Minimum Wage Decision
National Minimum Wage increase The Fair Work Commission’s Minimum Wage Panel (“Panel”) has this week handed down its minimum wage decision which increased the National Minimum Wage, together with all Modern Award minimum rates of pay, by 3.0%. The Panel considered the current economic environment and reasoned that economic indicators now point to a healthy […]
Single Touch Payroll deferrals
Transitional deferrals A transitional deferral should be used if you need more time to get ready to report through Single Touch Payroll (STP) including, being unable to report by your software provider’s deferred start date or needing more time to transition. Employers with 20 or more employees Your software provider may have applied to us for a […]
Employer warning re leave loading and OTE
ATO warning regarding annual leave loading and OTE The ATO has warned employers that it considers that annual leave loading should normally be part of ordinary time earnings (‘OTE’) for superannuation guarantee (‘SG’) purposes, unless it is referrable to a “lost opportunity to work overtime”. Therefore, if employers have self-assessed on the basis that their […]
Other Federal Budget changes
Other announced changes Increased refunds for eligible primary producers and tourism operators The Government will provide further relief to farmers and tourism operators by amending the luxury car tax refund arrangements. For vehicles acquired on or after 1 July 2019, eligible primary producers and tourism operators will be able to apply for a refund of […]
Single Touch Payroll Update Mar-19
Understanding STP obligations Single Touch Payroll (‘STP’) is a Government initiative aimed at cutting red tape for employers and improving visibility of compliance with business obligations such as: salary and wages and similar payments; Pay As You Go (‘PAYG’) withholding; and certain superannuation related information; by requiring ‘real time’ reporting of payroll information directly to […]
Transition to Single Touch Payroll for small employers
Statement from Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan about transition to Single Touch Payroll for small employers Parliament has now passed legislation to extend Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting to include all small employers (those with fewer than 20 employees) from 1 July 2019. STP is pay day reporting by employers to the ATO as it happens, this reporting […]
Single Touch Payroll for all employers
From 29 Jan the ATO will write to small employers with <19 employees that already use payroll software. You will be told about Single Touch Payroll (STP), and reminded that you don’t need to wait for legislation to pass to start reporting through STP. If your payroll software offers STP you can update your software […]
Summary of single touch payroll
What is single touch payroll and how will it affect your business? Single touch payroll is a new regulation that changes when and how small businesses report payroll activity to the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Businesses used to report this information to the ATO once a year. Now, they need to send a report after […]
Christmas Parties & Gifts 2018
Year-end (and other) staff parties With the well earned December/January holiday season on the way, many employers will be planning to reward staff with a celebratory party or event. However, there are important issues to consider, including the possible FBT and income tax implications of providing ‘entertainment’ (including Christmas parties) to staff and clients. FBT […]
Superannuation guarantee
Employer super quick check Paying super is an important part of being an employer. Super provides income for your workers in retirement. Here’s how to run a quick check of your super obligations to make sure you’ve got everything sorted: Check you’re paying super to all eligible workers. Some contractors may be entitled to super. […]
