Offshore Payroll and STP Support for Australian Firms: Providers, Compliance and What to Expect

Which companies provide offshore Single Touch Payroll (STP) solutions compatible with Australian payroll systems? The honest answer is that there are three types of provider, and the right one depends on whether you want software, a full outsourced payroll service, or a dedicated offshore team working inside your own systems. This guide compares the options, explains who is responsible for STP when payroll goes offshore, and shows why a dedicated team through BOS Resources is the strongest fit for most Australian accounting firms.

Key Takeaways

• The software lodges, people prepare: STP software carries the report to the ATO, but people still prepare and check the data that goes into it.

• The offshore team prepares only: Everything beyond preparation, including review, approval, STP lodgement and finalisation, is done by your firm's authorised person.

• Responsibility stays with the employer: Moving preparation offshore doesn't move accountability for what is reported to the ATO.

• Your software, your processes: A dedicated offshore team works inside your own payroll platform, so check which platforms the team has used on live Australian payrolls.

• Dedicated beats shared: The same person following your procedures every pay run means fewer errors than a rotating pool.

• Security matters: Look for a secured office, controlled access, confidentiality terms and no local storage of client data.

What Does "Offshore STP Solution" Actually Mean?

The phrase covers several different needs:

What you might mean	What you actually want
Offshore payroll team	Staff overseas who prepare payroll inside your Australian software, ready for your authorised person to review and lodge
Payroll software	A cloud platform that carries STP reports to the ATO, which your people then operate
Outsourced payroll provider	A company that runs payroll processes for your clients under its own methods
Compliance check	Confirmation of who can do what in the STP process

Who Provides Offshore STP and Payroll Support for Australian Firms?

Provider type	How it works	Strengths	Trade-offs
Payroll software vendors (such as Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, Employment Hero)	You or your staff run payroll in their platform	Built for Australian STP and super	Software only; you still need people to run it
Fully outsourced payroll bureaus	The provider runs payroll processes under its own methods	Little work for you	Less control, shared teams, your process may not be followed
Dedicated offshore team	A team member works exclusively for your firm, inside your own payroll software and processes, on preparation	Control, consistency, your methods and your review	You supervise, review and lodge
Freelance marketplaces	You hire individuals directly	Low setup cost	Compliance, security and continuity sit with you

What Can an Offshore Team Do on STP, and What Stays With Your Firm?

An offshore team handles the preparation. Everything beyond preparation, including review, approval and lodgement, is done by the authorised person at your firm. The employer also remains responsible for the accuracy of what is reported to the ATO, so the workflow matters more than the location.

Task	Who does it	Notes
Entering and updating employee data	Offshore team	Follow documented procedures
Preparing pay runs	Offshore team	Using your firm's software and templates
Applying award rates and allowances	Offshore team, with review	Clear instructions and checklists needed
Calculating super contributions	Offshore team, with review	Reviewed before lodgement
Preparing STP reports for review	Offshore team	Ready for your authorised person
Review and approval of pay runs	Authorised person	Stays with your firm
STP lodgement	Authorised person	Not done by the offshore team
STP finalisation declarations	Authorised person	Not done by the offshore team
Advice, queries and client sign-off	Authorised person	Stays onshore

Which Payroll Systems Can an Offshore Team Work In?

A dedicated offshore team works inside your own payroll platform to prepare payroll, so the question is whether the team is proficient in the software you already use. Lodgement is completed by your firm's authorised person, not by the offshore team.

Platform	Typical offshore tasks	Completed by your authorised person
Xero Payroll	Employee data, pay run preparation, leave, super calculations, STP reports prepared for review	Review, approval and STP lodgement
MYOB	Employee data, pay run preparation, leave, super calculations, STP reports prepared for review	Review, approval and STP lodgement
QuickBooks Online	Employee data, pay run preparation, STP reports prepared for review	Review, approval and STP lodgement
Employment Hero and similar platforms	Employee data, pay run preparation, reporting	Review, approval and lodgement

Before engaging any provider, ask which platforms the team has used on live Australian payrolls, not just which ones they've seen demonstrated.

