FAQs

Your business or church payroll can be complicated and time-consuming. Getting it wrong or paying staff late can be difficult for the team, and potentially lead you into unexpected backlogs or corrections.

Plus, the legal requirements of your superannuation, tax, leave loadings, termination payments etc. are often complex.

And if you only have one person in your organisation who knows how the payroll system works, there’s the added pressure for you if they go on holidays, become ill or leave.

Key to you having a good payroll system is ensuring that you are set up and configured correctly. There are multiple elements to this, and we take care of each one for you according to your needs:

• creating your correct payroll calendars, cycles and procedures
• setting up the payroll components of your general ledger to give you the tracking and information you need
• mapping your default payroll accounts correctly
• setting up all your pay items (with the correct configurations of PAYG, superannuation, and BAS reporting) to support your payroll structure
• setting up your leave items (e.g. annual leave, personal leave, long service leave) to match with your local leave management preferences
• superannuation funds set up for your system
• adding in Auto-Super to your set up
• setting up and reviewing your Single Touch Payroll

Getting your payroll setup right allows you to breathe a bit easier, knowing that all these elements have been looked at and accurately recorded for you.

You’ll also be able to enjoy the extra peace of mind that this can bring to your employees, and a reduction in the amount of enquires and follow-ups that you may have been dealing with.

And of course, becoming and staying compliant with ATO requirements helps avoid potential penalties, fines and legal issues.

Growing your team is an exciting time, and having your new person set up correctly in your payroll system is a key part of their onboarding process.

There are some crucial elements to make sure each of your employees is set up accurately.

First, you need your new employee to have the correct forms to fill out. We provide you with standard versions of these forms for you to freely use, so that you can:

• Obtain your employee’s details
• Obtain your employee’s Tax File Number information
• Obtain your employee’s Superannuation Fund information
• Advise your employee of obligatory Fair Work information

Then we set up these details for your new employees in your payroll system:

• Employee details and contact information
• Employee pay cycle
• Taxation and employment basis
• Leave accruals and balances
• Employee bank account(s) for net pays
• Standard pay template
• Superannuation accruals

Once set up, your new employee will be ready to be included in your next pay run, with everything in place.

This helps you to avoid difficult and expensive backlogs and corrections to your employee records, especially when these may result in you issuing incorrect payments or having incorrect accrual of your employee entitlements.

Thinking about your business, we believe there are four things that your whole team will appreciate when it comes to your regular pay run:

• having your pay run done accurately
• paying your team on time
• following up issues quickly for you
• keeping good payroll records for you

And these are the key things we want you to experience with your pay run processing.

Here are various aspects of your regular pay run that we can look after for you to make this happen:

• process your regular pay run in your payroll system each period
• where available, upload your net payroll payments to your online banking for your authorisation
• record and review, as relevant, your leave transactions (Annual Leave, Personal/Carers Leave, Long Service Leave, Other Leave)
• review and update any salary sacrifice arrangements you may have
• process your time sheets (if you use these)
• process irregular or corrective pay runs for you
• issue pay slips to your employees for each of your pay runs
• ensure that your PAYG liabilities are calculated and recorded
• ensure that your Superannuation liabilities are calculated and recorded
• file your Single Touch Payroll (STP) obligations

From time to time, you may be wanting information about your historical payroll. By using great systems for you, we have this readily available and can produce for you a wide variety of payroll reports that you may need. This is particularly helpful when one of your team makes an enquiry about their pay – and you’ll be glad that you have everything sorted.

Further, having your regular payroll up to date will really help you and your employees out at the end of the financial year. Your employees will have their Single Touch Payroll (STP) information ready for them promptly and they won’t have to chase you for it when they are ready to lodge their personal tax returns.

Your payroll system doesn’t always keep track of everything you’d like it to. Sometimes there are important things you need to monitor, as they affect what happens in your regular pay run. Things like:

• when there are changes to award rates
• when junior employees have a birthday and their rate changes
• when an employee has a work anniversary and moves to a different pay level
• when an employee crosses and age/hours threshold to become eligible for superannuation

These things can easily slip out of mind, potentially resulting in inaccurate pays.

