Life insurance in super: costs on the way up?
Thursday, April 1st, 2021COVID-19 stimulus and support measures winding back
Thursday, April 1st, 2021ATO reminder: lodge your TPAR
Thursday, April 1st, 2021Your Future, Your Super legislative changes
Thursday, March 4th, 2021Super transfer balance cap increase from 1 July 2021
Thursday, March 4th, 2021ATO data-matching: JobMaker and early access to super
Thursday, March 4th, 2021Closely held payees: STP options for small employers
Thursday, March 4th, 2021Tax implications of having more than one job
Thursday, March 4th, 2021New insolvency rules commence
Monday, February 1st, 2021Important changes to Australia’s insolvency laws commenced operation on 1 January 2021. The Federal Government has called these the most important changes to Australia’s insolvency framework in 30 years.
The measures apply to incorporated businesses with liabilities less than $1 million. The intention is that the rules change from a rigid “one size fits all” model to a
more flexible “debtor in possession” model, which will allow eligible small businesses to restructure their existing debts while remaining in control of their business. For those businesses that are “unable to survive”, a new simplified “liquidation pathway” will apply for small businesses to allow faster and lower-cost liquidation.
The measures are expected to cover around 76% of businesses currently subject to insolvency, 98% of which have fewer than 20 employees. The new rules do not apply to partnerships or sole traders.
To be eligible to access this new process a company must:
• be incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001;
• have total liabilities which do not exceed $1 million on the day the company enters the process – this excludes employee entitlements;
• resolve that it is insolvent or likely to become insolvent at some future time and that a small business restructuring practitioner should be appointed; and
• appoint a small business restructuring practitioner to oversee the restructuring process, including working with the business to develop a debt restructuring plan and restructuring proposal statement.
Small businesses: don’t forget your FBT concessions
Monday, February 1st, 2021If you own a small business still recovering from the COVID-19 induced downturn, remember that you can take advantage of FBT concessions to lower the amount of FBT you may need to pay. The concessions include exemptions for car parking in some instances, and work-related portable electronic devices.
All this could mean more cash to invest in the revitalisation and ultimate success of your business.
TIP: Even if your business was not considered a “small business entity” a few years ago, it may be worth a reassessment, because the turnover threshold has recently changed, and will soon increase once more.
For small business employers, the car parking benefits provided to employees could be exempt if the parking is not provided in a commercial car park and the business satisfies the total income or the turnover test. This is the case if the business is not a government body, listed public company or a subsidiary of a listed public company.
The second exemption relates to work-related devices. Small businesses can to provide their employees with multiple work-related portable electronic devices that have substantially identical functions in the same FBT year, with all devices being exempt from FBT. Note, however, that this only applies to devices that are primarily used for work, such as laptops, tablets, calculators, GPS navigations receivers and mobile phones.