Resolving Common STP Lodgement Issues

This article describes how to resolve several of the common issues identified that cause an STP event lodgement to fail.

Quick access table:

Error: CMN.ATO.PAYEVNT.EM92172, We were unable to process your submission because we already have a submission with this submission ID

This message indicates that the ATO has already received the event and that it has been lodged multiple times. This may have occurred because there was an issue processing the response the first time and so an attempt at lodgement was made again. If you are trying to submit an original pay event to make a correction, try submitting it as an update event instead. Alternatively, contact your relevant payroll support personnel and quote the pay event ID.

Error: CMN.ATO.GEN.200001, This error is often due to a timeout within the ATO system. 

This message indicates that there has been a timeout within the ATO system. It is recommended that the user attempt the request again. If the issue persists, contact the ATO quoting this error code to resolve any issues.

Error: CMN.ATO.AUTH.008, You are not authorised to submit this lodgement on behalf of the client. 

If you are a registered tax/BAS Agent

The error is basically stating that the tax/BAS agent is not 'connected' with the business. This cannot be rectified within the payroll system. Rather it requires logging into Access Manager or the Tax/BAS Agent Portal to ensure the business is listed as a client and the agent has the sufficient permissions for that business to undertake the lodgement of STP. The ATO prescribes several methods of rectifying this:

• Link the business to your registered agent number, using the client update service or the portal. In some instances, it may take overnight to process your request;
• If the link already exists, the business may be restricted in Access Manager. Log into Access Manager to update the settings. You will need an Authorisation administrator to make changes to allow 'view all restricted clients' or to have the restriction for this client overridden;
• If the business is appearing on your client list and is not a restricted client, you may need to remove and re-add the business and try to lodge again;
• Your agent number must also be linked to the correct agent ABN in Access Manager; 
• The principal authority of the business will need to set up their myGovID and link the business in RAM. Once the business is linked, they can set up authorisations for others to work on behalf of the business. You as a registered tax/Bas agent can log into RAM and use your authorisation code to accept or decline a request to act online for a business.

If you are an intermediary for multiple employing entities

The error is basically stating that the entity acting as the intermediary does not have the required authorisation to be the intermediary. This cannot be rectified within the payroll system - rather it requires logging into Access Manager to ensure the business is listed as a 'client' per se and the intermediary has the sufficient permissions for that business to undertake the lodgement of STP. To do this:

• Go to ‘Access Manager’, login, click on ‘who has access to my business’, then in the blue band near the top ‘Appoint New Business’;
• Enter the intermediary entity's details
  
  
  

• There is then a step to choose the access level. Under the heading ATO Transactions you will need to choose “Payroll event form” for “Lodge & View” as shown below:
  
  

Please take note of the following:

• In some instances, the linking to other businesses may take overnight to process your request;
• If the business is appearing on your client list and is not a restricted client, you may need to remove and re-add the business and try to lodge again.
  
  
  

Error: SBR.GEN.AUTH.008, Your nomination with the software provider may not contain the correct Software ID in Access Manager.  To resolve, please log on to Access Manager and provide the following details: Software provider name and/or their ABN Software ID

This error only occurs if the ATO supplier settings are configured so that a registered tax/BAS agent is lodging events to the ATO on behalf of the business. This is where the process of enabling electronic lodgement has not been completed properly. It is essential that the ATO is contacted (either by calling them or using Access Manager) to link the software ID to each ABN. Refer to this article for instructions on how to enable integration with the ATO Enabling ATO Integration for Single Touch Payroll.

Error: CMN.ATO.AUTH.011, A link between your client and your agent number does not exist for the selected task. Check that you have added this client to your registered agent number. You may also need to check if you have entered the correct client identifier and that you are using the correct registered agent number and try again. If the issue persists, contact the ATO quoting this error code to resolve any issues.

This error should only occur if the ATO supplier settings are configured so that a registered tax/BAS agent is lodging to the ATO on behalf of the business. Log into your Tax Agent/BAS Agent Portal and ensure the business is listed and/or is set up with the correct access. Otherwise, you will need to contact the ATO directly as this error has nothing to do with the payroll system.

Error: SBR.GEN.AUTH.005, Misalignment of identifying information

Check that the ABN supplied in the ATO Settings screen matches with the ABN registered with the ATO or Access Manager.

