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Attaché releases new software
31 December 2008 |
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In December Attaché Software released Attaché 7 version 7.01.102, as well as new versions of Attaché Alex, ODBC, Contacts and Archive. Attaché Technical Director, Rod McLeod, said that he was extremely pleased with the efforts of his dedicated development team in bringing together such a large number of features in one release, including many new features requested by users. Managing Director, Michael Rich, described this release as one of the best ever, with significant improvements in productivity available to businesses. The upgrade for Attaché 7 and the additional modules are currently available for download via the CBP members website.
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Plain English Guide featured on dynamicbusiness.com
7 November 2008 |
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Attaché Software’s "Plain English Guide" was recently featured in a news article on the dynamicbusiness.com website. The online article illustrated how the free 16-page guide from Attaché can assist business owners determine if their financial software is in need of assessment, the options available and the potential benefits of moving to Next Generation Software such as Attaché 7.
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Attaché General Manager to co-present CPA PNG / CPA Australia Joint Annual Conference 2008
21 October 2008 |
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David New, Attaché Software's General Manager, has been invited to attend and co-present the CPA PNG / CPA Australia Joint Annual Conference 2008 together with Sue Robb, CEO of South Pacific Software Services. This conference will be held late November in Port Moresby, with in excess of 800 CPAs expected to attend.
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Attaché a finalist in My Business green award
21 October 2008 |
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Attaché Software was recently named as a finalist in the My Business magazine's annual awards, in the category of Nuance Communications Best Green Business. Attaché made the top three in recognition of Attaché Alex - our electronic document delivery and tracking service. Using Alex enables businesses to reduce their paper consumption and potential carbon emissions.
The November 2008 issue of My Business magazine will feature a special supplement on the award winners and finalists.
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New Zealand tax scales released
22 September 2008 |
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Due to changes announced in the budget in May 2008, which raised the income thresholds for each tax rate, the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department has issued new tax deduction tables. As a result, new tax scales for Attaché Payroll have now been released. These new tax scales must be installed prior to processing pays that have a pay period end date on or after the 1 October 2008.
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Attaché featured in Be the Change magazine
30 August 2008 |
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Attaché software was recently featured in Be the Change magazine, a monthly
publication dedicated to raising awareness of the ways in which individuals and the community can
fight global warming and reduce their carbon footprint. The article focused on
Attaché Software's flagship product — Attaché 7 — believed to be the world's first
zero carbon footprint accounting and payroll software, and also goes on to describe
Attaché's own efforts as a company to reduce and offset its carbon emissions.
- Read the article (PDF)
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ATO releases new publication on reportable fringe benefits
6 August 2008 |
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The ATO has released a new publication providing information about the reportable fringe benefits amount included on your payment summary. It explains:
- what a fringe benefit is
- who pays fringe benefits tax (FBT)
- the different types of fringe benefits
- what a reportable fringe benefits amount is
- how your reportable fringe benefits amount is calculated
- what happens when you have fringe benefits reported on your payment summary.
View the publication on the ATO web site.
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Attaché MD guest columnist in CRN magazine
23 July 2008 |
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Attaché Software Managing Director, Michael Rich, recently contributed a guest column in the July 2008 edition of Computer Reseller Network magazine, commenting as an industry spokesperson on the importance of Australian businesses having up-to-date accounting software.
"More than 300,000 Australian and New Zealand businesses are using out-of-date acounting software, resulting in a deficiency of vital information that is needed to perform core busines activities..."
- Read the column (PDF)
- Visit Computer Reseller Network online
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Updated tax scales for Attaché Payroll
16 June 2008 |
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Attaché Payroll tax scales for Australia 2008/09 and for Tonga are now available. Tax scales can be automatically downloaded from within Attaché 7 or you can download them manually from the CBP Members website.
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Semester 2 training timetable now available
30 May 2008 |
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You can now view the timetable for semester two Sydney training courses, which are currently underway at our North Sydney Training Centre. Courses include Payroll Processing and Setups, General Ledger, Accounts Payable and Receivable and a new course for the recently added Fixed Assests module.
