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Business Value Creation

Payroll Accuracy Matters: Avoiding Costly Mistakes

CURRENT SITUATION

Goal/Problem to Solve

1.  Nick (not his real name) is an NDIS support provider. He is operating his business as a medium-sized Company.

2.  Nick himself was responsible for overseeing payroll processes within the company.

3.  Due to the complexities of payroll management and increasing workload, Nick inadvertently made several errors in the payroll system such as the Misclassification of employees, award penalties rates, incorrect Superannuation contributions etc.

4.  Nick wants to streamline the payroll system to ensure accuracy, transparency, and compliance in payroll management.

Client Name

Nick

Supplier Name

NexZen Accounting

Here is our 7-Step Fulfilment System to answer the above question.

1.  1 THING YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR IN YOUR CURRENT SITUATION 

What is one thing that you are grateful for in your current situation (While facing the Problems you are going to solve for yourself or your clients)

1.  Nick has the opportunity to provide meaningful employment that makes a positive difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities.

2.  ALIGN YOUR FULFILMENT VISION

1.  Purpose

1.  Achieve Financial Freedom & Fulfilment through NDIS Business 

2.  Goal

1.  An ideal payroll system to streamline payroll management, enhance compliance, and improve the overall employee experience within the organization.

3.  SUPPLIER’S (NEXZEN’S) WIN (1 REASON)

1.  To contribute towards achieving financial freedoms and fulfilled lives of startups and small business owners like Richard.

4.  CLIENT’S (NICK’S) WIN

1.  What 1 pain can be removed from your life by implementing the ideal solution? 

1.  A good payroll system reduces the risk of penalties, legal issues and employees turnover.

2.  What 1 gain can be achieved in your life by implementing the ideal solution?

1.  Streamlined processes and automation save time and effort, allowing business owners to focus on other strategic tasks and overall employee growth.

3.  KPIs 

1.  Accuracy Rate: The percentage of payroll transactions processed accurately without errors, discrepancies, or miscalculations.

2.  Timeliness of Payroll Processing: The average time taken to process payroll, including data entry, calculations, approvals, and distribution of paychecks or direct deposits.

3.  Compliance Rate: The extent to which the payroll system complies with relevant tax laws, labour regulations, industry awards, and superannuation requirements.

4.  Payroll Processing Costs: The total cost of payroll processing per employee, including software licensing fees, staff salaries, outsourcing costs, and other expenses.

5.  Employee Satisfaction: Employee feedback and surveys measuring satisfaction with payroll accuracy, timeliness, transparency, and responsiveness to queries or issues.

4.  Positive Impact

1.  A good payroll system ensures accurate calculations of wages, taxes, deductions, and benefits, minimizing errors and reducing the risk of underpayments, overpayments, or compliance issues.

5.  Negative Impact

1.  Without a good payroll system in place, organizations may struggle to stay compliant with tax laws, labour regulations, industry standards, and superannuation requirements, leading to penalties, fines, or legal consequences.

6.  Roadblocks

1.  Why is the problem not solved yet?

1.  Limited financial resources or manpower to invest in implementing a robust payroll system.

2.  What has been tried before (History)?

1.  Reference has been taken from the SCHADS Award to calculate minimum wages 

3.  Where is the client stuck?

1.  Unfamiliarity with payroll regulations or best practices

5.  CREATE & COMPARE IDEAS & SOLUTIONS

List out a minimum of three ideas that you can propose to the client as potential solutions for their problem

1.  Features and their applications

1.  Automate Calculations & Standardised Procedures

2.  Outsource Payroll Services to NexZen

3.  Hire an in-house payroll expert

2.  Why Option 2 (Outsource Payroll Services to NexZen) as a solution

1.  Nick chose to go with Option 2 due to the following reasons

1.  Outsourcing payroll is cost-effective compared to hiring and training in-house payroll staff. With outsourcing, he will only pay for the services he needs, eliminating expenses such as salaries, benefits, training, and overhead costs associated with maintaining an in-house payroll department. 

2.  Outsourcing payroll frees up time for him to focus on core business activities, such as strategic planning, sales, and customer service.

3.  Nick can scale his services according to his business needs, whether he has a few employees or hundreds. NexZen can easily accommodate changes in employee numbers, seasonal fluctuations, or growth without requiring additional resources or infrastructure at their end.

4.  Nick will get access to advanced payroll software and technology platforms that streamline processes, automate calculations, and provide real-time reporting and analytics. These tools improve efficiency, accuracy, and transparency in payroll management.

