The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell will look into historical cases where a small business is disputing an assessment by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the ATO has commenced early action to recover the debt. At the request of the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education,… Read more »
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell has welcomed the Joint Standing Committee report on access to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and urged bi-partisan support for key recommendations. The Joint Standing Committee has recommended a ‘single trade window’ to simplify small business access to our free… Read more »
An amendment to the Treasury Laws passed by the Senate yesterday will allow small business better access to justice should they be in dispute with big business or government. The Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No. 5) Bill 2018 will allow a small business to request a ‘no adverse costs order’ early in the court case and… Read more »
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), Kate Carnell, has welcomed the announcement by the government of the extension of the $20k instant asset tax write-off. The instant asset write-off scheme will now be extended to small businesses until 30 June 2020 with an increase to the write off to include assets purchased… Read more »
Opposition leader Bill Shorten is making a play for the hearts and minds of small business owners, saying Labor will make it easier for them to pitch for their share of over $50 million worth of government contracts should Labor win the next federal election. Shorten has promised to overhaul procurement laws to allow local… Read more »
As more and more Australians adopt Tap-and-Go payments, small businesses are suffering under crippling transaction fees despite a promise from the big four banks to reduce costs. The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics recommended banks introduce the least-cost routing of their tap-and-go payments for debit cards by April 1 2018. Yet despite this, they… Read more »
Minister for Small and Family Business, Senator Michaelia Cash, has announced the Small Business Digital Champions project. This new government initiative will provide select small businesses from around the nation with a digital transformation valued up to $20,000. The initiative hopes to provide real-time case studies that will serve as a source of inspiration for… Read more »
The Access to Justice Inquiry has found small business owners are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to resolve payment disputes, double the cost of a decade ago. Payment times and terms are the biggest cause of disputes, with small businesses forking out as much as $130,000 during the dispute process. Australian Small Business… Read more »
The Cyber Security Small Business Program will support small businesses across Australia to have their cyber security tested by a provider that has been approved by the Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers Australia New Zealand (CREST). Applications are now open for small and micro businesses (with 19 or fewer employees) to apply for a… Read more »
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, is urging small businesses to take the payment times survey before it closes on Friday. Carnell is particularly keen for more representation from small businesses and family enterprises in rural and regional areas. “We know some of the worst payment practices are directed towards rural… Read more »
In an effort to combat the challenges faced by small business regarding tax compliance, Labor frontbencher, MP Andrew Leigh, has proposed funding be established for 10 free tax clinics across the country to assist micro-businesses and low-income taxpayers in understanding their tax obligations. The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell has welcomed the… Read more »
The Minister for Women, Kelly O’Dwyer, has announced the government will allow for more flexibility around the way parents access their entitlements for paid parental leave. Currently, the scheme must be claimed across a single 18 week period. The proposed changes would allow paid parental leave to be taken in blocks. The existing scheme currently… Read more »
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