So, what you may find helpful is having a process put in place where we keep an eye on these for you and apply the updates that you need, to help you minimize unexpected issues and backpays.

When your superannuation is done well, it can be a smooth part of your normal operations. But when left unattended, it can cause you major issues – not only for your employees and the ATO but also with your paperwork and cash flow.

With our experienced bookkeeping and payroll team looking after your superannuation for you, we can take care of all of these aspects:

• ensuring that the superannuation owed to your employees each pay run is correctly recorded and accrued in your accounting software
• keeping track of the dates and periods that your superannuation is due
• preparing your superannuation remittance
• checking that the payment you are making reconciles with what you owe
• have a streamlined system where you are lodging and paying your superannuation easily and on-time

With this up to date, you won’t have to worry about a massive superannuation debt (and potential additional charges from the ATO) building up without you knowing it.

As you may know, Single Touch Payroll, introduced by the ATO, requires Australian employers (like you) to submit payroll details each time there is a “pay event” (e.g. a regular pay run).

This is an important aspect of your compliance which, and you may find that it brings you greater peace of mind having these aspects done for you:

• registering you for STP under our Agent authority with the ATO (if you have not already registered)
• setting up the background procedure for your regular STP lodgement
• including your STP reporting after each pay event
• setting up your annual STP final filing schedule
• preparing your annual STP for lodgement to the ATO

This is one your reporting aspects that’s important, and that you’ll be glad is kept up to date for you, avoiding you having possible difficulties with the ATO in this area.

Another important aspect of your Single Touch Payroll is to ensure that we have the proper authority on file for us to act on your behalf.

Generally, this authority must be updated with you on an annual basis as a minimum.

To keep this up to date for you, we will:

• monitor when your STP authority is due to be renewed
• prepare and send the authority to you for your sign-off
• keep a secure copy of this authority on file for you

We track this requirement, so you don’t have to worry about when it’s due or what to do, you can simply follow our lead in getting this done for you.

It’s important to get the distinction between employees and contractors right, because each category can have different obligations for tax, super, and reporting.

Our team can assist by:

• reviewing your existing worker arrangements for ATO classification
• helping you identify any risks or obligations you may not have considered
• setting up separate payroll or payment processes for employees and contractors
• ensuring your systems reflect correct accruals, PAYG, super, and STP

This helps avoid accidental non-compliance, and gives you greater confidence that your payments are being made and recorded correctly.

Employee departures often come with some added complexity on the payroll side — especially when termination payments involve unused leave, notice periods, redundancy, or specific tax considerations.

We can walk alongside you through this process by:

• helping you check and confirm the relevant entitlements
  • assisting with preparing and processing the final pay
  • supporting correct handling of tax and superannuation components
  • guiding you through Single Touch Payroll (STP) finalisation for that employee
  • showing you how to record it properly in your system

Our aim is to help you approach the situation with clarity and care — so that the process feels fair and well-managed, both for your organisation and the departing team member. We’re here to help you handle it steadily and with confidence, at whatever level of support you need.

Allowances (e.g. travel or tools) and reimbursements (e.g. expenses paid by employees) often need special treatment in payroll to ensure the right outcome for tax, super, and reporting.

We can:

• clarify whether an item is an allowance or reimbursement
• configure your payroll system to handle it correctly
• track and report these items in your payroll summaries and STP
• keep clear records to support your reporting and audit trail

Correct handling helps you stay compliant while making sure your team is properly reimbursed.

Mistakes can happen — but it’s important to fix underpayments quickly and accurately to minimise the impact.

Our team can:

• help you identify and confirm the underpayment
• process a corrective pay run
• update entitlements (leave, super, PAYG) as needed
• provide clear records and communication for your employee

By acting swiftly and clearly, you can maintain trust with your employees and get back on track with your obligations.

Yes — casual employees are covered by different rules compared to permanent staff, and it’s important to reflect these correctly in your payroll setup. Things like casual loading, leave accrual, and notice periods can vary depending on the award, contract, and length of service.

We can support you by:
• helping configure pay items that include casual loading (e.g. 25%)
• checking that leave settings align with the employee’s entitlements
• supporting shift- and timesheet-based pay tracking
• helping monitor hours and service duration in case of long service leave or conversion requirements under applicable awards

Getting these settings right helps create a fair and accurate process — and reduces stress when it comes to reporting, audits, or staff transitions. We’re happy to work with you to find the right fit for your setup and obligations.

