Under the ATO's STP Phase 2 reporting rules, all gross earnings must be disaggregated — meaning the system reports each component of pay separately rather than as one combined gross figure. Components include ordinary time, paid leave, overtime, bonuses, and termination payments.

The key distinction to understand is that unused leave paid on termination is not reported as ordinary time earnings (OTE). Instead, it is classified under its own reporting type.

The table below shows how each payment type is classified under STP Phase 2:

For more information, see ATO – Disaggregation of Gross.

The ATO requires that PAYG withholding for unused leave on termination be calculated on the full gross amount of that payment, without reduction from any pre-tax deductions (including salary sacrifice).

In the system:

• Salary sacrifice deductions are configured to reduce taxable income for ordinary earnings only.
• Termination leave payouts are excluded from this logic, as they are separately classified under "Paid Leave Type U."

If a salary sacrifice deduction is applied to a termination payment:

1. The deduction reduces the reported taxable amount incorrectly.
2. The STP file shows a lower YTD gross than expected for that pay category.
3. When the ATO cross-checks all disaggregated components, it identifies that the "aggregated gross" figure is less than the sum of its parts — triggering the error.

This is not a system bug — it is a compliance requirement. Salary sacrifice can only apply to ordinary earnings streams, not termination components. When applied to ineligible payment types, the system cannot reconcile the totals against ATO schemas, resulting in a negative derived gross YTD value.

For further reference, see:

• ATO – Salary Sacrificing for Employees
• ATO – Tax Table for Unused Leave Payments on Termination (Schedule 7)

An employee has a salary sacrifice arrangement in place and is terminated with unused annual leave.

If salary sacrifice incorrectly applies to the $2,000 unused leave, the STP YTD "aggregated gross" reduces below the total of individual categories. The ATO validation then detects a negative derived amount and rejects the event.

1. Review the Pay Run Deduction and ensure the salary sacrifice category is not more than the Normal Time Earnings for that pay run.
2. Recalculate the pay run without applying salary sacrifice to the termination component.
3. Regenerate and lodge the STP event. The error will clear once reporting aligns with ATO disaggregation requirements.

1. Create an Ad-hoc Pay Run for the same Pay Period and Paid Date.
2. Add the employee into the pay run and terminate the employee again.
3. Click Actions > Add Deduction and enter a minus deduction amount for Salary Sacrifice to reverse the incorrect amount.

If superannuation has already been paid, the customer will need to follow up directly with the super fund. Each fund has its own process for returning contributions, but generally they may return contributions if:

• The payment was genuinely made in error.
• You supply supporting documentation (pay runs, payroll reports, explanation of error).
• The request is made within a reasonable timeframe.