31 Mar 2010
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The Standard Business Reporting (SBR) blog provides a forum for businesses, reporting professionals, software developers and other members of the public to discuss SBR online.
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Minister for Finance and Deregulation video post open for comment
Why aren’t you using VPCSML instead of old fashion digital certificates
riverview
March 31st, 2010 at 3:47 pmpermalink
The Government is to be congratulated on this new proposal to simplify business reporting for all businesses through the use of Web 2 technology.
Small businesses in particular will much appreciate this move to embrace the principle of simplification to addresses regulatory burdens. The benefits to the community at large will be reward enough for those who can design and manage online communication to meet 21st century technological and communication expectations.
Good luck to software developers and others who will examine the technical and web-management aspects of this commendable initiative.
Individual Stakeholder
Madeleine Kingston
March 31st, 2010 at 5:02 pmpermalink
I also think this is a wonderful initiative by the government. I, for one, think it would also be greatly helpful if SBR consolidated the downloadable forms on their website in addition to providing the software side of things. I know that’s not part of the goal of SBR, but I would find it very beneficial if they chose to do that.
boojitsu
April 1st, 2010 at 5:44 ampermalink
riverview: Perhaps because the VPCSML solution is proprietary, with a single supplier. X509 certificates are part of a well understood, open standard supported by a number of vendors. Cryptographic APIs for the X509 PKI authentication paradigm are freely available to, and well understood by, both Java and .NET developers.
andrewsmith
April 1st, 2010 at 9:58 ampermalink
boojitsu’s suggestion to consolidate the downloadable forms on the SBR website is a great idea. Perhaps it can be further explored.
Whilst online I wish to support the new measures to effectively engage with citizens generally by offering both formal and informal communications means such as this one.
So thank you also for providing the have-your-say facility
An additional improvement would be to allow interested stakeholders to comment online on closed consultations to make comment on any updated material or suggestions so that a stitch-in-time approach is made possible before intractable problems arise with policy and governance issues.
Such an approach will also mean that new more formal Consultation processes can be better informed at an early stage of development with Discussion and Issues Papers.
The e-Gov websites are already looking so much more user friendly so upwards and onwards is the only way to go.
This a chance to develop innovative software solutions and meet community engagement goals.
The general community always values simpler methods and enhanced accessibility to its elected government and other bodies appointed to serve a public duty.
I am most enthusiastic about the measures taken to facilitate online communication.
In addition there may be room for improvements to personalized email alerts such that any changes to existing sites or material is notified immediately, for example the addition of a new formal submission or change to regulations.
The AER and ACCC have an excellent design plan to accommodate such an idea.
Madeleine Kingston
April 1st, 2010 at 2:25 pmpermalink
andrewsmith & SBR Moderator you should retract your false claim VPCSML is available for any competent professional or organisation to provide to their customers for their users providing they act ethically and do not seek to use the technology for antisocial purposes.
riverview
April 6th, 2010 at 4:20 pmpermalink
Hope you guys will consider the people who choose not to use Microsoft products & add support for some popular Linux flavors such as Ubuntu, Lime & the like.
Also on a general note towards ATO becoming more ‘friendly’ it should come into the new millennium & realise a lot of people work shift work & find it difficult to contact them in ‘normal’ business hours. We use email now guys, so a contact address would save time with your operators trying to call clients while they are sleeping or at work in the evening
icey
April 10th, 2010 at 3:53 pmpermalink
Just thought I would let people know of feedback that I received whilst at a February 2010 Information Session in Melbourne hosted by the National Measurement Institute to explain the new National Trade Measurement Regulations which will become fully operational from 1 July 2010.
The material was well presented. I detected some hesitance and concern regarding changes to customary practices. The issue of online reporting naturally came up.
I suggested a blog and query facility that would allow stakeholders to seek online guidance about reporting parameters or other enquiries impacting on their businesses. This suggestion was well received by some, with whom I had one-to-one chats during coffee breaks.
