This week the NSW state and Australian Federal Governments announced a combined support package to help households and businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. The COVID-19 Disaster Payment will be expanded and increased under this agreement. The payment will increase to $600 if a person has lost 20 or more hours of work a week or $375 if a person has lost between 8 and less than 20 hours of… Read more
The Australian Government has extended and expanded the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy, to include medium-sized businesses who had an eligible apprentice in place on 1 July 2020. This may be of particular interest to employers who are not eligible for the JobKeeper extension. What is the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy? The Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy is part of the Australian Government’s COVID-19 Economic Response.… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s updates and some ideas that will help us all overcome this crisis. No locally acquired cases for the first time since Feb! Great news this week for Victoria who recorded 12 days with no new COVID-19 cases, and the rest of the country as Australia recorded its third… Read more
It has been extremely difficult for many to keep their businesses afloat amid the COVID-19 crisis. Throwing a lifeline to small businesses, the government has overhauled bankruptcy laws to save thousands of jobs and companies on the verge of collapse. What Are The Changes? From the current ‘creditor-in-possession’ regime, Australia’s insolvency laws shifted to a ‘debtor-in-possession system’. Entities with liabilities below $1 million will be able to access the scheme.… Read more
Countries in recession, unemployment rates rising, multiple economic indicators at their all-time lows, increased market volatility– these are just some of the economic impacts we’re seeing as a result of the pandemic. As we continue to battle the COVID-19 crisis, it is important for everyone, especially those who have had their income stream affected, to keep their finances in check and proactively find ways to navigate to recovery. By creating… Read more
The Federal Budget was released on Tuesday 6th October. This article has a good summary of the “Winners and Losers” of the Budget. You’ll also find a recap of the key points below. Key Points: This budget is based on economic assumptions including that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine rolled out by the end of 2021. Tax cuts for workers – more money in pockets for more Australians. JobMaker… Read more
Since the government announced the $70-billion JobKeeper program to support businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, many small- and medium-sized businesses and non-profit organisations heavily relied on this scheme to stay afloat. According to a recent survey by the Australian Institute of Company Directors on the impact of COVID-19, over 40% of the respondents reported reliance on JobKeeper payments. 47% of SMEs indicated that the JobKeeper Scheme had… Read more
We started 2020 with optimism and hope that this year was going to be better than the last– but then, COVID-19 happened and brought sudden massive changes worldwide. It has disrupted the way we interact, shop, work, and transact. Businesses of all sizes have been plunged into darkness, with some even having to shut completely Meanwhile, others managed to find dynamic solutions to shelter their businesses from the harsh impacts… Read more
As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic is not just a public health issue, it’s also caused lockdowns and financial worries on a global scale. Small businesses are not strangers to the impacts of the pandemic. In a survey by the International Trade Centre (ITC) among 1,200 businesses in 109 countries between 20 April and 4 May, the pandemic has strongly affected 60% of the businesses. The results of the survey… Read more
The JobKeeper Payments Amendment Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday 26th August. This Bill was passed through parliament on 01 September 2020. This Bill introduces the extension of the JobKeeper scheme that was announced last month. The proposed rate changes will see the current $1500 per fortnight payment drop to $1200 for full time workers. and $750 for those working less than 20 hours per week… Read more