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Super Guarantee Amnesty

23 May 2020

Amidst everything that has been happening in Australia since COVID-19, the Super Guarantee Amnesty finally came into effect with The Treasury Laws Amendment (Recovering Unpaid Superannuation) Bill 2019 receiving Royal Assent.

The amnesty provides employers with an opportunity to self-correct historical superannuation guarantee (SG) non-compliance, without incurring the administration component or penalties. The amnesty period applies from the 24th May 2018 to 7 September 2020.

Ordinarily, where an employer fails to pay an employee’s super on time, the employer will be required to lodge a Super Guarantee Charge (SGC) statement and pay the SG charge on any SG shortfall amounts.  

The SGC is made up of:

  • SG shortfall amounts;
  • Interest on those amounts;
  • An administration fee of $20 per employee per quarter.

Additionally, if any employer lodges their SCG statement late, they are also liable for a “Part 7” penalty. This penalty is paid on top of the SGC that employers owe, with the maximum penalty being 200% of the SCG amount. The Commissioner of Taxation currently has the power to remit all or part of the penalty payable.

No part of the SCG payment or penalties is tax deductible. 

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Looking After Your Mental Health During The Coronavirus Outbreak

20 May 2020

Mental health not-for-profit organisation Beyond Blue says it's received a rapid rise in inquiries related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Beyond Blue says one-in-four people have contacted the organisation with mental health concerns related to COVID-19.

In the same way that we’re taking careful steps to manage our physical health, we can actively look after our mental health and Beyond Blue is developing resources to support people to do that.

Beyond Blue has set up an online forum where users can talk about their experience, which is moderated by Beyond Blue staff.

Anyone can contact the organisation's mental health professionals 24/7 on the phone and online.

It is expected that there will be more demand for mental health support as the health, social and economic consequences of COVID-19 play out and Beyond Blue encourages everyone to reach out early.

Here are some tips to take care of your mental health:

  • If you're working from home, keep things balanced by blocking out specific hours you will work. 
  • Staying connected with family and friends through video calls or telephone calls, social media or email.
  • Stick to a regular sleep routines and eat healthy foods.
  • Stay physically active, even just going for a walk.
  • Avoid misinformation, which can fuel anxiety, by reading information from credible sources such as government and health department websites.
  • Set a limit on how much time you spend on social media and news you find distressing.

Mental health professionals are available on the Beyond Blue Support Service via phone 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or via via their online chat service.

For more information or to access support, please visit Beyond Blue.

Sourced from afr.com

Drought Support Updates

14 May 2020

 

$310 Million In Emergency Drought Relief Funding Announced

The NSW Government has announced a further $310 million in emergency drought relief in recognition of the on-going drought conditions in regional NSW.

This funding brings the NSW Government’s total drought support and water security commitment to close to $4 billion.

Extended support for drought affected communities and farmers include:

  • $116 million to continue the Drought Transport subsidy (including extending the subsidy into 2020/21 with a further $50,000 cap)
  • $99 million to continue waiving of Local Land Services rates, bee site permits, Western Lands lease rent, wild dog fence rates and provide assistance for vehicle registration costs for eligible primary producers
  • $28.5 million to continue existing water licence fee waivers for stock, domestic, general and high security water users
  • Continuation of health and wellbeing programs, including the Farmgate Counsellors program, Aboriginal wellbeing services and Royal Flying Doctors Far West Drought Support programs.

Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said the Drought Transport Subsidy would be extended to help farmers reduce the cost of transporting fodder, stock, fertiliser, water and other farm inputs. For more details on the Drought Transport Subsidy, click here.

“We are reducing the cost of doing business to help farmers and their stock endure as we head towards recovery,” Mr Marshall said.

Primary producers and small businesses already receiving support payments, subsidies, waivers and fee relief from the Emergency Drought Relief Package do not have to reapply.

More information can be found at www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au.

Sourced from www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

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Single Touch Payroll - Compulsory from 1 July 2020

8 May 2020

Single Touch Payroll (STP) will be compulsory for all employees from 1 July 2020, excluding closely held employees.

STP is the process of sending tax and superannuation information from your STP-enabled payroll or accounting system to the ATO when you process the pay cycle.

If you only pay closely held employees, an extension has been granted to 1 July 2021 for you to report.

Closely held employees are:

  • Family members of a family business
  • Directors or shareholders of a company
  • Beneficiaries of a trust.

Micro-employers (1-4 employees) are now able to have their registered tax agent lodge on their behalf until 30 June 2021.

Boyce strongly recommends having a suitable STP-enabled accounting or payroll system as soon as possible.

Reporting information for the JobKeeper payment is extremely easy from your software and is seen as the most efficient way of reporting this to ensure the payments are received as soon as possible.

If you would like to discuss Single Touch Payroll or STP-enabled software, please contact your local Boyce Accountant so we can assist you.

JobKeeper Updates: Next Steps In The JobKeeper Enrolment Process Are Now Open

5 May 2020

The next steps in the JobKeeper enrolment process are now open on the business portal. Enrolments (Step 1) need to be completed by 31 May in order to claim JobKeeper payments for the initial JobKeeper periods (the fortnights ending in April and May).

The steps that are now also open are:

  • Step 2: Identify and maintain your eligible employees. You can now identify each person that you will claim the JobKeeper payment for on the business portal.  This includes the identification of eligible employees and business participants. 
  • Step 3: Make a business monthly declaration. You are now able to complete the monthly declaration; you will need to provide the business's current and projected GST turnover and reconfirm eligible employees. This is the step that confirms you are entitled to JobKeeper payments for a month.

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