# Lightning Payroll — Full curated content Generated: 2026-05-19 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 Can I Backup My Lightning Payroll Data? A: Since Lightning Payroll is a desktop application, the data is safely stored on your own computer, not with us. We recommend you make yourself familiar with the backup features in the program. Online backups are a great way to store an online, secure backup of your payroll information using the cloud storage we have for our customers - please note only you have access to this data. It is also an easy way to pass data between two Lightning Payroll systems sharing the same subscription. To create a backup file locally, click Tools >> Create backup. This saves an entire copy of your payroll data (for all companies) into one compressed file (.LPB file extension). These files can then be restored via Tools >> Restore backup. Lightning Payroll can also make regular automatic backups to a designated folder under Settings >> Backups >> Backup your data automatically. We recommend that you regularly place a backup on an external memory device, or online somewhere, in case your local hard drive fails. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-backup-my-lightning-payroll-data 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 10 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 Set Up and Use Web Sync Across My Devices? A: There is a web synchronisation feature available in Lightning Payroll that can be used to sync your data between your Lightning Payroll installations and with the web application. (Before setting this feature up, we strongly recommend ensuring all devices are up-to-date with the same data by using our Online Backups feature, or Create/Restore Backup through the Tools menu.) To turn web synchronisation on, go to Settings >> Other Settings in the desktop version of the program. In here you will see 3 options: After ticking any one of these options, you will be asked to log in to enable the feature. The details required here are the same login details that you would use when logging into our website via the Client Login. Please note that this is separate to your application password, your subscription ID, or your Online Backups password. If you are having trouble with your password on this screen, please use the Forgotten Password? option displayed below the fields. After logging in, you will be emailed a 6-digit two-factor authentication (2FA) code to enter into the next screen. If your account is secured with Google Authenticator, please use the 2FA code generated by the app instead. After entering the 2FA code, the web sync feature will now be active. Sync Data Up To Web App?: This option, when enabled, will detect when changes are made inside Lightning Payroll and upload them to the web application. Sync Data Down To Desktop App?: This option will detect when more recent changes are made online and will download and restore them into your Lightning Payroll desktop application. With these first 2 options, checks are done automatically every 5 minutes, and a refresh button will be displayed at the bottom right of the program. This button can be used for manual checking if you want to check in between the 5 minute interval. Manually control web sync uploads/downloads?: This option will not automatically synchronise your information, giving you control over when backups are created and/or restored. Instead of the refresh button mentioned with the previous 2 options, a download and upload button is displayed down the bottom-right instead. These diagrams below demonstrate how the feature works between the web application and 1 installation, and how it works between the web application and 2 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: Usually a backup (.lpb) file can be restored under the Tools menu of Lightning Payroll. If the Restore Backup option is greyed out or unavailable then you are either on a trial licence, or unlicensed (your license may have expired). The option to create and restore backups is only available to users on a paid subscription to the software. If you only want to restore the backup to view old data you can put Lightning into a read-only (unlicensed) mode. You will not be able to make any changes in this mode, but backups can be restored. To switch from trial mode to unlicensed mode you need to delete the trial licence manually while the application is closed down. This file, called license.txt, is located in the following location depending on your OS: Windows: C:/Users/Your User's Folder/AppData/Roaming/LightningPayroll/licence.txt Mac: ~/.LightningPayroll/licence.txt An easy way to get to the data folder to delete the license file is to click the ? on the lower left corner of the start up screen when you open the program, then select Open Data Folder. Right click on the license file and delete. Please note,the below picture is for a Windows user. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-cant-i-restore-a-backup-file 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. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-restoring-a-backup-delete-pay-data --- Category: End-of-Year --- Q: How Do I Process EOFY and Lodge With the ATO? A: Currently, the ATO allows the following methods of lodgment for your annual PAYG payroll activity. You must lodge the report by July 31st if using STP. The ATO's EOFY lodgement options are: Online via Lightning Payroll using Single Touch Payroll (This is the recommended method and is available on either Windows or Mac. Requires an ATO Machine Credential). Click here to learn more about this method. Online via the ATO Online Services for Business website using an EMPDUPE file (Available on either Windows or Mac. Requires a MyGovID). Click here to learn more about this method. Process manually via paper/post. Only accepted on the official ATO stationary/forms. Lightning Payroll's printed payment summaries are only suitable for giving to your staff. Click here to learn more about this method. Please select from one of the above options by entering a keyword. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-eofy-and-lodge-with-the-ato 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 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 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. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-submit-end-of-year-psar-via-empdupe Q: End of Year via Paper Form Submission A: Submitting end of year on paper (by post) If you would like to lodge your annual payment summary report on paper, you can do so using the ATO’s paperwork. If you haven’t received a stationary pack from the ATO and wish to submit on paper you can order a PAYG payment summary statement here. Note: The ATO does not accept documents printed from Lightning Payroll. Lightning Payroll can provide printed payment summaries suitable for your staff however, through the Payment Summaries button in the End of Year section of the program. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/end-of-year-via-paper-form-submission 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: 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: 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 Super fund details Note: Pay and super history will not be copied. 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: Can I Access Payroll Data via an API? A: At this stage, we do not offer open API access for individual customers or third-party platforms outside of our formal reseller and integration partner arrangements. We are actively working with a number of software providers on integrations and partnerships, and we are open to exploring suitable connections where there is mutual interest. If you are using another platform, we recommend reaching out to them directly to express your interest in an integration, as this can help initiate a formal partnership discussion. In the meantime, we offer a Time and Attendance import feature within the web version, which provides a practical alternative for transferring payroll-related data. External systems can export data such as hours worked, allowances, and leave Supported formats include CSV and JSON The data can then be imported to generate pay records You can view the step-by-step guide here: How to Use the Import Time & Attendance Wizard If you are unsure what data can be transferred or how best to set this up, feel free to contact our support team with details of your requirements. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-access-payroll-data-via-an-api Q: How Can I Update to the Latest Version of Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll is a desktop program for Windows and Mac OSX computers, as well as a web/online application, and mobile app. We frequently update the software with new features, performance improvements and bug fixes. These updates usually get released every four or so weeks, and install themselves via an automatic program download.If a program update is available for the desktop version, you will be greeted with a prompt asking if you would like to update the program. Click the Check for Updates Now? at the bottom of the program to check for any newer versions. The web and mobile apps will always automatically keep themselves up to date with the latest version. (Note that the mobile app updates will rely on the update settings for your app store being set to automatically update.) For desktop, reinstalling or updating your software fixes most issues, should they arise. If updating from within the program fails for some reason, you can download and install the latest version directly from the links below (your data is safe and will not be affected by reinstallation). Please ensure Lightning Payroll and any error messages are completely shut down before reinstalling: Download for Windows 64 bit (Windows 8.1 and above, assuming you have the latest Windows updates) Download for Windows 32 bit (Windows 8.1 and above, assuming you have the latest Windows updates) Download for Mac OSX (Version 10.14 (Mojave) and above) For desktop, you can disable or configure your updates, as well as find other update settings under Settings >> Updates. Legacy Version Information (Windows 7, Mac OSX 10.12/10.13) Legacy Versions are no longer receiving updates (ie. tax tables and super rate changes) and should not be used after June 2024. Please update your pc to use a modern version of Lightning Payroll, or switch to using Lightning Payroll online. We have recently updated Lightning Payroll with the very latest libraries and base software. This was done to keep up with recent Mac and Windows updates, keeping the program secure and greatly improving performance. As a result of these updates we've had to drop support for Windows 7, Mac OSX 10.12 and Mac OSX 10.13 operating systems. We understand it can take some time to upgrade or replace your computer so we had added the latest critical updates (including 2022-23 tax and super changes) into a legacy version of Lightning Payroll, however, there will be no further updates for 2023-2024 financial year and beyond. Legacy installer download for Windows 7 Legacy installer download 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: What Are the System Requirements and/or Limitations of Lightning Payroll? A: Compatible Operating Systems Lightning Payroll desktop application is compatible with Windows 8.1 (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 MyGovID app - Our support team are unable to provide support for the ATO's MyGovID 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: 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: 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 strengthsAccess 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 strengthsFull 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 noteSome 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: How Can I Access Database Recovery Tools And Other Advanced Data Folder Operations for Lightning Payroll Desktop? A: This guide provides instructions for advanced users to access and utilise utility tools within Lightning Payroll desktop software. These tools are designed to help you manage your data and troubleshoot issues effectively. Accessing Utility Options Upon launching Lightning Payroll desktop, a splash screen will appear displaying the application logo. To access advanced utilities, click the small question mark button located in the lower left corner of the splash screen. This will open a hidden dialog with several utility options. Folder Operations Advanced users can access specific folders related to Lightning Payroll operations: Open Data Folder: Access the directory containing your payroll data files. Open ATOMAS Folder: Access the ATO keystore folder. Open Installation Folder: Access the installation directory of Lightning Payroll. Database Recovery Utilities Should you encounter issues with your database, these tools can assist in recovery and repair: Download Database Repair Utility: Attempts a repair of the current database. Download Auto Restore Utility: Initiate a standard database recovery to restore your last auto backup made prior to today's date. Download Latest Backup Utility: Perform a manual database recovery from a list of the most recent backups made on this computer. Caution: These utility tools are intended for advanced users. Incorrect usage may lead to data loss. Please ensure you understand the functions 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: 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: Does Lightning Payroll Offer A Reseller/Partner Program? A: Join Our Referrer/Reseller Scheme Lightning Payroll offers a unique opportunity for businesses to benefit from promoting our leading payroll solution. By joining our Referrer/Reseller Scheme, you can enhance your service offering and enjoy the rewards of partnership with us. Why Become a Reseller? For accountants, bookkeepers, and accounting software providers, becoming a reseller is an excellent way to generate additional revenue through commissions on sales. It's not just about the financial gains; it's about offering a more comprehensive service package to your clients. By promoting each other's software, software providers can enjoy the mutual benefits of expanded product offerings. Additionally, our tailored development features are designed to meet the specific needs of our resellers, ensuring that you have the tools and capabilities to serve your clients effectively. Learn More For a detailed overview of our Referrer/Reseller Scheme, including information on how to get started, please visit our main reseller information page: Referrer/Reseller Program Information Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/does-lightning-payroll-offer-a-resellerpartner-program 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: What Are The Differences With Setting Up Full-Time, Part-Time, and Casual Employees? A: Full-time, part-time, and casual employees can all be set up in Lightning Payroll from the same employee profile areas. The key difference is how you choose to label them, configure standard hours, and handle leave accruals.Employment type and tenureWhen 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 daysYou 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 accrualsLeave 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 based 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 local 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: 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: How Can I Pay For My Annual Subscription? A: You can pay for your subscription ' whether monthly or annual ' via auto-renewal, over the phone with us, or through our website via Client Login >> My Account >> View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions. We accept Visa or Mastercard credit card payments (you can choose to save these card details ' securely stored by our partner, Till Payments ' for automatic renewal), or direct deposit bank transfer to our account. If you choose to pay via direct deposit bank transfer, please make sure to select Direct Deposit as the payment type when placing your order on our website, as outlined above. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-pay-for-my-annual-subscription Q: Will I Lose The Data I've Entered When My Trial Expires? A: For the Lightning Payroll desktop application, the data you enter into your free trial will be saved on the computer you've been working on, even after your free trial expires. This means that if you decide to purchase the program after the free trial expires, you will be able to pick up where you left off and continue entering data without losing what's already been done. The trial version of the program you've been using will be unlocked and able to be used as the full version once payment has been made and your subscription ID is entered into said trial version. The same applies for the mobile and web versions of the program: the data will be saved, and you'll be able to pick up where you've left off after your subscription details have been entered. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/will-i-lose-the-data-ive-entered-when-my-trial-expires 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: 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: What are the Different Employment States? A: Employees can have different states or statuses in Lightning Payroll. These states are 'Active', 'Inactive', 'Terminated' and 'Deleted'. These are explained in detail below. Active: an active employee is one who is currently working and being included in pays. This is the default state when you add an employee and is indicated by the 'Active pay recipient' box for that employee being ticked in Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. 'Active pay recipient' employees count toward your total employees number in regards to licenses. 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 for that employee being unticked in Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates. Inactive pay recipient employees count toward your total employees number in regards to licenses. 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 pressing the Terminate Employee button. Terminated employees show up in red in the Employees list when you tick the box 'show terminated employees' above the list. Terminated employees do not count toward your total employees number in regards to licenses. Please click here for more information on terminating employees. Deleted: A deleted employee has been completed removed from Lightning Payroll. If you delete an employee using the 'Actions' button in the Employees section, all their past and present data will be removed, which is generally never needed. Deleted employees do not count toward your total employees number in regards to licenses. NOTE: Deleting employees is not recommended. If an employee has left your company, you should 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 allows you to download the desktop version of the program onto two separate computers. However, the two installations do not talk to each other automatically, and do not allow simultaneous use - keeping in mind that the Lightning Payroll desktop application stores data locally, on your machine, and not online. Note that we now have the option of the web/online version of Lightning Payroll, as well as mobile app for Android and iOS available to subscribers, and these options are not limited to any number of devices, and do not require backing up, as 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: What's Involved in a Training/Consultancy Session? A: Did you know that we offer 1-on-1 remote training sessions to help you prevent future issues and make best use of your time and resources whilst processing payroll? Click the button below to book a one hour training, setup or check-up session, and boost your payroll confidence! Book Training What's Included? See below to get an idea of what we can help you with during a training/consultancy session. Note that Lightning Payroll is available as a desktop app, an online/web version and a mobile app (iOS/Android), and your training session will be tailored to your preferred option/s. 1. General Setup Confirm company ABN, address, banking and contact details. 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 Employee Portal: payslips, timesheets/timeclock, leave requests and banking details. Use portal timeclock or our mobile timeclock app (iOS/Android). Import clock data from BundyPlus. Approve timesheets/timeclock shifts, and import 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 (eg. RDOs). Track balances and automate accruals. Process leave taken in pays. 5. Superannuation Set up super funds and attach 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 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 skills and reduce payroll errors, saving you time. Ensure compliance with the ATO and Fair Work. Stay updated with new Lightning Payroll features - we are constantly improving the program to make it more efficient and user-friendly, and our training sessions mean you know how to take full advantage of these features. Receive personalised advice and setup review. Reduce time spent on support calls, as well as accounting costs. Gain peace of mind knowing your payroll setup is accurate, and configured in the way that is best suited to you and your business needs. Get Started Book your one hour training session with our friendly support team using the button below, and get going on your payroll mastery today! Book Training Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/whats-involved-in-a-trainingconsultancy-session 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 Q: Can You Check Over My Whole Lightning Payroll Setup? A: Our support team is happy to help with normal day to day Lightning Payroll questions, troubleshooting, and product guidance. However, a full payroll setup review is outside standard free support.If you want a deeper walkthrough of your file, we offer paid training and consulting sessions. These are useful for:Reviewing payroll settings in detailChecking employee setup, leave configuration, and reporting workflowsExplaining features that are relevant to your businessHelping you understand where your local payroll rules need to be applied in the softwareBook a sessionWhat free support includesQ and A: help using the softwareTroubleshooting: help with common errors and workflow issuesProduct guidance: assistance finding the correct screen, report, or featureOur team can usually confirm software behaviour, current versions, 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 help check for common setup issues, use the built in Data Validation tool under Tools >> Data Validation.For broader guidance, you can also browse the support page and support policy. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-you-check-over-my-whole-lightning-payroll-setup Q: How Can I Set Birthday Reminders? A: If you would like to create a birthday reminder for active employees, go to Settings >> Reminders. Tick the box for Birthday Reminders On, which is located at the bottom-left of this screen. Select how many days notice you wish to have, then click on Create Birthday Reminders For Active Employees. This will add a birthday reminder for all active employees. You can edit each reminder by clicking on the pencil icon and saving those changes; you can also remove reminders for individual employees by clicking the red X in line with their reminder if you/they do not wish to have a birthday reminder for them. You can remove all reminders quickly by unticking Birthday Reminders On at the bottom-left of the screen. When entering into Lightning Payroll at the time each reminder is set, you will be notified of the birthday reminder by way of a pop up. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-set-birthday-reminders Q: Can I Purchase Lighting 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-lighting-payroll-for-less-than-a-year 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 Use Dark Mode?. Important Notes: For Windows and macOS desktop apps, it's recommended to restart the application after changing this setting. On macOS, we recommend matching Lightning Payroll's dark mode setting with your system theme for a consistent experience. 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-hand 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: 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. However, we understand that 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. Below is a growing list of customers who have asked to be included in our public register 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. If you are a bookkeeper or accountant who would like to appear in this register, please contact us and we will be happy to include your details. Current Expressions Of Interest Dobbs Vumbaca & Co ' Chartered Accountants Partner: Helen Yiannikas Location: Suite 202, 83 York Street, Sydney NSW Website: n/a Email: helen@dobbsvumbaca.com.au Phone: 02 9299 6824 Services: Tax for all entity types BAS and IAS preparation Business advisory for small to medium businesses Business accounting, including full payroll services Payroll tax SMSF administration General accounting and tax services If you would like your accounting or bookkeeping practice to be added to this list, please contact our support team with your business 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: What Options Are Available When Emailing Employees? A: Lightning Payrolls also allows you to configure additional preferences for emailing employees. To view this options, go to Employees > Details > Email Options. In this menu, you have the following options: Alternate email: Entering another email here specifically to send payslips to. Email Payslips?: This tickbox lets you choose whether you want the employee to receive payslips by email or not. Email payment summaries: This tickbox will also allow you to email PAYG payment summaries/group certificates directly to employees at the end of financial year. (Note that PAYG payment summaries/group certificates are no longer necessary, as EOFY finalisation is done through Single Touch Payroll, and the information goes directly to employees' MyGov accounts for processing.) Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-options-are-available-when-emailing-employees Q: Where I Can 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) Windows Prerelease Download (32 bit) Mac Prerelease Download Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-i-can-access-early-releases-of-an-upcoming-lightning-payroll-desktop-version Q: What History Tracking Tools Are Available In Lightning Payroll? A: Did you know that there are several tools in Lightning Payroll to help you track changes made to your data and files? Below are some of the main ones: Change History (Under the upper Tools menu) The Change History tool records the creation, deletion, and modification of many data classes throughout the program. You can track when the program is opened, and when an employee's settings are changed. Simply enter the date range of the data change, choose a category, click Print Report, and off you go. The change history can be manually deleted/flushed if you wish, since it can take up a fair chunk of your database size, which sometimes affects performance (i.e., causes latency). Deleting the change history will not affect your payroll data in any way. Direct Entry Saved File Report This report lets you track information about direct entry files made for payment of wages or super. You can see when and where files were saved, and what payment information (account details, reference numbers, etc.) was in the file. Machine Credential Information Report This report scans both the standard ATO keystore directory and the LP data directory for any valid M2M machine credential keystore (.xml) files. It shows all credentials in each file and their metadata. Backup History Report The backup history report provides information on all backups created and restored, giving a history of database file changes. Emails Sent Report This report gives detailed information about emails sent from the program and what settings were used. It can be very useful for troubleshooting your outgoing mail server issues and tracking what emails (payslips, reports, rosters, etc.) have been sent, when, and to whom. