Upgrading to Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023 - Frequently Asked Questions ✔

Rav · June 2023

Upgrading to Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023 & STP Phase 2 - FAQ's ℹ

Hi everyone

With the release of Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023, I've put together some key FAQ's on upgrading to the new version and STP Phase 2.

When is Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023 releasing?

Reckon Accounts 2023 Desktop is out now!

Your 2023 download is available from the Reckon Members Area or our Software Downloads page here.

Do I have to finalise the 2022/23 financial year before upgrading to Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023?

Our recommendation is to complete your last pay runs and End of Financial Year finalisation for the 2022/23 financial year in Reckon Accounts Desktop 2022 then upgrade to the new 2023 edition.

What should I do after upgrading to Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023 to switch to STP Phase 2?

Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023 will only support STP Phase 2 pay runs & submissions, so the first thing we'd recommend doing is using Migration Assistant to update your employee and payroll item information for STP Phase 2 compliance.

Check out the post linked below for more information and a demo on using the Migration Assistant.

https://community.reckon.com/discussion/8033400/stp-phase-2-migration-assistant-for-reckon-accounts-desktop-%E2%84%B9

How do I know what new information I need to select for my employees and pay items?

While the Migration Assistant will step you through updating your employee and pay items to STP Phase 2 requirements, its important to understand the key changes so that you make the correct selections based on the specific employee's circumstances and/or pay item.

Check out the first help guide linked below for a quick reference checklist and the second guide for an full overview of STP Phase 2.

https://help.reckon.com/article/w5r2a36yb8

https://help.reckon.com/article/lehx5yztyi-single-touch-payroll-phase-2-overview

Can I process my last pay run for 2022/23 after upgrading to Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023?

Yes you can, Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023 will support two financial year PAYG tax tables in the software. PAYG tax will be calculated for an employee using either the previous or current financial year tax table based on the payment date.

Check out more info in the guide below -

https://help.reckon.com/article/b0gmdl8k4o-multiple-tax-tables-support

⚠ Please note, the 2023 edition will only support STP Phase 2 submissions so you will need to use the Migration Assistant to update to phase 2 requirements prior to actioning any pay runs in Reckon Accounts 2023.

Can I perform my 2022/23 EOFY finalisation after upgrading to Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023?

Yes you can however as mentioned above, Reckon Accounts Desktop 2023 will only support STP Phase 2 submissions so once you've upgraded, any submissions including the EOFY finalisation will need to be under STP Phase 2 requirements.

Am I required to update my employee and pay item information in order to send STP Phase 2 submissions?

Yes. There are new information requirements for both employees, such as their Income Type, and new tax tracking types for pay items for accurate disaggregation. Any pay runs created in the 2023 edition of Reckon Accounts will require this new information so we highly recommend that you use our Migration Assistant for an easy, streamlined way to get everything updated.

Do I still send STP submissions the same way under STP Phase 2?

Yes, the submission process hasn't changed. In fact, GovConnect has been updated to show more detailed information to reflect the new disaggregation of gross pay in a submission as part of STP Phase 2 requirements.

Check out the guide linked below to see what's new in GovConnect with STP Phase 2 -

https://help.reckon.com/article/fcib0llbb3

Can I change back to STP Phase 1 after starting STP Phase 2?

No, once you have started reporting under STP Phase 2 in the 2023 edition you will continue to do so moving forward.

I've used the Migration Assistant to update my employee information, but when I try to submit my pay run I receive this error?

After using the Migration Assistant to update your employee and pay item info, there is one final step to complete the transition. Go to Employees ➡ STP 2 Migration Assistant and click Complete STP Phase 2 Setup

ℹ Please note: If there are no changes you will receive a 'There are no STP Phase 2 changes to import' message.

I'm using the STP Phase 2 Migration Assistant however the Tax Tracking Type dropdown options are greyed out?

Those dropdown fields aren't actually greyed out, but we've noticed that on some systems this field appears with a grey background however is still able to be used. Whereas on other systems it appears with a white background. We are still investigating the cause of this but you can use these fields as normal without any issue.

How do I handle all-purpose allowances with overtime under STP Phase 2 with Reckon Accounts Desktop?

Check out our help guide for detailed information on how to handle all-purpose allowances in Reckon Accounts linked below.

https://help.reckon.com/article/yjoz3wfubr

After selecting the 'Yes' option to update the Super Guarantee rate to 11%, it hasn't updated on the Employee Defaults section in Payroll & Employees preferences. What do I do?

Go to Edit ➡ Preferences ➡ Payroll & Employees ➡ Company Preferences ➡ Employee Defaults ➡ Super Details ➡ Change the rate field to 11%

Questions?

Do you have a question that wasn't covered above? Let us know in a comment below and we'll do our best to answer it.

Kelvin · June 2023

hi Rav,

Would like to confirm if we would or would not be receiving the R2 file like last year? Last year we actually received a 1.3GB upgrade file and a separate 17MB R2 tax update file. Has this year's tax update been incorporated into the same R1 file?

Thanks

Rav · June 2023

Hi @Kelvin

That's correct, from the new 2023 version and onward there will only be one release which incorporates the new FY's tax table into it. More info in this previous announcement HERE.

Rav · June 2023

ℹ FAQ above has been updated with a couple of new additions

amber_10865555 · August 2023

I'm a little confused by 1 & 2 - SS from Super and SS from Benefits. SS comes from salary/wages, not super or benefits. Can you please clarify. Thank you.

Rav · August 2023

Hi @amber

Check out the reply from Shaz in your other post HERE 😊

Rav · September 2023

✅ FIXED ✅

The below has been fixed in the latest release of Reckon Accounts 2023. Please check out details of the new release HERE.

After completing the Migration Assistant, my account numbers (and Show lowest subaccount only) option becomes unticked. What do I do?

Go to Edit ➡ Preferences ➡ Accounting ➡ Company Preferences and tick the option to use account numbers