Why it matters for builders
- If a subcontractor does not quote an ABN on a business invoice, you generally must withhold tax at the top rate from the payment unless an exception applies. That is a cash and compliance risk on every new trade.
- Businesses with 50% or more income from building and construction services must lodge a TPAR, so subcontractor details have to be accurate through the year.
For builders in Sage Intacct
- Vendor compliance is part of Construction with the Vendor Compliance subscription and is available in Australia. Insurance and miscellaneous records (such as a business licence) are added to a subcontract on its Commitment compliance tab.
- Each compliance definition validates against an expiration date or a document received. With an expiration date, a vendor is out of compliance when the expiry is on or before the bill payment date.
- Set When not compliant in AP payments on the definition. Error stops payment on the Pay bills page. Warning shows a message but lets you pay. Ignore shows nothing.
- A compliance definition tracks by Vendor or by Primary document. With the Automatic by type rule, Intacct creates a compliance record each time a new vendor of that type or a new primary document on that transaction definition is created.
Rules that matter for builders in Sage Intacct
- There is no live ABN lookup in Sage Intacct. Check the ABN on ABN Lookup before approving a new vendor.
- Joint check payments for construction are available in Australia. Record who is on each joint check so a payee change does not slip through.
- A payment schedule in NSW is due within 10 business days of the claim. A compliance stop is not a payment schedule, so respond in writing.
What Sage Intacct does on its own
Roles, audit trail and duplicate flags in AP Automation.
- No bank detail change check or ABN check.
Until approved, no new transactions can be posted and no payments made for that vendor.
What you need and the setup steps: Invoice fraud checks for Sage Intacct.
Example
Example Glazing Pty Ltd sends a $26,400 claim (including GST) on a subcontract. Their public liability insurance on the subcontract's Commitment compliance tab expired last week.
| Line | Amount | What the check finds |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance compliance definition, expiration date | Out of compliance when the expiry is on or before the payment date | |
| Bill for claim 3 | $24,000.00 | Pay bills page shows an error when When not compliant in AP payments is set to Error |
| Edited vendor waiting in Approve vendors | Bank details changed, so no payments until an approver accepts the vendor |
The payment stops on the Pay bills page. The subcontractor sends a new certificate, the record is updated and the bill is paid. This needs Construction and the Vendor Compliance subscription.
Common mistakes for builders in Sage Intacct
- Setting a compliance definition to Ignore, which shows nothing to the person paying.
- Giving Vendors: Bank Details permission to everyone in AP.
- Expecting a call back step. The help describes none, so phone the supplier yourself.
Step-by-step guides for Sage Intacct
- How to control vendor bank detail changes in Sage Intacct
- How to set up a new vendor safely in Sage Intacct
- How to check a vendor's ABN in Sage Intacct
- How to stop paying a bill twice in Sage Intacct
What Pulsify adds
Pulsify flags changed bank details, an invalid or missing tax ID and emails that fail sender checks. Pulsify connects to Sage Intacct. We set up the connection for you. More about invoice fraud checks in Pulsify or Pulsify for builders.
More help
- Invoice fraud checks in Dynamics 365 Finance for builders
- Invoice fraud checks in IFS Cloud for builders
- Invoice fraud checks in MYOB Acumatica for builders
- Duplicate invoice checks in Sage Intacct for builders
- PO matching in Sage Intacct for builders
- Invoice approvals in Sage Intacct for builders
- Line item coding in Sage Intacct for builders
- All Sage Intacct how-to guides
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-19.
- www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Construction/compliance/Compliance_definitions/field-by-field-vendor-compliance-definitions.htm
- www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Construction/compliance/Commitment_compliance/add-compliance-records-to-primary-doc.htm
- www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_AU/help_action/Construction/Construction-vs-Intacct-terminology.htm
- www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/hiring-and-paying-your-workers/payg-withholding/payments-you-need-to-withhold-from/withholding-from-suppliers
- 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
Common questions
Can Sage Intacct stop a payment to a subcontractor with expired insurance?
Yes, with Construction and the Vendor Compliance subscription. Validate the insurance definition against expiration date and set When not compliant in AP payments to Error. Payment on the Pay bills page then stops once the expiry date is on or before the payment date.
How can a builder check a new subcontractor before paying?
Check the ABN on the ABN Lookup, confirm the licence with the state regulator and compare bank details against a signed supplier form. Phone the number you already hold when any detail changes.
Can Sage Intacct hold vendor changes for approval?
Yes. With vendor approval on, new and edited vendors wait in Approve vendors. No transactions post and no payments go out for that vendor until it is approved.
Pulsify setup guides
Want this done for you?
Book a call to see how Pulsify handles invoice fraud checks in Sage Intacct for builders.