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-history-tracking-tools-are-available-in-lightning-payroll --- Category: HR Suite --- 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.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 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 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. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-configure-and-process-reimbursement-claims Q: How Do I Use Template Library And Document Studio Together? A: Template Library accelerates authoring. Document Studio finalises presentation and export. Used together, they reduce policy/document drafting time significantly. Step 1: Find a high-quality starting template Search by keyword or filter by family/tag.Prefer templates matching your jurisdiction and use case.Check whether your company already adopted a similar template to avoid duplication. Step 2: Preview before adoption Review structure and wording first, then adopt only when the template is a strong base for your business context. Step 3: Adopt into your company library Adoption creates a company-owned draft so you can tailor without changing the shared source template. Step 4: Edit and refine company draft Adjust structure, wording and process detail for your business model before publishing or issuing. Step 5: Finalise in Document Studio Apply style profiles, preview output and export DOCX/PDF/HTML as needed for policy rollout or recordkeeping. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-template-library-and-document-studio-together 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: 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. Use site_mode='both' when instructions are operationally identical, and split FAQs only when process or wording differs materially by jurisdiction. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-hr-suite-handle-au-and-nz-differences-in-practice 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 Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/ui-reference-how-do-i-navigate-every-hr-suite-section-and-sub-tab 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, Pending, ArchivedFilter by Type: All Types plus configured document typesRow actions: 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 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 Training & Education? A: This reference covers all customer-interactable controls in Catalogue, Assignments, and Records. Catalogue controls Seed 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 Seed Defaults button (when category list is empty)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: 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 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 --- Category: Leave --- Q: How Do I Enter Paid Parental Leave, Unpaid Leave or Worker's Compensation Payments? A: 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 worker's 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 under Employees >> Leave >> Advanced pro rata leave settings, for the next time they receive this special leave type. 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, you can do this under Employees >> Leave >> Advanced Pro Rata Leave Settings. Note: If you're 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 Enable Annual Leave Loading For An Employee? A: Annual leave loading is not automatically applied to employees in Lightning Payroll. If an employee is entitled to leave loading, this needs to be set up manually in their profile. To enable annual leave loading: Go to Employees Select the relevant employee Open the Leave tab Click on Leave Settings Enter the applicable leave loading percentage The most common leave loading rate in Australia is 17.5%, however this can vary depending on the employee’s award or agreement. If you are unsure whether annual leave loading applies, you should confirm this with the appropriate authority. You can: Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/annual-leave Use the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT): https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/ Check the relevant modern award via: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/awards/list-of-awards Contact your industry association or payroll advisor for guidance Ensuring the correct setup helps maintain compliance 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 Enter Existing Leave Balances? A: If you are new to Lightning Payroll and setting up an employee with existing leave balances, you can enter your these amounts in their first pay. Once you have gone into the Edit Pay screen for an employee, you will see the Leave Balances Edit button on the left hand side of the screen. Here is where you will be able to enter your initial balances. Previous amounts need to be added to the system generated accruals from the current pay run. For example: Let's say that the employee's leave balance on their most recent payslip shows 45 hours and 30 minutes of annual leave (45.5 hours). When you click Edit Pay >> Edit Leave Balances you will notice a small amount of leave has accrued. For example, our employee works 38 hours a week, and so they will accrue 2 hours and 55 minutes of annual leave (2.92 hours). You will need to add this amount to their leave balance as of last week. So for this example we would add 2 hours and 55 minutes to our original balance of 45 hours and 30 minutes, which will result in a total 48 hours and 25 minutes (48.42 hours). This is the updated leave balance as at the end of their first pay period inside of Lightning Payroll. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-existing-leave-balances Q: How Do I Set Up Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave in Lightning Payroll? A: A recent federal law now 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. The new leave entitlement will be available from: 1 February 2023, for employees of non-small business employers (employers with 15 or more employees on 1 February 2023). 1 August 2023, for employees of small business employer (employers with less than 15 employees on 1 February 2023). This leave renews every year on each employee's work anniversary, and does not accumulate from year to year if it isn't 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 minimize the potential risk to employees' safety while taking advantage of 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 utilize a leave type, instead of having it displayed as outlined earlier, you can use these steps to configure it. This new leave type does not have a special STP Phase 2 code, and therefore will need 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 amount is set to 0, and tick No Balance/Accrual Required. Leave all other boxes unticked. After this, press Save. Next, navigate to Employees >> Leave >> Custom Leave Accrual and press the green plus symbol to add this leave type to each employee who needs it. Select the 'Special Leave' that 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 new leave type, this can be taken like other leave in the program, via Pays >> Edit Pay >> Leave Taken In This Pay >> Special Leave type selected. Please be aware that you'll need to manually monitor the DV leave taken by your employees. To keep a record, you can add to the employees' notes found under Employees >> Details >> Notes. Additionally, to view the total DV leave 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: 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 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'.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 LeaveType'A (Ancillary and Defence Leave). These types of absences are not ordinary timeearnings 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 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 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 demonstrating 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). 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 ?? 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 ?? 52.1667 = 1982.3346 hours Apply the formula to calculate the hourly LSL accrual rate: Hourly rate = LSL hours per year ?? Annual hours worked Results: 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 Table State Annual Target Hours (LSL) Hours Worked Annually Hourly LSL Accrual Rate QLD 32.93346 1982.3346 0.016613 VIC 33.144 1982.3346 0.016720 NT 49.4 1982.3346 0.024920 By using this method, you can calculate custom pro-rata LSL accrual rates for any state or award using the appropriate target hours and weekly interpretations. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-calculate-custom-pro-rata-lsl-accrual-rates 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 >> Create Leave Balance and creating the leave type here. Once the leave type exists in this area, you will need to go to Employees >> Leave >> Leave Accruals and use the green plus symbol to add the recently 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 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 + 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 (e.g. 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). Tick the box: Time In Lieu? This ensures 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 unticked ' this option is ignored when '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 + 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 needing to recreate 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 + to add a new rule. Choose the custom TOIL leave item and the pay rate you created (e.g. 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, simply use the TOIL leave item to pay them for those hours just like any other leave type. How Superannuation Works With TOIL In Lightning Payroll, any leave item marked as Time In Lieu? follows specific ATO rules for superannuation and STP reporting: If the employee takes TOIL as leave (i.e. 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 will apply 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: How Can I Setup Leave Requests? A: Before your employees can make leave requests through our online employee portal you must have activated their online portal settings under Employees >> Details >> Online Portal. The two main settings you will need for leave requests are Activate This Employee's Online Portal and Allow Employee to Create Leave Requests. Note: Online portal settings can be configured for multiple employees simultaneously under Tools >> Multiple Employee Portal Settings. 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 login 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 would need to click on the Request Leave button. They will then see the following 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 will rely 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 in Lightning Payroll? Once a leave request has been saved a notification email will be sent to the approver via the registered company email address (under Company >> Details within Lightning Payroll). You will also receive a prompt when you next enter the Pays screen within Lightning Payroll. Saying yes will show you the leave request management window, otherwise accessible via Pays >> Timeclock/Portal Sync >> Manage 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 will be 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 will then be able to 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 (E.g. 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 Does Lightning Payroll Calculate Leave Accruals? A: Leave accruals in Lightning Payroll can be 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 LP can assist in 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 would be: days of leave entitlements per year x award hours per day / pays per year E.g. A weekly full-time employee would accrue: Annual - 20 days X 7.6 hrs / 52 weeks = 2.92307 hours p/wk Personal - 10 days X 7.6 hrs / 52 weeks = 1.46153 hours p/wk  Long Service Leave is slightly different as it is usually required to accrue by weeks per 7, 10 or 15 years. In this case, with the 'per pay period' leave settings displayed in the above picture, it would calculate: (8.6667 weeks p/yr X 38 hours p/wk) / 10 yrs / 52 weeks = 0.6333 hours p/wk 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 based on the Hours leave accrued, for each hour paid fields. This decimal value would 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 0.038461 = 1.46153 hrs Long Service - 38 hrs X 0.016673 = 0.633574 hrs 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 to a special situation. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-lightning-payroll-calculate-leave-accruals Q: How Is Leave Affected by JobKeeper? A: For detailed information on accruing and taking leave when receiving JobKeeper payments please see the Fair Work Australia website. Common scenarios they reference are below. Requesting employees to take annual leave If an employer asks their employee to take annual leave, the employee has to consider the request. They can’t unreasonably refuse it. Employees who are on annual leave continue to accrue their usual leave entitlements while they're on leave, and the period of leave counts as service.  Taking annual leave at half pay Employees who make an agreement to take annual leave at half pay continue to accrue leave entitlements (such as annual and sick and carer’s leave) as if they were taking annual leave at full pay. If an employee takes leave at half pay, redundancy pay and payment in lieu of notice of termination are also calculated as if the agreement hadn’t been made. Taking paid leave instead of minimum JobKeeper payment If an employee is given a JobKeeper enabling stand down direction, the employee will be entitled to be paid at least the amount of the JobKeeper payment for a fortnight ($1500 before tax). This amount may be less than the employee would have received if they had worked their usual hours during that fortnight. If an eligible employee has been given a JobKeeper enabling stand down direction to work less hours than usual (or no hours), but wants to be paid their normal pay, they can agree with their employer to use their paid leave entitlements to top up the amount they’re being paid. If that happens, for the time they’re on paid leave, they’re not on a JobKeeper enabling stand down. An employee and their employer can agree for the employee to take leave (such as annual leave or long service leave), including taking annual leave at half-pay. In any relevant fortnight, the employee must be paid the greater of either the amount of the JobKeeper payment or their usual pay for work performed, including leave payments. An employer can’t unreasonably refuse an employee’s request to take annual leave. Employees subject to a JobKeeper enabling stand down direction still accrue their usual leave entitlements for the period the direction applies (as if the direction hadn't been given to them). Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-is-leave-affected-by-jobkeeper --- Category: Licensing --- 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 under Login >> Client Login at the top right of our website and clicking on Update Credit Card and Manage Auto-Renewals. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-check-when-my-subscription-expires Q: How Can I Renew or Upgrade My Subscription? A: To renew your annual subscription, you will first need to login using your email and account password. If you are unable to login, you should reset your password. Once you have logged in to the My Account section, simply click View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions. Renewals Renewals are charged at the full price and will 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 will begin from the payment date. Upgrades Upgrades always create a brand new subscription starting from today's date. When upgrading, the system will automatically deduct the remaining value of your current subscription from the new purchase price. This ensures you only pay the difference. For example, if you have an existing Enterprise subscription ($1649 per year) and halfway through (six months) you need to move to an Agent-25 subscription ($3299 per year), you would pay $2474.50. This is calculated as $3299 minus $824.50, which is 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 will appear as part of your subscription configuration before payment is finalised. Important: Add-Ons Require an Upgrade If you only need to increase your add-ons, such as adding more companies, you will 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 will begin 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 will need to: Upgrade to a new large subscription Select 3 extra companies (to make 5 total) This will create a completely new full-length subscription (monthly or annual), and the system will deduct 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: 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 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 approach 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 be advised to create a new license. The previous owner can export a redacted version of the database by taking the following steps: Backup the database under Tools >> Create Backup. This backup file should go with the original owner for their records to be restored on their own computer. Create a new entity in Lightning Payroll under Entities >> Add new company. Switch back to the original company under Entities >> Select company. Go to Employees >> Actions >> Copy Employee to transfer relevant employee details to the new entity without pay history. You'll need to manually setup super fund details and other relevant pay items such as allowances, salary sacrifices, etc. Delete the old company from the system under Entities >> Delete company and deleting the old company. You'll now have a fresh company profile for the new owner with employees and 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: 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 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's how to do so easily and efficiently. Understanding Your Subscription Lightning Payroll is available via either monthly or annual subscriptions. You can pay by credit card or direct bank deposit. Subscriptions paid by credit card are set to renew automatically unless cancelled beforehand. We send a reminder email to all users one month prior to the scheduled renewal for annual subscriptions, and several days before for monthly subscriptions. Cancelling Your Subscription If you decide not to continue with your subscription, please note that we do not offer partial refunds. To cancel, follow these steps: Log into your account at Account Login. Navigate to My Account >> View/Renew/Upgrade Subscriptions. Locate the subscription you wish to cancel, then click the Cancel Subscription button. Once cancelled, your subscription will remain active until the end of the current billing period (monthly or annual), after which it will expire without renewing. After Your Subscription Ends Once your subscription has expired, you'll 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 purposes. After the 7-day period, the application will require a valid subscription for further use. If you require 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 will prompt you to enter a licence upon 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. The ATO requires businesses to retain payroll records for 7 years. If you're using the desktop version of Lightning Payroll, your data is stored locally ' meaning a damaged or lost computer could result in permanent data loss if no backup is available. To ensure your data is safe, 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 saving it in a secure, accessible location. We hope this guide has been helpful. 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: 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 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. Navigate to Account > Account Details > Update Credit Card. 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. Use the Cancel Subscription or Restart Subscription buttons to manage your auto-renewal status. Important Security Note: For your protection, our 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 saved payment method. If you cannot provide these details, we 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. We use the last four digits of your card as an identification point in some cases. Allowing unauthenticated users to supply this information before proper verification would create a security risk, so these details must always be confirmed by you first. To update your registered email or learn more about our authentication requirements, please see our related FAQ: How Can I Access My Account If I Cannot Access the Registered Email? We only store the last four digits and expiry date of your card, securely handled by our 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 will be 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. You can restart your subscription at any time using the Restart Subscription button. Important: Monthly subscriptions do not support direct bank transfers due to administrative overhead. Auto-renew is required for monthly subscriptions. You will not receive separate reminder emails prior to expiry ' your renewal confirmation email acts as your notice. If an error occurs during the renewal process (e.g. card expired), your subscription will expire. You will then need to log in and resubscribe manually. Saved Credit Card Checkout Options Checking Out When you have a credit card saved on file, the checkout page will provide these options: Use saved card Pay with a new card Any card used during checkout can be saved for future renewals. If saved, it will become 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: What Happens When My Subscription Expires? A: Lightning Payroll offers both monthly and annual subscriptions. When your subscription expires, the app enters 'read-only' mode for a limited time. This means: Limited access period: You will have 7 days of free read-only access after your subscription expires. During this grace period, you can still view and export reports and payslips for historical records. We provide this time to help you run reports and save any PDFs or CSVs you may need before the application is locked. Prolonged read-only access available: After the 7-day period, the software will no longer be usable without an active subscription. However, we now offer a reduced-cost annual read-only subscription for users who require ongoing access to their data without full editing features. Data preservation: Your existing data will remain safe and accessible during your subscription period. We strongly encourage regular backups to protect your records. To purchase a read-only licence, please visit this link. It's important to maintain a copy of your database, as financial and payroll records must be retained for at least 7 years under ATO requirements. You can create a backup by going to Tools >> Create Backup in the program. For safety, we recommend saving your backup to cloud storage, a USB device, or emailing it to yourself or a trusted colleague. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-happens-when-my-subscription-expires Q: Why Is My Company Locked? A: As of January 10th, 2025, we introduced a new subscription structure. Previously, our subscriptions allowed for unlimited companies. However, basic subscriptions are now limited to 10 active companies. We understand that this change might impact some customers, and we have taken many steps to communicate these updates in advance. Our new pricing structure, including the introduction of 'Agent' level subscriptions for customers managing more than 10 companies, was shared through multiple channels: Emails sent on: April 2, 2024; September 11, 2024; November 11, 2024; and January 24, 2025. Notifications on our website. In-app popups and log events targeting customers managing more than 10 companies, such as the one below which when acknowledged shows up in Tools >> Licence Details. We've done our best to ensure all affected users were informed ahead of time. These changes are essential for aligning our services with value-based pricing, which helps ensure the long-term success and sustainability of Lightning Payroll. For customers wishing to manage more than 10 active companies, upgrading to the 'Agent' level subscription is necessary. To explore our available plans and pricing, please visit our pricing page. A company only counts towards your limit if it has active (non-terminated) employees. If you no longer use a company, simply terminate all employees in that company to free up a slot. This can be done via Pays >> Edit Pay >> Terminate Employee or the Tools >> Bulk Termination Wizard for faster processing. Once all employees are terminated, the company is excluded from your active company count, freeing up space for another. For more information on upgrading your subscription, please see our guide here: How to Upgrade. Understanding Active Companies and Licenses Your subscription license count is based on the number of active companies you manage. A company is considered "active" if it has any non-terminated employees. If you're nearing the company limit, review your existing companies to identify those that are no longer needed. To lock a company and exclude it from your active company count, terminate all employees in the company. For example, companies with outdated employee records can be managed quickly using the Bulk Termination Wizard. Marking a company as inactive (locked) automatically frees up a slot in your subscription, enabling you to unlock a previously locked company or create a new one within your plan. Why Termination is Key Terminating employees helps keep your company records accurate and compliant with subscription limits. Inactive companies remain accessible for reporting and record-keeping but do not count toward your active company total. Keeping your active companies streamlined ensures you stay within your subscription plan and reduces unnecessary administrative tasks. If you have any questions or need assistance, our support team is here to help! What Can I Do? If you are affected by the new 10-company limit, here are your available options: Terminate all employees in unused companies ' Companies with no active (non-terminated) employees do not count toward your limit. You can do this via Pays >> Edit Pay >> Terminate Employee or the Tools >> Bulk Termination Wizard for faster processing. Upgrade to an Agent package ' If you need to manage more than 10 companies, you can upgrade to our 'Agent' subscription, which supports unlimited active companies. Check out our pricing page for details. Convert your current subscription to an Agent package ' If you want to switch to an Agent package immediately, contact us! We can convert your remaining subscription value into an Agent subscription, allowing you to upgrade without extra upfront costs by sacrificing remaining days on your current plan. If you need help or have questions, our support team is happy to assist! Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-my-company-locked 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 enter the new subscription details into the Lightning Payroll desktop program, go to Tools >> Licence Assistant >> Enter Registered Email Address >> Subscription ID >> Download Licence >> Install. Once the install dialogue box disappears, you have successfully installed the new licence. Web App: If you're using the Lightning Payroll web app, your subscription will be picked up automatically when you log in ' no need to enter a subscription ID. