Why we moved it

We set 6 October for Core. In the week before, we checked every Core tool against what its page says it does, and some did less than that. BAS matters most right now, because September quarter BAS work is under way. So Core launches when BAS is complete, on Monday 12 October.

At the time of the 12 October update, the BAS tool worked out W1 and W2 from posted pay runs in a connected Xero file. We were still finishing the read of transaction types that move a GST label. The Tools page then marked tools that did not cover their full description as Preview and said what they left out.

What Core covers

At Toby we built Core for the questions that sit between a client's records and the rules that apply. It covers income tax, GST and BAS, PAYG withholding, super guarantee, termination and redundancy, state payroll tax for Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and long service leave. It is for bookkeepers, accountants, BAS and tax agents, and small-business owners checking how a rule applies to a set of figures.

Payroll tax beyond Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria is outside the held coverage. If a question needs the law for another state or territory, Core refuses it rather than approximating. It can answer for today, or a past date when it holds the source for that date.

FairWork awards are now in Plus

FairWork award checks and award answers have moved to Plus. That covers the award pay rates and allowances Toby answers from, the award check on each employee's pay, and the check on every pay run as it posts. Plus is an add-on to Core. It follows by 31 December and is not open for sign-up yet.

Check the basis

Every figure comes with its working, a source citation and the version and date of the law used. If the relevant source is not held, Core says so. Where a tool uses an attested schedule, the Compliance Lead's attestation is recorded against that schedule. The answer shows whether its rate schedule is attested.

At Toby we keep arithmetic in code. AI can explain a computed result, but it cannot change the figure. When a question needs a judgement first, the result does not make the call about a client's facts. A qualified person decides what to do with it.

The Tax Practitioners Board says tax agents must take reasonable care in ascertaining a client's state of affairs relevant to advice, and in applying taxation laws to those circumstances. Its guidance says what counts as reasonable care depends on the engagement, complexity, client circumstances and service. Core can show its working; the practitioner remains responsible for advice and actions. [1]

It works beside your records

Core is not accounting software, a payroll system, a lodgement service or advice. It keeps no ledger, runs no payroll and never lodges with the ATO.

The ATO says businesses must keep records of transactions relating to tax, superannuation and registration affairs, including how an estimate or calculation was made. Keep the source documents and your notes with the work. A computed result does not replace the records that explain a client's circumstances. [2]

Free Health Check

The free Health Check is open now and is separate from a paid Core seat. Start with a free account and no card. Checks your accounting file. Works with Xero today. MYOB and QuickBooks Online to follow. Connect a Xero file read-only to see what is wrong, what to fix first and what it adds up to. Save the report as a PDF. Toby writes nothing to Xero, and you can revoke access in Xero at any time.

Data is held in Sydney. Tax file numbers, bank account numbers, salary figures and employee names never reach any AI provider. The OAIC says privacy obligations apply to personal information entered into AI systems. Its guidance asks organisations to check product suitability, human oversight, privacy and security risks, and who can access input and output data. It recommends not entering personal information, particularly sensitive information, into publicly available generative AI as best practice. [3]

Seats and what comes next

One seat is one person who signs in. Clients are not seats, and Core includes unlimited clients and questions. Core is priced per seat, and every seat starts with a 14-day trial. Stripe takes a card at the start, but nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel at any time. The pricing page sets out the seat prices and the annual discount.

Plus is not open for sign-up yet. It follows by 31 December, adding FairWork award checks and answers, the FBT per-benefit calculator and the wider areas. Core opens on Monday 12 October.

Related reading

For more on keeping client information within a practice, read where your data goes when you use AI in a practice.

Sources

  1. Tax Practitioners Board, Reasonable care. Supports the statements on tax agents' duties and the practitioner's judgement.
  2. Australian Taxation Office, Overview of record-keeping rules for business. Supports the points on retaining transaction records and the basis or method for calculations.
  3. Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Guidance on privacy and the use of commercially available AI products. Supports the points on due diligence, human oversight, privacy and security risks, access to data, and caution with publicly available generative AI.