6.  DELIVER WITH EXCELLENCE

1.  High-level implementation roadmap

1.  Evaluate current payroll processes, resources, and needs.

2.  Determine the budget, timeline, and scope of services required. 

3.  Research potential payroll service providers, including local, national, and international options.

4.  Evaluate providers based on factors such as expertise, experience, reputation, services offered, technology capabilities, pricing, and customer reviews.

5.  Request proposals or quotes from shortlisted providers.

6.  Sign a contract with the selected provider.

7.  Work closely with the payroll service provider to set up accounts, configure software, and establish communication channels.

8.  Provide feedback to the provider and collaborate on continuous improvement initiatives.

9.  Review the contract with the payroll service provider periodically to ensure it remains aligned with business needs and objectives.

2.  Onboarding & Joint Accountabilities

1.  Client

1.  Provide requested information

2.  Pay the agreed Fee

2.  Supplier

1.  Deliver the agreed scope

2.  Complete the compliance requirements

3.  Payroll Helpdesk for Client and Employees

3.  Fees & Payment Terms

1.  The initial meeting is offered at no cost as a complimentary service.

7.  NEXT ACTION

1.  Book your complimentary meeting with our Business Structure & Taxation expert by clicking on the below link

1.  Book a Discovery call

2.  Give us a Call at 1300 347 678 

3.  Email us at hello@nexzenaccounting.com.au

DISCLAIMER

1.  This Document has been prepared for general information purposes only to permit you to learn more about business structures.

2.  The information presented is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current and is subject to further discussion depending upon the circumstances of the case.

NexZen Accounting

Let’s look at your “options” to escape the time-for-money trap and thrive, while having more freedom and the lifestyle you want.

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This is a loser that most people are probably pretty happy about — the government is extending a task force that targets tax avoidance by multinationals, large public and private groups, trusts and wealthy individuals.

It is giving the Australian Tax Office (ATO) more than $600 million over the next three years to keep the scrutiny on those groups.

The budget forecasts the extension of the task force will make the government $2.1 billion in revenue from tax over the next four years.

In bad news for people’s pay packets, real wages are not forecast to grow until later this year at the earliest thanks to higher-than-expected inflation.

At the end of last year, Treasury predicted the inflation rate would be 2.75 per cent. The reality has ended up being around 4.25 per cent.

The budget is predicting wages will only be just higher than inflation in the next couple of years, meaning cost of living pressures are unlikely to ease any time soon.

Despite current price hikes, the budget is forecasting inflation will taper off and wages will grow faster by the middle of the decade.

Buried under the wildly exciting headline of Commonwealth’s Deregulation Agenda, is the $19.9 million spend by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to develop a new reporting application to enable businesses to submit surveys on business indicators directly through their accounting software. Excellent. Real time reporting utilising verified data on the state of Australian business. Guarantee of Origin scheme, and the development of a Biodiversity Stewardship Trading Platform to support farmers to undertake biodiversity activities ahead of the introduction of a voluntary biodiversity stewardship market.

Another $148.6m is for the development of community microgrids and just over $50m to develop gas infrastructure projects.

An additional $652.6m has been set aside to extend the ATO’s Tax Avoidance Taskforce by 2 years to 30 June 2025.
In that time, the taskforce is expected to increase receipts by $2.1bn and increase payments by $652.6m.

Just prior to the Federal Budget, the Government announced the extension of the:

  • Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy, and
  • Completing Apprenticeship Commencement wage subsidy.

    Any employer (or Group Training Organisation) who takes on an apprentice or trainee up until 30 June 2022 can gain access to:
  • 50% of the eligible Australian Apprentice’s wages in the first year, capped at a maximum payment value of $7,000 per quarter per Australian Apprentice,
  • 10% of the eligible Australian Apprentice’s wages in the second year, capped at a maximum payment value of $1,500 per quarter per Australian Apprentice, and
  • 5% of the eligible Australian Apprentice’s wages in the third year, capped at a maximum payment value of $750 per quarter per Australian Apprentice.