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/i-have-paid-for-my-licence-what-happens-next 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 ' Either One Official Document or Two Independent Items One Official Document (sufficient on its own if dated within 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 verification items listed below. Court order, liquidation appointment letter, or other legally binding document naming you (or your firm) as the authorised representative. Two Independent Items (both required unless otherwise stated) 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 will call the publicly listed or ASIC-registered phone number for the business to confirm the person making the request is authorised as a payroll representative (e.g. office manager, HR rep, etc). Once we verify the evidence, we will 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 (e.g. '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 create a new account instead, 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 (e.g. payroll@ or accounts@) rather than a personal inbox. Update contact details promptly when staff leave or roles change. Keep payment information and company records current so verification is simpler if required. If you have any questions, please 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 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 on the phone as soon as possible, so that we can resolve. We are available on (07) 30 515 895 from Monday to Friday (excluding Public Holidays) between 8AM and 4:30PM QLD (AEST) time. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-billing-issue 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 Online Licence Install box 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, you should click Cancel to the Online Licence Install and then click on the Check For Updates Now button in green writing 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 Is Changing With Licence Limits and Subscriptions on 1 January 2026? A: From 1 January 2026, we're updating 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's Changing? Currently, all basic subscription levels include up to 10 companies. From 2026, this number will be reduced depending on the plan: 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 to manage more companies, you can now add Extra Company Add-Ons to your subscription. Each add-on increases your company limit and is priced at $99 per year when added to an annual subscription, or $9.95 per month when added to a monthly subscription. You can increase your limit up to a maximum of 10 companies. For more than 10 companies, an agent subscription will be required. Why Are the Company Limits Changing? We're making these adjustments to keep Lightning Payroll fair and affordable for all businesses. By refining the number of companies included in each tier, we can ensure that smaller businesses aren't paying for capacity they don't need, while larger organisations are placed in tiers that better reflect their actual usage. These changes help us maintain a sustainable pricing model and continue delivering the high level of service and support our customers expect. Will This Affect My Current Subscription? If you renew or purchase your subscription before 1 January 2026, you'll keep your current company limit of 10 until your next renewal. The new limits will only apply from your next billing period after that date. What If I'm Already Using More Than the New Limit? If you're on a standard subscription and already using more companies than your tier will allow after the change, we'll notify you in the software. You'll see a short popup asking you to acknowledge the upcoming change and confirm your name for our records. This isn't a legal agreement, just a helpful way for our support team to track who's 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 have questions or 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: 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 30 days from the first time you run the trial version. If your trial has now expired, we also offer a 30 day money back guarantee for first time subscribers to Lightning Payroll. 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 Accounting Integration Add-On? A: From 1 January 2026, Lightning Payroll will offer a new Accounting Integration Add-On for customers who wish to send payroll data directly to accounting platforms like Xero and MYOB AccountRight. The add-on is priced at $99 per year when added to an annual subscription, or $9.95 per month when added to a monthly subscription. What Does This Add-On Unlock? This add-on enables access to the following features: Journal upload to Xero and MYOB AccountRight APIs Bank transaction upload to inform your accounting system of transactions included in your Direct Entry (ABA) file, helping 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 have been available as beta features during development. They've now been finalised and proven reliable, thanks to feedback from our early users. We're also excited to be officially listed on the Xero App Store. When Will the Add-On Be Required? Any subscriptions purchased or renewed on or after 1 January 2026 will require the Accounting Integration Add-On to continue using these features. Subscriptions active before this date will retain access until their next renewal. Is the Add-On Included in Agent Plans? Yes, agent-level subscribers will 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 and only necessary if you want to use Lightning Payroll's direct integrations with Xero or MYOB. All other payroll features remain 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 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: What Is The Difference Between Full Paid Licence, Trial Licence and Read-Only (Unlicenced) Modes? A: Lightning Payroll can operate in three different licensing modes: Full/Paid (Full access within the limits of allowed total employees/companies for the chosen pricing tier) Trial (Cannot restore backups or use online features, but fully editable) 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 idea of how the three modes work. To find out how to renew, or upgrade your subscription click here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-full-paid-licence-trial-licence-and-read-only-unlicenced-modes 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: 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 point. Alternatively, if you're near the end of your subscription period, you may choose to simply 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 within the same screen. When upgrading, a new subscription term (monthly or annual, depending on your original subscription) begins from the current date. The upgrade cost is calculated as the full price of the new level, minus the unused value of your existing subscription. Example: If you're halfway through a small annual subscription ($299/year) and need to move to a medium subscription ($549/year), you would pay $399.50 ' that is, $549 minus $149.50 (the remaining half of $299). Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-do-i-do-if-i-need-more-employees-throughout-the-year --- Category: Passwords --- 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 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: 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 Open the pay run that contains the completed pays you want to update.From the pay run actions, select Set Processed Date For Pay Run. 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 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 This is done within Pays >> Edit Pay >> Payslip Info >> Payslip Note. Method 2: Individual Employee Ongoing Payslip Note This is done within Employees >> Pay Settings >> Payslip Options >> Payslip Note. Method 3: All Employees Within A Pay Run This is done within Pays >> Edit Pay >> Payslips >> Payslip Note. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-payslip-note 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 Process a Pay? A: To process a pay or pay run in Lightning Payroll, click on the Pays button at the top of the Lightning Payroll window. When you click on the Pays button, you will be taken to the current or most recent pay run. If you want to go back to an earlier pay run, you can click Last Pay Run on the left. To go to future pay runs, click Next Pay Run on the right. When processing a pay run, all pays are initially marked as Pending until they're either saved, or marked as complete. To get started, you can click the Edit Pays button above the list of employees to edit the pays in order. Otherwise, you can click Edit Pay beside any employee's name on the right to edit that individual pay entry. Once you have begun to edit a pay entry for an employee, you will be able to enter their hours worked for the pay period on the top left in the Hours section. If you need to pay leave to an employee, you can add this in the Leave taken in this pay section. Click here to find out more on how to pay leave. Tax and Super amounts are calculated automatically and are shown on the right. Once you are happy with the employee's pay entry, click Save and Next on the bottom right to save and progress to the next employee or click Save and Close to go back to the pay run. Once all the pay entries for your employees are marked as Complete, you will then be able to create the payslips and process Single Touch Payroll for this pay run. Click here for more information on creating payslips, or click here for information on 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 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 Do I Link a Salary Sacrifice to a Bonus/Commission in Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll offers a feature that allows you to link a salary sacrifice to a bonus, which is useful for managing how taxes are calculated on different components of an employee's pay. This guide explains how to use this feature and illustrates the difference in tax calculations depending on whether the bonus and salary sacrifice are linked. Understanding the Basics When processing payroll that includes both a bonus and other regular pay items, it's important to understand that two tax scales can be used concurrently: Normal Tax Table: This applies to regular pay items. Method A or B: This specifically targets the bonus amount. Linking the Bonus and Salary Sacrifice Linking a salary sacrifice to a bonus changes how the bonus is taxed. Here's what happens: If the bonus and sacrifice are linked: The amount of the bonus is reduced by the salary sacrifice before tax is applied. Thus, tax is calculated on the reduced bonus amount using Method A or B. If the bonus and sacrifice are not linked: The salary sacrifice is applied to the regular pay items first and the normal tax table is used to calculate tax on the reduced salary amount. Example Scenario Let's consider an employee receiving a $2000 bonus (taxed using Method B) and a regular salary of $2000 with a salary sacrifice of $500: Bonus and Sacrifice Linked: Taxable Bonus (Method B): $1500 ($2000 bonus - $500 sacrifice) Taxable Salary (Normal Scale): $2000 Bonus and Sacrifice Not Linked: Taxable Bonus (Method B): $2000 Taxable Salary (Normal Scale): $1500 ($2000 salary - $500 sacrifice) Here are some example images showing the tax implications. The first image displays a pay without the bonus and sacrifice linked, whilst the second image displays a pay that does. All other pay details are the same otherwise: Although the difference might seem small, linking the bonus and the salary sacrifice generally results in less tax being applied as shown in the second image. System Prompts When saving payroll details in Lightning Payroll, if the system detects that the bonus and salary sacrifice are not linked, it will display a prompt. This prompt serves as a recommendation and can be ignored if the current setup meets your payroll needs. Here is what the prompt looks like: Conclusion This feature in Lightning Payroll ensures that you have the flexibility to manage payroll effectively while optimising tax obligations. Always consider how different configurations affect tax liabilities and choose the one that best suits your payroll requirements. 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 sump 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 STP 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. Using Lightning Payroll Software Lightning Payroll facilitates these adjustments with features such as: Payslip Info: Easily add notes on payslips for transparency. Edit Pays: Adjust payments directly within the software to reflect any deductions legally and contractually allowed. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-withhold-money-from-an-employee-during-termination 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 Create Additional Pay Rates For Employees? A: It's possible to set up various additional pay rates for employees in Lightning either individually or in groups. To set up a pay rate to be applied to a single employee, go to Employees >> select the relevant employee from the list >> Pay Settings >> Special User Defined Pay Rates and add the rate in; this pay rate will then be available from the drop down list of pay rates in the Edit Pays screen. To set up a pay rate that can be applied to a group of employees, go to Company >> Pay Rate Groups >> New Group and add in the pay rate, then Edit Employees to add said pay rate to a group of employees; this pay rate will then be available from the drop down list of pay rates in the Edit Pays screen for every employee you have selected. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-additional-pay-rates-for-employees Q: How Can I Send Data To Xero From Lightning Payroll? A: Currently the Xero integration features are free as they are still in beta testing. We are not yet fully Xero certified and need between 10'25 users to help test this feature before we can progress to the next certification stage. For now, it's free to use, but in the future a small integration subscription add-on will be required to use Xero, MYOB and other accounting platforms with Lightning Payroll. 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 now 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. Currently, these new Xero features are free to use while in beta testing. We are still working towards full Xero certification, and require 10'25 businesses to help trial the integration. Once certified, a low-cost integration subscription add-on will be needed to access Xero, MYOB and other accounting software integrations in Lightning Payroll. 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 Regenerate an ABA Direct Entry File for Banking Upload? A: If you've misplaced an ABA file, forgotten to upload it, or simply want to view what was included in a previous submission, you can regenerate the file in Lightning Payroll at any time. To regenerate an ABA file: Go to the Tools menu and select Regenerate ABA File. Select the appropriate type of file: Recreate Super ABA File ' for SuperStream contributions made to super fund bank accounts using validated fund USIs. Recreate Pays/Wages ABA File ' for payments made to employee bank accounts. Choose the relevant file from your ABA history. Optionally, tick Update Processed Date? if you'd like the new ABA file to reflect a different processing date. Click Next and follow the prompts to preview and regenerate the ABA file. The regenerated file can then be uploaded to your online banking portal just like any newly created ABA file. For more general help with ABA files, see our full guide here: 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 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: 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 in Employees > Pay Settings > Payslip Options. This section allows you to select what types of information can be 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: 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 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 are currently in beta, and included free in Lightning Payroll however in early 2026 MYOB and Xero integrations will 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 by following these steps: Go to Reports >> Export to MYOB. Chart of Accounts Setup When submitting for the first time, you'll be prompted to use default MYOB chart of accounts codes. Click Yes if you use the standard MYOB setup. Otherwise, it's best to 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'll be asked to log into your MYOB account. The connection screen will look similar to the example below: Once connected, follow the on-screen instructions to verify your MYOB token and choose which pay runs to include in the export. If you're using a local version of AccountRight, untick Use MYOB AccountRight Cloud. 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 anytime via Reports >> MYOB Journal Submissions. 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, and resubmit the bank transaction when ready. Deleting a Test Bank Transaction in MYOB If you'd 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: To add employees into a pay run they're missing from, go to the Pays tab and click on Create Pays Wizard for the specific pay run. Then, select the employee(s) you want to add and click Create. If you tick the Create Full Pay? option at the bottom of the Create Pays Wizard screen, the program will automatically use the hours and pay rate set in Employees >> Pay Settings >> Pay Rates to pre-fill the pay details for you. Don't worry' you can still edit these pays as usual using the Edit Pays button on the main Pays tab. If you've recently added a new employee but can't find them in the Pays tab or through the Create Pays Wizard, it's likely due to an incorrect Start Date set for the employee. To resolve this, go to Employees >> Details >> Employment Dates, update their Start Date to the correct date, then return to the Pays tab. The employee should now appear in the list for that pay run. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-missing-employee-into-a-pay-run Q: How To Setup A Deduction? A: To setup a deduction for an employee go to the Employees tab >> Select the Employee on the left hand side >> Click on Allowances & Deductions >> Deductions >> Click on the green plus symbol to add the deduction & Save. This deduction can then be seen in the Pays tab >> Edit Pay for this employee >> Click on Allowances/Deductions >> Deductions. You can edit the amount manually by clicking on 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 would then include the deduction in an additional line entry within 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 have to unlock that pay by clicking on the padlock in the bottom left hand corner. Then click on Allowances/Deductions >> Click on the green plus symbol under Deductions & Save.   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-to-setup-a-deduction 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. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-enter-or-edit-past-pays 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 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 Go to Company >> GL Codes. Tick the box for Enable Farm Focus GL Codes. Click Download From Farm Focus 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 Navigate to Pays >> Reports >> Farm Focus Export. If not already connected, click Connect to Farm Focus. Log in and authorise your company in Farm Focus. 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're 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. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-export-payroll-data-to-farm-focus 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 the web and mobile versions of Lightning Payroll only. It is not available in the Windows or macOS desktop applications. How To Access The Wizard In Lightning Payroll (web or mobile), 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.", "example": [ { "description": "Ordinary Time", "rate": "30.00", "units": "hours", "is_overtime": false, "value": "37.5" }, { "description": "Saturday Overtime", "multiplier": "1.5", "units": "hours", "is_overtime": true, "value": "5.0" } ], "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayHours" } }, "leave": { "title": "Leave", "description": "Optional list of leave items (may be empty), including description, leave type, rate/multiplier, value, date, and optional leave loading amount. `rate` is optional; when omitted the employee's pay_rate_per_hour is used.", "example": [ { "description": "Annual Leave", "leave_type": "HOLIDAY", "multiplier": "1.0", "value": "7.6", "leave_loading_amount": "3.80" } ], "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/Leave" } }, "pay_department": { "title": "Pay Department", "description": "Department/Cost-centre name or code to be applied to all items in this entire pay. ", "example": "Engineering", "minLength": 0, "maxLength": 32, "type": "string" }, "allowances": { "title": "Allowances", "description": "A list of allowances to be included in the pay.\n\nUsage rules:\n- IDs are not accepted; providing an `id` will raise a 400 Bad Request because it's a forbidden field. Match allowances by `description` instead.\n- The API will attempt to find an existing allowance for the employee with the same `description`.\n - If a match is found, that allowance will be reused and creation-only required fields can be omitted (e.g. `amount`, `allowance_category`'existing values are reused).\n - If no match is found, a NEW allowance will be created for this employee. In this case, `description`, `amount` and `allowance_category` (code) are REQUIRED.\n ' `allowance_category` must be one of the codes: AD, CD, KN, LD, MD, OD, QN, RD, TD (labels for reference: Cents per KM, Award Transport, Laundry, Overtime Meals, Domestic & Overseas Travel/Accommodation, Tools, Tasks, Qualifications/Certificates, Other). Only codes are accepted for new allowances. ' `is_taxable` defaults to True if not supplied.\n ' `is_itemised` defaults to False if not supplied.\n ' `is_included_in_super_calculations` defaults to True if not supplied.", "example": [ { "description": "Tool Allowance", "amount": "50.00", "allowance_category": "TD" }, { "description": "Car Allowance", "amount": "200.00", "is_taxable": true, "is_itemised": true, "is_included_in_super_calculations": false, "allowance_category": "RD" } ], "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayAllowance" } }, "deductions": { "title": "Deductions", "description": "A list of deductions to be included in the pay.\n\nUsage rules:\n- IDs are not accepted; providing an `id` will raise a 400 Bad Request because it's a forbidden field. Match deductions by `description` instead.\n- The API will attempt to find an existing deduction for the employee with the same `description`.\n - If a match is found, that deduction will be reused and creation-only required fields can be omitted (e.g. `amount`, `classification`'existing values are reused).\n - If no match is found, a NEW deduction will be created for this employee. In this case, `description`, `amount`, and `classification` (code) are REQUIRED.\n ' `classification` must be one of: CHARITY, CHILD_SUPPORT_DEDUCTION, CHILD_SUPPORT_GARNISHEE, NORMAL, UNION_FEES. Only codes are accepted for new deductions.\n ' `is_included_in_super_calculations` defaults to True if not supplied.", "example": [ { "description": "Union Fees", "amount": "25.00", "classification": "UNION_FEES" }, { "description": "Health Insurance", "amount": "100.00", "classification": "NORMAL", "is_included_in_super_calculations": false } ], "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayDeduction" } }, "bonuses": { "title": "Bonuses", "description": "A list of bonuses to be included in the pay.\n\nUsage rules:\n- IDs are not accepted; providing an `id` will raise a 400 Bad Request because it's a forbidden field. Match bonuses by `description` instead.\n- The API will attempt to find an existing bonus for the employee with the same `description`.\n - If a match is found, that bonus will be reused and creation-only required fields can be omitted (e.g. `amount`, `tax_method`, and any range dates'existing values are reused).\n - If no match is found, a NEW bonus will be created for this employee. In this case, `description`, `amount`, and `tax_method` are REQUIRED.\n ' `tax_method` must be one of: NORMAL_EARNINGS = As normal earnings; SPREAD_OVER_SPECIFIC_RANGE = Use date range; SPREAD_OVER_FINANCIAL_YEAR = Over this financial year; METHOD_A_WHOLE_YEAR = Method A (Whole Year); METHOD_A_SPECIFIC_RANGE = Method A (Use Date Range); METHOD_B1 = Method B(i)(Use Date Range); METHOD_B2 = Method B(ii)(Whole Year) (send the *code*, docs show the labels). Defaults to 'NORMAL_EARNINGS' if not supplied.\n ' If `tax_method` is a date-range method, `start_date` and `end_date` are REQUIRED.\n ' `is_included_in_super_calculations` defaults to True if not supplied.\n ' `is_directors_fees` defaults to False if not supplied.\n ' `is_return_to_work` defaults to False if not supplied.", "example": [ { "description": "Performance Bonus", "amount": "500.00", "tax_method": "NORMAL_EARNINGS" }, { "description": "Director's Fee", "amount": "1000.00", "tax_method": "SPREAD_OVER_SPECIFIC_RANGE", "start_date": "2023-01-01", "end_date": "2023-01-31", "is_included_in_super_calculations": false, "is_directors_fees": true, "is_return_to_work": false } ], "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PayBonus" } }, "pay_sacrifices": { "title": "Pay Sacrifices", "description": "A list of pay sacrifices to be included in the pay.\n\nUsage rules:\n- IDs are not accepted; providing an `id` will raise a 400 Bad Request because it's a forbidden field. Match pay sacrifices by `description` instead.\n- The API will attempt to find an existing pay sacrifice for the employee with the same `description`.\n - If a match is found, that pay sacrifice will be reused and creation-only required fields can be omitted (e.g. `amount`'existing values are reused).\n - If no match is found, a NEW pay sacrifice will be created for this employee. In this case, `description` and `amount` are REQUIRED.\n ' `is_included_in_super_calculations` defaults to True if not supplied.\n ' `is_super` defaults to True if not supplied.", "example": [ { "description": "Laptop Salary Sacrifice" }, { "description": "Car Salary Sacrifice", "amount": "300.00", "is_included_in_super_calculations": false, "is_super": true } ], "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/PaySacrifice" } }, "back_payments": { "title": "Back Payments", "description": "A list of back payments to be included in the pay.\n\nUsage rules:\n- IDs are not accepted; providing an `id` will raise a 400 Bad Request because it's a forbidden field. Match back payments by `description` and `amount` instead.\n- The API will attempt to find an existing back payment for the employee with the same `description` and `amount`.\n - If a match is found, that back payment will be reused.\n - If no match is found, a NEW back payment will be created for this employee. In this case, `description`, `amount`, and `stp_category` (code, underscored) are REQUIRED.\n ' `stp_category` must be one of: BONUS_COMMISSION_NON_DIRECTOR_S_FEES, DIRECTOR_S_FEES, GROSS, ITEMISED_ALLOWANCES, LEAVE, OVERTIME, UNCLASSIFIED. Only codes are accepted for new back payments.