You can view the full list of Attaché training courses, including venue, timetable and registration information in the training area.
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Australian tax scales
16 May 2008 |
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The Australian Federal Budget 2007/08 indicated considerable changes to tax scales. Attaché Payroll users can be assured that once the budget is passed through parliament and given royal assent, new tax scales will be made available free of charge on the CBP Members website. Email subscribers will be notified of their availability through our email news bulletins. Until then, you should continue to use the 2007/08 tax scales.
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Attaché end-of-financial-year seminars 2008
16 May 2008 |
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If you need a helping hand with your end-of-financial-year processing, why not come along to an Attaché end-of-financial-year training seminar? You’ll learn all you need to know about end-of-year processing with your Attaché system plus you’ll also receive complimentary EOY guides and checklists. There’s also a Special Guides Offer available only to seminar attendees. Seminars are being held throughout Australia in May and June. |
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Ordinary Time Earnings and Super Guarantee
16 April 2008 |
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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) today advised that changes to super from 1 July 2008 may affect the way some employers calculate the super guarantee contribution they make on behalf of their employees. Essentially, from July employers must use ordinary time earnings (OTE) to calculate employees' super guarantee contributions.
The ATO has indicated that while most employers are already using ordinary time earnings to calculate super guarantee, some are using other methods, such as earnings outlined in industrial awards or exisiting employment agreements. The changes will make sure all employees are treated the same for super guarantee purposes.
Tax Office Deputy Commissioner Neil Olesen said the Tax Office wants to make sure employers are ready for the changes. "The changes to calculated super guarantee are now less than four months away," Mr Olesen said. "I strongly encourage all employers to make sure they have planned for the changes and have the correct systems in place such as updating their payroll systems."
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Free information seminars now in PNG and regional Australia
3 March 2008 |
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With the Update '08 free information seminars proving popular, Attaché Software has now added locations in Papua New Guinea and throughout regional Australia to the seminar schedule. Seminars will now also be conducted in Lae, Port Moresby, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Coffs Harbour, Ballina, Hobart and Launceston, finishing in Shepparton on 16 April 2008.
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Update '08 free information seminars
24 January 2008 |
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In February/March Attaché Software will be hosting Update '08 — a series of free information seminars that will reveal the exciting new features of our first major upgrade to Attaché 7 — version 7.01. This new release is full of great new features, many requested by users, for both Attaché 7 Accounts and Payroll, including:
- enhancements to customer and supplier transactions
- greater flexibility in reporting
- drill-down available in more areas
- changes to superannuation and electronic reporting in Payroll
- better tracking of masterfile changes
- additional features in CashRegister
Update '08 free information seminars are also a chance to find out about the new Attaché 7 PowerLink; SalesMatrix’s latest business intelligence software; and how Attaché 7 can help reduce paper usage.
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Attaché Software certified CO2 free
7 December 2007 |
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Attaché Software has been certified CO2 free by Australia's leading carbon audit organisation, Carbon Planet.
To achieve the certification Attaché Software has completed comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions auditing, offset those emissions, and made a long term commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
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Tower of strength
3 December 2007 |
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In a recent article for The Daily Telegraph, small business reporter Andrew Carswell discusses with Attaché Software Managing Director Mike Rich the many environmental benefits of Attaché 7.
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EXTRACT from Tower of strength by Andrew Carswell:
Attaché Software has invented the world's first zero carbon footprint accounting and payroll software, creating a paperless office.
Mike Rich has saved the height of Sydney Tower in paper this year.
Next year, he hopes to save double the height of the tower in paper. No mean feat for any office - that height in paper equates to four million documents per year.
Entitled Attaché 7, the software specifically targets growing small businesses, giving them an environmentally-minded accounting and payroll system that eliminates the need for paper. |
- View the full article Tower of strength by Andrew Carswell, The Daily Telegraph 3 December 2007.
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ATO calculator for termination payments
16 November 2007 |
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The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has developed a new online calculator to assist employers with administering changes to employment termination payments.
