COVID-19 Business Update – 19 August 2020 - Outsource Bookkeeping Service Providers

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. We hope you and your family are doing well.

Read on for this week’s update.

The ATO has announced that it will be actively conducting audits on the cashflow boost JobKeeper scheme.

If you receive contact from the ATO to review your JobKeeper eligibility, you will be required to provide documentation as proof that you meet the eligibility criteria. This may include:

Bank statements
Tax invoices
Profit & loss statements
Employee details and contracts
Payslips
Application of turnover test
Superannuation payments

Meanwhile, if the ATO would like to review your eligibility for the cashflow boost, you will be required to supply the following documentation:

Bank statements
Employee data and information
Payslips
Updated Single Touch Payroll Reporting
Tax invoices
Written communication between stakeholders to substantiate changes in payments

At this point, the ATO has not yet outlined the JobKeeper audit penalties. However, based on other audits, they are expected to be significant. If you have any concerns, please get in touch.

JobKeeper Changes Coming in September

You probably heard the announcement that JobKeeper will be extended from September through to March next year, with some changes.

On 7th August 2020, the government announced that the eligibility requirements will be changed so:

Employers will only need to show one quarter of turnover decline to be eligible for payments in the quarters ending December 2020 and March 2021.
Employers will be able to claim payments for eligible employees hired on or before 1st July 2020 (previously 1st March 2020).
Employers can take into account the hours worked by an employee in the lead up to either 1st March 2020 or 1st July 2020 when determining the payment rate during the extension periods.

Please be aware there are more details to come.

JobKeeper Adjustments for Eligible Employees

The ATO has released guidance on the changes to the timing of an eligible employee.

From JobKeeper fortnights commencing 3rd August, the key date for eligible employees has changed to 1 July. In the past, an employee had to be on the books as of the 1st of March in order to be eligible for the JobKeeper wage subsidy. This change is to allow for businesses that started opening up and taking on new employees after March.

Any full time or part time worker as of 1 July or any casual employee with over 12 months regular and consistent service of a business is an eligible employee for JobKeeper purposes.

Full time or part employees who commenced work after 1 March and before 1 July will now be eligible. However, there are also several other categories of employees who might become eligible under this change over this time frame:

Casuals who with the extended date now meet the 12 months service requirement;
Employees who turned 18;
Employees who meet the Visa requirements.

All eligible employees must be provided the nomination notice by this Friday 21st August.

JobKeeper Key Dates

The ATO’s website has an up-to-date listing of JobKeeper Key Dates including the enrolment deadline for new eligible employees.

JobKeeper 2.0

The next phase of JobKeeper will start at the end of September at a reduced rate of $1200 per fortnight for full-time workers and those working for more than 20 hours per week, from $1500 per fortnight previously. Those working for less than 20 hours a week will receive $750 per fortnight.

JobKeeper 3.0

From 4th January 2021 the payments will further decrease to $1000 per fortnight for full-time workers, and to $650 per fortnight for those working less than 20 hours per week.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

TPAR Reports Lodgement

Just a reminder that your TPAR (Taxable Payments Annual Report) is due on the 28th August 2020. The TPAR currently needs to be lodged businesses in the following industries:

This year there are changes as to which businesses need to report. Business in the following industries will need to lodge a TPAR: Building and construction, Cleaning services, Courier services, Road freight services, Information technology services, Security, Investigation or surveillance and/or mixed services (one or more of the services listed).

If you require some guidance, feel free to get in touch with us.

Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty

The Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty was introduced in March 2020 to allow employers to disclose and pay previously unpaid Super Guarantee Charges that they owe their employees from 1 July 1992 to 31 March 2018.

The benefits of the amnesty include:

Tax deductions for payments of the Superannuation Guarantee Charge
No administrative penalty of $20 per employee
No Part 7 penalties (which could otherwise be 200% of the SG Charge owing).

Employers need to apply for the amnesty by 7 September 2020. You can find more information on the ATO website.

Paying your employees’ super is a very important part of being an employer. So if you would like to discuss this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Early Access to Super

The Government has extended the deadline for cash-strapped Australians to dip into their super to make ends meet with the early access superannuation scheme extended until 31 December.

The original scheme to allow cash to be drawn out of retirement funds permitted $10,000 before 1 July and a further $10,000 after that.
We are happy to chat to you about this so you can consider all your options before making this leap.

Deal signed with AstraZeneca for Possible COVID-19 Vaccine

Australia has signed a deal with AstraZeneca to secure a potential COVID-19 vaccine. A letter of intent has been signed with the drugmaker to produce and distribute enough doses for our population.