Pay changes can come up for a number of reasons — promotions, updated awards, additional qualifications, service anniversaries, or age-related milestones.

We can help you handle the adjustment smoothly by:
• guiding you through updating the new rate in your payroll system
• checking the date the change should take effect
• reviewing whether any accruals or loadings need to be adjusted going forward
• supporting clear record-keeping and payslip communication

Our aim is to help make the transition straightforward, so both your records and your employee’s experience stay clear and consistent. Whether it’s a one-off change or part of a broader review, we’re here to support you through it.

If your organisation falls under a Modern Award, it may affect how you manage certain payroll obligations — including pay rates, classifications, overtime, penalty rates, and allowances.

Understanding which Award (or Awards) apply can feel a little complex at first, especially if you’re a church, charity, or small business where roles don’t always fit neatly into standard categories.

We can support you by:
• helping you identify which Award(s) might be relevant
• reviewing your current setup and highlighting any gaps or areas to consider
• assisting with system configuration to reflect Award-based conditions
• helping to keep you informed about changes that may affect your obligations

It’s all about helping you build a payroll approach that’s practical, fair, and aligned with the requirements that apply to your team.

It’s not uncommon for employees to ask for their pay to be split across multiple bank accounts — for example, sending part of their pay to a mortgage or savings account, and the rest to their everyday spending account. It’s a helpful way for them to manage their finances, and many payroll systems are set up to support this.

We can assist by:
• entering and updating multiple bank account details in your payroll system
• applying any fixed or percentage-based splits as requested by the employee
• checking that the setup is working as intended each pay cycle
• adjusting the arrangement if the employee’s preferences change

Offering this flexibility can be a simple way to support your team without adding unnecessary complexity to your process. We’re happy to help you put a structure in place that makes this easy to manage and keeps everything running smoothly in the background.

It can be quite common in churches, charities, and businesses for one person to wear multiple hats. A team member might be working across different departments, ministries, projects or funding streams, and it often makes sense to reflect that in how their wages are allocated.

We can support this in a way that’s simple to manage and aligned with your structure. That might include:
• setting up tracking categories, jobs, or cost centres in your accounting or payroll system
• allocating wages proportionally across different roles, projects, or funding sources
• helping you track time where needed to support more accurate splits
• generating internal reports that show how staffing costs are distributed across your organisation

This kind of setup can be really valuable — not only for internal clarity but also for reporting to boards, funders, or external stakeholders. It’s about making sure your financial records reflect the real work that’s happening, without adding unnecessary complexity. We’re happy to talk through the best way to do this based on your structure and priorities.

Yes — many teams rely on timesheets, especially where hours vary from week to week. We’re able to work with a range of approaches, whether you’re using a manual paper format, spreadsheets, or an online system.

We can assist by:
• working with the process you already have in place, or exploring options if you’re considering a new setup
• preparing payroll based on approved timesheet entries
• flagging any inconsistencies or missing information for review
• helping to reflect relevant allowances, loadings, or leave based on timesheet data

For organisations with casual or flexible staffing, a clear and workable timesheet process can make a meaningful difference. We’ll look to support what’s already working well, and help shape a process that’s reliable, manageable, and suited to your team.

Yes, we regularly support organisations with part-time employees, and we understand there can be a few extra layers to consider — especially when it comes to payroll setup and day-to-day processes.

Part-time roles often include agreed hours and patterns of work, pro-rata leave accruals, and may be subject to specific Award requirements such as minimum shift lengths or classification levels. Getting these details right can help your records reflect the reality of how your team operates, and may also reduce the risk of misunderstandings or inconsistent treatment over time.

We’re happy to work alongside you to:
• note down the employee’s part-time basis in your system, including hours or days
• assist with calculating entitlements like leave and super based on that setup
• help you stay attentive to relevant changes — such as updated Awards or anniversary milestones — that might affect how things are recorded or processed

There’s no single right way to handle part-time arrangements — the key is having a setup that reflects your context clearly and can adapt if the role evolves. We’re here to help you think that through and keep the system practical and sustainable over time.

