FAQ

Q1. Just a question as some of your products will prove interesting, but the clients I have are split 50/50 using both MYOB & Quickbooks. Are your products solely designed for MYOB or QuickBooks and not both?

With regards to your questions, all products can be used on both MYOB and QuickBooks - to varying degrees. For example:

TPAR Generator - Will load data directly only from MYOB. This will save MYOB uses plenty of time as the information required for the TPAR cannot be readily found in any Report.

Even if a user has a MYOB version that supports TPAR reporting (AR 19.7 or 19.8), MYOB only generates a report which the user must transcibe manually on to the ATO forms and post the forms to the ATO - there is no support for electronic lodgment.
Update - AR 19.9 provides full support for TPAR.

TPAR Generator will also import data via a spreadsheet from any source, including QuickBooks. For example a user can export a report from their accounting software to excel and then sort and calculate each payee's totals etc. Most software can export address details etc as well. This info can be assembled in the specified format (column order etc - full details in Help) and them imported to TPAR Generator for generating the file for lodgment and PDF advices for contractors. So a bit more work if not using MYOB (this work would have to be done if lodging manually anyway), but still much easier than manually entering all the details on to ATO forms.

Additionally data can be manually entered from other records, even shoebox receipts.

EMPDUPE Maker - A user can use MYOB or QuickBooks (or any other software) to generate the original empdupe file during the Payment Summary process. If using an older version this empdupe file will be non-compliant. EMPDUPE Maker will open this file and allow you to enter the extra details (such as RESC and RFBT) and then create a compliant empdupe file and payment summaries.

Updated Tax Tables - link has tax tables for MYOB as well as QuickBooks.

Super on Payslips - our website has step by step instructions for both MYOB and QuickBooks. There are however more options for MYOB users.

Q2. Accounting packages like MYOB & Quick Books force users to renew licences every 12 months - by having expiry dates in their software. How do you get around this problem with your 3rd party solutions?

I'm not sure how QuickBooks licensing works, but I know the MYOB system. Its not so much that they force you to renew your licence, more that they won't provide things like tax tables cheaply each year, forcing people to take out Cover to get a new version with the updated PAYG rates.

Their licensing is based around the company file. Every company file you create must be first be Activated and then periodically (every 4-9 months) Confirmed. Each time the file is Confirmed a new expiry date is set, requiring Confirmation again at that time.

This process checks that the MYOB product you are using to Confirm the file, is the same product as you have purchased from them. Say I buy AccountRight Plus 19, they issue me with a serial number registered to me and their records note I am using AR Plus v19. If I later get hold of and keep using say a copy of Enterprise v19 (instead of Plus), when I go to Confirm my company file (which still has the same serial number encoded in it), MYOB notes I am using Enterprise instead of Plus and the Confirmation fails. If I try the same Confirmation using AccountRight Plus v19, it will work and I can continue to use my file.

Fortunately, company file Activation and Confirmation is NOT linked to Cover subscription and having version upgrades. That is part of the licence agreement each user has with MYOB. They will continue to Activate and Confirm my Plus 19 company file while I have my Plus 19 licence. I personally have never had Cover and yet have been Confirming my files for years. BTW I am still using Plus v17. I have been using tax tables from FGH Tables for 3 years now.

Our Products

Our products are stand alone products, in that they do not integrate with the MYOB or QuickBooks applications. They run completely separately.

TPAR Generator - Will load data directly from a client's MYOB company file. It does not open the file or affect the Confirmation process. No changes are made to the file. TPAR Generator simply reads the relevant sections in the file and loads the data into its memory.

TPAR Generator will also import data from any source, such as QuickBooks. The user must assemble the data, for example by exporting a report from their accounting software. The data will need to be sorted, summed etc and then assembled in the specified format (column order etc - full details in Help) and is them imported to TPAR Generator for generating the file for lodgment and PDF advices for contractors.

Whether a user has MYOB or QuickBooks, there is no impact on the licensing arrangement, or the Confirmation process.

EMPDUPE Maker - This program does not access the MYOB company file at all, only the empdupe file that MYOB generates during the Payment Summary process. A user can use MYOB or QuickBooks (or any other software) to generate the original empdupe file. If using an older version this file will be non-compliant. EMPDUPE Maker will open this file and allow you to enter the extra details (such as RESC and RFBT) and then create a compliant empdupe file and payment summaries.

Updated Tax Tables - This is a product from FGHTables who have tax tables for MYOB as well as QuickBooks. The tax tables come in a separate file.

For QuickBooks you simply copy that file to a specific location and QuickBooks uses it when calculating PAYG. There is no impact on licence issues. No changes are made to the program or the company file.

MYOB on the other hand loads tax tables from a file into your company file. When you get a Compliance Update under their Cover program, apart from changing version numbers on some screens, the only thing you usually get is a new tax table file. That's why even after installing the Compliance Update, you need to run the Setup, Load Tax Tables function to get updated tax tables. FGHTables simply provides you with the new tax table file which you load the same way you would a tax table file provided by MYOB as part of the Compliance Update. There is no impact on file Confirmation or your licence arrangement. Unfortunately Accounting Software suppliers like MYOB and QuickBooks have been using tax table changes as a means of "forcing" users to upgrade. Most users do not understand the whole Activation/Confirmation deal and think they must continue to have Cover etc to ensure continued access to their company file - this is simply not the case. Some companies are very careful with their marketing wording to ensure the users feels they MUST upgrade.

Super on Payslips - our website has step by step instructions for both MYOB and QuickBooks. No changes are made to the application or company file and there is no impact on licence/confirmation etc. The Payslip changes are made using inbuilt features in each application.

Q3. SuperStream - When does it affect Employers?

SuperStream (See ATO) was to apply to Medium and Large Employers (with 20 or more employees) from 1 July 2014 and Small Employers (with less than 20 employees) from 1 July 2015.

On 27 May 2014, the ATO advised developers that following discussions with the Super industry, more flexibility has been adopted with the implementation of SuperStream. While Employers and Super funds can start from 1 July 2014, the implementation deadline has been extended by 12 months. This means Medium and Large Employers with 20 or more employees are not required to use the new arrangements until 1 July 2015 and Small Employers from 1 July 2016.

Q4. What are the changes to the ATO lodgment arrangements?

The ATO have advised they are progressively removing some lodgment options in favor of others. These changes affect mainly EMPDUPE, TPAR and TFN Declaration files.

Media (CD USB)
The ATO have advised they will be writing to Suppliers/Payers who have posted EMPDUPE and TPAR files to the ATO using electronic media (such as a CD or a USB flashdrive) in the past, that this option will no longer be available. All such files will need to be lodged on-line using the File Transfer function on the Business Portal, Tax Agent or BAS Agent Portals. Clients can also lodge using Standard Business Reporting (SBR) if their software is SBR enabled.

Electronic Commerce Interface (ECI)
The ATO has also advised they will be writing to Suppliers/Payers who use ECI to lodge their files, that this service is also to be shut down progressively. User of ECI will be advised to lodge using the File Transfer function on the Business Portal OR using Standard Business Reporting (SBR) if their software is SBR enabled.

Q5. Trouble Downloading from our website?

See this link here.