\n ' `tax_method`, `start_date`, and `end_date` are optional.", "example": [ { "description": "Back Pay Adjustment", "amount": "200.00", "stp_category": "GROSS", "tax_method": "NORMAL_EARNINGS", "start_date": "2023-01-01", "end_date": "2023-01-31" } ], "type": "array", "items": { "$ref": "#/definitions/BackPayments" } } }, "definitions": { "PayHours": { "title": "PayHours", "type": "object", "properties": { "description": { "title": "Description", "description": "A brief description of the pay hours.", "example": "Regular Hours, KMs, Overtime, Saturday, etc.", "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 60, "type": "string" }, "rate": { "title": "Rate", "description": "The dollar amount per unit for the pay hours row, such as hourly rate, per kilometre rate, etc. Provide either `rate` or `multiplier`.", "example": "30.00", "type": "number" }, "multiplier": { "title": "Multiplier", "description": "Alternative to `rate`. Multiplies the employee's pay_rate_per_hour (e.g., 1.5 for time-and-a-half, 2.0 for double time).", "example": "1.5", "type": "number" }, "units": { "title": "Units", "description": "The type of units for the pay hours row, such as hours, kilometres, buckets, etc.", "example": "hours", "minLength": 0, "maxLength": 32, "type": "string" }, "is_overtime": { "title": "Is Overtime", "description": "Indicates whether the hours are overtime hours, which affects super guarantee calculations.", "default": false, "example": false, "type": "boolean" }, "value": { "title": "Value", "description": "The number of units for the pay hours row, such as hours worked, kilometres driven, etc.", "example": "37.5", "type": "number" } }, "required": [ "description", "units", "value" ] }, "Leave": { "title": "Leave", "type": "object", "properties": { "description": { "title": "Description", "description": "A brief description of the leave.", "example": "Annual Leave", "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 60, "type": "string" }, "leave_type": { "title": "Leave Type", "description": "A short identifier for the type of leave. Provide the code with underscores (e.g., ANCILLARY, COMPASSIONATE, EMPLOYER_FUNDED_PAID_PARENTAL, HOLIDAY, LONG_SERVICE, OTHER, PAID_PARENTAL, PAID_PUBLIC_HOLIDAY, SICK, UNPAID, WORKERS_COMP).", "example": "HOLIDAY", "type": "string" }, "rate": { "title": "Rate", "description": "The dollar amount per unit for this leave (e.g., hourly rate). Optional if using `multiplier` or to default to the employee's pay_rate_per_hour.", "example": "38.00", "type": "number" }, "multiplier": { "title": "Multiplier", "description": "Alternative to `rate`. Multiplies the employee's pay_rate_per_hour (e.g., 1.0 for base rate, 1.5 for time-and-a-half).", "example": "1.0", "type": "number" }, "date": { "title": "Date", "description": "The date of the leave.", "example": "2023-01-01", "type": "string" }, "hours": { "title": "Hours", "description": "The number of hours leave taken.", "example": "7.6", "type": "number" }, "leave_loading_amount": { "title": "Leave Loading Amount", "description": "The dollar amount of leave loading, if applicable.", "example": "3.80", "type": "number" } }, "required": [ "description", "leave_type", "date", "hours" ], "additionalProperties": false } } } Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-use-the-import-time-amp-attendance-wizard Q: Can I Process Pays In Advance? A: If you would like to process pays in advance, you can do this by navigating 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, you will need to ensure that 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, please 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 will be 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. Using this button will allow you to quickly and easily 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 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 Can I Change My Pay Run Dates? A: If your pay run dates need to change for pays going forward, simply go into Company >> Pay Dates and click Edit. This will let you select the Pay Period End Date of the appropriate pay schedule (weekly, fortnightly, monthly) and the pay runs will adjust dates accordingly. Pay Period Start Dates cannot be edited and are a result of the previous pay period's end date. If you have made mistakes with past, completed pay run dates then our support staff may be able to assist. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-change-my-pay-run-dates 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. To create a direct entry file for Pays click Pays >> 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). This is where you can recreate a direct entry at a later time, should you need to. If you need to regenerate a Direct Entry file, please refer to our guide here: How do I regenerate an ABA Direct Entry file? Your bank should be able to guide you through the process of importing a direct entry file, but to help get you started we've rounded up some direct entry instructions for the most common banks. These instructions may change and are current as at March 2016. Please contact your financial institution for the most up-to-date instructions. NAB Connect Instructions - (1300 888 413) Westpac Instructions - (1300 655 505) CBA CommBiz Instructions - (13 23 39) ANZ Instructions - (13 33 50) User IDs When creating a payment file you may be prompted for a User ID, which belongs under Company >> Bank Account >> User ID. 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 the Direct entry User ID, or APCA ID. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-make-payments-using-a-direct-entry-banking-file 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: 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.Simply 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. 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 plus+ 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??in the program, then follow the steps above to add the newly-named bonus into the pay/s. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/where-can-i-enter-a-bonus-or-other-irregular-gross-payment 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 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.Payslip Logo Settings - opens a separate screen for uploading or adjusting your company logo on payslips. This is set-and-forget and does not generate payslips. 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 and click Send Emails Now. 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 --- Category: Reports --- Q: Why Are My Reports Showing the Wrong Amounts? A: Lightning Payroll generates pay-related reports by collecting any completed pays falling on or within the input date range. These will rely on the Pay Run End Date by default, unless the Use Processed Date option is ticked, in which case it will generate reports based on the Processed Date instead. If you are comparing reports (from within Lightning Payroll or from other sources) and finding the amounts are not matching up, this could be due to the incorrect pay runs being included when inputting the Start Date and End Date, or due to using/not using the Use Processed Date option. It is important to check that you are using the correct dates for the pay run/s you're trying to run a report for, as well as checking whether you would need to use the Use Processed Date option. Please note that all Single Touch Payroll amounts and reports are gathered by processed date. (Pay run: 26/09/2022 ' 09/10/2022) Using the example above, when trying to generate a report with the Use Processed Date option ticked, the report that will be generated will not include information for the pay run shown. Rather, it will generate a report based on pay runs with a Processed Date which falls within those specified date ranges. This is because the Processed Date falls a day after the pay run End Date, and in turn, the program will try to generate figures for pays with a Processed Date within the input dates, rather than the pay run that has an end date within that pay run, as Use Processed Date option has been enabled. This can be easily overcome by ensuring that you're entering the correct date parameters (making sure that your start and end dates match with the pay run/s that you're trying to generate reports for), as well as checking whether you're using the Processed Date or Pay Run End Date option for gathering the report data. Using the above configuration, in this circumstance, will generate a report for the pay run with the end date of 09/10/2022, despite having the date ranges fall outside of the pay run itself. This is because the pay run ending 09/10/2022 has a Processed Date of 10/10/2022, and the Use Processed Date option has been enabled. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-are-my-reports-showing-the-wrong-amounts Q: What Does the Use Processed Date Tickbox Do When Running Reports? A: The Use Processed Date? checkbox on most reports in Lightning Payroll determines how the software searches for pay amounts within a selected date range: Ticked: Searches by the date the pay was processed (e.g., finalised and saved). Unticked: Searches by the pay run end date (e.g., the last day of the pay period). Example: If you generate a report for November 1 to November 30: With Use Processed Date? ticked, the report will include pays processed on November 2, November 16, and November 30. With Use Processed Date? unticked, the report will include pays with pay run end dates of November 14 and November 28. This allows you to tailor your report to focus on either processed payments or pay periods, depending on your needs. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-the-use-processed-date-tickbox-do-when-running-reports Q: How Can I Delete A Custom Report? A: You can delete custom reports you've made in the past as they become obsolete to your business needs. To delete a custom report, go to the Reports tab, then click on either Employee Report Builder or Pay Report Builder; wherever you created the custom report initially. Next, click on Open Report and select the report you'd like to delete from the drop down list, then click Load.  You will now see there is a Delete Report option at the top right of the screen, click this and then click Yes to delete the custom report. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-delete-a-custom-report 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 I Set Up Rostered Shifts in Lightning Payroll Desktop? A: Lightning Payroll desktop allows you to create shift types and schedule a roster for certain shifts and employees. These rostered shifts can then be used to fill-in your pays, saving time on data entry. Please click here for related timeclock information. Company Shifts To begin setting up shifts in Lightning Payroll desktop, go to Company >> Shifts. To add a new shift type, use the green plus on the right. After that, just make sure to add any employees who may be required to work this shift at the bottom of this screen. When editing a company-wide shift in the New Company Shift screen, the times, durations and pay rate are just defaults, or placeholders for this shift type. If a shift type is likely to change, that is fine, because any shift can be tailored for a particular employee or a particular date elsewhere, as described below. Important, 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 will show a warning before you proceed. We recommend using one method or the other to connect pay rates to shifts. If you plan to configure employee shift pay rates directly, we do not recommend setting a default company pay rate for that shift. If you have intentionally applied two pay rates to the 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, allowance or happens to work a shift on a regular basis you can configure this information under Employees >> Shifts. All company shifts linked to an employee will be visible 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 will be available for allocation at the bottom of this screen, and be 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 will generate automatically when you first view a pay run within the Rosters screen. If you accidentally edit or delete any rostered shifts and wish to bring everything back to the starting point again, use the Reload Repeats button. To add or edit rostered shifts to be worked during this pay run click the Edit Shifts button. To add a new, one-off shift manually, use the green plus button. You will then see the New Rostered Shift screen. When creating a shift, keep in mind that break durations are not paid. Options The Options button provides a way for you to customise the display of your Rosters screen. For example, you can set your business operating days and hours so that the program does not display unnecessary days or time periods on the screen. 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 Rostered shifts are automatically used to populate the pay information in Lightning Payroll, whenever they have been created. The absence of a roster shift will mean pays generate using the employee's default settings configured under Employees >> Pay Settings. You may wish to use the Rosters section, but not have rostered shifts modify your Pays. If this the case, go into Employee >> 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 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 will be 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, and no dollar signs or commas. Outcome, 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. Outcome, full detail appears 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. Outcome, 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 then Year to Date then 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. Outcome, quickest on a per employee basis, however 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 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. 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. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-import-employee-records-into-lightning-payroll Q: How Do I Email Payslips and Reports from Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll offers a couple of different ways to be able to email payslips, reports and payment summaries from the program, which are setup under Company >> Email in the program. If you would like Lightning Payroll to send emails from the program for you, you can tick the box at the top of the Company >> Email page to Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own provider? and the program will then do exactly that. If you prefer to use your own email server to handle this, leave the aforementioned box unticked, and fill out the SMTP Server Settings section on the page instead. Lightning Payroll acts as a basic email client which can log in to your email account to use its server to send emails. Each email provider (such as Bigpond, Optus, Google, Yahoo, etc.) has their own SMTP server settings which may change from time to time. The Lightning Payroll support team cannot provide these email server settings. In the same vein, Lightning Payroll cannot troubleshoot any error responses you may receive from your email provider when trying to set this up, as the error is coming from your email account and provider, rather than from Lightning Payroll. Usually the settings for your particular email provider are easy to find if you search the internet using terms like "(provider name) outgoing email settings", or "(provider name) smtp settings". E.g. "Telstra Bigpond smtp settings", or "iiNet outgoing email settings".You can also search for commonly used email settings under Company >> Email >> Search for Settings. This will use a third-party email settings provider to gather the server settings for you. Once you have entered your SMTP settings under Company >> Email please click Send a test email to determine that you have entered the settings correctly. If you cannot find working SMTP settings for your particular email account, it may be worth considering using an alternative email provider, or ticking Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own provider? in Company >> Email to use our email server to send emails instead. Gmail Complexities If you are opting for Gmail as your email provider within Lightning Payroll, please be aware that it can be quite tricky to setup. This is due to Google Mail offering a high level of security configurability and as a result, there are many hoops to jump through.The best way to use Gmail for SMTP in Lightning Payroll is by going to https://myaccount.google.com/security and activating 2-Step Verification. Once you have activated 2-Step, you can then create a Google App Password specifically for Lightning Payroll (Other - Custom Name). For more information on managing App Passwords in your Google account, see - https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en . Microsoft Complexities As of September 2024, Microsoft fully deprecated Basic Authentication across most of its services, which includes the removal of "App Passwords" for email accounts. Since Basic Authentication, which Lightning Payroll relies on, is no longer supported, users are unable to use App Passwords to authenticate their accounts for sending emails via SMTP in Lightning Payroll. For more information, refer to the Microsoft Community forum post on the matter: Microsoft Community: App passwords following basic authentication being retired To continue sending emails, you now have two options: Allow Lightning Payroll to send emails on your behalf: Select the option "Have Lightning Payroll send emails for you, instead of using your own provider?" under Company > Email. Use an alternative email provider: If you prefer to use your own provider, choose one that still supports Basic Authentication, as Microsoft no longer does. As Lightning Payroll does not support Microsoft's newer authentication methods, continuing to use their services directly for email sending is no longer possible. This change is part of Microsoft's effort to improve security. We are passing this information 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 Can I Set Up Awards, Classifications or Pay Rate Groups? A: You can use Awards, classifications, and Pay Rate Groups in Lightning Payroll to organise employees and share common pay rates. These tools are useful whether you need formal awards, internal classifications, or simply grouped pay rates.Where to find them: Open Company >> Awards and Company >> Pay Rate Groups.Awards: Use this area to store the name of an award, agreement, or internal classification structure. Only the name is required.Pay Rate Groups: Use these to create shared classifications and shared pay rates that can be assigned across multiple employees.Typical setupCreate an award or classification heading if you want one.Create a pay rate group for the role or grade.Add the pay rates that belong to that group.Assign employees to the relevant group.Pay rate optionsNormal: Uses a multiple of the employee hourly rate.Special: Uses a fixed dollar amount.Units: You can use Hours or another custom unit such as KMs or Buckets.Overtime: Tick Overtime? if the rate represents overtime or another non ordinary earning type.If you only want labels on payslips, you can also assign the award or classification name 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 Add a New Employee or a New Company Entity? A: Getting Started with Payroll in Australia Setting up a payroll for a new business in Australia involves understanding legal requirements, collecting necessary employee information, and ensuring compliance with tax and superannuation obligations. This guide outlines the key steps and provides links to essential resources. Add a New Employee When hiring a new employee, you'll need to gather the following information and complete several forms to comply with Australian employment regulations: Key Steps Collect Employee Information: Use our New Employee Basic Information Sheet (PDF) or Word Document to record the employee's details, including: Full name, address, and contact information Tax File Number (TFN) Superannuation fund details Bank account details for salary payments Complete Required Forms: Download and provide the following forms to the employee for completion: ATO Super Choice (Nomination) Form ATO Tax File Number Declaration Form Fair Work Information Statement Enter the Employee into Lightning Payroll: Once you've gathered the necessary details and forms, you can add the new employee to your payroll system: Go to Employees >> Actions >> New Employee in Lightning Payroll. Add a New Company/Business Entity If your business operates multiple entities, Lightning Payroll allows you to manage them within the same system. There is no limit to the number of companies you can use in the software. To add a new company entity: Go to Entities >> Add New Company. Complete the required fields, including the company's legal name, ABN (Australian Business Number), and contact details. Set up the company's default payroll settings, such as pay frequencies, tax rates, and superannuation options. Additional Tips for New Businesses Register with the ATO: Ensure your business is registered with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go) withholding and superannuation guarantee obligations. Understand Awards and Agreements: Familiarise yourself with applicable awards or enterprise agreements that cover your employees. Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website for more information. Keep Accurate Records: Maintain detailed records of employee hours, wages, and entitlements for at least seven years as required by law. For further guidance, visit our Support Page or contact our customer service team for assistance. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-add-a-new-employee-or-a-new-company-entity 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. A subscription limits employee capacity, not the number of company entities stored in the system.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 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) Downloading 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) Installing the licence:If you are given a free trial press Enter Paid Subscription Details to enter your details into our Licence Assistant (also found under Tools at the top of the screen) using your email address and six digit subscription ID number which can be found under Tools >> License Details in Lightning Payroll on the original computer.3) Restoring your payroll data:Firstly, create a backup of your current payroll data from Lightning Payroll on the existing computer (.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 (.lpb file) through Tools >> Restore backup (or restore the most recent backup sent online under Tools >> Online Backups if you use that feature).4) Setting up Single Touch Payroll (STP):To ensure you can continue sending STP submissions to the ATO on your new computer, you can export the machine credential from your existing computer. Please see our FAQ here for instructions. Once these four steps are complete, you'll be ready to go.One final note, while each LP 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 hard drive).If you run your program between two systems please ensure you keep both copies of the payroll data 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 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: 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, which usually resides under Company >> Bank Account >> User ID. 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 the Direct entry User ID, or APCA ID. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-a-direct-entry-user-id Q: How Do I Setup Departments? A: Setting Up Departments in Lightning Payroll Learn how to configure departments within Lightning Payroll for enhanced report generation and cost-centre analysis. This guide will walk you through creating departments, assigning employees, and generating department-specific reports. Creating Departments Departments can be established in Lightning Payroll to help organise your payroll reporting by different cost centres. To create a department: Navigate to Company >> Departments. Click the + icon to add a department. Assigning Employees to Departments After creating your departments, you can assign employees and set their default pay percentage allocation: Go to Employees >> Details >> Departments. Assign employees to their respective departments and set their default pay % allocation. Editing Departmental Allocation for Pays If an employee's departmental % allocation needs to be changed for specific pays: Select Pays >> Edit Pay/s >> Dept % (at the top of the window). To edit departmental % allocation for past pays and multiple employees all at once, use Tools >> Retrospective Tool. Allocating Shifts to Departments If your organisation uses shifts: Shifts can be allocated to a department under Employees >> Shifts, by editing a shift. Running Departmental Reports For detailed reporting on departmental pay data: Access the Custom Reports feature via Reports >> Pay Report Builder. Design your report by selecting the desired columns and ensure to tick the box to Group by department for consolidated departmental data. Reports >> Departmental Analysis. Exporting General Ledger Files by Department To export general ledger files specific to departments: Go to Pays >> Reports >> GL Postings (Export CSV). More detailed instructions can be found here. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-setup-departments Q: How Can I Set Up a New Employment Tenure/Type? A: Lightning Payroll allows for flexible payroll management by enabling the setup of custom Employment Tenures and Types, in addition to the default options. Follow this guide to create and implement custom settings that suit your business's needs. Default Settings By default, Lightning Payroll includes the following Employment Tenures: Permanent Temporary And the following Employment Types: Full-time Part-time Casual Accessing Pay Settings To select an Employment Tenure or Type for an employee, navigate to their profile: Go to Employees from the main menu. Select an employee to edit. Click on Pay Settings then Pay Rates to view or change their Employment Tenure and Type. Adding a New Employment Tenure/Type To add a new Employment Tenure or Type: Navigate to Settings > Employment Tenure/Type. In the "Employment Tenure" table on the left, click the green plus to add a new tenure. Or, click the green plus in the "Employment Type" table on the right to add a new type. Fill in a name for the new entry and save your changes. Selection of Custom Tenure/Type After adding, your new Employment Tenure or Type will be available for selection from the drop down menu in the employees' Pay Settings > Pay Rates. This allows for a more tailored payroll setup that better reflects the various roles within your company. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-set-up-a-new-employment-tenuretype 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, simply visit this link 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) Log in using the same email and password you use for our main website. These login details are different from your Subscription ID or application passwords. If you're having trouble logging in, please see our FAQ: Why Can't I Login to this Website? Initial Setup After logging in, the app (web or mobile) will detect if you have no data and prompt you to either create a new company or restore from an existing backup. You'll see 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're starting fresh. You'll be guided through setting up your company and 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've previously created a backup on the desktop version. To do this, 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've been using our Online Backups feature, select "No, I have an existing online backup I'd like to restore". You'll need to log in with your Online Backup credentials. For details, see: How Can I Set Up Online Backups? You don't need to manually restore your licence. Your account will be recognised automatically when you log in. If you've 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 restored, you can begin using Single Touch Payroll from the web or mobile app. You must first register your SSID with the ATO. For help with this process, see: How Can I Send STP Using The Lightning Payroll Web Version? Desktop vs Web and Mobile Applications For a comparison between the desktop version and our online options, check out this FAQ: What Are The Main Differences Between The Lightning Payroll Desktop and Web Applications? Note: The mobile app functions just like the web app, allowing you to access 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: What Things Does Lightning Payroll Calculate? A: Lightning Payroll is able to calculate your employees Super, Tax and Leave Accruals out of the box. Lightning uses the latest tax tables built in to calculate the correct tax amounts for each of your employees. To make sure the correct tax is calculated for your employee, make sure you enter their correct Tax File Number in the Employees > Tax Rates > Tax Settings. Lightning will also take care of calculating your employees' holiday, sick and long service leave entitlements on a pay by pay basis. You can choose which settings you'd like to use when setting up a new employee and Lightning will take care of the rest. You can also enter existing leave balances for employees. Finally, Lightning is setup to calculate the standard 10.5% Super Guarantee by default. You can alter these settings in Employees > Super.   Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-things-does-lightning-payroll-calculate Q: How Can I Give Payroll Access To My Accountant Or Another Person? A: Sharing payroll data in Lightning Payroll can be done in various ways, depending on whether you use the desktop or web version of the software. 