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Government increases cash flow support for businesses

The Australian Government has increased support for businesses to manage cash flow challenges under the ongoing COVID-19 circumstances.

The Boosting Cash Flow for Employers measure announced on 12 March 2020 will be increased to provide up to $100,000 for eligible small and medium-sized businesses. To be eligible employers must have been established prior to 12 March 2020 and have an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million and employ workers.

The measure will provide employers with a payment equal to 100% of the tax withheld from wages and salaries. This is a rise from the original 50%, with maximum payments being increased from $25,000 to $50,000 and minimum payments being increased from $2,000 to $10,000.

Employers will receive payments from 28 April 2020 from the ATO as automatic credit in the activity statement system upon lodging eligible upcoming activity statements.

Eligible businesses will be provided with an additional payment during July – October 2020. The payment will be equal to the total amount received under the Boosting Cash Flow for Businesses scheme. For monthly and quarterly activity statement lodgers, these payments will be provided as automatic credit in the activity statement system for each lodgement up until October 2020.

The Government has also introduced the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme to support the flow of credit for small and medium enterprises (SME) by providing a guarantee of 50% to participating SME lenders for new unsecured loans that will be used for working capital. To be eligible, SMEs will have a turnover of up to $50 million and the loans must comply with the following terms:

The SME Guarantee Scheme will still require businesses to repay these loans and approval is subject to regular lending requirements. The Scheme will commence by early April 2020 and be available until 30 September 2020.

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No More Shortcuts: The Methods You Can Use To Claim WFH Expenses

Posted on March 25, 2024 by admin

Ensure you’re up to date on how to claim your working-from-home expenses!

As the business landscape shifts back and forth between office, hybrid and home-based work opportunities, it’s important to remember what methods are available to you when it comes to claiming. If part of your role allows you to work from home, you may be able to claim certain expenses on your tax return this year using one of the following methods.

The Revised Fixed Rate Method:

Under the revised fixed rate method, individuals can claim 67 cents per hour worked from home during the relevant income year. This rate includes additional running expenses, such as home and mobile internet or data, phone usage, and electricity and gas for heating, cooling, and lighting. Importantly, using this method, you cannot claim separate deductions for these expenses.

To use this method, taxpayers must maintain records of the total number of hours worked from home and the expenses incurred while working at home. Additionally, they must keep records of expenses not covered by the fixed rate per work hour, demonstrating the work-related portion of those expenses.

What Records Do You Need?

Previously, taxpayers required a dedicated workspace at home. From 1st March 2023 onwards, the record-keeping requirement has shifted again, necessitating the recording of all hours worked from home as they occur.

How Does The Fixed Rate Method Work?

To utilise the revised fixed rate method:

The Actual Cost Method:

Alternatively, taxpayers can opt for the actual cost method, where deductions are calculated based on actual additional expenses incurred while working from home. This includes expenses for depreciating assets, energy expenses, phone and internet, stationery, computer consumables, and cleaning dedicated home offices.

What Records Do You Need?

To claim work-from-home expenses using actual costs, you must maintain records showing:

How Does The Actual Cost Method Work?

To claim actual expenses:

Australians need to understand their entitlements and tax deductions while working remotely.

Consulting with a tax advisor can provide valuable insights into available concessions, deductions, and offsets for your tax return.

By staying informed and adhering to ATO guidelines, taxpayers can ensure compliance and make the most of available deductions in the evolving landscape of remote work. Why not start a conversation with us today?

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