Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place.
Wondering if you are, or would know of, a php developer that can help us with Single Touch Payroll compliance? I'm guessing the API is available from the ATO website somewhere.
Our payroll system is custom made in php (Yii framework) - our payroll situations are simple, no need for a fully developed system that can handle strange things like FTB / wine equalisation tax etc etc, just bog standard PAYG withheld, SG guarantee, etc.
Thank you!
Where are you based? What's contract terms? Work fully spec'ed, or still in design stage?
Maybe able help. Had dabbled with PhalconPHP instead of Yii, though.
Withdrawn. Mods please delete. UK-US just strike Syria.
I hope everything is ok
Have you signed up for the API yet?
Not sure - do you know the process? I looked briefly but the info on the ATO website was too technical.
I looked into that site and they're for-profit? what do they even do, repackage the API into something simpler and sell it? On this page https://singletouch.com.au/single_touch_for_software_provide… it says "After the initial free trial period for employers, they will pay Single Touch directly for each reporting activity. The service is free for employers until July 1, 2018."
As a web developer, I always tell clients not to spend money unnecessarily. They'll spend $200 for a developer to create a basic custom wordpress plugin that does 10% of what an existing $50 off-the-shelf solution already does well. And a year later realise there's no such thing as a one-off job. Even if the website stays the same, the APIs might not… Of course there are situations where a custom solution is ideal.
But I'm ignorant about payroll. For a simple system that supports Single Touch, wouldn't it be cheaper, more reliable and more future-proof to just use Reckon or some other supported service than to pay someone to update your custom solution and then pay a third party on an ongoing basis anyway?
Yes I've experienced this before firsthand, but I find API changes are far and few in between, e.g. we use CBA's payment gateway called bpoint and they recently changed something minor, first change in 2 years since our initial setup, took our dev all of 10mins to make a minor change and we're good to go again.
The main motivation is to prevent double data entry - an ongoing laborious effort. Currently we have an all inclusive portal that handles the customer's login area, as well as our invoicing, payslips and everything. If I pay Reckon or Quickbooks, my staff would have to enter payslip data twice each payment period. The ongoing cost of that makes me rather look for an API based solution.
I agree with the double-entry issue. I would use QuickBooks or whatever for everything (customer login, invoicing, payslips etc). But I've never used them so maybe I'm overestimating their usefulness and underestimating the cost. That would require migration, re-training and website modifications regardless. And you may have other tied in features you haven't mentioned (though if starting from scratch, you would use their APIs I suppose).
The third-party service you're interested in is 10 cents per submission, so it's not too bad compared to the average payslip. From an OzBargainer's perspective, still annoying though for such a limited feature.
Thanks for the insight, 10c per submission isnt too bad, is getting it directly from the ATO that much of a hassle? or do they not give out the API at all to the public?
Apparently getting your server whitelisted and passing conformance testing can take a while from I've read.
it's probably worth integrating with Xero/Reckon or Quickbooks and let them handle the SingleTouchpayroll…
hey OP, sent you a private message.
Thanks mate
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