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 a user by adding their email under Settings >> User Management. Note that creating a user in the desktop app does not automatically create a web account for them. To share data via the web, you will need to sync your desktop app's data with the web version. Follow these steps: Go to Settings >> Other Settings in the desktop app. Tick the checkbox for “Sync Data Up To Web App”. Login using your website credentials (not necessarily the same as your local database password). Optionally, tick “Manually control web sync uploads/downloads” to avoid logging in each time you use the desktop app. Once the data is synced to the web, any missing non-admin user accounts will be created automatically, and each new user will receive an email with their login details. For detailed instructions on web syncing, visit this support article. Example 2: Desktop User Sharing with Another Lightning Payroll Subscriber If the recipient already uses Lightning Payroll, simply 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 wish to share data with someone who does not have a Lightning Payroll subscription, follow these steps: Go to Settings >> User Management in the web app. Create a new user by entering their email address. The account will be created immediately, and the new user will be notified via 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 take advantage of 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 the sharing process by allowing linked accounts to access shared data directly. These methods ensure secure and flexible sharing of payroll data in Lightning Payroll, tailored to your specific needs. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-give-payroll-access-to-my-accountant-or-another-person Q: My Company is Changing ABN and/or Ownership, What Do I Need to Do? A: Below is some information on how to handle a change of ABN within Lightning Payroll. Finalising For The Old ABN Before changing details over to the new company, you'll want to ensure Single Touch Payroll and super payments have been sent off for the previous entity. To finalise STP, just submit the final pay run to be paid from the previous ABN and when doing so, tick the box which says 'Final pay for the current financial year?'.It is also recommended to finalise and pay any super owed from the old entity as normal now too, since sending super after updating the company details and ABN will result in the super coming from the wrong (new) entity. Splitting & 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 remaining, you should split the financial year using the processed date of the final pay run to be made from the old company. Example: Company A's last pay is processed on November 10th (pay run start and end dates are not important). Company B's first pay is to be processed one week later on November 17th. You would split the financial year in Lightning Payroll to break on the 10th/11th. Originally there would be one financial year (1/7 to 30/6).After splitting, there would be two (from 1/7 to 10/11 and from 11/11 to 30/6). To split the financial year and allow two distinct YTD amount boundaries (one for each of the two companies), go to Company > > Financial Years. Click the pencil button to edit the current financial year and 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 in question. Set the start date to be the day after the previous FY block (that you've just edited) ends. After following these steps, it should appear as below (should you be addressing the 2020 - 2021 Financial Year): If the company is changing ABN and/or ownership at the beginning of a financial year, and all or most employees are remaining, you should finalise the pays, Single Touch and super under the current company, then update the business details in the Company >> Details section of the program. In either of the above scenarios, please keep in mind you will need to add a new machine credential to your existing keystore file so that you can send off STP for the new ABN, as well as the old one, in the 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 that we can register it for SuperStream messaging with our gateway provider. You can do this yourself if you wish, by logging into your Lightning Payroll website account. Do not remove the old ABN if possible since you may need to do a follow up super payment at some point. 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: Can I Import Data Directly into Lightning Payroll? A: Lightning Payroll cannot import or export payroll data directly from - or to - another program or application. If you are starting with Lightning Payroll after the current financial year has already begun, you can enter year-to-date (YTD) figures for each employee as YTD adjustments in the Employees section 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: 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://myaccount.myob.com/account and log in. Click on Password & 2FA. Scroll down to the Third-party integrations section. Click Revoke Access next to Lightning Payroll. Once access is revoked, Lightning Payroll will no longer be able to connect to your MYOB account. You can reconnect at any time from within the Lightning Payroll software. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-disconnect-lightning-payroll-from-my-myob-account 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 Q: How Do I Get Started in Lightning Payroll? A: If you are using Lightning Payroll for the very first time, there are a couple of steps you will need to follow to get up and running. Step 1. Add your Company The first step is to add your Company into Lightning Payroll. Lightning Payroll does not limit the number of companies you can use in the software. To add a new company, simply click Entities >> Add new company on the top left of the Lightning Payroll window. When adding a new company, you will need to enter your company name and ABN. You will also need to specify whether your pay period is weekly, fortnightly or monthly and specify which day of the week your pay period ends on.   Step 2. Add your Employees The next step is to add your Employees into Lightning Payroll. Before you get started, it is recommended you collect the following information from your employees: Tax File Number (TFN) Bank account details (BSB, account name, account number) Super fund details (fund USI and employee's member number) Below are some links which you may find helpful when a new employee starts working for you: New Employee Basic Information Sheet (PDF, Word Doc) ATO Super Choice (Nomination) Form ATO Tax File Declaration Form Fair Work information Statement To add a new employee, go into Lightning Payroll and click Employees >> Actions >> New Employee. This will bring up the new employee assistant. Follow the prompts to fill out the employee's details. If you don't have all the available information now, you will still be able to add it to the employee's profile later. NOTE: 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-do-i-get-started-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Add a New Employee? A: Before you get started, it is recommonded you collect the following information from your new employee: Tax File Number (TFN) Bank account details (BSB, account name, account number) Super fund details (fund USI and employee's member number) Below are some links which you may find helpful when a new employee starts working for you: New Employee Basic Information Sheet (PDF, Word Doc) ATO Super Choice (Nomination) Form ATO Tax File Declaration Form Fair Work information Statement To add a new employee, go into Lightning Payroll and click Employees >> Actions >> New Employee. This will bring up the new employee assistant. Follow the prompts to fill out the employee's details. If you don't have all the available information now, you will still be able to add it to the employee's profile later. NOTE: 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: What Web Addresses and Domains Does Lightning Payroll Need To Communicate With? A: Some users (such as many South Australian schools) require additional network configuration from their IT team to allow Lightning Payroll to properly function. The issue is mainly to do with network restrictions and blocked web addresses that Lightning Payroll needs to communicate with. Below is a list of all web domains and urls that the program needs to access to function 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/apihttps://api-ebusiness.ozedi.com.au/v2ATO/STP https://sbr.gov.au/services https://ato.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 https://ato.sbr.gov.au/services/Collect-async https://ato.sbr.gov.au/Single-sync 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: To further improve security, Lightning Payroll now allows you to create user profiles and set permissions for each user profile individually. This gives you complete control over who can access your Lightning Payroll and what data they can view or actions they can take. Setting up users is very easy, but before you start, you need to set a password for the application administator. The application administrator can setup other users and determine what kind of access they have within Lightning Payroll. Setting Up Users To setup the application administrator, you'll need to go to Settings >> Password And Security??and enter an application administrator password. Once this is done, you can begin adding users to Lightning Payroll. To do this, click on the Add New User button. You will be prompted to add a username and email address (for password reset emails), along with the user's login password. Finally, you can select which companies a user has access to. Once you've clicked Save, the user will be added. You can then select the App Permissions assigned to that user for each section of the program. App permissions fall into three categories: Locked? (Cannot access section) Read Only? (Can view, but not change data in section) Editable? (Full access to section) You can select which permission you'd like the user to have for a particular section by clicking in the appropriate box. The image below shows our test user John Doe being assigned 'Editable' permissions for the Employees and Pays sections of the program, but 'Read Only' permissions for the rest of the sections. You may notice that the Settings, Entities and Tools sections have (G) next to them - these sections of the program are used across multiple companies (if you have multiple companies set up within Lightning Payroll). In the example above, if we had more than one company in Lightning Payroll, John Doe would have 'Read Only' permissions for Settings, Entities and Tools across all companies. Editing or Removing Users The application administrator can edit the permissions for users, or remove users whenever required. Deleting a user will not remove any of the work they have completed in Lightning Payroll, it will simply prevent them from logging into the program going forward. Logging In as a User and Logging Out When opening Lightning Payroll, you will be asked to choose which user you would like to login as; select the user from the username drop-down menu, then enter the password for that user. To log out of a user, simply close Lightning Payroll. Forgotten Password If the application administrator has forgotten their password, they can attempt to enter their password three times at the login screen; after the third failed attempt, the program will shut down, and a recovery password will be sent to the email address registered to the Lightning Payroll subscription. The process is the same for a non-administrator user who forgets their password to receive a temporary access password to their own email address. However, please keep in mind that only the application administrator can change non-administrator users' passwords permanently, by clicking Edit Selected User in the Settings >> Password And Security section of Lightning Payroll. Lightning Payroll Web Application: User Management System To start setting up user accounts in the web application of Lightning Payroll, you will need to navigate to Settings > User Management. To begin adding users, click the Add New User button. You will be prompted to add a username and an email address, along with the companies this user has access to. Once you've clicked save, a new user will be added. The user will be sent an email with their username and a link to allow them to set a password for their account. They must follow this link and set a password before they are able to log in. With the user added, you can now select what permissions this user has to access each section of the program. The permissions categories remain the same as on the desktop app, and are categorised into Locked, Read Only and Editable modes. You can select which permission you'd like the user to have for a particular section by clicking in the appropriate box. The account holder/administrator can edit the permissions for users, or remove users whenever required. Deleting a user will not remove any work they have completed in Lightning Payroll, it will simply prevent them from logging in from there onwards. Users log into the web application through the same login address as usual, although they will need to use their username as opposed to their email address when logging in. Once the details are entered and the two-factor authentication is complete, they will log into your database. To log out of a user, use the Logout button located in the sidebar. If an administrator or a user has forgotten their password, they can request to have it reset via the "Forgot password?" button displayed on the login screen. The same rule applies here, where administrators will use their registered email, and users will use their username when requesting to reset their password. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-setup-and-manage-different-users --- Category: Single-Touch --- 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 that 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: 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: 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 in your BAS, and when (and why) you might use an Adjust event in Lightning Payroll. It’s designed to help employers understand how STP reporting relates to their PAYG obligations, BAS lodgements, and employee year-to-date records. By the end, you’ll know which reports to rely on, what information is truly critical for compliance, and why most adjust events are optional and often just for peace of mind. 1 – Accurate Year-to-Date (YTD) Reporting Is Paramount Key point: Every New and Update Single Touch Payroll (STP) submission must carry correct year-to-date (YTD) figures for each employee. These YTD totals feed the employee Income Statement and are the part of STP that the ATO relies on most. 2 – W1 & W2 Explained — How STP Phase 2 Prefills Your BAS 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-populate W1 and W2 on your activity statement. Prefill is only a convenience check; you can and should overwrite it with the figures from your own payroll reports if they differ. To confirm your real BAS totals, run either a Group Tax or Pay Summary report in Lightning Payroll for the period. Enter those W1 and W2 values when you lodge. Lodged BAS figures are what matter for PAYG obligations, not the prefill. 3 – STP Event Types & Their Roles 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 that you need to add or subtract from previously lodged W1 and W2 totals for the period. Employee YTD data stays unchanged. Because BAS relies on totals you actually lodge, Adjust events are largely for tidy record-keeping. Your BAS will be correct so long as you key in the right W1 and W2 figures, even if you never lodge an Adjust. For a more detailed explanation of these event types, see our full FAQ on New, Adjust and Update events. 4 – When to Use an Adjust Event Avoid an Adjust event unless you are certain the ATO’s prefill is out by a known amount and you want that cleared for peace of mind. An Adjust is optional; it is not required to lodge a correct BAS or PAYG. 5 – Reconciling Lightning Payroll Totals With the ATO 1. Generate a Group Tax report using the processed date filter. 2. Note the W1 and W2 totals. 3. Open Pays > Single Touch > Single Touch Mailbox and filter to the same dates. 4. Compare the totals shown beneath the mailbox table (these include New and prior Adjust events only). 6 – Calculating and Lodging an Adjust Event If the totals differ: Subtract the mailbox W1 and W2 from your report W1 and W2. Example: W1 difference = $56,773.39 — $54,465.70 = $2,307.69 (positive). W2 difference = $14,427.00 — $13,813.00 = $614.00 (positive). 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 (e.g. -500.00) to reduce them. 7 – After You Lodge Allow up to 72 hours for the adjustment to appear in Online Services for Business and to refresh any BAS prefill, although it usually updates straight away. Remember: The figures you type on your BAS are final for PAYG. Accurate employee YTD data is already handled by your regular New or Update events, so do not stress 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 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: How Can I Send STP Using Lightning Payroll? A: Sending Single Touch Payroll from the Desktop Application To send Single Touch Payroll from the Lightning Payroll desktop application, you will need an ATO Machine Credential (M2M) file on your computer. Please see our FAQ on creating a machine credential keystore file. Sending Single Touch Payroll from the Web Application or Mobile App To send Single Touch Payroll from the Lightning Payroll web application or mobile app, you will need to provide the ATO with your web app SSID. The ATO provides detailed instructions here . Your SSID can be found beside your company name at the top of the Lightning Payroll web app and mobile app. Our ABN (Intellitron Pty Ltd t/a Lightning Payroll) is 41 133 738 682. Adding Your SSID via ATO Access Manager You can add your SSID link yourself using the ATO Access Manager web page. Instructions can be found here, under the 'Notify us of your hosted services' sub-header with the steps. Alternatively, you can call the ATO on 1300 852 232 and provide your SSID to get their help setting this up. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-send-stp-using-lightning-payroll 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, don't worry'it almost never signals a real problem. The 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 isn't an issue'if Lightning??Payroll thinks something needs attention it will display a pop?up alert. If no pop?ups appear, you're fine. Transmission Unsuccessful This is the only status that normally requires action. Lightning??Payroll will keep alerting you on the Pays screen until it's resolved. Failed 'Failed' does not mean your file failed to reach the ATO. It simply means Lightning??Payroll hasn't yet collected the ATO's response (successful or unsuccessful). The desktop app checks for responses when you close the program, while the online and mobile versions check overnight. To fetch a response straight away, open Pays >> Single??Touch >> Single??Touch??Mailbox about a minute after sending. Responses stay available for only a few days, so check promptly. If a later entry shows Transmission Successful for the same pay run, you can safely assume the earlier Failed entry was also successful. For extra peace of mind, log in to the ATO's Online??Services??for??Business and go to Employees >> STP??reporting to view your submission history. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/an-stp-message-has-failed-what-do-i-do-now 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: 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 irrelavant 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: What Is Changing With Single Touch Payroll Phase 2? A: In late 2021, Lightning Payroll will be updated (versions 2022.3 and above) to include Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 changes, required to be used by all employers as at January 1st, 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. 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. 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 >> Closely Held Payee? 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 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: 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 here. We recommend the Zeroing Out Method (if your previous software allows it): Before you transfer the YTD (Year-to-Date) amounts to Lightning Payroll, you would need to send an Update Event from the previous software that show all the YTD amounts for your employee/s as zero. Transfer your employee/s YTD amounts into Lightning Payroll via the Pays screen or by making YTD Adjustments under Employees >> Year to Date >> Adjust YTD Totals. We recommend the Pays screen method for more accuracy. 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: 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: 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 139 373 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 simply obtain the file from their RAM website (using their ATOBE software extension) and Lightning Payroll knows where to find it. 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: 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: What Does It Mean If I Get An STP Error Code - CMN.ATO.AUTH.007 A: If you receive the STP error code CMN.ATO.AUTH.007 it means that 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 instructions below: Login to the ATO Access Manager page. Click on Access and Permissions over to the left. Click on 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 through Single Touch using your updated permissions under Pays >> Single Touch>> Submit Payroll to ATO. 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-it-mean-if-i-get-an-stp-error-code-cmnatoauth007 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: 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 that this pay currently has no messages sent. Grey means the message has been sent and awaiting 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: 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, 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 as a Registered Agent, simply select??Submit as Supplier on the first screen in the STP area (Pays >> Single Touch >> Submit Payroll to the ATO).?? Next, select your submission capacity (either Business Intermediary or Registered Agent). Note: 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 an agent number. Submitting as a third party or as a supplier also requires that you are authorised to submit on behalf of your clients. These two different supplier modes mentioned above 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. Click on??Appoint new business??and enter the the ABN of the parent/intermediary business to act on their behalf. Press??Continue??and set the permissions (for STP make sure that the??View??and??Lodge??permissions for??Payroll Event Form??are ticked). Select all??and??Clear all??can be used to select or clear all available permissions. Click??Save??to preserve the changes. To check that it has worked, log into the Access Manager website as the intermediary/parent company and click on??Whose business I can access??on the left hand side and 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: 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) but are receiving the following 'Software Required' message, you will need to ensure you have installed and enabled their ATOBE browser extension software. Please see the ATO's support page for instructions on how to solve 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: 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: 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: How Can I Renew or Register for an AUSkey? A: AUSkeys have now been replaced by the ATO Machine Credential for desktop users, and replaced by registering SSIDs for online/mobile users. The AUSkey service was closed down on March 27th 2020. Please see here for information on getting a machine credential if you're a desktop user, or see here for info on registering your SSID if you're an online/mobile user. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-renew-or-register-for-an-auskey 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: STP Invalid XML Error A: If you are receiving an 'Invalid XML Error' when attempting to submit your Single Touch, it usually means that 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 otherwise a non-standard character in the employee's name (such as ö or é). If you're 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: 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, you will need to 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 LP's internet connection on the desktop version of the program, go into Tools >> Licence Assistant and you should see an Online Licence Install window. If you do, LP is connected and you may close the Licence Assistant. If instead you see a Local Licence Install window then you will need to configure, update and potentially disable your security software and try again as it is preventing LP 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 drop down under 'Submit Single Touch', it should say VALID on the right hand side, and have a decent expiry date). Even if it does say 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 credential. If you are are sending with proxy enabled under Settings >> Proxy try sending STP without proxy being 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 at our homepage. (For desktop users) If your error log says '[Errno 11002] getaddrinfo failed', you will need to go to Settings >> Time/Display 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 the above, please 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 occuring, please 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. You can do this by searching for "Command Prompt" in the Windows Start menu, right-clicking on it, and selecting "Run as administrator." In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter: ipconfig /flushdns 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 will only work 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 the ATO from the last pay run with a processed date in June in the Pays screen. The only difference with submitting the last pay of the financial year is to tick the box that says Final pay for the current financial year?. On the next page, you can select your credential (for desktop users), print, preview and submit as normal. That's all there is to it. 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 making sure to tick the Final pay for the financial year box. This second run of STP will naturally be an Update event, which allows you to send STP for all employees paid within the financial year, meaning no one misses out on being finalised. It's okay to submit employees in both the New and Update finalisation events; their figures will not be 'doubled up' or anything similar. The next pay run will begin your new financial year and all YTD figures will begin again upon the completing of your first pay run with a processed date in July. ATO Responses: To check for responses, simply go into Single Touch >> Single Touch Mailbox and Lightning will see if anything has been returned from the ATO. Lightning Payroll also automatically checks responses for you upon 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 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 Q: How Do I Process Single Touch Payroll? A: Since July 2019 the ATO have require that employers align ATO reporting with their pay schedule and submit employee YTD figures using the Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting standard each time pays are made to employees; Lightning Payroll therefore implemented STP at that time. In late 2021, the ability to do Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 reporting was added into Lightning Payroll, meaning all users were compliant with the updated reporting standards, which were compulsory as of January 1, 2022. The only thing you need to do to be able to send STP in Lightning Payroll desktop is get an ATO machine credential; please see our FAQ on machine credentials here. For web/online or mobile users, registration of your SSID in the ATO Access Manager website is required instead of the machine credentials desktop users require. Read more about sending STP from the web/mobile versions of the program here. Read the ATO's Single Touch Factsheet To process Single Touch Payroll in Lightning Payroll simply complete your pays as usual then click Single Touch >> Submit Payroll to ATO. You should always report your pays in chronological order of the processed date; Single Touch Payroll uses only the processed date of your pay runs to determine what to report - pay run dates are irrelevant to STP. Each pay run should have a New event sent for it first, and this will be the event type that Lightning Payroll automatically suggests when submitting. You are only able to have one New event per processed date, which is another reason you should always have accurate processed dates on your pay runs. You then simply click Next, and press Submit to the ATO. You can also view and/or print/save the reports available on this page if you wish. To check for Single Touch Payroll response messages from the ATO click Single Touch >> Single Touch Mailbox. This video tutorial demonstrates how to submit Single Touch Payroll information to the ATO. