The Online BAS check working group explores options to prevent inadvertent errors from occurring prior to the electronic lodgment of business activity statements (BAS).
Online BAS check aims to identify activity statements at risk of being lodged with a potential error or anomaly, by using:
- predictive modelling
- validation checks
- real time analytics.
When an error is identified, the user will receive an electronic prompt to self-review and confirm or correct the BAS information prior to lodgment.
The last meeting was on 7 June 2018. This group is now closed.
Co-design outcomes
A workshop was held with our external co-design group on 4 July 2018. The co-design group consists of Tax Practitioners and some Digital Service Provider representatives.
The workshop provided us with several design elements that formed part of the Online BAS Check solution. These included:
- A message alert highlighting where a BAS label amount is outside the expected values compared to the client’s previous lodgment history.
- A summary of the client’s BAS lodgement history.
- The option of a reason code that could be selected as additional explanatory information where a client receives an alert, but does not change the input amount.
- The addition of a “review” button at the end of the form, prior to the declaration section, that once selected would generate any alert messages.
OBC work in progress
Since the workshop, work has been progressing on components of the design of the Online BAS Check solution.
- We have reviewed and further refined the wording of the messages incorporating external feedback from co-design processes and this content has received technical clearance.
- We have reviewed and further refined our reason codes incorporating external feedback from co-design processes and this content has received technical clearance.
- We have been working with our IT colleagues to develop a prototype of the Online BAS Check based on the feedback received from the co-design workshops. The prototype demonstrates concepts and an understanding of how the Online BAS Check will operate in line with the client experience. The evolved prototype will be made available for user testing with externals and the co-design group in 2020.
- We have worked to further refine the predictive model following testing and are in the process of determining appropriate threshold applications.