You may have encountered a situation where a staff member requests leave before they’ve fully accrued the entitlement — whether it’s for a family event, personal reasons, or a long-planned trip. In these situations, you may choose to approve leave in advance. That’s entirely your call — but it’s important to manage the recording of that leave carefully to avoid confusion or issues later on.

We can help you navigate this by working with you to:
• record leave taken in advance in a way that’s clear and traceable within your payroll system
• keep track of the balance so it’s easy to see when it returns to positive through future accruals
• include internal notes or flags, especially if this may affect end-of-year reporting or a potential termination payout
• set up reporting that gives you visibility over negative balances across the team, so you can monitor patterns or respond if anything unexpected arises

Every organisation may handle this a little differently — some choose to allow leave in advance informally, others prefer to cap or approve it case-by-case. We’re not here to dictate how you manage your team, but to support the process you decide is best. Our goal is to make sure your system can reflect those decisions accurately and help you stay confident in the records over time.

Long Service Leave (LSL) can be one of the more confusing parts of payroll, especially for organisations with long-standing staff or those operating across state lines. The rules can vary not only by state but also by sector — and the conditions for when LSL starts to accrue, when it becomes payable, or how it’s treated on termination can all differ.

In Australia, here’s a general picture:

• New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland each have their own specific state-based LSL legislation.
• Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory follow different approaches again, often including industry-specific nuances.
• Certain sectors — like building and construction — are covered by separate portable long service leave schemes that apply nationally or across multiple states.
• Churches and not-for-profits can have additional internal policies, centralised schemes or awards that influence how LSL is recognised and paid.

Because of this complexity, it’s understandable to feel uncertain about whether you’re tracking it correctly — or even whether you need to track it yet.

We can support you with this in a few helpful ways, depending on your needs:
• setting up long service leave accruals in your system based on your state or industry rules
• keeping track of milestone periods (e.g. 5, 7, or 10 years, depending on location and contract)
• building in alerts, notes, or regular reviews so that LSL doesn’t sneak up on you unexpectedly
• helping you prepare for a payout, transfer, or audit scenario, especially if an employee moves on or a funding review is required
• generating clear LSL liability reports, so your leadership team or board can see future entitlements at a glance

We understand that for many smaller organisations — including churches, charities, and community-based teams — LSL may not have been front of mind until a staff member reaches a key anniversary or prepares to leave.

We’re here to walk alongside you and help make sense of what applies to your context, and how best to approach it — whether that’s reviewing what’s been done so far, or setting up a system that works going forward.

Falling behind on payroll can bring a real sense of pressure. There might be missed pay runs, outstanding PAYG reporting, unprocessed leave, or superannuation that hasn’t been lodged. In some cases, the software file may have gaps or inconsistencies that make it hard to see what’s been done and what hasn’t.

It’s not always straightforward — and the longer it’s been, the harder it can be to know where to start. But it is possible to make progress. We can step in to help you:

• review the current state of your payroll and flag key areas needing attention
• identify any missing pay runs or entitlements and prepare a clear plan to fill the gaps
• carefully reconstruct past data where needed, using source documents and reports
• check that PAYG, super, and STP obligations are accounted for and help bring them up to date
• support you in making any necessary adjustments or corrections in a structured and well-documented way
• provide guidance to help your payroll systems run more smoothly in the future

The goal isn’t just to “fix” things — it’s to bring clarity, accuracy, and confidence back into your payroll process, while respecting your existing systems and staff. We’ll work with you steadily and respectfully to get things back on track.

Yes — we’re very familiar with the unique structures and considerations that often come with ministry payroll. Churches and ministry organisations often have payroll needs that don’t follow a standard employment model, and we understand that these arrangements are shaped by theology, practice, and compliance obligations all at once.

