Boosting cash flow for employers

Written on the 8 May 2020 by Arrow

An economic stimulus package is being put in place to support businesses to manage cash flow challenges and assist them retain their employees to continue to stay viable through the coronavirus crisis.

The Government is providing tax-free cash flow boosts between $20,000 and $100,000 to eligible businesses delivered through credits in the activity statement system when businesses lodge their statements.

Businesses do not need to apply, and the first amount will automatically be credited to the business' account from April 28.

Eligible businesses:

Have an active ABN on March 12 2020, which continues to be active.

Have an aggregated turnover less than $50 million, based on the business' previous years turnover.

Made eligible payments that the business is required to (ie wages, directors fees, eligible termination or retirement payments, compensation payments or voluntary withholdings from payments to contractors).

Earned an assessable income from 2018-19 year or made sales in a previous tax period (since July 1 2018) and lodged the relevant activity statement on or before March 12 2020.

Not-for-profit organisations, sole traders, partnerships, companies and trusts (Not-for-profit organisations eligibility can be found here).
When will you see your cash flow boost?
If the business lodges:

quarterly, it will be eligible to receive the credit for:

quarter 3, March 2020 (lodgment due date 28 April 2020)

quarter 4, June 2020 (lodgment due date 28 July 2020).

monthly, it will be eligible to receive the credit for the lodgment periods of:

March 2020 (lodgment due date 21 April 2020)

April 2020 (lodgment due date 21 May 2020)

May 2020 (lodgment due date 21 June 2020)

June 2020 (lodgment due date 21 July 2020)
Note: if the businesses has been granted a deferral from the ATO, the cash flow boost will generally be made at the time of the deferral lodgement.

Additional payments
Eligible businesses who received the initial cash flow boost will receive an additional cash flow boost, for the periods June to September 2020, equal to the amount of initial cash flow boost received.

Can you qualify for a refund?
A business may receive a refund where the credit exceeds the business' other tax liabilities or if it has overpaid its activity statement. If your business is in the position to receive a refund, you will generally receive the refund within 14 days.

If you have any questions in regards to the cash flow boosts your business is entitled to, please don't hesitate to give us a call.

Information in this article has been sourced from: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Business-activity-statements-(BAS)/In-detail/Boosting-cash-flow-for-employers/