There’s also $24.7 million deal with Becton Dickinson to buy 100 million needles and syringes.

1 in 3 Businesses Have Gone Cashless

Data from the latest report by payments company Spare showed that Australian businesses have experienced an increase in cashless payments during the pandemic.

In recent months, one in three businesses have turned cashless – accepting 95% or more transactions through debit or credit cards.

Support for Victorian businesses

To support businesses impacted by restrictions in Victoria, one-off grants are available to eligible businesses under the Business Support Fund. These include:

$10,000 for employing businesses in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire in recognition of longer time under restrictions
$5,000 for employing businesses in regional local government areas (except Mitchell Shire)

Businesses who have already received a Business Support Fund – Expansion grant, or have applied for one, do not need to re-apply. Eligible applicants will automatically receive this additional allocation.

You can find more details here or contact us if you have any questions.

Shop Local to Kickstart Economic Recovery

Local small businesses are a vital part of our economy and the communities they represent. According to the World Bank Group, small- and medium-sized businesses account for about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide.

While the government is trying its best to protect the economy, there are many ways people can do their part and support local small businesses. Here are ways you can help small businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis.

Purchase gift cards from your local stores.
Shop online, but keep it local.
Order takeaway food and drinks from your local restaurants.
Be a little more generous than usual when giving tips.
Leave positive reviews online and promote them on social media.
Postpone instead of cancelling.
Join online classes if local businesses offer this option to follow social restrictions.

Take Online Payments Safely

The pandemic has significantly changed our lives including the way we shop and make payments. As e-commerce and online payments increasingly gain popularity, it is important for small businesses to adapt.

As a responsible business owner, you must ensure that your customers’ data are protected to gain their trust. This article from Entrepreneur shares some security tips when accepting online payments.

Choose a secure eCommerce platform and processor.
Educate yourself and your employees.
Verify the transaction and more.

When customers trust you, they will continue supporting your business. Ultimately, this will benefit your bottom line.

Useful Remote Work Tools to Boost Productivity

You’ve probably realised that working remotely is not without its challenges. Many people have adopted new strategies and habits to stay productive and avoid distractions. This article covers some AI-powered tools that can improve your productivity and make your life easier.

Timely- It tracks what you do throughout the day and automatically groups tasks into projects with labels and classifications.
Otter.ai- It uses machine learning to help you generate rich notes from your meetings, interviews, and other voice conversations– saving you time writing the summary and meeting notes.
Krisp- This app reduces background noise in your conference calls while making human voices crisp and clear.

Adjusting to remote work arrangements can be challenging for both employees and employers. Contact us if you need help in getting the right systems and tech in place for your business.

Avoiding COVID-19 Online Scams

Recently, there has been a significant increase in COVID-19-related online scams that steal your personal data, impersonate authorities, offer fraudulent medical goods and services, and make fake requests for charitable donations. Below are some tips from Google Safety Center to keep you from falling victim to these scams.

Know how scammers may reach you– Aside from emails, they may also use text messages, automated calls, and malicious websites.
Check trusted sources directly– Scammers may pose as trusted and authoritative sources. So directly visit reliable sources instead to get the latest factual information.
Be cautious of requests for personal or financial information, pause and evaluate before sharing– Do not provide confidential information such as logins, bank details, and addresses to suspicious or unverified sources. Donate directly through non-profits.
Double-check links and email addresses before clicking– Fake links imitate established websites by adding extra random letters and numbers or words, so be extra careful and check before you click.
Search to see if it’s been reported– Copy and paste the email address, phone number, or suspicious portion of the message on your search engine to check if it has already been reported.
Add an extra layer of security to your account– Add two-factor authentications to your accounts for extra protection online.

If you encounter phishing pages, you can report it here. For malicious software, you can report the site here.

Go Local First campaign has launched

The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia and the Morrison Government have introduced the Go Local First campaign to promote the vital role of small businesses in local communities and the national economy.

Government-backed COVID-19 Loans Extended

The government is extending its small business COVID-19 loans scheme until June 2021. The second phase will kick off on October 1 with some changes.

If you need help to access these loans or you want to find out if you are eligible, don’t hesitate to drop us a message.

Instant Asset Write-Off available til December

The Instant Asset Write-off is available until 31 December 2020, which means Australian businesses (who meet the eligibility requirements) can invest in assets to support their business. The instant asset write-off applies on a per asset basis, so eligible businesses can immediately write-off multiple assets provided they each cost less than $150,000.

You can find more information on which assets can you claim as an immediate deduction here, or contact us so we can walk you through the different thresholds, exclusions, and limits.

COVID-19 Business Update – 19 August 2020