This might include:

• Stipend-style arrangements which may not follow standard wage structures and often involve a broader understanding of support rather than hourly remuneration
• Exempt fringe benefits where allowances or support (such as housing or ministry-related expenses) are provided within ATO-exempt categories
• Housing support or manse arrangements which may require special treatment for tracking, reporting, and clarity in financial oversight
• Multiple role combinations where one person holds different responsibilities (e.g. ministry, admin, or project-based work) that need separate tracking or costing
• Non-standard employment models such as part-time, irregular, or dual-income roles that don’t fit neatly into basic payroll settings
• Role-specific benefits or allowances like book budgets, travel expenses, or training funds, which may be reimbursed or allocated in unique ways
• Alignment with broader governance structures including denominational, network, or board-level policies that may add an extra layer of payroll or reporting requirements

We can work with you to set up these arrangements clearly and carefully in your payroll system — and to maintain the appropriate records to support audit trails, Single Touch Payroll (STP), tax compliance, and annual reporting.

If you’re just getting started, we can talk through the different components of a minister’s package and help translate that into a clean, workable structure within your chosen payroll software. If you’re already midstream, we can help review and refine your current setup, making sure it aligns with both your intent and your obligations.

Throughout the process, we aim to be respectful of the unique nature of ministry roles, and sensitive to how payroll intersects with the wider pastoral and financial life of your church. We’re here to offer clarity, structure, and gentle guidance — and to help you manage these responsibilities in a way that supports your ministry and strengthens your governance.

Shifting to a new payroll system can be a smart move — especially if your current platform no longer suits your needs, or if you’re consolidating systems across bookkeeping, payroll, and reporting. But transitions like this also come with a mix of moving parts and timing considerations that need to be handled with care.

We can assist with:

• reviewing how your current system is set up, and discussing what’s working well and what you’d like to improve
• helping you prepare and export key payroll data, including employee details, historical pays, entitlements, and leave balances
• guiding you through system configuration in the new platform — whether it’s Xero, KeyPay, Employment Hero, MYOB, or another option — so that it reflects your team structure and payroll needs
• supporting the migration of employees and setting up pay items, categories, and superannuation details with clarity
• optionally running parallel or test pay runs, so you can verify that things are functioning as expected before going fully live
• discussing the timing of the transition to avoid disruption — for example, planning around end-of-month or quarterly reporting, or avoiding overlap with leave periods or major events

Every setup is a little different, and we’ll work with you to map out a pathway that aligns with your workflow, systems, and team rhythms. Whether you want full support or just a sounding board as you go, we can work alongside you to make the transition as smooth and manageable as possible.

Yes — organisations may find that preparing payroll figures for workers compensation can feel a little unclear, especially when insurers request breakdowns that don’t always match standard reports. We’re familiar with the kinds of information typically needed and can work with you to support a smooth preparation process.

This might include:

• clarifying which types of payments are included or excluded under your particular state scheme or insurer’s guidelines
• reviewing your payroll setup to help make sure wage categories are aligned with how your insurer groups and defines different roles or earnings
• producing tailored reports that reflect the time period and categories required — such as ordinary wages, allowances, overtime, and superannuation
• identifying any separate treatment needed for different staff groups, like clerical vs manual workers, if your organisation includes a mix of roles
• helping you prepare the necessary figures in good time, so you can complete your insurer’s annual declaration without last-minute stress

While each insurer has their own approach, a bit of preparation and clarity in your payroll records can make the whole process more manageable — and reduce the chance of issues with coverage or premiums down the line. We’re happy to help you work through what’s needed at your end.

Yes — many organisations we work with choose to outsource their payroll processing, while still retaining full visibility and control over the final authorisation. This kind of shared model allows you to stay informed and in charge of approvals, without needing to manage the detailed technical steps each pay cycle.

If this approach fits your needs, we can help shape a process that works with your structure and internal flow. This might include:

• preparing the full pay run — including wages, leave, superannuation, and any relevant adjustments — and sharing it with you in a simple summary for review
• highlighting anything that might need your input, such as timesheet questions, leave approvals, or unusual items
• giving you clear, easy-to-follow steps to authorise the pay run before anything is processed
• taking care of the system updates, reporting, and payment file generation once you’ve approved the figures
• supporting you with any extra steps, such as super payments, payroll tax calculations, or year-end summaries, depending on your preferences

Once the pay run is finalised, we’ll provide everything ready for you to authorise in your online banking system. This means you retain direct control over payments, in line with your internal authorisation processes and financial governance.

It’s a flexible and respectful model that can reduce admin pressure, support internal accountability, and evolve as your organisation grows.