What you need to know

Business investment

Cash flow assistance for small and medium sized businesses

Targeted support for severely affected sectors, regions and communities

Household stimulus packages to drive cash into the economy

Cash flow assistance for small and medium sized businesses

Tax-free payments up to $25,000 for employers

Tax-free cash flow support between $2,000 and $25,000 will be available to eligible businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million that employ staff between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020.

This is not a direct cash payment but a credit equal to 50% of the PAYG amounts withheld from salary and wages paid to employees. The employer will need to lodge an activity statement to trigger the entitlement. If the credit puts the business in a refund position the excess amount will be refunded by the ATO within 14 days.

If a business pays salary and wages to employees but is not required to withhold any tax then a minimum payment of $2,000 will still be made.

Businesses that lodge activity statements on a quarterly basis will be eligible to receive the credit for the quarters ending March 2020 and June 2020. Business that lodge on a monthly basis will be eligible for the credit for the March 2020, April 2020, May 2020 and June 2020 lodgements. The minimum $2,000 payment will be applied to the first lodgement.

Eligibility for the measure will be based on prior year turnover. We will have to wait for the legislation for the finer details.

Subsidy of up to 50% for apprentice and trainee wages



Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50% of the apprentice's or trainee's wage for up to 9 months from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. The payments are accessible to businesses with less than 20 employees. Employers will receive up to $21,000 per apprentice ($7,000 per quarter).

Where a small business is not able to retain an apprentice, the subsidy will be available to a new employer that employs that apprentice.

In order to qualify for this payment the apprentice or trainee must have been in training with the business as at 1 March 2020. Employers of any size and Group Training Organisations that re-engage an eligible out-of-trade apprentice or trainee will also be eligible for the subsidy.

It is expected that employers will be able to register for the subsidy from early April 2020. Final claims for payment must be lodged by 31 December 2020.

More information

• Media Release - Economic Stimulus Package
  
• Press conference transcript
• Economic Response to the Coronavirus
• ATO Support measures to assist those affected by COVID-19

If you have any questions, please contact us.