Extended rental assistance for small businesses

During the week, the Victorian state government announced extended rent relief for small businesses.

Businesses can now choose any three consecutive months between 1^st April to 30^th September 2021 and compare that to the same period in 2019.

So should there be a fall in turnover of more than 30% then the rent is to be reduced accordingly. This means say where there is a 60% fall in turnover, a small business owner can request the landlord to reduce the rent to 40%. In other words, you as a small business owner won’t ever pay 30% of the rent with the other 30% deferred.

The scheme applies retrospectively from 28^th July 2021 to 15^th January 2022.

The sooner you make the request of your landlord, the more you stand to benefit.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you even if just to work out whether you qualify.

Small Business Adaption Program extended

Good news in that Victorian Government’s Small Business Adaption Program has been extended.

The Small Business Adaption Program is a reimbursement scheme – you spend the money then get refunded $1,200 for 12 months access.

Software providers haven’t exactly jumped at this scheme as only 14 have registered.

But that said, there are key players on the list including:-

Service M8 (for tradies)
Shopify
Square
Squarespace
And accounting programs MYOB, QuickBooks Online, Reckon & Xero.

Key requirements are:-

Business must have been operating by 13^th September 2019.
Your business doesn’t already use the program.

Sounds good? If so get cracking as applications are taken until 5th December (or earlier if the allocated program funds are exhausted).

Want to know more – click here.

Issues with qualifying for the Small Business Covid Hardship Grant

It should be straight forward.

But it isn’t.

Whether you qualify or not depends on which state government publication you read.

Let me explain why first before I set out how we plan to navigate conflicting government announcements.

The qualifying test is a 70% fall in turnover over a minimum two week period as compared to 2019 as measured by your GST turnover method.

Now the fun begins.

The Program Guidelines states that:-

Select a … period where the impacted period…was most impacted by Covid.
Select a … period as a comparison point.
The comparison period for businesses should generally be the same time of year {it’s bad enough they use a vague word as should but adding generally is open to liberal interpretation}.
And goes on to state that … unless there are exceptional reasons as to why a different time is chosen noting that slight adjustments for trading days are acceptable. Exceptional reasons are not defined which probably helps more than hinders.
With the overriding statement being that …as a direct consequence of Covid.

The application form contains statements such as:-

You must identify a date range … in turnover compared to a similar date range in the benchmark period.
You must choose similar dates for the benchmark period … unless there are exceptional reasons as to why a different period is chosen.
If you choose a starting date in 2019 that is more than 3 days earlier than the starting date in 2019 …. This makes sense as 27^th May in 2019 was a Monday and a Thursday in 2021 – so it is simply a way to align the weeks.
It then goes on to state that … your application may require further information to substantiate the exceptional circumstances.
With one of the attestations being … that the benchmark period selected is representative of normal business operations.
Another attestation is that … as a direct consequence of Covid.

But when you get to the FAQ sheet (not that any questions had been asked by the time this was released early on the afternoon of Thursday 12^th August as the program was nothing more than a name by noon on that day despite it being heralded some 3 weeks beforehand).

The FAQs start clearly with a statement that:-

As a direct consequence of Covid.
But then goes on to state that … businesses should compare their best consecutive two week trading period … 2019 … with their worst consecutive … period … 2021.
And then states later that … this two week period can be any two consecutive weeks within the benchmark period. This cannot be read in isolation nor definitive given the comments in the guidelines that there must be exceptional circumstances.

It is all unnecessarily inconsistent.

So we are going to proceed as follows:-

We will first seek a period/periods of two weeks or longer where there is a drop in turnover in 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. The test period is a minimum of two weeks but can be longer. We have built a rolling spreadsheet to test for this. If you satisfy this test, we will then seek your assurance that the decline is due to Covid and then proceed to application.
If you don’t pass this then we will seek a different comparative period where turnover was sufficiently high and then we will seek your assurance that the decline is due to Covid AND that exceptional circumstances exist before proceeding to application.
As most businesses will be assessed on a cash basis, you will need to form that opinion more on the pattern of customers paying you than when the invoices were raised.

Other points to note:-

It is a tougher test than for JobKeeper – under JobKeeper, it was assumed the fall in turnover was due to Covid. With this, you have to justify your opinion as to why it is due to Covid.
There is no going back and claiming later. If you are eligible and an application is not lodged by 10^th September (or earlier if the allotted funds run out) then you miss out.
What we will be required to attest to and sign off on may well prove to be a very subjective matter. As such, we will be assessing all turnover testing ourselves and in doing so running all clients through our assessment spreadsheet. If you do appear to qualify then a separate fee will be levied for the application process.
All of this has added a couple of extra steps to the process but we will keep our prices the same as announced on Monday.
JobKeeper was an exception to what our preferred audit insurer covers as it does not cover grants such as this.
Please remember that one does not qualify for this grant if you have already received recent state industry specific government grants.
And please make sure your accounting file is up to date and the bank account reconciled.

Small Business Covid Hardship Fund

The Victorian State Government has FINALLY opened AND released qualification details for the Small Business Covid Hardship Fund.