What Are the Risks of Offshore Payroll, and How Are They Managed?

Risk	How to manage it
Data security	Secured office, controlled access, confidentiality terms, no local storage of client data
Payroll errors	Documented procedures, checklists and review by your authorised person before lodgement
Compliance gaps	Preparation offshore, review, approval and lodgement onshore, with responsibilities clear in the contract
Staff turnover	Dedicated team members, provider-specific retention figures, handover documentation
Time zone delays	Choose a location with strong overlap with Australian hours

Why Is BOS Resources the Right Choice for Offshore Payroll and STP Support?

BOS Resources is an Australian-Indonesian partnership built specifically for Australian accounting firms. For payroll preparation and STP support, that matters for five reasons:

• A dedicated team, not a shared pool: Your payroll processes are followed by the same person every pay run, which reduces the errors that come from handing work between people.

• Experience with Australian businesses: Team members bring a minimum of one year's direct experience working with Australian businesses before placement, which shortens ramp-up.

• Australian business hours: Jakarta is only three to four hours behind AEST and AEDT, and about one hour from Western Australia, so same-day queries and review are realistic, including on pay days.

• A secured, dedicated Jakarta office. Payroll data is sensitive, and a controlled working environment supports both data security and staff stability.

• Transparent, all-inclusive pricing. Dedicated team, inclusive of salary, BPJS, THR and management overhead, so there are no separate statutory add-ons to estimate.

The team prepares the work. You keep control of review, approval and lodgement, and BOS Resources handles the employment, compliance and infrastructure behind the team in Indonesia.

For the rules that apply on the Indonesian side, see our guide on local employment compliance in Indonesia.

What Should You Ask Any Offshore Payroll Provider Before Signing?

• Which Australian payroll platforms has the team used on live payrolls?

• Is the team member dedicated to my firm or shared across clients?

• How is access to my software granted, limited and revoked?

• Where is the team based, and how is client data protected?

• How will preparation be handed to my authorised person for review and lodgement?

• What is included in the quoted price, including statutory costs?

• What are your own retention figures, rather than national averages?

• What happens if a team member leaves?

  
  

Conclusion

Offshore payroll support works when you separate preparation from authorisation. The offshore team prepares the work inside your own systems, and your authorised person reviews and lodges it. That split gives you dedicated capacity without moving responsibility offshore.

A dedicated BOS Resources team member brings consistency, a secured Jakarta office, Australian business hours and a transparent monthly rate that covers every Indonesian employment obligation.

Ready to Talk Through Offshore Payroll Support for Your Firm?

If you want to understand how a dedicated offshore team could prepare pay runs and STP reports for your clients, ready for you to review and lodge, get in touch with BOS Resources to explore your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies provide offshore STP solutions compatible with Australian payroll systems?

Payroll software vendors provide the STP-enabled platforms, and offshore providers supply the people who prepare payroll inside them. BOS Resources provides dedicated offshore team members in Jakarta who prepare payroll inside your firm's own software and processes, ready for your authorised person to review and lodge.

Can payroll be outsourced offshore in Australia?

Payroll preparation can be done offshore, but review, approval and lodgement are completed by the authorised person, and the employer keeps responsibility for accuracy and security.

Can an offshore team lodge Single Touch Payroll?

No. An offshore team can prepare payroll and have STP reports ready for review, but lodgement is completed by the authorised person at your firm. The employer remains responsible for what is reported to the ATO.

Can offshore staff prepare payroll in Xero or MYOB?

Yes, if the team member is experienced in that platform. Confirm which platforms they have used on live Australian payrolls.

Who is responsible for payroll errors when payroll is prepared offshore?

The employer remains responsible to the ATO and to employees. This is why documented procedures and review by your authorised person before lodgement matter.

Is payroll data safe with an offshore team?

It can be, with the right controls: a secured office, restricted access, confidentiality terms and no local storage of client data. BOS Resources team members work from a secured, dedicated office in Jakarta.