# How to report contractor payments for TPAR from your bills

List every contractor you paid in the financial year. For each one report ABN, name, address, gross amount paid and total GST. Lodge online with the ATO by 28 August.

## Short answer

1. Check you are in a TPAR industry.
2. List what you paid each contractor from 1 July to 30 June.
3. Report ABN, name, address, gross amount paid and total GST for each.
4. Lodge online by 28 August.

## Before you start

You need your bills, your payment records and each contractor's ABN, name and address.

Who must lodge: the ATO says businesses that pay contractors in certain industries must report. The list includes building and construction, cleaning, courier and road freight, information technology, and security, investigation or surveillance. Government entities that pay grants are also covered. Source: [ATO, Taxable payments annual report](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/preparing-lodging-and-paying/reports-and-returns/taxable-payments-annual-report).

The ATO has a page for each industry. For building and construction see [Building and construction services](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/preparing-lodging-and-paying/reports-and-returns/taxable-payments-annual-report/work-out-if-you-need-to-lodge-a-tpar/building-and-construction-services). Read it before you decide you are in or out. It is not a tax advice page and your accountant has the final say.

Key dates and rules from the ATO:

- The TPAR is due 28 August each year. For the year to 30 June 2027 that is 28 August 2027.
- Paper lodgments are no longer accepted. Lodge online.
- Records must be kept for 5 years. Source: [ATO, TPAR records](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/preparing-lodging-and-paying/record-keeping-for-business/detailed-business-record-keeping-requirements/running-your-business-records/taxable-payments-annual-report-records).

## The manual way in Xero or MYOB

1. **Set the date range.** 1 July to 30 June.
2. **Pull a list of payments to suppliers.** In Xero run a report of bill payments by supplier for the year (start in Accounting > Reports). In MYOB use a supplier payments report for the year. Use payment dates.
3. **Group by supplier.** Add each supplier's payments. Note GST separately.
4. **Remove non-reportable payments.** The ATO says you do not report payments for materials only, incidental labour or PAYG withholding payments such as wages. If an invoice has labour and materials, report the full payment. Source: [ATO, Payments businesses need to report](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/preparing-lodging-and-paying/reports-and-returns/taxable-payments-annual-report/work-out-if-you-need-to-lodge-a-tpar/payments-businesses-need-to-report-in-their-tpar).
5. **Check contractor details.** For each payee you need ABN, name, address and the totals.
6. **Lodge.** Log in to ATO Online services and use the Lodgments menu. The form takes up to 20 payees at a time. Source: [ATO, Lodge your TPAR](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/preparing-lodging-and-paying/reports-and-returns/taxable-payments-annual-report/lodge-your-tpar).

Limits: your accounting software does not decide who is a contractor. You do. Bills coded to the wrong supplier or missing an ABN are the main source of errors.

## The Pulsify way

Pulsify does not produce the TPAR. Your report still comes from Xero or MYOB and the ATO. Pulsify helps the data on each bill be right before it lands there.

1. Forward the invoice to your Pulsify address.
2. Pulsify matches the supplier and checks the ABN against the ABR. It flags an ABN that is invalid or not registered for GST.
3. It flags a supplier that is not in Xero or MYOB so you can add them with the right details.
4. After approval, the bill is created in Xero or MYOB with the source file attached.

## Worked example

Example Electrical Pty Ltd is paid three times in the year:

| Payment | Gross | GST |
|---|---|---|
| August | $5,500 | $500 |
| January | $2,200 | $200 |
| May | $3,300 | $300 |

The TPAR line is gross amount paid $11,000 and total GST $1,000. A fourth bill for $1,100 is unpaid at 30 June. It goes in next year's report.

## Common mistakes

- **Using bill dates.** The ATO reports on payments made, not bills received.
- **Missing ABNs.** Fix them before you pay, not in August.
- **Splitting one contractor across two supplier records.** Their payments get reported twice or not added up.

## Next step

[Book a call to find out how customers have saved hours per week after switching.](/contact/) Read the [invoice checks guide](/guides/invoice-checks/) for what Pulsify flags. See also the longer [TPAR reporting post](/blog/tpar-reporting-australia/) and the free [contractor invoice generator](/free-tools/contractor-invoice-generator/).

## Common questions

### Do I report the bill date or the payment date?

The payment date. The ATO says TPAR is on a cash basis, so you report what you paid between 1 July and 30 June. A bill you have not paid by 30 June goes in next year's report.

### Do I report payments to a contractor with no ABN?

No. The ATO says payees without an ABN are not reported in the TPAR. Amounts you withhold from them are reported on a PAYG withholding form instead. Ask your accountant if this applies to you.

### What if I made no contractor payments?

If you do not need to lodge for a year, the ATO asks you to send a non-lodgment advice. You can do this from the Lodgments menu in Online services for business.

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/report-contractor-payments-for-tpar-from-your-bills/ (last checked 2026-10-19)