Duties questions and answers—OSRconnect

1. Will I still get a confirmation statement when I lodge a transaction in OSRconnect?

Yes. Once you submit the transaction, you will be able to print the confirmation page which contains your payment reference code.

2. If I lodge 10 transactions, will I get 10 different confirmation pages?

Yes. Each transaction is lodged separately, and has its own unique lodgement number and payment reference code.

3. Do I have to submit the transaction before I can print the confirmation page?

Yes. You cannot print the confirmation page until the transaction has been submitted. If you make a payment before the transaction has been submitted to us, our system will not be able to allocate the payment correctly and UTI may accrue.

4. Duties Online did not always allow me to enter the full party name in the worksheet due to character restrictions. Will this change in OSRconnect?

Yes, you will be able to enter unlimited characters in OSRconnect. Our new data entry standards are now available on our website.

5. Can the concession forms (i.e. D2.1 & D2.7) be printed from the interactive form?

Yes. You can print pre-populated concession forms from the interactive form.

6. Will each transaction have a different due date (payment date), now that we are not lodging weekly returns?

Yes. You need to lodge the transaction within 30 days after the liability date. Once your transaction is lodged, you must pay within 14 days or UTI will apply.

7. When Duties Online started, I had a few teething problems with the system. What if I have problems entering or lodging my transactions in OSRconnect?

If you are having problems with OSRconnect, please call our client contact centre on 1300 300 734 or email client.support@osr.treasury.qld.gov.au.

8. Will super users and standard users be able to see each other’s transactions?

Yes. If you are a super user or a standard user, you will be able to see all of your company's transactions in OSRconnect.

9. If I have started a transaction, can someone else complete the transaction (i.e. take ownership)?

Yes. Any other user can complete and submit your transaction.

10. How much information do I need to enter before I can get a transaction number?

We encourage you to enter as much information as you have available, however you can save the form as a draft and get a transaction number after entering minimal information.

11. Do I have to log off the system after entering each transaction?

No. Once you complete a transaction, you will be returned to the task overview screen. From there, you can make an electronic payment or create another transaction.

12. Can I view my return history in OSRconnect?

Yes. You will able to see each transaction that you have submitted to us. You will also be able to check payments made by yourself or electronically by your clients using the OSRconnect payment history screen.

13. Will I still be able to access my previous return history in Duties Online?

No. You will no longer be able to access Duties Online after 30 June 2009. This will include your previous return history.

14. What happens if I submit a transaction by mistake?

You cannot make any changes to a transaction once it has been submitted. If you submit a transaction by mistake, you will need to notify the client contact centre on 1300 300 734.

15. Can I delete transactions in OSRconnect?

No. You cannot delete or cancel transactions in OSRconnect. However, this option may be available at a later date.

16. Can I change the details in a saved draft?

Yes. You can amend and save the draft as many times as you like until you submit the transaction. Once the transaction has been submitted to us, you can no longer make any changes. If the transaction needs to be reassessed after being submitted, you will need to forward the documents to us, together with a covering letter, so we can make a reassessment of duty.

1. Can I lodge outstanding mortgage returns using OSRconnect?

No. As mortgage duty was abolished on 1 July 2008, you are not able to enter mortgage returns into OSRconnect. You will need to give us a covering letter stating the period that your return relates to, the range of transaction numbers and the total amount of duty and unpaid tax interest (if applicable) payable for the return, together with your payment.

2. Can I assess caveats in house using OSRconnect?

No. You do not need to endorse caveats by way of equitable mortgagee if they are dated after 1 July 2008 (as mortgage duty was abolished on this date). If the caveat is dated before 1 July 2008, you will need to forward these documents to us for commissioner assessment.

General caveats are not dutiable and do not need to be endorsed.

3. If I have a surrender of lease which is dated after lease duty was abolished (1 January 2006), do I still need to endorse and lodge this document through OSRconnect?

Yes. Although lease duty has been abolished, transfer duty is payable on a surrender of lease, as it is a surrender of dutiable property (see section 9(1)(c) of the Duties Act 2001). Certain surrenders of leases are exempt from duty. See section 147 of the Duties Act for more information.

4. Will my record keeping requirements change under OSRconnect?

No. The Duties Act sets out the information that you are required to keep as a self assessor. You must keep all documentation, including the confirmation page for each transaction, for a period of 5 years.