Error: SBR.GEN.AUTH.006, The software provider has not been nominated to secure your online (cloud) transmissions. You have not nominated this software provider to secure transmissions made through online (cloud based) software. To fix this error please refer to the relevant instructions below

If you are an employer 

As an employer, there are 2 options of how to provide the ATO your software ID: 

Option 1: Update details via Access Manager

Log in to Access Manager using your myGovID credentials. You will need to be the principal authority or authorisation administrator in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to use Access Manager.  

1. Click My hosted SBR software services from the left hand menu.
   
2. Click Notify the ATO of your hosted service.
   
3. Search for Employment Hero Payroll (ABN: 70 154 693 955) in the list.
4. Select the ABN link of Employment Hero Payroll (ABN: 70 154 693 955) in the list.
5. Enter the software ID and select Next.
6. Read the Notification statement then select Save;
7. A green success message will appear on the next screen to confirm success. 

Option 2: Phone the ATO on 1300 85 22 32

You must be prepared with the following information:

• Proof of record ownership (for example, personal TFN, date of birth, address, recent ATO-generated notice);
• Your Australian business number (ABN) or, if you are a registered tax agent, you can use your registered agent number (RAN);
• The name or ABN of your software provider, and
• Your unique software ID (provided by your software provider).  

This error means the correct process for enabling electronic lodgement has not been completed properly. It is essential that the ATO is contacted (either by calling them or using Access Manager) to link the software ID to each ABN. To contact the ATO via phone, follow the instructions provided here.

If you are a registered tax/BAS Agent

If a registered Tax/BAS Agent is lodging STP events on behalf of the business, the software id MUST be linked with the registered agent number (RAN) and ABN, not the employer’s ABN. To set up the ATO connection correctly, the registered agent must log in to Access Manager using their myGovID credentials. They will need to be the principal authority or authorisation administrator in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to use Access Manager.

Complete these steps:

1. Select My hosted SBR software services from the left-hand menu.
2. Select Notify the ATO of your hosted service.
3. Search for Employment Hero Payroll (ABN: 70 154 693 955) in the list. 
4. Select the ABN link for Employment Hero Payroll (ABN: 70 154 693 955).
5. Enter the software ID and select Next; 
6. Read the Notification statement then select Save;
7. A green success message will appear on the next screen to confirm success. 

Brands and Partners acting as registered agents

By default, each business has its own unique software ID. A Brand or Partner can change this configuration and rather elect to use the Brand's software ID or the Partner's software ID for any business that uses a registered Tax/BAS Agent when lodging STP events. 

This error usually indicates that, although you have enabled the connection between the ATO and your registered agent number, the STP events are being lodged as the employer (business owner):

If the business' ATO settings have been configured so that the reporting party is the registered Tax/BAS Agent, an employer/business owner is still able to lodge events. HOWEVER, the business must follow the same procedures in connecting their ABN with the ATO, otherwise the lodgements will continue to fail.    

If a registered agent is lodging the event, they MUST ensure they select "Registered Tax Agent" as the party lodging the event and that the correct procedure is followed prior to lodging, i.e requesting client authority or applying a standing authority against the lodgement.  

Error: SBR.GEN.AUTH.002, Mandatory information provided in the transmission is invalid. Contact your software provider.. Inform your software provider that the PartyId, PartyId Type and/or Role supplied in the transmission is not valid.

Are you trying to lodge a pay event for a business that has a WPN (in place of an ABN)? If so, at present WPN holders are unable to lodge STP events. STP reporting can only be undertaken by businesses that possess an ABN. It is suggested WPN holders use a registered Tax/BAS Agent to lodge STP events. Also, take note that WPN holders are exempt from STP reporting for the 18/19, 19/20, 20/21, 21/22 and 22/23 financial years but must start reporting from 1 July 2033.

Error: CMN.ATO.PAYEVNT.EM92168, Your submission was not processed - We were unable to process your submission because you have not reported using Single Touch Payroll for that financial year

You're seeing this error because the finalisation event is your first attempt at STP in this financial year - don't worry, we can work around that. 

The obvious solution is to lodge one pay event; you can just lodge your last pay run - to do this

• Go back to your pay run and click on the "Lodge pay run with ATO" button to create the pay event;
• On the Single Touch Payroll page, delete the failed finalisation event;
• Then lodge your pay event;
• Once the pay event is successfully lodged, start your finalisation process again. 

