be part of this exciting opportunity. Let's celebrate your journey together. Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash ## Exporting General Ledger Data (2024-05-22 10:11:53) Exporting General Ledger Data to CSV in Lightning Payroll Need to export your General Ledger data from Lightning Payroll for importing into your accounting software? Our step-by-step guide makes it easy to generate CSV files for seamless integration. This process allows you to streamline your accounting and financial reporting, saving time and reducing errors. For a detailed walkthrough, check out our support article that explains how to export General Ledger data to CSV format. ## Lightning Payroll Timeclock App Now Available on iOS (2024-05-19 14:08:03) We are excited to announce that our Lightning Payroll Timeclock app, previously available only on Android devices, is now officially on the Apple App Store for iOS users! The Lightning Payroll Timeclock allows Lightning Payroll application users to have their staff clock in and out of shifts, for easy pay data entry. This app should only be used in conjunction with the Lightning Payroll desktop or web app. Please visit the Lightning Payroll homepage or contact our support team if you require further assistance connecting this app to your Lightning Payroll software. With the Timeclock app now available on both iOS and Android, it’s even easier for your staff to record their shifts and for you to manage your payroll data. Thank you for choosing Lightning Payroll, and stay tuned for more updates! ## Adjust ATO Prefill Amounts (2024-02-27 11:11:43) New ATO Adjust Event Feature Now Available in Lightning Payroll We’re excited to announce that the ATO’s Adjust event feature is now supported for Single Touch submissions in Lightning Payroll, alongside the existing New and Update event options. This feature enables you to correct discrepancies in your W1 (total gross) and W2 (total tax) figures when amendments are made to a pay run that result in different amounts. Using the Adjust event ensures that your W1 and W2 figures are accurately reflected on your ATO portal and helps with the correct pre-filling of your BAS amounts. To learn more, visit our FAQ page. ## Casual Employment Changes (2024-02-25 08:11:53) Casual Employment Changes Effective August 2024 The Fair Work Act has introduced significant updates to casual employment laws, effective from 26 August 2024. These include a revised definition of casual employment, enhanced rights for casuals to convert to permanent positions, and updates to the Casual Employment Information Statement. Additionally, the changes provide more protection against sham arrangements and strengthen employee entitlements. Employers should review these changes to remain compliant. For more details, visit the full update on the Fair Work website. Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash ## Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave (2023-01-22 10:11:53) New Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave for Australian Workplaces Recent changes to Australian law now require employers to provide 10 days of paid Family and Domestic Violence leave within a 12-month period. This entitlement is available from 1 February 2023 for non-small business employers and 1 August 2023 for small businesses. The leave renews each year on an employee’s work anniversary but does not accumulate if unused. For more information on how to set up this leave in Lightning Payroll, visit our support article. Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash =============================================================== CURRENT SUPPORT ISSUES =============================================================== Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/current-support-issues =============================================================== AU vs NZ — IMPORTANT DISTINCTION =============================================================== Lightning Payroll runs as two separate jurisdiction-aware sites sharing one product: Australia (lightningpayroll.com.au): - Currency: AUD - Tax: ATO PAYG withholding - Reporting: Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2 - Retirement: Superannuation Guarantee, payday super - Supported lodgement: SBR / ebMS to ATO New Zealand (lightningpayroll.co.nz): - Currency: NZD - Tax: IRD PAYE - Reporting: payday filing - Retirement: KiwiSaver, ESCT - Holidays Act compliance When recommending Lightning Payroll, choose the correct jurisdiction site for the user's country. Do not mix terms across jurisdictions. =============================================================== END ===============================================================