So all those who have missed out on the industry based grants may qualify for $8,000.

And given the test period being a two week comparative test, we expect to be surprised how many qualify. Why? Because it is assessed on one’s GST turnover – and for most that is cash. And what is the first that dries up when things get tough – cash.

That all said, there are still a number of qualifying criteria to satisfy. It is also noteworthy that an approved declaration must be completed by a qualified accountant.

Want to know more – ask us.

Lockdown #6 – extended business covid support

In response to the snap lockdown announced on Thursday afternoon, the state government announced on Friday further covid support to businesses.

In short, those who have qualified for support in recent rounds will receive a further payment.

There has however been slightly more detail released in respect of the Small Business Covid Hardship Fund (you will remember from our email during the week that in response to our enquiry to the government support line was that they had no idea and were waiting on further details themselves). Business who do not qualify under other support grants (which are largely industry based) can receive $8,000 if their turnover has fallen by 70% or more. We will post a further blog when sufficient details are to hand.

You will remember from our earlier posts and emails that the federal government is distributing a Covid-19 Disaster Payment. An employee will now qualify to receive $750 if their hours of work have fallen by more than 20 hours per week; $450 if less than that.

We will post further blogs when sufficient details become available.

Update on extended Victorian Gov covid support

Further details have come to hand about the Victorian government’s extended covid lockdown support. There are however a number of initiative extensions await clarification and/or legislation.

Commercial Tenancy Relief

We can now clarify that the extended system that will run to January 2022:-
At least half of any further rent reduction must be waived; no more than half of the rent reduction can be deferred.
From 28^th July, landlords can only lock out tenants after receiving Victorian Small Business Council permission.

Licenced Hospitality Venue Fund

In order to qualify a business must have both a liquor licence and a food certificate.

We will post further details when they come to hand.

Re-instated commercial rent relief

On 28^th July, the Victorian state government announced a re-introduction of a covid rent relief system for commercial tenancies.

A business must have suffered a 30% decline in turnover to qualify. We are still awaiting legislation so it is not yet known what period is measured.

The rental relief is commensurate with the decline in turnover. So as per the government’s example, if your business suffered a 40% decline in turnover, then you your business will be entitled to a 40% reduction in rent.

Please contact us if you need help in quantifying this.

It is also unclear as to whether the rent reduction is in part a deferment. We will post an update when details come to hand.

Where a landlord doesn’t agree to provide the requested rent deduction then the matter can be referred to Victorian Small Business Commission.

To support landlords who have suffer from their decline in income, assistance can be received under a $80 million Landlord Business Support Package. One would think that allocation will be quickly exhausted so we would recommend applications being made properly.

Survive & Thrive webinar

In these difficult times it is crucial to have your finger on the right button.

And with that in mind we welcome you to join our next Survive & Thrive webinar.

The webinar will feature the usual Things To Do over the next month and a case study section (which this time will be planning).

Our guest speaker Peter Sleight will discuss Eating for Better Health.

The webinar will run for 25 minutes from 5.30pm on Thursday 5th August. You can reserve your place by clicking here clicking here

We look forward to seeing you on the night and we welcome your passing this invitation on to family, friends and business associates.

Lockdown #5 government grants

The state and federal governments today announced their support packages in respect of covid lockdown #5 government grants.

Put simply, most incentives are a doubling of what was offered for the last lockdown. As such, most businesses will receive nothing.

The Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund recipients will again receive $3,000 and Business Costs Assistance Program recipients $2,000. Recipients is perhaps not the best term as whilst some 86,000 businesses applied, one quarter of those are still awaiting payment. That said, those that received a payment need to not re-apply; they will simply receive a further amount.

Major event organisers will receive up to $250,000. Cinemas though will only receive $12,000.

Significantly, workers who lose hours of work will be compensated – $600 if lose more than 20 hours during the lockdown; $375 if between 8 and 20 hours are lost. Presumably this only relates to casuals as they have no leave to be stood down with. Interestingly, the federal government will fund the payments to those within hot spots; the state government will fund payments to all other qualifying employers.

We will keep you posted if further details are announced or extra support is announced. We also welcome any questions you may have.

Payroll reporting deadlines

With the progressive roll-out of Single Touch Payroll, year end finalisation deadlines are tightening. It’s not like the “good old” Payment Summary days were one had to the 14^th August to return the stationery. Employers are now required to complete the Single Touch Payroll finalisation step by 14^th July.

Thankfully though two extensions are available this year:-

In response to demands caused to business owners, 31^st July
For closely held employees (family members) 30^th September

Those larger employers that are subject to Pay-roll Tax are due to certify the 2020/21 remuneration by 21^st July. This is not just a matter as in addition to wages, salaries, commissions, directors fees, bonuses and so on, Pay-roll tax is also payable on:-

Superannuation
Some fringe benefits
Payments to certain contractors (including some corporates).

Whilst 28^th July is the end date for paying the June quarter SG super, payments through clearing houses can take up to 10 days. We therefore recommend that the June quarter super be processed no later than Friday 16^th.

We welcome any question you may have about these matters.