Businesses and organisations online services

Online services for business

Online services for business is the default online service for approved self-managed super fund (SMSF) auditors, businesses, not-for-profits (NFPs) and other organisations to engage with us.

Trustees of self-managed superannuation funds who have an ABN can also use this service.

Online services for business will log out after 20 minutes of inactivity so it is important to regularly save your work. If you are timed out, just log in again.

To lodge tax returns for your business or organisations, use standard business reporting (SBR) enabled software.

You can use Online services for business for most of your organisation's interactions with us – for example:

• switch between your businesses with a single log in
• manage activity statements, taxable payments annual reports, and self-assessed income tax exemptions
• make payments or find your balances owing, payment reference number (PRN) and create payment plans
• correspond with us using Secure mail
• manage your accounts and update your tax registration details (for example, register for goods and services tax (GST), pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and pay as you go (PAYG) instalments
• nominate a new registered tax agent, BAS agent, or a payroll services provider, or update authorisations for an existing registered agent
• access the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House.

Accessing Online services for business

To access Online services for business you'll need to log in using your Digital ID, such as myID.

If you’re new to our online services, you will have to first set up your Digital ID and then link it to your business in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).

How to use Online services for business

Find step by step guides to help you use Online services for business:

• General Online services for business functions
  • To customise your home page, switch between businesses, provide feedback and check notifications
• Accounts and payments
  • For instructions to view your accounts, make payment plans, request transfers and refunds
• Lodgments
  • For instructions on lodging activity statements, excise forms, private rulings and objections. Income tax returns can't be lodged in Online services for business, use SBR-enabled softwareExternal Link.
• Employees
  • For instructions on managing your employees
• Profile
  • To view or update your details, including registering for additional tax roles (GST, WET, PAYG instalments etc), financial information, add or change authorisations, and business associates.
• Communication
  • To send or receive secure messages from the ATO, including to lodge amended tax returns, or SGC statements, request remissions of interest.
• Approved SMSF auditors
  • Information for approved auditees using Online services for business.

Standard Business Reporting (SBR)-enabled software

Your organisations business and accounting software may include Standard Business ReportingExternal Link (SBR), which helps to simplify business reporting obligations. SBR allows you to submit information including tax file number declarations and income tax returns.

If your organisation uses SBR-enabled software you should refer to your business software how to guides for instructions on sending information to us.

When lodging reports, your SBR-enabled business software may require a branch number. This is located next to your account description in Online services for business or ATO online. For example, Activity statement 002.

If you use SBR-enabled software, you can report using information that's already captured as part of the day-to-day operations of your business.

If you are a business owner and you do not currently use SBR enabled software, you can talk to your adviser or software provider, or see the SBR products registerExternal Link for details of the products available.

Credentials in SBR-enabled software

Your SBR-enabled software uses a credential that allows you to securely submit information to us.

When using cloud-based SBR software, you don't need to create this credential. Instead, your software provider will build it into your software.

If you use desktop or locally hosted SBR-enabled software (not cloud), you'll need to create a machine credentialExternal Link using Relationship Authorisation ManagerExternal Link.