Latest product news – August 2021

In the past month, we’ve released a number of features to help you manage the latest changes to COVID-19 grants, tax and payroll. We’ve also released the next evolution of our short-term cash flow and business snapshot tools, to help you plan for the future with confidence. As we all continue to manage the ongoing impact of the global pandemic, please do reach out if you need support.

New features

Manage your cash flow with Xero Analytics Plus — Global

Xero Analytics Plus is the next evolution of our short-term cash flow and business snapshot features, with greater customisation and more accurate projections. We’ve also bundled short-term cash flow and business snapshot into a free tool called Xero Analytics. It comes with some exciting new features, to help you better manage your cash flow and measure your financial performance.

Filter items in your Products and Services list — Global

We’ve updated the Products and Services list in Xero, so you can filter your list by archived or active items. This has been one of the most requested community features for Products and Services, and means you can focus on what matters to you. We’ve also updated the new item creation page, to make it a faster and more beautiful experience.

Export beautifully branded reports to PDF — Global

We’ve taken one more step in our journey to give you beautiful reports, with a new option when exporting PDF reports. Xero practice staff will now see a ‘Styled PDF’ option when viewing a new report. Selecting this will allow you to export a branded report to PDF with your practice’s logo and title colour, before reaching the publishing stage.

Calculate your eligibility for a COVID-19 grant — AU

The NSW Government in Australia has announced financial support to businesses impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions and stay at home orders. Our new eligibility calculator auto-populates the relevant fields to help you quickly understand your eligibility, letting you know whether you need to engage an accountant or bookkeeper to complete the application.

Remind clients about their document packs — AU

Our new reminder feature allows accountants and bookkeepers to send a reminder to one or more recipients of a document that was sent via document packs in Xero HQ, but not completed. Reminders can be sent multiple times, and you can customise the email accompanying the reminder each time.

Automatically add unfiled amounts to your ‘new’ BAS — AU

If you enter or alter a transaction during a finalised Business Activity Statement (BAS) period, Xero will now automatically add it to your next BAS as an unfiled amount. Unfiled amounts are also added when you edit, void or delete transactions that were included in a previous BAS. You can view your unfiled amounts by looking at the ‘Transactions by Tax Rate’ or ‘Transactions by BAS’ reports. To make changes on BAS, including any unfiled amounts you do not want to include, use Adjustments on BAS.

Add foreign income to ITR 2021 returns in Xero Tax — AU

We’ve added a number of ATO calculations to Xero Tax, so you don’t need to perform them manually. These include the ability to add foreign rental income and expenses, foreign income for an individual, and overseas levies for Higher Education Loan Program, VET Student Loan, and Trade Support Loan debts.

Generate provincial sales tax return reports — Canada

You can now generate your British Columbia Provincial Sales Tax, Saskatchewan Provincial Sales Tax, and Manitoba Retail Sales Tax return reports in Xero, providing you with even greater sales tax reporting coverage across Canada. Now, you have a solution designed for your province that automatically calculates sales tax for specific filing periods and tracks prior period adjustments.

Update sick leave entitlements in Xero Payroll — NZ

The NZ Government has increased minimum sick leave entitlements for all eligible employees from five to 10 days. We’ve launched a new feature in Xero Payroll that helps you quickly and easily identify which employees need their current minimum sick leave entitlement updated. Simply follow the steps to complete the update. New employees will default to the new minimum entitlement.