If you've only entered opening balances, i.e. there are no pay runs to lodge, you have two options:

1. Finalise the payroll by ticking the Is Final box in an update event (instead of a finalisation event) - Creating and Lodging an Update Event
   OR
2. Create and lodge an empty pay run first, then finalise again - to do this

• Create your pay run with a period end and paid date on or before 30/6 (create an empty pay run is an option in the create pay run dialogue box - Creating a new pay run);
• Add a short note to the Notes field in each employee's pay run record to record "activity" - you need to do this because the pay run will drop any employees it thinks there is no activity for when you finalise it,  click on each employee's name to expand the record and add your note, e.g... "first STP event" (remember, this pay run is for admin purposes only; the employees won't be getting pay slips for it);
• Finalise your pay run, no need to publish pay slips but do choose the option to lodge pay run now;
• You'll notice the opening balances show up as YTD totals in the pay event created;
• Lodge the pay event;
• Can go ahead and start your finalisation process again... STP: Processing finalisation events using the EOFY wizard.

N.B. The only reason you'd take option two is if you want to take advantage of the "send notifications" feature in the finalisation event -marking an employee as Is Final in a pay, update or finalisation event achieves exactly the same result at the ATO.

N.B. You should reconcile the data in your final event before you lodge it (via either option) to ensure all employees and earnings are captured; this article will assist you to do that... End of Year Reconciliation - Single Touch Payroll

N.B. If the reason for this error is because you have been incorrectly reporting the wrong ABN, and now you are trying to process a finalisation event under the new ABN, you'll need to see this article for instructions on how to fix it. 

Error: CMN.ATO.PAYEVNT.EM14160, Cannot process submission. We were unable to unable to process your submission because we located multiple files to be replaced

• there can be a delay at the ATO with recognising that they are supposed to replace a previous event - ATO advice is to wait 24 hours between full file replacements. if this is the case, just wait 24hrs then try again.  

1. you have already successfully lodged a pay event for the pay run, then (because it was the most recently lodged event from the account) you've been able to go back to the pay run, make an adjustment then create/submit an amended pay event, which is successfully lodged, and so the current event is your third attempt to lodge a pay event for that particular pay run - and you only get two shots at it. 

• if this is the case it's simply no longer an option to lodge the updated pay run/event - you will have to create and lodge an Update event to update the ATO with the latest version of data from this pay run.

SBR.GEN.FAULT... errors

Error: SBR.GEN.FAULT.UNKNOWNSERVICE, Unknown agency or service. The value provided to identify the receiving party is not recognised, or a request has been made for a service not offered by the receiving party.​

Error: SBR.GEN.FAULT.GENERALERRORINCORE, An unhandled error occurred within Core Services. An unhandled error occurred within Core Services. Record the details of the message and contact the agency service desk.

Error: SBR.GEN.FAULT.UNKNOWNSERVICE, Unknown agency or service. The value provided to identify the receiving party is not recognised, or a request has been made for a service not offered by the receiving party.

Errors with the prefix SBR.GEN.FAULT.------ indicate that there's an issue at the ATO and you should try to lodge again later.

CMN.ATO.PAYEVNTEMP.000239 Cessation Reason Code must be provided. Cessation Reason Code must be provided when Payee Cessation Date is also provided, when the Pay/Update Date is after 30/6/2020

A termination reason must be provided for the employee. Effective from 19 October 2021, selecting a termination reason will be mandatory however terminations prior to this date will be recorded without a reason. STP Phase 2 requirements now specify a termination reason must be specified for these employees. Please refer to Recording a termination reason when terminating an employee for steps on doing so. Once you have recorded the reason you will need to refresh the pay event data to remove the warning.  If your event status is PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL you won't be able to refresh the data as it has been marked as lodged - you will need to create and lodge a new event. 

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If you have recorded a termination reason after 19/10/2021 but prior to STP Phase 2, you may still see this warning; you can remove it by reactivating the employee via their employee details, then re-recording the termination reason and date and refreshing the pay event data. 

Error 11: reached retry limit

There is a limit on the number of retries the system will allow before giving up and applying a Failed status to an STP event. This was done to limit the negative impact on system performance across the platform when an unexpected/unacceptably high STP submission load occurs, e.g. if there's an issue upstream. 

When a pay event fails due to the the retry limit being reached the support team will need to reset the message ID on the event before you can submit it again.