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AU Payroll | Lock ABN in Organisation settings once STP filed

I would like Xero to automatically lock the ABN on a client's file after the first STP event has been lodged. This will prevent clients changing the ABN when they change the entity's structure and reporting STP incorrectly across two ABNs. Undoing this mess is a nightmare.

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Kate Underhill shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
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under review  ·  AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded  · 

Thanks for your feedback so far, everyone.
We're currently looking at ways we could help fix double counting for issues at the ATO that have been made due to changes made to an organisation's ABN/Branch number and it'd be great to get input and further feedback from some of you here to help us understand and solve these issues. 

📝If you're interested in participating in this research and would be available to connect (this week) on 24th or 25th November 2022 - Please click through and complete this short survey. Thanks 🙂

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  • Janette Wheatley commented  ·   ·  Report

    It would also help for reporting purposed; especially to Govt departments; if the ABN printed on Payroll Activity reports etc.

    Actually it wouldn't hurt for it to print as part of all Xero reports by default.
    As part of the report header information.

  • ALISON GILBERT commented  ·   ·  Report

    Lock ABN & Company type. New ABN, new file. It’s a headache for Bookkeepers & Accountants.

  • Edward Henry FIPA FFA commented  ·   ·  Report

    Each ABN is a separate legal entity so can only belong to one Xero file.
    Both the ABN and legal entity type (eg sole trader, partnership, company) belong exclusively to each other and should be represented by separate Xero files and once set up not be allowed to change to prevent client disaster.

  • Cassandra Ferris commented  ·   ·  Report

    This is a critical change to ensure that clients do not use the same file for different entities.

  • Andrew Syme commented  ·   ·  Report

    BUT, it would help if we could CLONE the current setup of a file into a new File.

  • Tori van der Donk commented  ·   ·  Report

    Having had the experience of trying to fix and relodge STP finalisation for a client who went ahead and changed ABN and then continued filing payroll under new ABN, this is very important. It was a very painful and fiddly process to fix this in the small window between payruns. I hope never to do this again, no matter how much the client pays me.

  • Michele Grisdale commented  ·   ·  Report

    Love this! So many small businesses come to me after having done this and it is a mess!

  • Edward Henry FIPA FFA commented  ·   ·  Report

    I believe this is critical. There have been so many questions about needing to start a new file for a new entity. This will lock it in. With the new STP2 requirements it would be a nightmare to fix when a client does the wrong thing.
    I don’t believe it would be difficult to program.

  • Cassandra Scott commented  ·   ·  Report

    This is going to become a far bigger issue with the expansion of STP2 - anything that can be done to mitigate payroll errors is highly valuable. While payroll reporting is one of the issues compromised if an ABN changes in a file, there are other issues that can occur as well. Best practice drives a single ABN to a single Xero file. Trying to manipulate a Xero file across 2 ABNs is fraught, and false economy