From

7:30pm AEDT, 29 March 2022 until 30 June 2024

The Government intends to provide a 120% tax deduction for expenditure incurred by small businesses on external training courses provided to employees. The deduction will be available to small business with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million. External training courses will need to be provided to employees in Australia or online, and delivered by entities registered in Australia.
Some exclusions will apply, such as for in-house or on-the-job training and expenditure on external training courses for persons other than employees.
We assume there will need to be a nexus between the employee’s employment and the training program undertaken for the boost, although we are waiting on further details of this initiative to be released. 
The boost for eligible expenditure incurred by 30 June 2022 will be claimed in the tax return for the following income year (that is, the 2023 tax return). The boost for eligible expenditure incurred between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2024, will be included in the income year in which the expenditure is incurred.

From

1 July 2021

As previously announced, work‑related COVID‑19 test expenses incurred by individuals will be made tax deductible. 
Changes will also be made to ensure that FBT will not be payable by employers if they provide fringe benefits relating to COVID‑19 testing to their employees for work‑related purposes.
The changes for deductions will be effective from 1 July 2021, with the FBT changes to apply from 1 April 2021.
At this stage it is not entirely clear whether the deduction rules will cover expenses incurred where the employee is able to work from home. The initial media release indicates that the measure will cover situations where the individual has the option of working remotely, while the Budget only refers to costs of taking a COVID-19 test to attend a place of work but doesn’t specifically refer to employees who can work from home.

From

1 July 2022
Back in the 2019-20 Budget, the Government announced that Australian Business Number (ABN) holders would be stripped of their ABNs if they failed to lodge their income tax return. In addition, ABN holders would be required to annually confirm the accuracy of their details on the Australian Business Register.


This measure has been deferred for 12 months, which means that the tax return lodgement obligation is due to commence from 1 July 2022 with the annual confirmation of ABN details to commence from 1 July 2023.

As announced prior to the Budget, the Government will commit $6.6 million for the development of IT infrastructure that will enable the ATO to share Single Touch Payroll (STP) data with State and Territory Revenue Offices on an ongoing basis. 

The funding will be deployed following further consideration of which states and territories are able and willing to make investments in their own systems and administrative processes to pre-fill payroll tax returns with STP data in order to reduce compliance costs for businesses.

The measure that enables payments from certain state and territory COVID-19 business support programs to be treated as non-assessable non-exempt (NANE) income has already been extended until 30 June 2022. 
The Government has announced that the following state and territory grant programs have been made eligible for this treatment since the 2021-22 MYEFO, although it is not clear whether the relevant legislative instruments have been issued as yet:

  • New South Wales Accommodation Support Grant 
  • New South Wales Commercial Landlord Hardship Grant 
  • New South Wales Performing Arts Relaunch Package 
  • New South Wales Festival Relaunch Package 
  • New South Wales 2022 Small Business Support Program 
  • Queensland 2021 COVID 19 Business Support Grant 
  • South Australia COVID 19 Tourism and Hospitality Support Grant 
  • South Australia COVID 19 Business Hardship Grant.

    This builds on the list of existing grants paid by New South Wales and Victoria that can already qualify for NANE income treatment. 

From

1 January 2024

As announced prior to the Budget, businesses will be able to report Taxable Payments Reporting System data via their accounting software on the same lodgment cycle as their activity statements.
The measure is expected to reduce the costs of complying with the system and increase transparency.

From

1 January 2024

As announced prior to the Budget, companies will be able to choose to have their pay as you go (PAYG) instalments calculated using current financial performance, extracted from business accounting software, with some tax adjustments. 
The move is intended to ensure that instalment liabilities are aligned to the businesses cashflow. In addition, the digitisation of PAYG instalments will improve transparency and provide more accurate data on performance. 

From

2022-23 income year

Normally, GST and PAYG instalment amounts are adjusted using a GDP adjustment or uplift. For the 2022-23 income year, the Government is setting this uplift factor at 2% instead of the 10% that would have applied. 

The 2% uplift rate will apply to small to medium enterprises eligible to use the relevant instalment methods for instalments for the 2022-23 income year and are due after the amending legislation comes into effect:

  • Up to $10 million annual aggregated turnover for GST instalments and 
  • $50 million annual aggregated turnover for PAYG instalments 
From 7:30pm AEDT, 29 March 2022 until 30 June 2023
The Government intends to provide a 120% tax deduction for expenditure incurred by small businesses on business expenses and depreciating assets that support their digital adoption, such as portable payment devices, cyber security systems or subscriptions to cloud based services. The technology boost will be available to small business with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million.An annual expenditure cap of $100,000 will apply to the boost. The boost for eligible expenditure incurred by 30 June 2022 will be claimed in tax returns for the following income year. The boost for eligible expenditure incurred between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 will be included in the income year in which the expenditure is incurred. That is, the additional deduction available under this measure is expected to be claimed in the 2023 tax return.  

