A Business Entity account lets a company, trust, partnership or self-managed super fund prepare and lodge its own tax return in Lodgeit, without a tax agent. This guide follows the checklist on the Getting started page, from creating your account to lodging your first return. The video shows the whole process in under three minutes.

In this article

Before you start

  • The business has an ABN, and you can act for it, for example as a director, trustee or partner.
  • You have a myID linked to the business in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM), so you can sign in to ATO Access Manager. If you don't have one, you can connect to the ATO by phone instead.
  • You have an authenticator app on your phone, such as Google Authenticator, or a mobile number for SMS codes.
  • The accounts for the year are up to date and reconciled. Lodgeit builds the return from them.

Create your account

Registered tax or BAS agent?

Agents choose Tax Agent or BAS Agent as the practice type and enter their agent number. Follow the tax agent guide or the BAS agent guide instead.

  1. Go to go.lodgeit.net.au/signup, enter your name, email and a password, then select Sign up. You can also select Sign up with Intuit or Sign up with Xero.
  2. Set up two-factor authentication. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app, enter the 6-digit code, then select Confirm. To use SMS instead, select Setup SMS authentication.
  3. On the New organisation page, select Connect to Xero or Connect to QuickBooks to copy the business details from your accounting software, or fill in the form yourself.
  4. Under Practice Type, select Business Entity.
  5. Choose the Entity Type, such as company or trust, and enter the ABN, TFN and name.
  6. Select Create.

Lodgeit opens the Getting started page. Select Start next to a step to open the screen for it. To come back later, open the Help menu and select Getting started.

Complete your organisation details

Lodgeit copies these details into your tax forms.

  1. On the Getting started page, select Start next to Complete your organisation details.
  2. Enter the Primary email, Primary phone, business address and postal address.
  3. In Primary Contact/Signatory, choose the person who signs forms and receives e-signature requests. If they aren't in the list, add them.
  4. Check that the name and ABN match the ATO's records, then save.

For every field on these settings pages, see Organisation details.

Nominate Lodgeit as your SBR software provider

Lodgeit can't prefill, validate or lodge until the ATO knows it's your software provider. You set this up once for each entity, in ATO Access Manager.

  1. On the Getting started page, select Start next to Nominate LodgeiT as your SBR software provider. Lodgeit opens the ATO Software ID page.
  2. Copy Your software ID.
  3. Select the ATO Access Manager link, sign in with your myID and choose the business.
  4. Open My hosted software services and select Notify the ATO of your hosted service.
  5. Search for Lodge iT (with a space) or Lodgeit's ABN, 98 146 732 569, and select the ABN in the results.
  6. Paste your software ID, select Next, then select Save.
  7. Back in Lodgeit, select Test Software ID. When the nomination has worked, Lodgeit shows Successfully connected to ATO.

For screenshots of each Access Manager screen, see Connect Lodgeit to ATO.

A return often needs details of other people and entities: a company's directors and shareholders, a trust's beneficiaries, partners in a partnership or members of a super fund. You add each of them as a client of your organisation.

  1. On the Getting started page, select Start next to Add related entities.
  2. Select New client.
  3. Select Connect to Xero or Connect to QuickBooks if the entity is in your accounting software, or enter its details yourself, then select Create.
  4. Repeat for each person or entity.

For more ways to add a client, see Add related entities.

Add relationships

Relationships record who is a director, shareholder, beneficiary or partner of the business. Lodgeit uses them to fill in those sections of the return. Add the related entities first, because a relationship links two entities that are already in Lodgeit.

  1. On the Getting started page, select Start next to Add relationships.
  2. Select Add relationship.
  3. Choose the related entity and the type of relationship, such as director or shareholder, then save.
  4. Repeat for each relationship.

For examples, see Define client relationships.

Import financials

Lodgeit fills in the profit and loss and balance sheet sections of the return from your accounts.

  1. On the Getting started page, select Start next to Import financials.
  2. Connect your accounting software, such as Xero, QuickBooks or MYOB. If yours isn't listed, import from Excel.
  3. Select the financial year and import.
  4. Check how your accounts are mapped. Each account feeds a line in the return, so move any account that lands in the wrong place.

For each accounting package, see Importing financials. For mapping, see Chart of accounts and mapping.

Lodge your first tax return

Company, trust, partnership and super fund returns are paid, so buy lodgements on the Billing page before you lodge. Activity statements and other business forms are free.

Buy all your lodgements together

The lower price for extra lodgements applies only within one purchase. If you buy them separately, each one costs the full first-lodgement price.

  1. On the Getting started page, select Add tax return.
  2. Select Add form, then choose the form, such as the company tax return, and the year.
  3. Review the amounts Lodgeit has filled in and add any sections the return needs.
  4. Select Validate and fix any errors it lists.
  5. When there are no errors left, select Complete.
  6. Select Sign, then Lodge.

Common questions

Can I lodge for more than one of my entities?

Yes. The entity you signed up with is your organisation. Add each other entity, such as a second company, with New client.

Then nominate Lodgeit for that entity in ATO Access Manager, using the same software ID, and select Test Software ID to check it. See Lodge for multiple entities.

How much does Lodgeit cost for a business?

There's no subscription. You pay for each company, trust, partnership or super fund return you lodge, and unused lodgements don't expire. Activity statements and other business forms are free. For current prices, see Pricing for business.

Can I lodge my own individual tax return?

No. A Business Entity account doesn't include individual tax returns. Directors and partners lodge their own through myTax or a tax agent.

Test Software ID doesn't connect

Check that you completed the Access Manager steps for the right business and pasted the software ID shown in Lodgeit. Then check that the name and ABN in your organisation details match the ATO's records.

If it still fails, see the troubleshooting in Connect Lodgeit to ATO or contact support.