Reckon Desktop Payday Super

I use Reckon Accounts Desktop and need to know what the solution for Payday super is? I currently process super via the Small Bus Clearing House and would like to get organised before 1 July next year.

Will there be a webinar to work through the setup? Similar to when STP came in.

Comments

Jason_Z

Hi @Rebecca_10130461

For users like yourself who are using Reckon Accounts Desktop, as well as those on Reckon Hosted, we are still reviewing our options for SuperStream providers. We expect to make an announcement as soon as everything has been finalised.

I’ll need to check what we have planned in terms of webinars, but there will definitely be more information we can share as we get closer.

Leanne_6969527

I am trying to get setup for this also or at least see where how Reckon intend to include this is Reckon desktop as you still have numerous clients that prefer to stay using desktop like me..

Rav

Hi @Leanne_6969527 and @Rebecca_10130461

Just adding to the above, I'd recommend exploring the clearing house service of your default super fund (as an employer). This would likely be a viable option moving forward into Payday Super next year

Rebecca_10130461

@Rav this isn't a solution. We currently use SBCH and don't want to move to another clearing house. All of our employees have different super funds. There needs to be a solution from Reckon.

Eric Murphy

You're missing the point Rebecca.

Most super funds have their own clearing house service if you're an employer.

There's no obligation on an employee's part to sign up to the default fund, they can have multiple funds just like they do now. The clearing house will send it to all those funds.

As for not moving to another clearing house, once the ATO one closes down you're going to have to. If Reckon comes up with a solution, it will still be a clearing house.

Leanne_6969527

@Rav - I only have 1 employee and that will not change as it is family owned, ATO clearing house was easy as I was used to using it. when we "NEED" to pay super for directors, etc we pay direct to our own funds. I will revert to this option, if available, for my employee..

BUT if I read between the lines, is it conceivable that Reckon are NOT going to give their reckon desktop users a clearing house option as they have done for cloud users and like MYOB have done ?? it does seem strange that PAYDAY super has been touted for quite some time and Reckon should have had this resolved or at least be well advanced in the development to be able to advice their clients

Sorry if a bit harsh and sceptical as I am a lover & accredited partner of Reckon - but …

Rebecca_10130461

@Leanne_6969527 100% agree. We'd used desktop for years and love it too. There should be a solution for desktop as there is for cloud users.

@Eric Murphy I understand that we will have to move from the SBCH, but approaching a super company with which we have no association doesn't seem like a solution. We don't and have never had a need for a default super company as all of our employees come to us with their existing funds.

We'll wait and see the solution that Reckon will provide for desktop users.

Rav

I understand where you're coming from @Leanne_6969527

To be fair though, there are two separate things happening here; the ATO clearing house closing down and Payday Super. While they're both related, they're still separate things.

On that second point, to add some context, Payday Super only officially became legislation earlier this month on November 4 but yes its been spoken about for some time prior to that. However when it comes to specifics requirements for digital service providers like us (and others) around what changes are required, new requirements around data capture etc, there was still a lot to unfold and document there which we, along with other providers, have had a number of conversations about up to, and including very recently.

The reason I've put forward the suggestion on exploring your default super fund's clearing house (as an employer) is because its a viable option for those currently using the free ATO clearing house and wanting to get a jump on the closure next year.

Kris_Williams

@Eric Murphy why is the solution for Desktop different to Hosted?

Eric Murphy

@Kris_Williams not quite sure what you mean. I don't think I mentioned hosted or am I not understanding correctly?

Kris_Williams

it was actually Rebecca’s words that confused me, sorry

“We'd used desktop for years and love it too. There should be a solution for desktop as there is for cloud users.”

Eric Murphy

Got it, make sense. I guess that's in reference to Beam that Reckon One uses.

Leanne_6969527

@Rav - thanks for joining. Yes I am fully aware that payday super has only just passed legislation, in saying that we would all, mostly, be aware that it has been ongoing for some time that this was on the Fed government next hit list , esp if "Beam" /Superstream have resolved to be the cloud hosted clearing house for Reckon already..

I find it difficult to believe that your counterparts dont appear to have any issues to-date that they have advised, hence my scepticism of an underlying issue that Reckon are looking to off load Desktop for the cloud-based version but arent telling us.. I really hope this isnt on their horizon, and yes we can all find a work around but I think we deserve to know IF Reckon are currently working on resolving this or not..

