Large Business Bulletin: November 2011

System changes

Processing system upgrade for PAYG and FBT instalments

In late December 2011, we plan to upgrade our processing system for pay as you go (PAYG) and fringe benefits tax (FBT) instalments. We expect the impact to be relatively minor. The upgrade is planned to occur during our regular Christmas closure.

Over the coming weeks, we will let you know how this upgrade will affect:

• our systems availability
• our form processing
• what you might see when you receive an instalments notice.

For more information, refer to System maintenance and issues. We will also publish regular updates.

Online access manager is changing

Early next year, online access manager (OAM), used to manage access and permissions in our online services such as the Business and Tax Agent Portals, will be replaced with a new stand-alone system, Access Manager (AM). This change will be automatic and will not require any action by you.

To access the new AM, you need to visit either: our website at www.ato.gov.au the Business or Tax Agent Portal.

What will change?

• As AM will be a stand-alone system, you will log into AM to manage your access and permissions for our online services rather than the portal.
• When we need to make changes to AM, we won't need to take the portal offline, ensuring less impact on you as a user.
• There will be a new feature called 'copy permissions'. This function will give your access administrator the option to copy the same permission set to numerous credential holders at the same time.
• Your access administrator can use a simplified process to provide/remove staff access to the agent numbers associated with your business. AM will allow your administrator to grant a credential holder access to numerous agent numbers at the same time.
• AM will have a new look and feel that is more intuitive, which should increase ease of use.

What will remain the same?

• AM features the same level of security as OAM. To login to AM you will use your AUSkey or ATO digital certificate as you would to login to the portal.
• AM will offer the same functions as OAM, including the ability to temporarily disable staff access (for example, when they go on leave) and restrict access to certain clients and functions your staff can perform within the portal.
• Your OAM permissions will be automatically copied over to AM.

If you currently use the portal, you will be notified through a key update in the portal when the change to the new system has been made. Once AM is released, help and support information will be available on our website at www.ato.gov.au

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