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-single-touch-payroll --- Category: Superannuation --- 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, even if they are not receiving wages through the system. To do this, add the contractor/non-employee into the program as an employee; when setting them up, in Pay Settings select the Pay Period to be in-line with your other employees and tick the box Super-only contractor? (No TFN, not reported in STP). Do not enter a TFN when setting this person up. You do not need to setup pay rates or anything other than the bare essentials like name, email address, phone number and their super fund with member number. To process their super, go to the Pays screen and edit their pay. Click Edit next to Super and manually input their super guarantee for that pay run in the Compulsory Super box.  You can now process super for them along with the other employees through Payday Super or Super Fund Deposits in the program. Important: Since contractors are not employees for STP reporting purposes, they should be excluded from STP submissions. If you use a super-only pay for a contractor, untick them when sending STP for that pay run. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-pay-super-for-contractors-or-non-employees Q: What Are the ATO’s Qualifying Earnings Rules for Super? A: The ATO is introducing new Qualifying Earnings rules for superannuation, which are planned to apply to pays reported through Single Touch Payroll (STP) from the 2026/27 financial year, beginning July 1 2026. Lightning Payroll already includes support for Qualifying Earnings calculations. These features will activate automatically for any pays processed via STP in the 2026/27 financial year once the new rules commence. For more information about Qualifying Earnings, see the ATO website: What Payments Are Qualifying Earnings? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-are-the-atos-qualifying-earnings-rules-for-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. 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: 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: What Superstream Payment Options Are Available for PayDay Super? A: PayDay Super changes when super must be paid. Instead of paying super quarterly, employers will need to pay super on payday. Under the PayDay Super changes, Super Guarantee contributions must be paid to an employee's super fund on payday and received by the fund within 7 business days, unless an extended timeframe applies, for example, for new employees. You can read more about PayDay Super on the ATO website: About PayDay Super - Australian Taxation Office This makes it more important than ever to choose a super payment method that works with your payroll process, your bank, and PayDay Super timeframes. Using A Clearing House Or Another Super Gateway If you prefer, you can use an external clearing house or SuperStream gateway instead of sending super directly through Lightning Payroll. Lightning Payroll supports this by allowing you to export a SuperStream Alternative File Format (SAFF) file, which can be uploaded to most third-party providers. How it works: Complete your pay run and go through the usual PayDay Super process. Create the super contribution batch and review the amounts. On the SuperStream Summary screen, choose Need a manual SAFF file export? instead of Send Messages. Save the generated CSV file and upload it to your chosen clearing house or super gateway. This gives you flexibility if your business already uses another provider for super payments, while still preparing the contribution data inside Lightning Payroll. For more details, see: Can I Use A Clearing House Or Another Super Gateway For PayDay Super? Payment Options At A Glance Direct entry: Bulk bank payment file for upload to your bank. Best suited to: standard bank processing with no additional accounts required. Manual bank transfer: Use the direct entry report to make Pay Anyone transfers manually, without uploading a file. Best suited to: businesses whose bank does not support file uploads. PayTo: Ozedi's most automated payment option, where funds are deducted automatically once your PayTo agreement is active and the remittance is submitted. Best suited to: businesses wanting an automated, near real-time payment workflow with fewer manual steps. PayID: Instant payment using a PayID email address provided by Ozedi, sent manually from your bank via the New Payments Platform. Best suited to: businesses wanting a fast payment method while still controlling the bank transfer themselves. Option 1: Pay Super Using Lightning Payroll Bank Files This option is included with Lightning Payroll and does not require you to create or manage your own Ozedi portal account. Lightning Payroll has handled SuperStream messaging via our Ozedi gateway account since 2014. How it works: Create and finalise super contributions in Lightning Payroll. Generate a bulk payment export: ABA / Direct Entry file for Australian direct entry payments, the standard file upload format used by most banks ISO/XML file for banks that support ISO 20022 uploads Upload the file to your bank and submit the payment. If your bank does not accept file uploads, use the Direct Entry Preview to generate a PDF report and pay the amounts manually. Important timing consideration: most banks process these payments using traditional payment rails such as BECS. While this option is simple and included at no extra cost, bank processing times may affect when funds are received by super funds. For detailed instructions, see: How Do I Pay Super In Lightning Payroll (No Clearing House Required)? Option 2: Connect Your Own Ozedi Account For Zepto Payments For businesses that want greater certainty around PayDay Super timing, Lightning Payroll supports direct connections to your own Ozedi Unified Experience Dashboard account. With this option, SuperStream messaging and payment handling is managed through Ozedi using Zepto, giving you access to near real-time payment methods via the New Payments Platform (NPP). PayTo is the most automated Ozedi payment method. Once your PayTo agreement has been approved by your bank, Ozedi can automatically deduct the funds after the remittance is sent. PayID is a fast NPP payment method where Ozedi provides a dedicated PayID email address and you send the funds manually from your bank after the remittance is submitted. Detailed setup instructions for each Ozedi payment method are covered in these separate FAQs: Set Up Ozedi PayTo For Automatic Super Payments Set Up Ozedi PayID For PayDay Super Important: If you use your own Ozedi account, Ozedi is a separate prepaid service and may charge its own transaction and payment processing fees. For current pricing or billing questions, please contact Ozedi directly. How Super Fund Bank Details Are Handled For most APRA-regulated super funds, Lightning Payroll automatically manages bank account details using the ATO Super Fund Validation Service (SVS). This means: You do not need to manually enter or maintain bank details for most super funds. Lightning Payroll validates the fund's USI and retrieves the correct payment and messaging details directly from the ATO. This helps reduce errors and ensures payments are sent to the correct destination. Exception: SMSFs For Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs), bank account details must be entered manually. This is because SMSFs are not included in the ATO fund validation service in the same way as APRA-regulated funds. Ensure SMSF bank details are accurate and up to date before processing super payments. Tip: If you are unsure whether a fund is an SMSF, you can check the fund type when editing the super fund provider in Lightning Payroll. Key Tips For PayDay Super Create and submit super contributions on the same day as the pay run. Be mindful of bank cut-off times when using file-based payments such as ABA, Direct Entry or ISO/XML. Use PayTo or PayID where same-day or near real-time payment timing is important. Keep Ozedi account balances sufficient to avoid processing delays or rejected submissions. If using PayID, send the payment from your bank as soon as the remittance is submitted and follow Ozedi's instructions carefully. If using PayTo, make sure your PayTo agreement is active and approved before relying on it for deadline-sensitive payments. If using an external clearing house or gateway, allow enough time for the SAFF file to be uploaded, validated and processed by that provider. Need More Help? For Ozedi account, payment method or billing help, please see the Ozedi Quick Start Super Guide or contact Ozedi. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-superstream-payment-options-are-available-for-payday-super 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 if you prefer. Lightning Payroll supports this by allowing you to export a SuperStream Alternative File Format (SAFF) file, which can be uploaded to most third-party providers. To do this, simply follow the usual Payday Super process and export the SAFF file instead of sending messages directly: Click Pays. Complete the pay run as usual. Click Payday Super. Select the pays to include (typically all) and resolve any warnings or errors. Click Create. Review the super amounts for each fund, then click Next. Fix any validation issues if prompted. On the SuperStream Summary screen, click Need a manual SAFF file export? instead of “Send Messages”. Save the generated CSV file and upload it to your chosen clearing house or gateway. If you are new to Payday Super, see how to handle Payday Super in Lightning Payroll for an overview of the full process, including creating and submitting super payments. You can also review the available SuperStream payment options, which outlines the different ways to lodge and pay super, including integrated services and manual file uploads. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-use-a-clearing-house-or-another-super-gateway-for-payday-super Q: How Do I Process Payday Super In Advance In Lightning Payroll? A: You can schedule payday super in advance in Lightning Payroll by setting a future payment date. This allows you to prepare your super contributions ahead of time while ensuring payments and messages are processed on your chosen date. Please note that paying payday super in advance is only available when using Direct Entry (.ABA) files or PayTo as your payment method. This feature is not available for PayID. To pay payday super in advance, follow these steps: Go to the Pays screen. Click the Payday Super button. Set the Payment Date to the date you want the super messages sent and the funds processed. Complete the Payday Super process as usual from here. Once scheduled, Lightning Payroll will automatically send the super messages on the selected payment date. If you are using Direct Entry (.ABA), your payment file will be created with the same future processing date, allowing you to upload it to your bank in advance so the payment is released on that date. If you are using PayTo, the funds will be debited from your bank account on the selected Payment Date. You will receive an email notification once the scheduled super contribution has been successfully processed. If you would prefer not to receive these emails, you can follow the steps in this guide: How do I stop getting super email notifications after scheduling SuperStream? This feature makes it easy to stay on top of your super obligations while maintaining control over when payments are processed. What SuperStream payment options are available for Payday Super? How can I handle Payday Super in Lightning Payroll? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-process-payday-super-in-advance-in-lightning-payroll Q: How Can I Handle Payday Super In Lightning Payroll? A: Important: Payday Super does not become mandatory until 1st July 2026. Until then, employers can continue processing super as they currently do, if preferred. With the introduction of Payday Super, employers will be required to pay superannuation contributions at the same time as wages. Lightning Payroll makes this process simple. Setting Up For Payday Super Before you can send Payday Super, you only need to ensure that each employee has a correctly configured super fund. For each employee, confirm the following: A valid USI (super fund product number). The employee's correct Member Number. A Primary super fund is selected. These details are entered under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund. When selecting a fund or USI from the dropdown list, you may not see the fund you need. In this case, use Create New Super Fund (Online Search) to search the ATO's super fund records and download the correct fund using the USI. If you need to add a self managed super fund (SMSF), please see: How Can I Add A Self Managed Super Fund? To understand what payment methods are available for paying super, see: What SuperStream Payment Options Are Available For Payday Super? Processing Payday Super In Lightning Payroll To process Payday Super in Lightning Payroll, follow these steps: Complete the pays in a given pay run. Click on the Payday Super button to the right. Select which completed pays you want to make super contributions for. Click Create. The software will automatically detect and prevent many common errors and display colour indicators to explain the issue. For example: Pays with no payable super will be skipped. Pays already attached to a super deposit will be skipped. Employees with no primary super fund will be skipped. Employees with an invalid or expired USI or ESA will be skipped. Important Considerations Only proceed with Payday Super once you are ready to complete the SuperStream messaging and banking of super contributions to each super fund provider. Payday Super Reminders Even though Payday Super is not required until 1st July 2026, you can choose to enable reminders earlier. This can be adjusted under Settings >> Other Settings by ticking or unticking the Payday Super Reminder option. Managing Super Funds You can manage super funds under Settings >> Super Fund Providers, and employee specific super fund details under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund. Managing Or Viewing Your Super Deposit History Existing super deposits and SuperStream history can be viewed using the search area in the Super Fund Deposits screen. You can enable the search filter on the left by ticking Show search filter? at the bottom to search through super deposits. You can also view your SuperStream messaging history under Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-handle-payday-super-in-lightning-payroll 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 funds online system A commercial super clearing house The Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) EFT or BPAY direct to the super fund 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. Our inclusion on this list confirms that Lightning Payroll meets all SuperStream technical and security requirements. Lightning Payroll's SuperStream Process Using Lightning Payroll to pay super is a straightforward three-step process. The following video and guide will walk you through it. Before You Begin Make sure your SuperStream setup is complete. For instructions, visit: How Do I Check If I Am Set Up For Super? Step-by-Step Overview Create Deposits: In the Super Fund Deposits screen, click Create Deposits. Select the date range and employees you wish to pay super for, then click Create. The system will walk you through some validations to ensure everything is correct. Send SuperStream Messages: Once you've fixed any detected errors, you'll be taken to the SuperStream Summary screen. Click Send Messages to send the super contribution data to the relevant funds via our SuperStream gateway. Pay the Funds: After sending your SuperStream messages, click Direct Entry to generate your Direct Entry (ABA) file, or use the Direct Entry report to pay the funds through your banking platform on the same day. Important: Creating deposits, sending SuperStream messages, and making the payment must all occur on the same day. Please ensure you are ready to complete the full process before you begin. 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: Can I Split Super Between Two Super Accounts? A: Yes. Lightning Payroll can handle super payments across multiple funds in a few different ways, depending on whether you are splitting salary sacrifice contributions or manually dividing SGC (employer) contributions. Automating Salary Sacrifice to a Second Super Fund If your employee salary sacrifices part of their wage into super, Lightning Payroll can automatically pay these sacrifice amounts to a secondary fund. This setup uses the employee's active fund connections. To check or set this up: Go to Employees > Super > Superannuation Fund to manage the employee's active funds and assign which fund receives SGC and which receives Salary Sacrifice. Next, go to Employees > Pay Settings > Salary/Wage Sacrifice to link the employee's super sacrifice to their designated sacrifice fund. Once set up this way, Lightning Payroll will automatically send SGC contributions to the employee's primary/default fund and salary sacrifice contributions to their secondary (sacrifice) fund whenever you process super payments. If, however, you wish to split SGC or sacrifice amounts among multiple funds (for example, 70% to one fund and 30% to another), you'll need to handle that manually using the steps below. Manually Splitting Super Between Two Funds To manually divide an employee's SGC between two funds, follow these steps: Go to Super Fund Deposits > Create Deposits. Select the pays you wish to pay super for, then click Create. When the SuperStream wizard opens, exit or cancel out of it. Ignore any warning about unsent deposits'this is expected. Use the search filter to find today's date. You'll see all deposits created today listed. In this example, there are two deposits for one employee because they have $110 of super sacrifice going to Australian Super (secondary fund) and $173.76 of SGC going to ART (primary fund). If you want to move $100 of SGC from ART to Australian Super, open and edit the relevant deposits. If your setup doesn't already have a secondary fund deposit (for instance, if no salary sacrifice exists), simply click Create Blank Deposit to make a second deposit line for that employee. Once the deposit adjustments are made, return to SuperStream Contributions to continue the process as usual. Important: SuperStream submissions are sent per fund. Each fund requires its own deposit submission. Make sure the total across all deposits equals the employee's total super for that period. If you need a hand reviewing your setup or editing deposits, please contact Lightning Payroll Support: lightningpayroll.com.au/contact-us. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-split-super-between-two-super-accounts 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 via email 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: Go to our website and login via Login >> Client Login Scroll down and locate the relevant ABN Untick the option for 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: 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 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 within Lightning Payroll as follows: Registering a Super Fund for a Single Employee Navigate to Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund in Lightning Payroll. Follow these steps: If the desired super fund already exists in your system, select it and proceed to register the employee under it. If the fund does *not* already exist in Lightning Payroll, click the button labelled Create New Super Fund (Online Search). This will let you enter the fund’s USI (Unique Superannuation Identifier), query the ATO database and import the fund’s details automatically. Registering Multiple Employees with a Super Fund When you need to create multiple super accounts under the same fund at once, go to Settings >> Super Funds >> Create Multiple Super Accounts. Follow these steps: Ensure the super fund is already in your system. If it isn’t, again use the Create New Super Fund (Online Search) button. Proceed via the prompts to specify which employees will have accounts created under the fund. Send the registration request to the fund. The fund will respond (via email and the Lightning Payroll “Super Fund Deposits >> SuperStream Mailbox” area) within a few days with a member number for each employee. If you have any further questions, please consult our support documentation or contact our team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-create-a-new-super-fund-account-for-an-employee-in-lightning-payroll 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 the desktop version, but these are only kept for legacy and historical reference purposes. For all new super contributions, we recommend using a standard bank deposit method (sometimes known as EFT or Pay Anyone). This can be done either by: Generating an ABA/direct entry file in Lightning Payroll and uploading it to your online banking Paying manually per transaction through your internet banking For help with the recommended super process, including payday super payments, please see: How Can I Handle Payday Super in Lightning Payroll? How Do I Pay Super in Lightning Payroll (No Clearing House Required)? Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-i-pay-superstream-with-bpay-in-lightning-payroll Q: What Is the Difference Between Salary Sacrifice and Voluntary Post-Tax Member Contributions? A: Boosting Your Superannuation: Pre-Tax vs Post-Tax Contributions There are two common ways to boost your superannuation in Australia: through salary sacrifice or voluntary post-tax contributions. While both methods increase your retirement savings, they differ in how and when they are taxed. Key concept: Salary sacrifice is taken from your gross income (before tax is calculated), while voluntary contributions are made from your net income (after tax is taken out). Salary Sacrifice (Pre-Tax Contributions) Salary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to direct some of your gross pay into your super fund. These are known as concessional contributions and are taxed at 15% in your fund (unless you exceed the cap). Because the amount is taken out before income tax is calculated, your taxable income is reduced and you may pay less 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% instead of your marginal rate. Voluntary Contributions (Post-Tax Contributions) Voluntary post-tax contributions are payments you make to your super fund using money from your take-home (after-tax) pay. These are called non-concessional contributions. You have already paid income tax on this money, so it is not taxed again when entering your super fund. However, you do not receive a tax deduction for these contributions. Example: You receive your full net pay into your bank account and later transfer $50 to your super fund using BPAY or direct deposit. Contribution Caps Concessional (salary sacrifice + employer super): $27,500 per year Non-concessional (post-tax): $110,000 per year, or up to $330,000 using the bring-forward rule Note: These caps are set by the ATO and may change each financial year. Tax Treatment Salary sacrifice: taxed at 15% in the super fund Post-tax contributions: not taxed on entry into the fund STP Reporting and Visibility Salary sacrifice: must be reported in Single Touch Payroll (STP) as Salary Sacrifice Type S (Super) Included in your RESC (Reportable Employer Super Contributions) on your income statement Post-tax contributions: made personally and not reported through STP or visible to the ATO via your employer Government Incentives Post-tax contributions: may be eligible for the government super co-contribution if you meet the income and work tests Salary sacrifice: does not qualify for the co-contribution Entering Contributions in Lightning Payroll To record either type of contribution in Lightning Payroll: Go to: Employees > Super > Superannuation Contributions To enter Salary Sacrifice (RESC): Click the Edit Salary Sacrifice RESC button at the bottom of the Super tab Enter the salary sacrifice amount, frequency, and description To enter a Post-Tax Super Contribution: On the right-hand side under Post-Tax Additional Superannuation Contributions: Click the green + button to add a new row Enter a description (e.g. 'Member Contribution') and the contribution amount (e.g. $15.00) Note: These post-tax contributions are not treated as RESC and are included in tax calculations. Summary Table Feature Salary Sacrifice Post-Tax Contribution Taken From Gross pay (before tax) Net pay (after tax) Taxed On Entry Yes, 15% in super fund No (already taxed) STP Reported Yes No Tax Deductible Yes No Appears in RESC Yes No Eligible for Government Co-Contribution No Yes, if eligible For more information, visit the ATO's superannuation page or consult a licensed financial adviser. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-salary-sacrifice-and-voluntary-post-tax-member-contributions 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 Can I Correct A Missed Or Already-Paid Super Contribution? A: If a superannuation contribution was missed or incorrectly recorded in a past pay, including RESC (Reportable Employer Super Contributions), you should not edit the original pay. Instead, create a new pay entry to record the super adjustment. This preserves your audit trail and ensures accurate ATO and super fund reporting. Even if the super was already paid to the fund manually or externally, a new pay line must still be created to reflect this within Lightning Payroll. Go to Pays > Create Pay Wizard. Match the original processed date and untick Create Full Pay. Edit the $0.00 pay to include the missed or corrected super item. For more on correcting wages or tax in a banked pay, visit: How can I correct a pay if it has already been banked? For RESC corrections at EOFY, refer to: How can I enter an additional RESC/super amount for EOFY? Related Super FAQs How do I pay super in Lightning Payroll (no clearing house required)? ' Learn how to submit super directly using Lightning Payroll's built-in SuperStream gateway. How can I recover an overpayment of compulsory super? ' Guidance on reversing or adjusting super amounts that were paid in error. Should I create a new super fund or edit the existing one when the USI changes? ' Understand the correct approach for fund changes to maintain contribution flow. Why doesn't Lightning Payroll automatically update the USI for a super fund? ' Explanation of why manual fund detail management is required for compliance. What are concessional super contributions? ' Overview of pre-tax super contributions including SG and salary sacrifice. How do I send existing super fund deposits? ' Instructions for sending or re-sending past super payments within Lightning Payroll. How can I delete unused super funds? ' How to clean up your fund list while avoiding issues with existing pays. