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Safe Gateways: Dealing with Government Bodies in the modern digital age – the ATO, Single Touch Payroll (STP) and the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM)

Caroline Mulroney - 10 Apr 2024

In our modern age, it is close to impossible to avoid being online, especially when operating a business.  The ATO and other government services such as Medicare and Centrelink have been transitioning to the internet for the past decade, from: finding information on websites; to Portal access of services; to Electronic-File-Transfers of crucial information.

 

How can you safely communicate with Government Services?

 

LD-Payroll and other modern payroll software, have electronic protocols for submitting the pay record to the ATO; this is called Single Touch Payroll (STP).  The people within an organisation handling this data require credentials to initiate and authorise uploads of sensitive information.  To create these credentials, the ATO makes available the Relationship Authorisation Manger (RAM).  The RAM communicates with these authorised people, to ensure credentials remain up-to-date.

 

In March 2021, we published: Dealing with Government Bodies in the modern digital age - The ATO and the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to assist our readers to identify a scam and how to deal with government services more safely.

 

For many businesses, their main need for credentials and therefore, the need to interact with RAMS is STP.  To further assist our users LD-Payroll has a utility for renewing your Credentials. (Available to assist you since October 2022.) It monitors the expiry date for you and starts to alert you as the date comes closer.  When you are ready to renew, a few mouse clicks within LD-Payroll and your Credentials are extended for another year.  All done safely and securely with the STP protocols.

 

How can we help you navigate this modern electronic age? Contact us today to see how we can help you make your payroll process better!