Once the ATO API connection has been set up, ATO SmartDocs will connect with the ATO each night and make the documents that were issued by the ATO from the previous day available to import. This is because the ATO issues documents at different times of the day, so the API grabs all the documents that were issued in 24 hour cycles. This ensures that no documents are missed for you to import and process.
The person responsible for processing the ATO documents can login each morning and click on the 'Import Documents' button on the Documents tab within ATO SmartDocs. All documents that have NOT been previously imported will appear on the screen ready to be run through in the normal manner. If you do not see any documents on this screen, please refer to the ATO API FAQ's.
Use the Import from ATO tab (optional)
You can use the Import from ATO tab to view details of documents you have already imported or to import specific documents into ATO SmartDocs.
Filter and review documents
Use the available filters to locate the document(s) you want to review or import.
The filters include:Sent date – the date the API retrieved your documents
Description – the title of the ATO‑issued document
TAN – used if you have multiple TANs and want to filter by a specific one
Client – the name of the client who received the document
Imported – indicates whether the document has been imported into ATO SmartDocs (Yes/No)
Click the search (magnifying glass) icon on the top‑right of each filter to apply the filter.
Scroll down to view the list of documents matching your filter criteria.
Import the selected documents
Use the tickboxes on the left‑hand side to select one or more documents.
Click Import to SmartDoc in the bottom‑right corner to import the selected documents into ATO SmartDocs for processing.
Export the list of documents to CSV
For information purposes you also have the ability to export a list of documents using the steps below:
Apply any filters you need.
Select the documents using the tickboxes.
Click Export to CSV at the bottom of the grid.
Save the file to your chosen location.
Open the file in Excel or another compatible program to view the exported data.
Important Notes regarding the ATO API
It is extremely important to remember that this connection is the same as logging into the 'Communication History' area of your ATO Portal. There are no additional documents or options on top of these settings.
We will post a pop-up notification in Smartdocs when/if the ATO API fails to import any documents for you, (or we will email you directly), so it is important that you read all notifications, including if there is a number next to the bell icon in the top right-hand corner of your Smartdocs.
You can only import documents via the ATO API once - this is a security feature that the ATO has imposed. So, if you accidentally delete a document, or if the wrong login was used to import documents - you will have to manually download the documents from your ATO portal, and drag and drop them into Smartdocs to re-process.
Whichever user login is used to import the documents via the ATO API - those documents are ONLY visible in that user's Smartdocs list.
We recommend that the allocated staff member(s) in charge of importing documents via the ATO API on a daily basis, use the admin/default Smartdocs login that you were first set up with.
The Channel for your client is set by the ATO as per the 'Client Communication Preferences' - view this link to the ATO website that explains this.