You’ll no doubt recall that the ATO had to quickly revert its decision to stop issuing paper instalment notices after the December 2020 quarter, when the swift switch to a “digital only” delivery method of the instalment notices left many advisers in the dark and unaware of where, when, and how to access their client correspondence.
Since then, clients and advisers alike have continued to be surprised and caught off guard at numerous times throughout the past 12 months as they’ve received outstanding payment demands for instalment notices that have never been received.
The missing activity statements have not only caused frustrations for clients, but headaches for the advisers left to pick up the pieces.
You or your team have likely had to take time over the past year to track down what may have happened to missing instalments and update delivery preferences, explaining to clients how changes by the ATO are impacting the industry and providing reassurance.
It’s this tension to the client-adviser relationship that has been a key driver for Australian-based robotic processing automation platform ATOmate to develop a new ATO-approved integration that means you’ll never miss another activity statement.
New automation technology means accountants and clients will never miss another activity statement
Business Automation Works, the company behind ATOmate, have developed a sophisticated add-on to their core platform that delivers an exceptional client experience, while giving practitioners confidence their clients are receiving all activity statements well before the due date.
ATOmate captures and process both the new digital and paper activity statements
Through its direct, authorised integration with the ATO, the ATOmate platform will automatically capture the new digital activity statements as they becomes available , These statements can then be sent directly to clients via ATOmate’s cloud-based dashboard using the client data already stored within the firm’s practice management platform, providing an audit trail and complete confidence over what has been sent and received.
The feature is the latest in a raft of enhancements designed to help practices switch to digital communication.
The software provider has been working closely with the ATO to create a fully compliant and certified integration that dramatically streamlines the ATO document management process. Available now, the integration automatically downloads all ATO correspondence electronically, processing the documents seamlessly behind the scenes, cross checking data from the practice management system, and then presenting those documents within the smart and easy-to-use cloud-based dashboard for your team to check discrepancies where needed or simply approve and send on to the clients.
Comprehensive integrations with Practice & Document Management systems, and ATO data, gives time back to your team
With comprehensive practice and document management integrations designed to leverage a practice’s existing technology, ATOmate automatically sorts, processes, reviews, and distributes ATO correspondence to clients, with minimal input needed by accounting advisers and administration teams.
The platform reduces ATO document processing time by over 90%, streamlining the management of ATO documentation and removing the potential for human error by automatically redacting personal TFN data, and flagging discrepancies.
The new Activity Statement feature is a significant win for accounting practices – the capability to seamlessly manage activity statement delivery will return trust and strengthen the client-advisor relationship.
CEO Stan Corner says now is the perfect time for practices to take a proactive approach to prepare themselves for the ATOs next update to digital communication.
“We’re committed to helping both practitioners and the Tax Office interact seamlessly to deliver the best possible experience for clients, now is the time to be proactive and turn what has previously been a sore point for clients and advisers into a positive, value-added service,” Mr Corner says.
While the ATO have recently implement new digital instalment notices for Pay As You Go and GST instalments, there is still some inconsistency in the delivery methods that will continue to create confusion, as some clients PAYG will be delivered digitally, and some will continue to be delivered by paper , So practitioners could find themselves continuing to deal with missing notices for the foreseeable future unless they take proactive action now.
ATOmate’s newest feature allows advisers to do just that and is the next step in the platform’s mission to help tax agents and the ATO become more streamlined, integrated and data-driven, ultimately enabling greater trust and confidence between the regulatory agency, practitioners, and clients.
ATOmate’s automated activity statement feature is available now. To find out more about how the ATOmate platform is transforming how accountants manage the ATO documents and client communications, click here.
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- ATO holds firm on push towards digital-only communication
- No more lost activity statements – automatically generate and send activity statements directly to clients through ATOmate platform
- ATOmate platform streamlines compliance processes, allows firms to proactively manage shift to digital communication
- More digital transformation to come, now is the time for practitioners to prepare.
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With over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, Stan’s professional focus has been on building high-performance teams and leading organisational change through operational efficiency.
Stan is passionate about assisting businesses to reach their full potential through the delivery of automated processes, supporting them to achieve smarter and innovative outcomes for stakeholders and greater productivity and job satisfaction across their teams.
Most recently, Stan has enjoyed working closely with professional services businesses to implement technological transformation projects and automate their key business processes.
BAW is an innovative company that provides automation solutions to businesses including accountants, property managers and the manufacturing industry.
The company’s automation solutions allow business managers, partners, IT managers and staff to refocus their attention away from tedious, time-consuming tasks towards value-added outcomes, such as managing and maintaining client relationships and engagement.
BAW’s flagship product, ATOmate, is designed to automate the processing, reviewing, and distribution of ATO correspondence. ATOmate integrates with a range of market-leading practice and document management platforms, helping accountants reduce their ATO document processing time by 90%.
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