Use the Employment Termination Payment calculator to determine the tax free and taxable components of an employment termination payment made on or after 1 July 2007.
To access the calculator click here or visit the ATO website at www.ato.gov.au and in the left-hand menu click on Rates, calculators & tools | For superannuation. Then on the Rates, calculators & tools for superannuation professionals page click Calculators | Employment termination payment calculator.
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Document delivery by email surpasses fax
1 November 2007 |
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In recent months email has surpassed fax as the most popular Attaché Alex delivery method, increasing to 56% of all documents in October. One reason for the shift is the recent inclusion of PDF output in emailed documents. Plus, shifting from paper (faxed) documents to emailed documents reduces paper usage which is good news for the environment. Use the electronic document savings calculator to discover how much you can save on costs to your business and the environment.
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Latest Attaché 7 upgrade now available
21 September 2007 |
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A new upgrade for Attaché 7 is now available for Attaché 7 users to download from the CBP Members website. Attaché 7 version 7.00.300 includes new and enhanced features for both Accounts and Payroll.
Enhancements include Employment Termination Payments (ETPs) and new Magnetic Media file for reporting payment summary information, which comply with new Australian Tax Office regulations, as well as improvements in invoice generation and document printing, and considerable enhancements to Keystroke File Import (KFI).
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Training courses in Accounts and Payroll
18 August 2007 |
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Semester 2 Classroom Training is now underway at our North Sydney Training Centre. Courses include Payroll Processing, Payroll Setups, General Ledger and Bank Reconciliation, and Attaché ODBC with MS Office. In addition, two new courses have been added in both Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. Debtors Level 1 and Creditors Level 1 are two-hour courses that cover the fundamentals of these important roles — ideal for staff who are new to Attaché. Debtors Level 2 and Creditors Level 2 then go on to cover more advanced topics.
- You can view the full list of courses, including venue and registration details, in the Training area.
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Save more than just paper
18 July 2007 |
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Smarter use of resources can deliver immediate cuts in emissions and reap significant economic and productivity benefits. The Australian Conservation Foundation's National Agenda for a Sustainable Australia states that a comprehensive Government review found that Australia could immediately reduce our energy use by up to 30% using off-the-shelf cost-effective technologies, with immediate economic benefits and an average "payback" of four years.
With this in mind, Attaché Software has recently created an online savings calculator. Utilising greenhouse gas emissions and
car distance formulae from Carbon Planet Australia, the savings calculator not only lets you discover how much Attaché 7 's electronic document delivery service can save you in time and money, but also calculates your potential savings in paper/GHG emissions.
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Australian Payroll tax scales
15 June 2007 |
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Australian tax scales 2007/08 are now available for download. The tax scales are suitable for users of Attaché Payroll for Attaché 7, Business Partner and Attaché Catapult. The file is dated 1 July 2007 and should not be used in the calculation of any payroll for payments before that date. The tax scales for 2007/08 will also be included in the next release of Attaché 7 (version 7.00.201), scheduled for release shortly.
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Small business keen to help environment
6 June 2007 |
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A recent survey of more than 90 businesses by the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) showed that small business wanted to do more to improve their performance, but needed the tools to help them.
“What small business has been looking for is an easy, low cost way of identifying how they could improve their operating practices to the benefit of the environment and their own bottom line,” said VECCI CEO Neil Coulson.
The Attaché Alex document delivery service is one way you can help the environment. Attaché Alex not only saves time and money on postage, stationery and handling, it also reduces a business’s impact on the environment. Users of the Alex service can be proud of the fact that in the month of April alone, they saved around 250,000 sheets of paper by sending their documents electronically instead of printing them.
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Attaché shines at CeBIT
May 2007 |
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With the official launch of Attaché 7, Attaché Software made a triumphant return to the spotlight at CeBIT 2007, Australia’s biggest computer tradeshow.
One of the busiest stands at CeBIT, Attaché Software held regular presentations on Attaché 7, and attracted a great deal of interest from both within the IT industry and SMEs. Attaché 7 was further acknowledged at CeBIT by being awarded a finalist in ZDNet Australia’s inaugural Emerging Technology Innovation Awards. Attaché Software was also invited to participate in CeBIT’s eCommerce Conference.
