Odoo in Australia: GST, BAS, STP and Setup

Australian businesses move to Odoo for the same reasons as everyone else: stock they can't trust, manual re-entry between systems, and growth that's adding admin staff. The Australian-specific parts are GST, BAS, payroll and how you get there from MYOB or Xero.

GST setup

Start with the Australian localisation. It sets up a chart of accounts and GST tax codes: GST on sales, GST-free, input-taxed, GST on purchases and capital purchases, plus imports. Map these to your BAS labels with your accountant before go-live.

Common traps:

• Products with mixed GST treatment in food businesses
• Imported goods where GST is paid at the border
• Customers or suppliers not registered for GST

BAS reporting

Odoo can produce BAS-oriented tax reports from the GST codes on each transaction. If the codes are right, the report is right. If someone posts a manual journal with the wrong code, the report will be wrong too. Lock down who can post manual journals with GST.

Most businesses keep their accountant reviewing and lodging the BAS. That's sensible.

Single Touch Payroll

STP Phase 2 is a requirement for Australian employers. Odoo Enterprise has added Australian payroll with STP in recent versions. Before relying on it, check award interpretation, leave accruals and super handling against your actual workforce.

Many businesses with complex awards keep a dedicated payroll system and post summary journals into Odoo. Both approaches are valid.

Bank feeds

Bank feed availability for Australian banks varies by provider and version. Test your specific banks early. If a feed isn't available, statement imports work fine but take more effort.

Migrating from MYOB or Xero

A typical migration covers:

• Chart of accounts, mapped to Odoo's structure
• Customers and suppliers with ABN and terms
• Items with costs and opening quantities
• Open invoices and bills
• Opening balances at the end of a BAS period

Cutting over at the end of a quarter (or financial year-end on 30 June) makes reconciliation easier.

Distance and time zones

Australia is a long way from most of the world's ERP consultancies. If your partner is offshore, agree on support windows that overlap your business hours properly, especially during go-live week and the first BAS.

Finding an Odoo partner in Australia

Ask about Australian GST and BAS projects they've done, how they handle STP, and what their support hours look like in AEST. A partner who hasn't worked with Australian businesses before will learn on your project.

We work with Australian distributors, manufacturers and eCommerce businesses remotely, and schedule around your hours. See our Australia page, or start with the Odoo implementation guide.