Smes

As we approach the end of the Fringe Benefit Tax year for 2021/22, it is important for SME businesses to continue to maintain obligations ahead of the 31 March Year-End date.

In response to the impacts of the recent South-East Queensland rainfall and flooding, the Queensland Government has announced the release of its ‘Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants’, designed to support affected small businesses in their recovery.

For businesses managing a vehicle fleet, or using fuel for business activities, the Fuel Tax Credits scheme can be an excellent route for operators to claim full or partial credits for the fuel tax (excise or customs duty) that's included in the price of fuel.

Happy New Year and may it be a successful 2022.

Following Royal Assent of the ‘Your Future, Your Super’ legislation, new Superannuation Fund rules apply surrounding a new employee’s superannuation account, which will now follow them from job to job unless they make an active choice to nominate an alternative.

Taxpayers can vary their pay as you go ('PAYG') instalments throughout the year if they think they will pay too much, compared with their estimated tax for the year.

To assist taxpayers who continue to be affected by COVID-19, the ATO has stated that it will not apply penalties or interest on varied instalments for the 2021/22 income year for excessive variations when the taxpayer has taken reasonable care to estimate its end of year tax.

Under newly revised legislation which took effect earlier this year, eligible small businesses can now restructure from trading discretionary trusts to trading companies, gaining access to a Stamp Duty Exemption in Queensland.

Following its initial inception earlier this year, the Federal Government has provided a further extension to eligibility requirements surrounding it’s ‘SME Recovery Loan Scheme’, supporting more small to medium businesses to mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under introduced changes by the Australian Business Registry Service (ABRS), effective from 31st October 2021, Company Directors (of all types of companies) will need to register with ASIC and gain a unique 'Director Identification Number' (Director ID) identifier.

Whilst more details are still to be announced by the QLD Government in the coming days, businesses impacted by the latest lockdown restrictions in Queensland may be eligible for financial assistance and support through the 2021 COVID-19 Business Support Grant.