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-correct-a-missed-or-already-paid-super-contribution 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 is $30,000 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: 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: 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: 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. Recommended Approach While both 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. 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 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 automatically update or replace an existing USI. 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. No official mapping exists: The APRA file does not tell us which USI replaces which. Even if a fund merges or rebrands, the file doesn't provide a direct link between the old and new USIs. 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. Assign that new fund to the employee. This ensures clean data, accurate historical records, and compliance with ATO reporting requirements. 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. But we don't auto-update the USI itself because there's 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: 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: How Can I Resend SuperStream Messages and Super Deposits When the Super Fund/s Have Returned the Money to My Account? A: If one or more super funds are unable to match the funds you have sent to a member, you may receive the money back. In this situation, you will need to send a new message for the deposit and transfer the funds again. To do this, follow the steps below: Open Super Fund Deposits Make a note of the deposit date for the deposits that need to be resent, along with a new message. Note: If you cannot see any deposits listed, or if you cannot locate the correct deposits, select Show search filter at the bottom left of the screen. Then, use the Show deposits by date menu on the left to adjust the start and end dates. This will help display a wider range of deposits based on when they were created. Next, click on the SuperStream Mailbox button. In the mailbox, set the Dates between field to the same date as (or a date range including) the deposit date of the deposits you are resending. For example, if the deposit date is 04/04/2022, set the Dates between range to 04/04/2022 to 04/04/2022. The messages for your recently created Super Fund deposits will now appear below. View the Message Click View next to the first message that needs to be resent. Manually Fail the Message This step is only required if the message is still in a SENT status. If the message is PROGRESSIVE you don't need to fail. At the bottom right of the message information screen, click Manually Fail and confirm that you wish to fail the message. Then click Finish. Note: If the message is in an Unsent status, click the red X button on the right side of the message in the mailbox and confirm the deletion. This will allow you to resend the message. If you are unable to manually fail the message, it may already be failed. In this case, simply click Finish and proceed to the next step. Repeat the Process Repeat the steps above for any other messages that need to be resent to the super fund(s), along with the corresponding funds. Set All Relevant Messages to 'Manually Failed' Once all relevant messages have been manually failed or deleted (using the red X), click Finish. Resend the Deposits Return to the main Super Fund Deposits page, then follow the instructions provided in the How Do I Send Existing Super Fund Deposits FAQ. Adding or Updating an Employee's Super Fund or USI If a super deposit has been returned to you because the employee's super fund (or the super fund's USI) has changed, go to Settings > Super Fund Providers > Create Super Fund (Online Search) and add the fund using the new USI. Next, go to Employees > Super > Superannuation Fund and add the newly-added fund to each employee affected, updating their member number at the same time if it has changed along with the USI. If the employee has a salary sacrifice as super attached to their super fund, you will also need to edit this and change it over to the new fund in Employees > Pay Settings > Salary/Wage Sacrifice. Finally, before you take the steps to re-send the existing deposits through SuperStream Contributions, you will need to locate the affected deposits in Super Fund Deposits (use the search filter on the left), click the edit pencil and then unlock the deposits using the padlock at the bottom-left. Ensure the correct super fund is selected from the Fund Provider drop-down list at the top, and type in the new member/account number if this has been changed, before clicking Save, and moving ahead with the steps outlined in the FAQ How Do I Send Existing Super Fund Deposits. 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: How Do I Check If I Am Set Up For Super? A: 1. Set Up Your Super Funds Before processing super in Lightning Payroll, you need to ensure that all required superannuation funds are set up in the system: If you need to set up an SMSF (Self Managed Super Fund), please follow these instructions. If you need to create any other type of super fund, please follow these instructions. 2. Connect a Super Fund to Each Employee After the funds are set up, connect each employee to their chosen fund: Go to Employees > Super > Superannuation Fund. Click the green plus button to add the appropriate fund for the employee. Make sure the employee's fund member number is entered correctly. If the employee only has one super fund, tick the Is Primary Fund? box. This ensures that all super contributions for that employee go to this fund. For more details on the entire superannuation payment process, please see How Do I Pay Super in Lightning Payroll?. 3. Enter Your Company Bank Details Finally, make sure your business bank account details are set: Go to Company > Bank Account. Add the bank account you'll be using to pay super and select it from the Bank Account for Super dropdown. If your bank requires a Direct Entry/ABA User ID, please contact your bank to obtain it. For more information, please visit this FAQ entry. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-check-if-i-am-set-up-for-super 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. Simply 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 just remember to attach it to relevant employees under Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund >> Add Super Provider by 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: SuperStream Contributions If you have had to manually fail a refunded SuperStream message, or had to hop out of the Create Deposits process for some reason you will need to pick up where you left off and repackage, then send your SuperStream contributions. To do this, go into the Super Fund Deposits screen, and click on the SuperStream Contribution button. Selecting and Sending Deposits In the 'Show deposits by date' boxes, set the date range to include today's date (since you just updated the deposit date to today's date in the last step). Make sure to tick Include Paid Deposits. Select all the deposits that you will be resending the messages and funds for. Click Next on the bottom-right, and you will then be shown a screen confirming the amounts to be sent to each Super Fund, as well as a grand total for the deposits. Click Next again, and on the SuperStream Summary page, click Send Messages and wait until they have successfully sent through. Creating a Payment File Once the messages have finished sending, click Direct Entry to create and save a payment file to upload to your online banking portal later, in order to resend the funds to the relevant super fund providers. (If you do not use Direct Entry files for payment, you can instead save or print a copy of the Preview of Direct Entry file, which will note all the banking details, as well as the reference number you will need to use if manually transferring the super payments through your online banking.)  Finally, click Finish.  Summary You have now successfully resent the SuperStream messages, as well as created a new Direct Entry file (or preview of file if you pay manually) ready to upload to your online banking portal to transfer the money to the super funds. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-send-existing-super-fund-deposits 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: How Can I View A Report On Unpaid Super Liability? A: This document provides instructions on how to use the Super Liability Report in Lightning Payroll to identify unpaid superannuation amounts. Accessing the Report To access the Super Liability Report, navigate to Super Fund Deposits >> Reports >> Super Liability within the Lightning Payroll software. Report Overview The Super Liability Report is designed to help you find superannuation amounts from processed pays that have not yet been assigned to a super fund deposit. This ensures that you can effectively manage and fulfil superannuation obligations for your employees. Search Modes The report has two distinct search modes: Pays Mode: This 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: This mode allows you to search 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 It is important to remember that you cannot search for pays and deposits simultaneously, as they are based 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: 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: 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 time employee paid $50 000 per year salary PLUS 10% ($5 000) compulsory super. A total cost of $55 000 to the employer. Weekly = $961.54 gross per week + $96.15 super (a) Kevin is a full time time employee paid $50 000 per year salary INCLUSIVE OF 10% ($5 000) 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 10% super) it would be $45 454.55.($50 000 / 110) * 100 = $45 454.55 Weekly = $874.13 gross per week + $87.41 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: Why Has The Super Fund Rejected Or Not Processed My Super Contribution? A: Lightning Payroll gives you the ability to control your super and pay directly to any major super fund or SMSF, without the need for a clearing house or 'middleman'. How Should I Be Paying Super In Lightning Payroll? The typical super procedure is as follows: Click Super Fund Deposits. Click Create Deposits. Choose the dates and employees to pay super for. Follow the prompts to send the resulting SuperStream Contribution messages directly to each super fund. Make an internet banking payment to each fund using either the Direct Entry file, or the details in the Direct Entry preview report generated by Lightning Payroll. Following this structure above rarely results in errors, however they can occur. Please see this other FAQ on how to pay super for more info. What Causes Errors? The two main causes of errors are: Steps 4 (sending messages) and 5 (making payment) above are not executed on the same day. The longer you delay between sending messages and making payment, the higher the chance that the message and/or payment will be rejected by each destination super fund. Please make sure you are not processing super until you are ready to pay, and please make payment on the same day you send your super messages. The ABA/lodgement reference does not match the 18 digit reference number included in the message, which Lightning Payroll generates. The reference number must match, or the payment will likely be lost and a mystery that the super fund will not be able to allocate. Below is an example diagram to show the basic structure of a single SuperStream Contribution message and payment. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-has-the-super-fund-rejected-or-not-processed-my-super-contribution 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: 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 2021 the general concessional contributions cap is $27,500 per year, regardless of your age. 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: Why Is Causing SuperStream Validation Errors? A: If you are attempting to send SuperStream messages and receiving a 'failed validation' error, please check your internet connection. This error is usually caused by an internet connection problem or otherwise a problem on the SuperStream network end. If your internet connection is functioning, please wait 12-24 hours and try again. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-is-causing-superstream-validation-errors Q: How Do I Get Super Funds' Bank Account Details Into Lightning? A: Super funds' individual banking details are brought forth through the SuperStream network using each fund's respective USI. Super funds will no longer give you the bank account details themselves, but rather, will provide you with the USI for the specific type of super fund your employee is registered to within their fund umbrella. Please note that Self-Managed Super Funds are entered differently and do not have a USI. To bring these banking details forth, you will need to go to Settings >> Super Fund Providers in the program, then click on Create Super Fund (Online Search) and enter the USI you have been provided for the respective fund, and click Next. On the next page, the super fund and all its details should show up with a box to the left of it which will need to be ticked, and you can then click Finish. You will now have the super fund, as well as all of the fund's banking details added to your list of available super funds which can then be attached individually to your staff, along with their member number, via  Employees >> Super >> Superannuation Fund in the program. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-get-super-funds-bank-account-details-into-lightning Q: How Do I Edit A Super Funds' Details? A: If you need to update a super fund as they have provided a new ABN or USI, you should follow the process to Add A New Super Fund, rather than editing an existing super fund, as you want to have an accurate record of the funds and accounts you've sent messages and money to previously.  Super funds will not provide you with their up to date bank account details, but rather their current USI (and ABN), which will bring forth their current banking details through the SuperStream network. Please note that Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF) are treated differently to traditional super funds, and their details can be edited by going to Settings >> Super Fund Providers in the program, and clicking Edit Provider to the right of the line the SMSF is listed in. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-edit-a-super-funds-details 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 Q: How Do I Check For Superstream Response Messages? A: To check for SuperStream message responses go into the Superstream Mailbox located within the Super Fund Deposits area. Click Check Responses and your program will start to download any message updates, or error details. If an error response is detected, you'll notice that the original Superstream message will no longer have a status of Sent. It will most likely have changed to Failed, or Progressive. You can find out more information about the error by clicking View beside the message. To get more info, we recommend contacting the super fund directly. It is actually quite rare to receive responses, since super funds are only required to respond when an error has occurred. If everything went through fine your messages are likely to stay in a Sent status. If you are confident that a super payment was successfully received and processed by the fund, you can mark the message as complete yourself. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-check-for-superstream-response-messages Q: How Can I Tell If My Superstream Message Was Sent Correctly? A: Below is a great way to find out if your Superstream message was successfully sent: After you have sent your Superstream message/s, go into the Superstream Mailbox. Click Check Responses to refresh the mailbox with the latest message info from the Superstream network. You might not have any responses yet, but don't worry. This is common. Using the date and message status filter boxes at the top of the mailbox, search for the messages you've just sent. Click View beside the message you'd like to check. If your Superstream message was successfully processed by the network, and forwarded to the super fund there will be a value beside Conversation ID. This acts similarly to a tracking number on a parcel and is the unique identifier for that particular message. It can be provided to a super fund if needed. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-tell-if-my-superstream-message-was-sent-correctly --- Category: Tax --- 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: 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: 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 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, you can enter the correct tax settings into Lightning Payroll under Employees >> Tax Rates. 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: 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: How Do I Set Up Tax for Employees on a Working Holiday? A: From 1 January 2017 employers will need to register with the ATO to be able to tax staff using the working holiday tax table rates. Once your company has registered you will be able to apply the working holiday tax scale to applicable employees within Lightning Payroll under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Special Tax Rates >> Working Holiday Tax Scale >> Use Working Holiday Tax Scale. Please also ensure you enter the employee's Home Country below the Use Working Holiday Tax Scale tick box. For employees using the working holiday tax scale, employers should then go to Employees >> Tax Rates >> Tax Settings and tick System Generated Tax Rate, and leave all other tickboxes unticked ie. the Deduct HELP, Tax Free Threshold Claimed and Foreign Resident tickboxes should all be unticked. We've also added a report to help keep track of working holiday pays under Reports >> Tax >> Working holiday tax scale summary. This helps show which tax scale has been applied to each of your employees' pays. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-tax-for-employees-on-a-working-holiday Q: Can An Employee Make Repayments to Study or Training Support Loans in Lightning Payroll? A: In Lightning Payroll, the software automatically calculates and manages Study or Training Support Loans (STSL) based on employees' income. You cannot manually adjust this in Lightning Payroll. The ATO will perform its own calculations using your employees' income when they file their end-of-year tax return. This means that the extra amount processed through Lightning Payroll will be refunded to your employees and won't go towards repaying their debt. Instead, your employees should make any voluntary repayments directly through their MyGov account, following the ATO's guidelines. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/can-an-employee-make-repayments-to-study-or-training-support-loans-in-lightning-payroll 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 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: 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: 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? While having a TFN is not legally required, not providing one can lead to financial disadvantages, such as: Employers must withhold tax at the highest marginal rate (currently 47%). You may not be able to apply for government benefits like Centrelink payments. Your superannuation fund may deduct extra tax from your contributions. You may experience 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 submitting 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 is required to follow certain steps, including withholding tax at the highest rate. For more details, refer to our related FAQ: What To Do If An Employee Doesn't Provide A TFN? More Information For further details, visit these official resources: Australian Taxation Office: Tax File Number Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-is-a-tax-file-number-tfn-and-why-do-you-need-one Q: How Does Lightning Payroll Handle Study and Training Support Loans (STSL)? A: Lightning Payroll can automatically calculate Study and Training Support Loans (STSL) repayments for employees who have an outstanding education loan. This includes: Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) VET Student Loans (VSL) Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS) Student Start-up Loan (SSL) Trade Support Loan (TSL) How Are STSL Repayments Calculated? STSL repayments are income-based and apply once an employee's repayment income exceeds the minimum threshold set by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Employers must withhold additional amounts from employee wages to cover anticipated STSL repayments. For the latest STSL repayment thresholds and rates, refer to the ATO's official page: Study and Training Support Loans Repayment Thresholds and Rates. Enabling STSL Withholding in Lightning Payroll To ensure STSL repayments are withheld correctly, follow these steps in Lightning Payroll: Go to the Employees tab. Select the employee who has an STSL debt. Navigate to Tax Rates > Tax Settings. Tick any box labelled HELP/SFSS/TSL (they are all treated the same, as STSL). Save the changes. Once enabled, Lightning Payroll will automatically apply the appropriate withholding based on the employee's taxable income. Does Lightning Payroll Adjust Repayments Automatically? Yes, Lightning Payroll follows the ATO's latest STSL tax scales and automatically adjusts repayments based on the employee's earnings. If the ATO updates repayment thresholds, they will be reflected in the next tax table update. What If an Employee No Longer Has an STSL Debt? If an employee has repaid their STSL debt in full, they must notify their employer and update their tax declaration. To remove STSL withholding in Lightning Payroll: Go to the Employees tab. Select the employee. Navigate to Tax Rates > Tax Settings. Untick the HELP/SFSS/TSL box. Save the changes. Further Information For more details on STSL repayments, visit the ATO's official STSL page: Study and Training Support Loans (ATO). If you have any questions regarding STSL in Lightning Payroll, feel free to contact our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-does-lightning-payroll-handle-study-and-training-support-loans-stsl Q: How Can Salary Sacrifice Affect STSL/HELP Repayments? A: How Can Salary Sacrifice Affect STSL/HELP Repayments? If you or your employees have a student loan (STSL/HELP/HECS), it’s important to understand how salary sacrifice arrangements can affect repayments. Salary sacrifice can reduce taxable income, which in turn impacts how much is withheld for STSL/HELP during the year. Here’s what you need to know, with examples to make things clear. What Happens With Salary Sacrifice and STSL/HELP? Salary sacrifice (e.g., for superannuation or other benefits) reduces an employee’s taxable income for PAYG withholding purposes. However, when the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) calculates the required STSL/HELP repayment at the end of the financial year (EOFY), it uses repayment income, which includes salary sacrifice amounts. This can create a situation where: The employer withholds little or no STSL/HELP repayments during the year due to reduced taxable income. At EOFY, the ATO assesses the total repayment income and calculates a larger repayment amount. Voluntary Repayments It’s important to note that voluntary repayments made throughout the year (by the employee) do not affect the compulsory recalculated amount required at EOFY. Even if an employee makes voluntary payments to reduce their loan balance, the ATO will still calculate the required repayment based on their repayment income. Example 1: Falling Below the Threshold Due to Salary Sacrifice Amy earns $65,000 annually and has a salary sacrifice arrangement of $10,000 for superannuation. Taxable income: $65,000 - $10,000 = $55,000 Repayment income: $65,000 (includes salary sacrifice amount) During the year: Amy’s employer withholds no STSL/HELP repayments because her taxable income ($55,000) is below the current STSL/HELP repayment threshold of $60,948. At EOFY: The ATO assesses Amy’s repayment income as $65,000. Based on the repayment rate, she owes $3,250 in STSL/HELP repayments. Amy must pay this amount directly to the ATO. Example 2: Additional Withholding to Cover STSL/HELP Ben earns $70,000 annually and salary sacrifices $8,000 for superannuation. Taxable income: $70,000 - $8,000 = $62,000 Repayment income: $70,000 (includes salary sacrifice amount) During the year: Ben’s employer withholds repayments based on his taxable income of $62,000, which falls in the 2% repayment rate. $1,240 is withheld for STSL/HELP during the year. At EOFY: The ATO assesses Ben’s repayment income as $70,000, which falls in the 3% repayment rate. Ben owes $2,100 in STSL/HELP repayments. Since only $1,240 was withheld, Ben must pay the $860 shortfall directly to the ATO. How Can Employers and Employees Manage This? Educate Employees: Explain that salary sacrifice reduces taxable income for PAYG withholding but does not reduce the ATO’s calculation of repayment income. Additional Withholding: Employers can set an upwards variation increase to tax each pay under Employees >> Tax Rates >> Upwards Variation. This will withhold additional tax and help employees avoid a HELP debt at EOFY. Note that the extra amount withheld will not classify as STSL/HELP in reports or payslips but can still be used to cover the potential tax debt. Monitor Repayment Income: Employees should review their taxable income, salary sacrifice amounts, and expected repayment income to avoid surprises at EOFY. Useful Links For more information, visit the ATO website: Understanding HELP and TSL repayment thresholds Salary sacrifice and reportable employer super contributions By understanding these interactions, employees can plan effectively to manage their student loan repayments and avoid unexpected EOFY debts. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-salary-sacrifice-affect-stslhelp-repayments Q: How Do I Set Up Voluntary Agreements in Lightning Payroll? A: This guide provides step-by-step instructions for Lightning Payroll users in Australia to correctly set up employees or contractors under a Voluntary Agreement for PAYG withholding. Understanding Voluntary Agreements A Voluntary Agreement is a contract between a payer (business) and a payee (contractor or employee) to withhold tax from payments. It's suitable for contractors with an Australian Business Number (ABN), helping them meet their tax obligations. Should You Set Up a Voluntary Agreement? Not all workers require a Voluntary Agreement. This setting is typically used for contractors rather than regular employees. Incorrectly declaring an employee under a Voluntary Agreement can lead to errors when submitting Single Touch Payroll (STP) data. Configuring a Voluntary Agreement Go to the Employees tab. Select the employee's name you wish to configure. Navigate to Pay Settings > Pay Rates. In the STP Employment Status dropdown, select Voluntary Agreement if applicable. Click the Tax Rates button, located to the right of Pay Settings. Under Tax Rates > Tax Settings, tick "Manual Variation of PAYG withholding / Voluntary Agreement". Enter the payee's ABN. Important Considerations Ensure that the worker is actually a contractor eligible for a Voluntary Agreement. Regular employees typically do not qualify for this arrangement. Incorrect use of this setting can result in submission errors. Both the business and the contractor should keep a copy of the agreement for their records, but there's no need to send a copy to the ATO. It's important to maintain accurate records to ensure compliance. For more detailed guidance on Voluntary Agreements and PAYG withholding requirements, please refer to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-set-up-voluntary-agreements-in-lightning-payroll Q: Which Payroll Reports Should I Use to Accurately Complete my BAS? A: To accurately fill in your Business Activity Statement (BAS), it's important to use the appropriate reports with the correct settings to accurately reflect the period you are reporting. Lightning Payroll offers various reports, but for this purpose, we recommend using the Group Tax report. To generate this report: Navigate to Reports > Group Tax. Enter the relevant start and end dates. Tick 'Use Processed Date?' Select the employees. Click 'OK'. The totals in this report will give you the amounts for your W1 (Gross) and W2 (Tax) figures, including the HELP/TSL/SFSS components. By ticking "Show Totals Only?", each line will be condensed into their respective totals, making the report more concise. If you prefer a more detailed breakdown of other pay components, you can generate a Pay Summary report by: Navigating to Reports > Pay Summary. Using the dates as the Group Tax report, ensuring 'Use Processed Date?' is ticked. Comparing the Pay Summary and Group Tax reports is an effective way to identify any discrepancies. If you need to see which W1 and W2 values correspond to each month, use the Monthly Tax Deductions report: Navigate to Reports > Monthly Tax Deductions. Ensure the 'Use Processed Date?' checkbox is ticked. This report provides a useful monthly 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: 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: 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. 