If you have workers, don't forget that their super guarantee contributions for the last quarter is due 28 January 2018. If you have not already done so, you need to pay a minimum of 9.5% of each eligible employee’s ordinary time earnings (gross wages) in super to a complying fund by the due date.

Unlike other payment types you may make in business, super contributions are only counted as paid when the super fund receives them. That’s why it’s best to make any payments well before 28 January to ensure they reach the super fund on time.

Employers who fail to pay the minimum superannuation guarantee contributions by this date must pay the superannuation guarantee charge (SGC) and lodge a Superannuation guarantee charge statement - quarterly by 28 February 2018.  SGC is not tax deductible.
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If you're a business with 19 or fewer employees, or have an aggregated turnover of less than $10 million, you can use the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House to save time and avoid the super guarantee charge.
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It’s fast and easy to use because you pay all of your super contributions in one transaction and the clearing house will distribute your payment to the various super funds on your behalf.
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Start saving time by using the clearing house this quarter.

For further details please click here.

Employers make sure you have supplied your workers payment summaries (previously known as Group Certificates) by 14 July 2017. 

Lodgement of these payment summaries to the Australian Tax Office is not due until 14 August 2017.

​Click here for further details about when payment summaries are required.

In Uber B.V. v FC of T, the Federal Court has held that services provided by an Uber driver constituted a supply of "taxi travel" for GST purposes. Accordingly, the driver was required to be registered for GST.

The ATO have advised that ride-sourcing enterprises should:

• keep records
• have an ABN register for GST, regardless of how much they earn
• pay GST on the full fare received from passengers for each trip they provide
• lodge activity statements include income from ride-sourcing in their income tax returns.

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Drivers are also entitled to claim income tax deductions and GST credits on expenses apportioned to the ride-sourcing services they have supplied. Further information on the case is included in the GST section below.

The holiday season could mean a busy time for your business and you may need an extra set of hands to see you in to the new year. Whether this means hiring someone for a few days or a couple of weeks, you’ll need to work out if they’re employees or contractors to get their tax and super right.

The fact is both employees and contractors can be hired for:

• casual, temporary, on call and infrequent work
• busy periods
• short jobs, specific tasks and projects.

How do you work it out?

Use [the ATO's] Employee/contractor decision tool to get a quick and reliable answer. Based on your answers to some simple questions, the tool will give you certainty about whether your short-term workers are employees or contractors and what this means for your business.

[The ATO has] listened to the concerns of small businesses, tax professionals, industry associations and software providers, and are working towards reducing GST compliance costs for small businesses.

[The ATO] are reducing the amount of GST information required for the business activity statement (BAS) to simplify GST bookkeeping and reporting requirements.

A simpler BAS will give small businesses significant time and cost savings by simplifying account set up, GST bookkeeping and BAS preparation. Businesses will be able to more easily classify transactions and prepare and lodge their BAS.

From 1 July 2017, small businesses will only need to report the following GST information on their BAS:

• GST on sales (1A)
• GST on purchases (1B)
• Total sales (G1)

The requirement to report Export sales (G2), other GST free sales (G3), Capital purchases (G10) and Non-capital purchases (G11) will be removed.

A simpler BAS will support greater use of existing automation functions and potential digital solutions as they evolve.

For more information and to watch the ATO's 'Simpler BAS' video click here.

• You need to be paying and reporting super electronically using the new SuperStream format by 28 October 2016.

If you're currently using cheque or direct deposit, you need to make the switch now.

Even if you're already paying by EFT or BPAY directly to super funds, you may still need to make some changes to your reporting to get across the line.

Get help with our SuperStream webinar - sign up today!

We're running free webinars designed to help you understand SuperStream and the steps you need to take to implement SuperStream.

Next webinars:

• Wednesday 5 October 2016 10:00am AEST
• Saturday 22 October 2016 11:00am AEST.

Small Business Superannuation Clearing House
A free service that distributes super contributions to employees’ nominated funds in one transaction. You will meet SuperStream standards when you use the clearing house service.

Find out about:

• SuperStream employer checklist
• Using the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House

Register for Xero Auto Super if your subscription is Business Standard or higher

Using Xero Auto Super 

Send us an email or give us a call to discuss setting this up - we are always here to assist :)

A reminder for those of you in the building and construction industry that paid contractors in 2015-16, your Taxable payments annual report is due 28 August 2016.

Here are four simple tips to get it right:

• Check your contractor’s ABN and GST registration details as you deal with them through the year to make sure you correctly report them. To do this - use the ABN lookup tool or the ATO app. Report each contractor’s ABN, the total GST and gross amount paid to them for the year, in the correct fields.
• Show whole dollar amounts – ignore the cents
• Lodge online - make the process quick and easy this year by lodging online. All you need is an AUSkey and business software that can generate the annual report.
• Tell us if you don’t need to report – if you’re no longer in the building and construction industry or didn’t pay contractors for the year, let us know by completing the simple online form on our website. That way we will know not to contact you further about it.​

As an employer, you must give each of your employees a payment summary at the end of the financial year. The payment summary must show the payments you have made to them and the amounts you withheld from those payments. Payment summaries should be provided to your employees by no later than 14 July.

It is important that you provide payment summaries to all your employees, even if you were not required to withhold any tax. You are still required to include these payments in your payment summary annual report that you send to us.

​If you would like assistance with preparing your Employee Payment Summaries make sure you contact us now.