Such a suggestion would assist with transition to online reporting options, enhance stakeholder confidence during the familiarization phases with new regulations and procedures. The NMI and most all other govt. departments with SBR online would benefit from setting up a simple two-way dialogue facility for specific enquiries as well a digital suggestion box. How about it folks?
Other considerations include conflict and overlap between regulatory schemes that have not been addressed impacting on trade measurement provisions, proposed generic laws; tenancy rights; metrology procedures and misconceptions about embedded generation of gas and electricity; capital expenditure allocations, AEMC rule change proposals impacting on metrology. Vertical integration and outsourcing considerations arms length or not are also relevant. See my serial submissions to MCE arenas, especially to NECF2 Package to be re-named National Energy Law and Rules.
Confusion, erosion of consumer protection and conflict and overlap betweens schemes with emphasis on comparative law also require addressing whilst procedures and practices are being streamlined. Reporting is one component of the changes being made that will be impacted.
Regards
Madeleine
Individual Stakeholder
Madeleine Kingston
April 11th, 2010 at 3:21 pmpermalink
Icey, I could not agree with you more about the problems faced by shift workers and others who cannot easily make daytime telephone contact or respond to calls.
I also believe that those on using only mobile phones face high expenses in making calls to government bodies.
The era of emails or online enquiry is here and should be an option offered to all wishing to communicate with Government for any reason.
Having said that there are many instances where direct telephone dialogue is necessary or preferred
Madeleine
Madeleine Kingston
April 12th, 2010 at 1:01 pmpermalink
Thanks to the Governement. It is really good for us.
besoie
April 17th, 2010 at 8:13 ampermalink
So do you need to be an Accountant or a Bookkeeper Cert4 to use this SBR platform? ie: can a Bookkeeper with no Cert4 use the SBR platform? I am a bookkeeper with no Cert4, but have done Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable and various bookkeeping roles for the past 25-30 years. Suddenly I need a Cert4 piece of paper to say I am competent enough to do the work I have been doing for the past 25-30 years. Currently I can not legally lodge BAS for my clients. This means I send a copy of MYOB data to the accountant in the first or second week of the month following the end of the BAS quarter. This also means that that data is not exactly complete or up to date for that quarter. It would be more up to date if I could leave BAS workings until just before the due date and complete that information myself. My work is always checked at least annually, and any adjustments done then. I NEVER set myself up as an Accountant, nor do I give Accounting or tax advice.
Q: Will I or my clients (the business owners themselves) be allowed to use the SBR site to lodge their BAS?
lesley
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:48 pmpermalink
This is a great initiative, looking forward to the great insight
mase
April 27th, 2010 at 3:21 pmpermalink
To Julie’s question, at a minimum SBR will save public practices time and cost. The level of savings depends on just how much of the SBR capability they choose to use and take advantage of.
Public practices could just wait for and use the SBR services supplied in the software they currently use to have access to pre-fill and auto fill of forms and lodgement via the SBR channel. In this minimalist approach, there will be some assurance work, as well as the need to register for an AUSkey, which is needed to report via SBR.
However, for public practices to really take advantage of potential benefits, they should consider how the mapping of the SBR reporting definitions (in the Taxonomy) can also provide access to more useful and real time financial reports for the practice and their clients.
We have seen examples from others in public practice where the taxonomy has been mapped to the accounting data for a business such that it can automate the creation of the working papers, the profit and loss and the balance sheet, then on to the income tax return and financial statements. Once mapped, these same reports can be used over and over again.
If you do this for one business, you might see that applying the same pattern, or even moving to a more uniform chart of accounts for several of your clients will allow you to automate the same reports for them. The concept is “map once – report many”, which involves the mapping, assurance of the mapping, assurance of the outputs, and then continual re-use. This will take the focus away from checking the transactions, inputs and completeness of records at the end of the year to assurance of the mapping process and optimising the real time financial data available and assurance of the input/transactions. Obviously if all of your clients have unique charts, then you would need to map them individually.
The SBR Taxonomy not only allows you to report to government, it can be used to create many financial reports that…
paulmadden
May 11th, 2010 at 12:05 ampermalink