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 you with one, there are a number of general TFNs that can be utilised in Lightning Payroll. The ATO provides a list of general TFNs here and you can choose which one to use depending based on the circumstances. Make sure to read the details for each general TFN to ensure you choose an appropriate option. Depending on the situation, there may not be a general TFN that fits the specific circumstances. If so, contact the ATO on 13 28 61 for more information. TFN code number When to use code number 000000000 Use if the payee has not provided a TFN, or fails to provide one within 28 days. Taxed at full rate. 111111111 Use if you receive a declaration from the payee which says they have applied for a TFN.This code should be updated with the payee’s TFN, or, with the no TFN quoted code when the payee fails to provide the TFN to the payer within the 28 day period allowed. 333333333 Use if a payee is under 18 years old and claims the general exemption because they do not not earn enough for tax to be deducted.If circumstances change and the payee subsequently earns a level of income that attracts tax, a TFN will be required to be provided at that time. 444444444 Use if the payee is a recipient of a social security or service pension or benefit (other than Newstart, sickness allowance, special benefits or partner allowance) an exemption from quoting a TFN may be claimed. 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: 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 Q: Why is Lightning Payroll Calculating So Much Tax for One Employee? A: The most common reason why an employee is being overtaxed is an incorrect Tax File Number. Lightning Payroll uses an Australian Tax File Number validation system which is checked in real-time by simply entering a TFN into an employee's Tax Rates screen. If the TFN displays in green, it is valid. If the number shows up in red, it is invalid (seen below). If you find the TFN you've been given is invalid please ask your employee to verify their correct TFN. See here for more information on temporary TFNs. 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 2025.46) . 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 --- Category: Timeclock-and-Portal --- Q: How And When Does Lightning Payroll Communicate With The Employee Portal? A: The Lightning Payroll desktop app communicates with our online employee portal and timeclock information via this website. It does so in a number of ways: Lightning Payroll -> Portal Example: New shifts, details, bank accounts and settings information being sent from the payroll software to the employee's online account. Occurs when clicking Refresh Employee Portal (updates the portal with portal settings and associated data for all relevant employees in the current company). Occurs when shutting down the program (updates the portal with portal settings and associated data for all relevant employees, and for all companies). (*Timeclock Users only) Occurs when refreshing the timeclock device under Company >> Timeclock Devices >> Send Updated Employee Data. ?? Portal -> Lightning Payroll Example: Employee-updated personal details, bank accounts, etc downloaded into their Lightning Payroll application profile. Occurs when opening Lightning Payroll. Occurs on a timer, every 5 minutes that Lightning Payroll is open. Occurs when syncing 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 Do My Employees View Their Payslips From Their iPhone? A: For employees who are trying to Save/View their Payslips on an Apple (iOS) mobile device, these instructions can be followed: 1. Login here or login using the Employee Login on our website. 2. Press Payslips once you have logged into the Employee Portal. 3. Once you are in the Payslips tab, press on the download icon to the left of the payslip you wish to Save/View. 4. On the prompt that appears, select Download. 5. Press on the circular clue icon to the left of your address bar and press Downloads. 6. Press the icon to the right of your payslip file on the next prompt. 7. This should bring you to the Files application, where you are able to view your downloaded payslips. The above instructions were written for iOS version 16 and 17. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-my-employees-view-their-payslips-from-their-iphone 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: How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal? A: The online employee portal allows employees to add or adjust their contact and bank account details, request leave, submit time sheets and clock in and out of available shifts independently using the timeclock. For leave requests please see our other FAQ on the topic. Once activated, employees can access their personal portal by visiting the Lightning Payroll website and clicking Employee Login on 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. The portal can be activated for a selected employee in Employees >> Details >> Online Portal. Clicking Activate will allow you to begin selecting which features of the portal the employee can use. Personal Details - Selecting this will allow the employee to update their contact details and time clock pin (if the employee uses the LP timeclock app on Android devices) Bank Account Details - Selecting this will allow the employee to add, edit or delete bank account details for receiving their pay. The employee can also specify if they wish to have their pay split between multiple accounts automatically. Any changes the employee makes to their personal or bank details in the portal will be automatically synced to Lightning Payroll the next time the program is reopened ?? Manual Time Entry This is where you can select whether the employee can clock in and out of available shifts or add and edit time sheet entries via the online portal. To activate this, you will first need to ensure you have created shifts and assigned them to the relevant employee. Allow Employee to Clock In and Out Through the Timeclock? - Selecting this option will allow the employee to clock in and out of selected available shifts directly via the portal. Clock in and out data entered by the employee can then be synced directly to the employee's pay in Lightning Payroll. Allow Employee to Manually Edit Their Timesheet? - Selecting this option will allow the employee to manually edit their start and end times for selected available shifts. Timesheet data entered by the employee can then be synced directly to the employee's pay in Lightning Payroll. Completing Activation When you are satisfied with the settings, click Refresh Employee Portal to complete the portal activation process. The employee will receive an email with details on how to log in. Activate Multiple Employee Portals The employee portal can be setup and activated for each employee individually, however, if you wish to have multiple employees use the portal with the same settings applied, you can 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: How Do I Connect Lightning Payroll With BundyPlus? A: Integrating Lightning Payroll with BundyPlus Lightning Payroll now 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 Timeclock (Portal) Sync. Select 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 Employee Data to create a CSV file of your employees. Next, select Export Pay Items 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 Generic export option to ensure the files are in the BundyPlus Generic Format, which Lightning Payroll supports. 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 Does the Timeclock and Portal Sync Window Work? A: Timeclock (Portal) Sync is available from both the Pays and Rosters screens. It downloads employee-entered shift data from the Lightning Payroll server and prepares it for payroll by converting it into rostered shifts inside your company file. 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 during a pending pay refresh. Before You Start Navigate to the exact pay run you want to process, then click Timeclock (Portal) Sync. The window 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 refresh absorbs rostered hours. 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 Timeclock Shifts Only or Timesheet Shifts Only. Show Incomplete Shifts ' Opens a window to view which shifts are currently in progress. 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 roster shift entry, which will then flow 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: 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. Prefer Rostered End Times ' Keeps the rostered end time. Helpful when staff clock out later than planned. Optional sub-setting: 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. 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 other fields) 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 or Save to complete the sync. The new and/or updated shifts will now be visible in the rosters screen for the same pay period (as shown below). 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. Return to Timeclock (Portal) Sync 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 click OK. Back in the pay, run a Pending Pay Refresh to absorb the rostered hours and allowances. How Pays Absorb Hours During a pending pay refresh 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 enabled in the employee's Pay Settings) or use the employee's default 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: What Generates An Employee Portal Account and Email? A: When activating the online employee portal for the first time an employee will be notified by email of their username and password. To trigger the email make sure to first activate the employee with the tickbox and then click Refresh Employee Portal under Employees >> Details >> Online Portal. You should see a notification on screen which looks something like this: The employee will receive an email like this, which includes their username and password. They can then use these details to login to our Employee Login page here. It is recommended that they change their password upon logging in. The other time an employee might receive an account email is when their name is changed. The reason for this is that their username/login will change since it is based on their full name. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-generates-an-employee-portal-account-and-email Q: How Do Employees Use Timesheets in the Online Portal? A: Please note, that in order for your employees to use timesheets, you will need to first ensure they are set up in the Online Portal with timesheets 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. Employees will see the following screen when they login to the Employee Login via our website; they should then navigate to the Timesheet tab. The search filters on this page allows employees to see shifts already submitted between the dates entered. Changing these dates to the employee's pay run dates - Monday 01/03/21 - Sunday 07/03/21, for example - will allow the employee to see if they have already submitted shifts for that pay run.  To add a new shift to their timesheets, employees should click the New Shift button, and select the type of shift they wish to enter hours against, using the drop-down list, as per the following example. This screen then allows employees to edit the date and duration of the shift, like you can see in the below example. Once all fields are completed, click Save Shift, and this shift will now be available to sync into the Pays screen of Lightning Payroll.  Employees will also now see any saved shifts within the search filter dates input on the main Timesheet tab in the Online Portal. As you can see below, employees are able to Edit or Delete the shifts they have saved. Saved shifts will now be availble for the payroll officer to sync into the Pays tab of Lightning Payroll, for more efficient processing of pays. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-employees-use-timesheets-in-the-online-portal Q: Why Am I Getting A Timeclock Server Connection Error? A: Some Android Timeclock users are encountering errors when connecting to our server since late September 2021. This is fixed by updating your Android version higher than Android version 7.1. The issue is due to an expiring certificate within Android, explained here - https://letsencrypt.org/2020/11/06/own-two-feet.htmlTo learn how to check your version number or to update, please visit the Google Support page here - https://support.google.com/android/answer/7680439?hl=en March 2024 Edit: Please see here for more information if you are affected in 2024 or later. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-getting-a-timeclock-server-connection-error 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: 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 Can I Provide Payslips To Employees Online? A: You can now allow employees to access their payslips themselves via our Lightning Payroll online employee portal. Below is a demo of how this can be set up. To activate payslips for an employee, go into Employees >> Details >> Online Portal and tick the box to??Allow Employee To View Their Payslips. You'll also need to activate their portal by ticking??Activate This Employee's Online Portal.?? Click Refresh Portal to save the changes. Once payslips have been 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 gets changed) a new username and password will be generated and emailed through to the employee. This will allow them to login via the portal link at the top of the email. If you'd like to add additional payslips for past periods, or remove payslips from the portal you can use the Portal Payslips Wizard found in the upper Tools menu. To begin, specify the pay run date range you'd like to manage payslips for. Next, select the employees whose payslips you'd like to manage. Only employees with active portal accounts and with payslips allowed will be visible. Select the pays you wish to add or remove to or from the server. Click Finish to save the changes. The employee will then be able to access these payslips by logging into the online employee portal on our website. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-can-i-provide-payslips-to-employees-online 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 Can't I Open Lightning Payroll? A: If you cannot open the program or receive an error such as the following '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. This solution is fairly simple and reliable however, and best of all your pay data is safe and won't go anywhere. WindowsRestart your computer first and then download and reinstall Lightning Payroll from here (Windows 8.1 and above). Download For Windows Mac OSXRestart your computer first and then download and reinstall Lightning Payroll from here (Mac OSX versions 10.14 and above). Download For Mac Supported Operating Systems If reinstalling does not fix the issue, your operating system may be outdated. For Windows users, this could result in DLL errors, while on Mac, you may experience the app icon bouncing in the dock without opening. We only support Windows 8.1+ and Mac 10.14+. If you're using an older system, you'll need to upgrade your OS to continue using the most up-to-date 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. Another Possible Windows Startup Issue - User Account Privileges Some Windows users can encounter issues when opening Lightning Payroll due to insufficient privileges on their Windows User Account. Lightning Payroll requires Administrator privileges to function fully. While uninstalling and reinstalling Lightning Payroll is a reliable fix if the program is not opening, this issue is commonly related to user rights. Simply running Lightning Payroll as Administrator may fix the issue. Please see below for info on how to run Lightning Payroll as admin. To run Lightning Payroll as administrator simply right-click the Lightning Payroll shortcut on your desktop or taskbar and then click 'Run as Administrator'. This can look a little different depending on your version of Windows, and on Windows 10 you'll have to right click the shortcut, and then also right click on Lightning Payroll within the shortcut. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-cant-i-open-lightning-payroll 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. 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: How Do I Fix a Database Error in Lightning Payroll? A: If you encounter an unexpected error when opening Lightning Payroll, it might be due to a corrupt database. Common reasons for database corruption include unexpected software shutdowns, system crashes, or hardware failures that interrupt database writing processes. Lightning Payroll automatically creates backups at crucial moments such as software closure, backup restoration, or during software upgrades. These backups are your safety net in case of database issues. To address a database error: First, download and run the Database Recovery Tool from here. Upon launching the tool, you'll see a list of all available backups stored locally on your computer. These can be found at C:\Users\{User}\AppData\Roaming\Lightning Payroll\auto_backup. The backups are displayed from the newest to the oldest. Select the backup you wish to restore by clicking on it. Click Yes to confirm your choice. Be mindful of the file size indicated next to each backup. A significantly smaller file size compared to others might indicate a corrupted database. This utility will help you restore your data to a point before the corruption occurred, allowing you to resume work without losing critical payroll information. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/how-do-i-fix-a-database-error-in-lightning-payroll 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: What If Norton Mistakenly Detects Lightning Payroll As A Threat? A: Resolving Norton False Positives for Lightning Payroll We understand that some users of Lightning Payroll may encounter an issue where Norton Antivirus incorrectly identifies our app as a security threat and removes it. This is known as a false positive, which happens when antivirus software mistakenly flags safe software as malicious. Why does this happen? Lightning Payroll is published with Extended Validation (EV) Code Signing Certificates, a high standard for verifying software authenticity. Unfortunately, despite these measures, false positives can still occur due to the heuristic methods antivirus software uses to detect threats. What have we done? We have reported this issue to Norton, and they have whitelisted our app. However, it can take several days for the updated whitelist to propagate to all users. With each update of Lightning Payroll, Norton may get mistakenly triggered again. To prevent this issue from happening in the future, we recommend manually adding Lightning Payroll's working folders to Norton's exclusion list. Steps to Add Exclusions in Norton Follow the instructions on Norton's official support page to exclude files and folders from scans: Exclude files and folders from Norton scans. Folders to Exclude %localappdata%/Lightning Payroll (C:/Users/[YourUsername]/Appdata/Local/Lightning Payroll) %localappdata%/Intellitron Pty Ltd (C:/Users/[YourUsername]/Appdata/Local/Intellitron Pty Ltd) %appdata%/Lightning Payroll (C:/Users/[YourUsername]/Appdata/Roaming/Lightning Payroll) %appdata%/ATOMAS (C:/Users/[YourUsername]/Appdata/Roaming/ATOMAS) Need Help? If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our support team. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding while we work to ensure a seamless experience. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-if-norton-mistakenly-detects-lightning-payroll-as-a-threat 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: 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 > Emails 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: 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 Has Lightning Payroll Been Quarantined By Anti-Virus? A: Understanding Anti-Virus Quarantines and Lightning Payroll At Lightning Payroll, we prioritize the security and integrity of our desktop-based payroll software, available for both Mac and Windows PCs. Despite our rigorous safety measures, including extended validation code signing and Mac notarization, some users may find Lightning Payroll mistakenly quarantined by their anti-virus software on Windows. Let's explore why this can happen, delving deeper into the reasons behind false positives and how to address them. Why Might Lightning Payroll Be Quarantined? False positives are an unfortunate but common occurrence in the world of anti-virus software, resulting in safe programs like Lightning Payroll being mistakenly identified as potential threats. The reasons for these misidentifications are multifaceted: Outdated Security Software One of the primary reasons for legitimate software being flagged is the use of outdated security software. Anti-virus programs rely on a database of known threats to identify potential risks. When this database is not regularly updated, the software may not recognize newer, secure applications as safe. This lack of recognition can lead to false positives. Regular updates to your anti-virus software ensure that it has the most current information, which is critical for both detecting real threats and avoiding misidentification of safe software like Lightning Payroll. Multiple Anti-Virus Applications Using more than one anti-virus program can create unnecessary complications, including an increased risk of false positives. When multiple security solutions are running simultaneously, they can interfere with each other's operations. This interference often manifests as one application marking the legitimate processes of another as malicious. This confusion arises because each program has its own method of identifying threats, and what one program deems safe, another may consider suspicious. Simplifying your security setup to a single, reliable anti-virus solution can reduce these conflicts and minimize the risk of false positives. How to Resolve False Positives In the event that Lightning Payroll is unjustly quarantined by your anti-virus, there are several steps you can take to resolve the issue. Firstly, ensure your security software is up to date, as this can quickly resolve many false positive issues. If the problem persists, review your anti-virus settings to add Lightning Payroll to a whitelist or exceptions list. This action tells your anti-virus software to trust and allow Lightning Payroll to operate without interference. Detailed instructions for this process are typically available in your anti-virus program's help documentation or support website. Need Further Assistance? Should you encounter difficulties with anti-virus quarantines, or if you require additional information on ensuring Lightning Payroll runs smoothly alongside your security software, our support team is ready to offer personalised assistance. We're committed to providing the guidance you need to use Lightning Payroll safely and efficiently. Contact us for support tailored to your specific situation. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-has-lightning-payroll-been-quarantined-by-anti-virus Q: Why Am I Getting An Error After Agreeing To The Update? A: If you are encountering an 'Access is denied' error like the one shown below when updating, it is caused by a false positive or false alarm in your security software. Some security applications, particularly Trend Micro or Symantec can prevent Lightning Payroll from applying updates to itself on your PC. Our updates are totally safe. We build and publish the program with the highest standard of code signing available (Extended Validation). Please ensure you keep your security software up to date. On occasion you may need to manually configure it and make an exception for Lightning Payroll to properly function. Norton users click here for instructions on unblocking Lightning Payroll, if it has been blocked. A quick, short-term fix is to temporarily disable Trend Micro then run the LP update again. You can disable Trend Micro by right-clicking the Trend Micro icon in the Windows system Tray, then untick the option which says Protection Against Viruses & Spyware. The long term fix is to follow the steps below. After agreeing to a Lightning Payroll update, you may see this notification in the lower right hand side of your screen. If you do not see the Spyware Removed notification below, you likely have Trend in Mute Mode. You can disable mute mode in the Windows system tray, by right-clicking the Trend Micro icon and unticking the Start Mute Mode icon. Click on More details... Next, highlight the infected file on the left and click Restore. Finally, confirm the restoration of the update script by clicking Yes. This will allow Lightning Payroll to update itself in future, without you having to disable Trend Micro protection. In some cases this process must be repeated a second time before the exception sticks. To continue updating Lightning Payroll you will just need to restart the software and answer yes to the update question once again. Trend should no longer prevent the update. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-getting-an-error-after-agreeing-to-the-update Q: What Does 'Failed to execute script payroll' Mean? A: If Lightning Payroll says 'Failed to execute script payroll', then the program has been reinstalled while it was still running in the background. To fix this error, please restart your computer, then reinstall the program again using the appropriate link for your computer below. Download for Windows (Supports Windows 8.1 and above) Download for Mac OSX (Supports macOS 10.14 and above) If the error persists. please try disabling your security software, then try again. If your security software is out-of-date or failing it will flag our safe installer and prevent a clean installation. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/what-does-failed-to-execute-script-payroll-mean Q: Why Am I Getting A Database Load Error? A: If you encounter an error opening the program about being 'unable to connect to the database' or 'unable to load the database' it is often fixed by following the steps below: 1) Please download and run our small utility program to tidy your Lightning Payroll data folder. It should launch your program after that. 2) If the problem continues, please try uninstalling and reinstalling the program using one of the Download Free Trial links at the top of this page. Your data is not affected by this process.3) If it still fails after this, please contact our support team. Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/faq/why-am-i-getting-a-database-load-error 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 2025.xx. If your version number is less than this and Lightning Payroll says incorrectly that You're 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 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 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 =============================================================== LATEST NEWS / RELEASE NOTES =============================================================== Source: https://www.lightningpayroll.com.au/latest-news ## 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 ===============================================================