Getting started

How to create an ABS Business Reporting account, connect to accounting software and begin your survey.

This page will help you to get started with ABS Business Reporting. It shows how to:

  • create an account
  • log in
  • connect your accounting software
  • disconnect your accounting software 
  • sync accounting data.

Need help?

If you can't find what you need on this page, outline the details of your situation in our online  Business Surveys Contact Form  and we will be in touch. Alternatively, you can call us on 1800 735 060 (+61 2 6252 8814 outside Australia) Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm AEST. 

You may also find an answer to your question on our ABS Business Reporting help page, which includes hints and tips to help you complete your survey using ABS Business Reporting. 

Create an account

The first time you use ABS Business Reporting you will need to create an account

If you already have an ABS Survey Account that you have used to report for other ABS surveys, you can log in using your existing credentials. 

If you have trouble logging in to ABS Business Reporting, please call us on 1800 735 060 (+61 2 6252 8814 outside Australia) Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm AEST.

Create an account using your email address

Create an account with your Xero account credentials

Log in

Once you have created an account, you can Log in to ABS Business Reporting using the email you registered, or using your Xero credentials.

Log in using your ABS Business Reporting account

Log in using your Xero account credentials

Connect your accounting software

If your business uses Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, connecting securely to your accounting software in ABS Business Reporting can make it faster and easier to complete your survey. 

When you connect, you will be able to see information from your accounting software on screen as you complete your survey. You can select accounts or categories from your accounting software to include for each survey question, and a total will be generated automatically.

Once you have worked through all the questions, you will see a report with a total amount for each question, which you can review and submit to the ABS.

The accounts or categories you choose for each question will be saved and will be available to re-use if you need to report again. This will make it even quicker to report in future.

Connecting for Xero users

Connecting for MYOB users

Connecting for QuickBooks users

Continue without accounting software

Disconnect your accounting software

You can disconnect your accounting software from ABS Business Reporting at any time.  

Once you disconnect, you no longer have access to your past surveys. We strongly recommend downloading and securely storing past surveys. Please see ABS Business Reporting Data Usage for details on what happens to your data when you disconnect your accounting software. 

If you choose to disconnect and need to report again in future, you will also need to contact us to update your reporting preference. Please call us on 1800 735 060 (+61 2 6252 8814 outside Australia). 

Disconnect a business from within ABS Business Reporting

Disconnect ABS Business Reporting from within your accounting software

Sync accounting data

Your accounting data will sync with ABS Business Reporting whenever you open a report from your dashboard. You can also manually sync your data when you are in a report by pressing the ‘Sync’ button.  

ABS Business Reporting only reads data from your accounting software and does not send data to your accounting software.  

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