The temporary 50% reduction in superannuation minimum drawdown requirements for account-based pensions and similar products has been extended to 30 June 2023. 


Minimum superannuation drawdown rates 2019-2023

Age 

Default minimum drawdown rates (%) 

Reduced rates by 50% for the 2019-20 to 2022-23 income years (%) 

Under 65 

4 

2 

65-74 

5 

2.5 

75-79 

6 

3 

80-84 

7 

3.5 

85-89 

9 

4.5 

90-94 

11 

5.5 

95 or more 

14 

7 

 

From

1 July 2024

Trust and beneficiary income reporting and processing will be digitalised with all trusts being provided with the option of lodging income tax returns electronically.

While this measure will reduce compliance costs, it will also increase transparency and provide the ATO with a greater insight into where anomalies are occurring.

From

1 July 2021

The Medicare levy low income thresholds for seniors and pensioners, families and singles will increase from 1 July 2021.

 

2020-21 

2021-22 

Singles 

$23,226 

$23,365

Family threshold 

$39,167 

$39,402

Single seniors and pensioners 

$36,705 

$36,925

Family threshold for seniors and pensioners 

$51,094 

$51,401

 
For each dependent child or student, the family income thresholds increase by a further $3,619 instead of the previous amount of $3,597. 

The Home Guarantee Scheme guarantees part of an eligible buyer’s home loan, enabling people to buy a home with a smaller deposit and without the need for lenders mortgage insurance. The Government has extended two existing guarantees and introduced a new regional scheme.

Just prior to the Budget, the Government announced:

  • First Home Guarantee – from 1 July 2022, an increase from 10,000 to 35,000 guarantees to support eligible first homebuyers to purchase a new or existing home. 
  • Single parent Family Home Guarantee – 5,000 guarantees each year from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2025. The family home guarantee supports eligible single parents with children to buy their first home or to re-enter the housing market with a deposit of as little as 2%.
  • Introduction of a Regional Home Guarantee. This guarantee will support eligible citizens and permanent residents who have not owed a home for 5 years (including non-first home buyers) to purchase or construct a new home in regional areas with a minimum 5% deposit areas (subject to the passage of enabling legislation).

From

April 2022

A one-off $250 ‘cost of living payment’ will be provided to Australian resident recipients of the following payments and concession card holders:

  • Age Pension 
  • Disability Support Pension 
  • Parenting Payment 
  • Carer Payment 
  • Carer Allowance (if not in receipt of a primary income support payment) 
  • Jobseeker Payment 
  • Youth Allowance 
  • Austudy and Abstudy Living Allowance 
  • Double Orphan Pension 
  • Special Benefit 
  • Farm Household Allowance 
  • Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holders 
  • Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders 
  • Eligible Veterans’ Affairs payment recipients and Veteran Gold card holders.

    The payments are exempt from taxation and will not count as income support for the purposes of any income support payment. An individual can only receive one payment.

From

1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022

The low and middle income tax offset (LMITO) currently provides a reduction in tax of up to $1,080 for individuals with a taxable income of up to $126,000.

The tax offset is triggered when a taxpayer lodges their 2021-22 tax return.

For the 2021-22, the LMITO will be increased by $420 which means that the proposed new rates for individuals are as follows:

 

Taxable income 

Offset 

$37,000 or less 

$675

Between $37,001 and $48,000 

$675 plus 7.5 cents for every dollar above $37,000, up to a maximum of $1,500

Between $48,001 and $90,000 

$1,500

Between $90,001 and $126,000 

$1,500 minus 3 cents for every dollar of the amount above $90,000 

From12.01am 30 March 2022

There are a few jokes going around social media about the price of fuel.

As widely predicted, the Government will temporarily reduce the excise and excise-equivalent customs duty rate that applies to petrol and diesel by 50% for 6 months from Budget night. That is, the current 44.2 cents per litre excise rate will reduce to 22.1 cents per litre from Budget night. However, the measure is subject to the passage of the enabling legislation so don’t expect to see a change right away. 

 The reduction extends to all other fuel and petroleum based products except aviation fuels.

At the conclusion of the 6 months on 28 September 2022, the excise and excise-equivalent customs duty rates revert to previous rates including any indexation that would have applied during the 6 month period. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will monitor the price behaviour of retailers to ensure that the lower excise rate is passed on to consumers.

The measure comes at a cost of $5.6bn.

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