Following the announcement of a minimum five-day lockdown commencing from 11.59pm on Thursday 15th July, the Donegan’s team will be working from home until at least Wednesday 21st July.  You can contact us through the usual channels.

We hope all of our clients remain safe and healthy during this latest set-back, and look forward to meeting with you all again soon.

A note to all about an attempted phishing scam which we have become aware of.

If you have received the below email from “Services Australia” asking for a host of very personal information as part of a “subsidy benefit allocation”, please do not respond – rather, mark as a phishing scam and report.

A reminder to be vigilant for suspicious communications asking for personal details, especially when relating to finances.  Any clients unsure of messages can always reach out to the Donegan’s office.

Permitted Worker Scheme

From 11:59pm Wednesday 5 August, workplaces in Melbourne must be closed unless:

• the workplace is part of a permitted activity, or
• all employees are working from home.

Any employers that require their staff to attend a work site after this time must issue a worker permit to their employees – this is the employer’s responsibility.  Significant fines apply for any breach of scheme requirements to both employers and employees, and includes employees not having a permit on them during their commute, or employers issuing worker permits to employees who do not meet eligibility requirements.

For more information on the permit scheme, and to obtain a template, click here.  

Business Support Fund – Expansion

With the introduction of Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, and Stage 3 restrictions across the rest of Victoria, the State Government has also announced a number of additional measures either to assist impacted businesses or ensure compliance with regulations.  

In terms of assistance, the Business Support Fund has been further expanded (on from the initial additional grants made available following the previous reintroduction of Stage 3 restrictions).  These are:

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

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

Applications for the program will be extended until 14 September 2020.

More details and applications available here.

Please find enclosed our August 2020 Client Alert, containing the latest tax and super news for your information.

Additionally, please note that from Wednesday 5 August 2020 Donegan’s Edmondson Turner’s city office will be unstaffed for six weeks, with the entire team (including Donegan’s Wealth Advisers) now operating remotely.  Aside from that, business continues as usual.

Our mail will still be collected during this time from Level 2 / 377 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000 and our PO Box 12439 A’Beckett Street PO Melbourne VIC 8006.

You will still be able to contact us on 0404 577 885 from 9.00am to 12.00pm and then 1.00pm to 5.00pm.

You may choose to forward documents and information to us via email and you can send that information to Ginette McDonald at ginettem@donegans.com.au.  Ginette will ensure that your emails are forwarded to the appropriate person.

Should you be unable to forward documents either via Australia Post or email please contact Ginette on 0404 577 885.

Stay safe.

Phil & Alison

Fact Sheet_JobKeeper Payment Extension

The Government is extending the JobKeeper Payment by a further six months to March 2021. Support will be targeted to businesses and not-for-profits that continue to be significantly impacted by the Coronavirus. The payment rate will be reduced and a lower payment rate will be introduced for those who work fewer hours. Other eligibility rules remain unchanged.  Full details can be found in the fact sheet above.

Will Callaghan’s story captured the hearts of Australia.  Since his incredible rescue, he’s been enjoying time at a farm run by Mansfield Autism Statewide Services (MASS). They have grand plans for the farm, hoping to raise $3.3m in donations alongside government funding towards the creation of a “therapeutic care farm”, a first for Australia.  MASS’s founder, Joan Curtis, is a close family friend of DET Director Philip Bretherton, and is featured in this wonderful article in The Age.  

For more information or to donate, visit: https://autismmansfield.org.au 

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Friday, 10 July 2020

MORE SURVIVAL SUPPORT FOR VICTORIAN BUSINESSES

The Victorian Government will provide more support to help businesses and workers through to the other side of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Government has announced a $534 million Business Support Package – the latest support measures on top of the $6 billion in economic relief already invested since the pandemic began.

The latest measures include cash grants for struggling businesses, mental health support for business owners, relief for tourism operators who can no longer welcome Melbourne-based visitors for holidays, and tailored and targeted advice for businesses to adapt, stay afloat and then bounce back on the other side.

The reinstatement of restrictions across metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire is necessary to slow the spread of the virus, but we know the impact on businesses and their staff is significant.

That’s why the Government will expand the Business Support Fund and provide more than 80,000 eligible businesses with a new $5,000 grant to support them through the renewed restrictions.

This grant was previously made available to the 12 postcodes linked to outbreaks. It will now apply to all areas under Stage 3 restrictions.
Victoria’s night-time economy is the envy of the nation, but right now, the deadly pandemic means it’s had to do the heavy lifting to keep us all safe. That’s why this package includes a $30 million dedicated fund for the hardest hit businesses in hospitality.

A $26 million investment in mental health support will ensure Victorians dealing with the compounding challenges of running a small business can get the support they need as they navigate their way through the crisis.

Many businesses will need to change the way they do things in order to remain sustainable, while others are dealing with challenges such as cash flow, reduced sales and debt for the very first time. The Government will establish a $10 million business mentoring program, pairing small business owners with experienced professionals who can help them navigate their way through the crisis.

The package also provides a $40 million capped fund for regional tourism businesses to cover the costs of refunds, as well as marketing campaigns to boost region to region visitation while Melbourne is locked down. Eligible operators will be able to claim up to $225 per night for up to five nights for each and every room cancelled due to the return of Stage 3 restrictions, provided they refund the booking in full.

Because we know that small businesess in Melbourne’s CBD are faced with a large and sustained shock to their trading environments, the Government will also establish a $20 million CBD Business Support Fund.

Businesses will also benefit from an extended and expanded payroll tax deferral. Eligible businesses with payrolls up to $10 million can defer their liabilities for the first half of the 2020/21 financial year.

The package has been designed in close consultation with industry, including the Australian Hotels Association and the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

For more information, and to apply, visit: https://www.business.vic.gov.au/support-for-your-business/grants-and-assistance/business-support-package/business-support-fund .

Here is a great infographic from Robyn Jacobson of TaxBanter Pty Ltd providing a one-stop break down of the JobKeeper subsidy payment.  Well worth having a look through, though please make sure to contact us for specifics given your own situation.

The government has just announced a new JobKeeper subsidy payment to assist those facing hardship as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

“The JobKeeper Payment is a subsidy to businesses, which will keep more Australians in jobs through the course of the coronavirus outbreak.

The payment will be paid to employers, for up to six months, for each eligible employee that was on their books on 1 March 2020 and is retained or continues to be engaged by that employer.

Where a business has stood down employees since 1 March, the payment will help them maintain connection with their employees.

Employers will receive a payment of $1,500 per fortnight per eligible employee. Every eligible employee must receive at least $1,500 per fortnight from this business, before tax.

For more, see the full press release here.  Registered employers using Single Touch Payroll can register your interest for JobKeeper payments here.

With the Easter holidays having commenced in Victoria, here’s something to keep your kids busy at home, in lieu of normal scheduling…

Vacant residential land tax

If you own a property in one of 16 council areas that was unoccupied for six months or more in 2019, you must notify the SRO via their vacant residential land tax portal.

You can use the SRO’s online tool to determine whether you have to pay vacant residential land tax.

Absentee owner surcharge

An absentee owner surcharge applies to Victorian land owned by an absentee individual, corporation or trust. If you are an absentee owner, you must notify the SRO via their absentee owner notification portal.

You can use the SRO’s online tool to determine whether you have to pay absentee owner surcharge.  Please contact us for any enquirers also.

From the 2020 land tax year, the absentee owner surcharge is 2%.