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KiwiSaver for New Zealand
May 2007 |
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From 1 July 2007, New Zealand introduces a new non-compulsory savings scheme called KiwiSaver. All new employees are automatically enrolled into KiwiSaver (with provision to opt out within a specified timeframe) while existing employees aged under 65 may opt in. Employers may also make contributions to KiwiSaver if they wish.
Attaché Payroll was updated in April (Attaché 7 version 7.00.100) and again in May (version 7.00.200) to meet these requirements.
The NZ Government budget of 17 May announced even further changes to KiwiSaver which will take effect from 1 April 2008. Part of this appears to be a compulsory employer contribution to match at least part of the employee's contribution.
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Acclaim for Attaché 7
May 2007 |
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The Consensus Awards are an awards program exclusively for Australian and New Zealand designed and developed software. Recognising Attaché 7’s innovation and potential in both the domestic and international markets, Attaché Software was a finalist in this year’s awards.
Attaché 7 has also been selected as a finalist in the Financial Applications category of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) awards.
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NZ tax scales
21 March 2007 |
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New Zealand Payroll tax scales for 2007/2008 are now available from the CBP Members website. The updated tax scales include changes that have been made to the ACC Earner’s Levy and the Student Loan Threshold, which come into effect from 1st April 2007. The 2007 tax scales will also be included in the next release of Attaché 7, version 7.00.100, which will be available shortly. Attaché 7 version 7.00.100 will also include other enhancements related to New Zealand payroll, including changes realted to the introduction of the savings scheme "KiwiSaver."
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Attaché End-of-financial-year seminars 2007
19 March 2007 |
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This year we will be running our popular end-of-financial-year training seminars throughout Australia in June. In addition to assisting you in completing your accounts and payroll end-of-year with ease, this year's seminars will also include the special extra session - Making the Most of Attaché 7.
In Making the Most of Attaché 7 you'll discover how to harness the power and flexibility of Attaché 7. This session is FREE if Payroll EOY and/or Accounts EOY session is paid for before April 30.
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e-tax surpasses paper lodgement
19 March 2007 |
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For the second year running, electronic tax return lodgments have exceeded those lodged on paper.
Over 1.6 million Australian taxpayers used e-tax, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) online lodgment service, to lodge their 2005-06 tax return – an increase of almost 18 percent on the previous year.
Commissioner of Taxation, Michael D’Ascenzo said “I’m pleased so many people are taking advantage of our online services which are designed to help them meet their obligations as easily and cheaply as possible.”
Over the past couple of years the ATO have been testing a feature where people can download information from the Tax Office and third parties directly into their tax return. After a limited trial in 2005, e-tax users in 2006 could download information from Centrelink, Medicare Australia, the Family Assistance Office and six major financial institutions.
This initiative has proved quite popular with e-tax users. In 2006, over:
- 80,000 people downloaded their bank interest details,
- 22,000 people downloaded information to claim their 30 per cent child care tax rebate,
- 100,000 people downloaded their out of pocket medical expenses from Medicare Australia, and
- 7,500 people downloaded information on their managed funds.
More information: http://ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/83847.htm
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New Australian Tax Office (ATO) Payroll requriements
8 January 2007 |
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Changes to the reporting obligations of Australian employers, announced by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in mid-2006, took effect on January 31, 2007. From that date, all employers who use self-print payment summaries are required to use one of two new approved layouts for all Individual Non-business Payment Summaries issued for this financial year (2006/2007) and beyond. Old style payment summaries will not be accepted.
In line with the new requirements, the two new payment summary layouts have been added to Attaché Payroll. Attaché Payroll retains the old payment summary layouts for reprinting purposes only. To further comply with the latest ATO requirements, a new checkbox is now available in employee deductions to allow Workplace Giving deductions to be separately identified on employee payment summaries.
Attaché Payroll compliance — Users of Attaché 7 Payroll will have no problems meeting their obligations as this software (released in September 2006) meets the ATO requirements.
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