Eric Murphy

Leanne are you of the understanding that Reckon is actually going to build a clearing house?

Leanne_6969527

@Eric Murphy absolutely not.. Reckon dont "own" Beam" do they?

I fully understand what a clearing house is.. my query is only relevant to being advised as to Reckon's strategy to providing ALL its users with a pathway forward with the same amount of notification. If there were not any issues going forward, I dont understand why Desktop users haven't to date been given some idea as to which direction Reckon are taking? Basically what @Rebecca_10130461 initially asked about - so that we users can forward plan

Acctd4

@Leanne_6969527 Just to add a little more clarity ….

All of these changes (along with MFA etc) are government compliance-driven, rather than things Reckon have decided to do to make life difficult for us.

Reckon has been working on developing Payday Super functionality for quite some time. However - unlike the cloud competitors (eg Xero QBO etc) - Reckon has a few obstacles/complexities that make their development a lot more challenging. Integrations are much easier in a cloud environment but Reckon Accounts (RA) & Hosted (RAH) are both desktop programs. Added to the mix is the fact that the fixed base coding for RA/RAH is owned by Intuit & therefore there are some changes/features that are problematic/time-consuming (or impossible) to try to implement or achieve.

My understanding is that the ATO are also yet to release some of the specifics needed, to the software providers (eg STP reporting expansion, configurations etc) For Reckon, this may of course, be because Reckon are one of the very few who still have desktop products, so these are likely not a priority to govt if the use of cloud-based providers/software volume is higher 😢

Reckon does have its own cloud software Reckon One (R1) however this is not on par functionality-wise with RA/RAH at all. It is however, 100% Reckon-created/owned & also 100% online … which is why the Beam clearing house solution was able to be integrated into it.

Many solution providers (like Beam) do not want to invest the time or money in integrating with desktop products 😭… so unfortunately, Reckon doesn't have the expansion of options available for RA/RAH.

Rebecca_10130461

@Acctd4 @Eric Murphy

I understand that Reckon don't own "Beam" and I don't expect that they will build a clearing house. What all of us are asking for is a solution, in the same way that a solution was development for STP reporting. Surely there is a solution which allows the export file to be uploaded, as we do for STP via Reckon Portal.

Eric Murphy

I think you're manufacturing that a bit. Look I'm not trying to be argumentative or difficult but the Reckon rep has mentioned in the first reply on this thread that they're looking at options for reckon accounts and hosted.

I'm not sure how you've inferred that to be dismissing us. Plus this all is over 6 months away. Let's all just take a breath and see what happens

Rebecca_10130461

You're correct, the first comment was that they are working on it, however, since that initial comment there have differ from that.

Happy to wait, don't want to cut it too fine though…😊

Leanne_6969527

Sincer apologies if this has opened a "can" - @Acctd4 this is probably the most in depth answer to my question. At least we now are aware that there are hurdles that need to be "jumped" and that there are deeper issues for our beloved desktop version that need to be met. This response has satisfied me that Reckon are indeed working towards a solution..and i guess many of us may very well have to find a temporary solution in the interim for ourselves as @Rav alluded to earlier… this sheds some light on his earlier suggestions… appreciate the feedback

Acctd4

Thanks for the feedback @Leanne_6969527 ! 😁

Reckon are very good at keeping us informed - both here on the Community & via email - so once they've been able to complete the full implementation of Payday Super-compatibility features for RA/RAH, I'm sure they'll be providing lots of info/guidance.

As Reckon Partners, we'll also need to be across it, so we will be able to continue to assist users too, if needed 😊

Kris_Williams

you can export a SAFF file from Reckon Hosted and import into some super clearing houses. I have just managed to do this successfully with Quick Super. You can register with Quick Super for free as long as you tick their super fund as a default, which simply means that employees for whom you have to setup a fund the default one is used. Clearing houses all work the same, you don’t have to have a super account with them it does the same job as ATO clearing house does. Having said that Quick Super (Australian Super) are also changing in the coming months to Wrkr super, which is already used by some major entities - One of the major Sydney hospitals- so I’m suggesting to people I know to go with them

Rav

Hi folks

Its been a little while since my last update but I just wanted to loop back and let you know that I'm super excited to announce we have partnered with Colonial First State to offer Reckon Accounts customers free access to the FirstChoice Employer Super Clearing House.

Check out more info in our announcement here - FirstChoice Employer Super Clearing House for Reckon Accounts Desktop users