5. Can I apply section 30 (aggregation) to a transaction which has been saved as a draft but not yet submitted?

Yes. You can aggregate any transaction that has been saved but not yet submitted.

6. Can I apply section 30 to a transaction if the transaction I want to aggregate it with has already been submitted?

Yes. You will need to enter the transaction number of the previous transaction/s on the interactive form.

7. If I endorse a nil transaction, do I still need to lodge a transaction statement?

Yes. You must lodge a transaction statement for each transaction. This includes transactions where an exemption or concession is being claimed.

8. Will I receive a new stamp?

No. You can continue to endorse transactions using the same stamp that you used to endorse transactions in Duties Online.

9. When can I endorse a document if my client pays electronically?

If your client makes an electronic payment directly to us, you can only endorse the document once your payment history screen in OSRconnect shows that the payment has been received.

1. If my client does not use the correct payment reference code when making an electronic payment, do I have to chase the client for the outstanding amount?

It is your client’s responsibility to make sure that they use the correct payment reference code when making electronic payment. However, you cannot endorse a document unless the payment has been allocated to the correct payment reference code.

2. How can I track a client’s payment if it does not appear in my payment history screen? Is there an automated process to advise OSR that payment has been made?

If your client has made a payment, and it is not appearing in the payment history screen, you will need to contact us to confirm that we have received the payment. You can do this by phoning the Client Contact Centre on 1300 300 734 or by emailing clientcontactentre@osr.treasury.qld.gov.au.

Note: Electronic payments do not immediately appear in OSRconnect. The length of time it will take to appear in your payment history page will depend on the time of day that your client pays and how long their financial institution takes to process the payment.

3. Can I endorse a document if my clients advise me that they have made an electronic payment to OSR, even though this payment does not appear in my payment history screen?

No. You cannot endorse a document until the payment history screen shows that the payment has been made. Your client's BPay reference number is not sufficient proof that the payment has gone into our bank account.

4. Can I still make over-the-counter cheque payments to OSR?

Over-the-counter cheque payments will still be accepted, however they may take more time to process. We will not be able to process multiple cheques in batches, so each cheque will be receipted separately, which could lead to delays.

5. Can I pay with a trust account cheque?

Yes. A solicitor’s trust account cheque is considered to be cleared funds.

6. Can I pay my transaction at Australia Post by scanning the bar code?

No. There is currently no option to pay transactions at Australia Post.

7. Will my client have to pay UTI if they do not pay by the due date?

Yes. UTI will continue to accrue until the outstanding duty has been paid.

8. If I lodge more than one transaction a week, can I print out a confirmation page for each transaction and pay for all of them the following week?

Yes, as long as the payment is made within the required payment period. You can also pay for each transaction separately if you wish.

9. Can banks pay duty using BPay if funds are issued at settlement?

Yes. Banks can use BPay to make transfer duty payments.

10. If my client pays electronically, do I need to send in the confirmation page?

No. However, you will need to confirm that we have received the payment (using the payment history screen) before endorsing the document.

11. Can I pay by credit card?

No. You cannot pay by credit card.

12. Can I pay for multiple transactions using 1 cheque?

Yes. You will need to attach a confirmation page for each transaction to the cheque. If the amount of the cheque is less than the total amount payable, you will need to advise us which transaction has been underpaid.

13. Who is liable to pay UTI if the client doesn't pay on time?

The client is liable for any UTI that has accrued, as it is the client's responsibility to pay on time.

1. Do I have to lodge online after OSRconnect goes live? 

No. You can continue to make paper lodgements, however the process will be slightly different. You will no longer be able to create your own manual transaction numbers. After 1 July 2009, you must endorse all documents using a system generated number. If you lodge a paper Form 12.6, we will notify you of the transaction number once we have entered it into our system.

Note: Transaction statements must be lodged within 30 days after the liability date to avoid UTI. Payment is due within 14 days after the transaction has been lodged in OSRconnect.

2. If I lodge a paper Form 12.6 with your office, can I get a transaction number over the phone?

No. We cannot give you a transaction number over the phone. Once the Form 12.6 has been processed, we will mail the transaction number to you.

3. Can I fax or email the Form 12.6 to your office?

No. You must send all Forms 12.6 to us by mail. We cannot accept scanned or faxed copies of the form.

4. Can my paper lodgement be processed on an urgent or priority basis?

No. The processing time will depend on how many staff are available and how many paper lodgements are waiting to be processed.