The economic impacts of the Coronavirus are hurting local businesses, which are all valued employers in the City of Kalamunda. This is a guide to what’s available to help businesses keep afloat during the COVID-19 shutdown.
The City encourages local businesses to get in touch with the City’s Economic Development team with any specific questions on businessquestions@kalamunda.wa.gov.au
Find more information for business below:
This support program has now concluded
The City of Kalamunda launched a confidential, advisory support program to help local small businesses through earlier part of the COVID-19 pandemic restriction period in Western Australia.
The confidential, one-hour sessions included a financial review, focus area clarifications, details on available government stimulus support and outlining of staged action plans.
There was also opportunity for owners/operators to discuss any additional questions or concerns regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on the business.
The support sessions were made available to businesses with less than 20 employees, a lease on a premise in the City of Kalamunda or registered owners of a small business in the City of Kalamunda.
What is it? Coronavirus-affected businesses will receive $1500 per fortnight, per employee, from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Businesses then pay eligible employees the flat payment. The JobKeeper payment applies to all workers equally. It is a flat payment approximately 70 per cent of the national median wage and 100 per cent of the median wage in the sectors most heavily affected by the coronavirus outbreak, such as tourism, retail and hospitality.
Who is eligible? Employers must apply for Jobkeeper at the ATO, with proof turnover has fallen by 30 per cent. If the turnover of a business exceeds $1 billion, the business will have to demonstrate a fall of 50 per cent. Businesses structured through companies, partnerships, trusts and sole traders are all eligible.
Individual Eligibility
When is it available?The Jobseeker Payment will be paid to businesses from 1st May 2020, but will be backdated until today.
How is it paid? Businesses are encouraged to begin paying their staff immediately and will be reimbursed from the first week of May. The ATO will use the single touch payroll system to check businesses pass on the payments to their employees.
Apply for Jobkeeper payment online or register interest on the ATO website
What is it? The Government will pay up to $100,000 to eligible small and medium sized businesses, and not-for-profits (including charities) that employ people. The payment designed to boost cash flow so businesses can keep operating, pay their rent, electricity and other bills and retain staff. Employers will receive a payment equal to 100 per cent of their salary withheld. In addition to this, a second round of payments will be made in the July-October period. To qualify for the additional payment, the business must continue to be active.
Who is eligible? Small and medium sized business entities and Not-for-Profits with aggregated annual turnover under $50 million and that employ workers. Eligibility will generally be based on prior year turnover.
How is it paid? The cash flow boost is automatically calculated by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). There are no new forms required. The payment will be delivered by the ATO as an automatic credit in the activity statement system from 28 April 2020 once employers lodge eligible upcoming activity statements.
Read about cash flow assistance for businesses
What is it? The WA Government has increased the payroll tax threshold from 1 July 2020, allowing COVID19-affected businesses to defer payment of their returns until 21 July 2020.
Who is eligible? Your business is eligible for payroll tax relief if your annual Australian wages don’t exceed $7.5 million.
How do you get it? Find out more here
A one-off grant of $17,500 will be available for employers, or groups of employers from the WA Government.
Who is eligible? Employers whose annual Australian taxable wages are more than $1 million and up to $4 million. For a group of employers, a single grant will be payable to the designated group employer.
How is it paid? You do not need to apply for the grant. Grants will automatically be paid by cheque from July but there will be delays for taxpayers whose tax status changed in 2018-19 or who became liable for payroll tax during the 2018-19 or 2019-20 assessment year.Check your postal details are correct at Revenue Online
Read about COVID-19 payroll tax relief
What is it?
Read more about temporary relief for distressed businesses
Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50 per cent of the apprentice’s or trainee’s wage paid during the 9 months from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. Where a small business is not able to retain an apprentice, the subsidy will be available to a new employer. Employers will be reimbursed up to a maximum of $21,000 per eligible apprentice or trainee ($7,000 per quarter).
Who is eligible?
When is it available? Employers can register for the apprentice wage subsidy from early April 2020. Final claims for payment must be lodged by 31 December 2020. Read more about the apprentice wage subsidy at The Department of Education, Skills and Employment website
What is it?The Government will guarantee 50 per cent of new loans issued by eligible lenders to SMEs.
What types of businesses will be eligible for loans under the Scheme? Small and medium businesses with less than $50 million turnover will be eligible. This will include self-employed individuals and not-for-profits. To meet the turnover requirement, the business’s annual turnover must:
Read more about the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Guarantee Scheme at the Treasury website
From 12 March 2020, the instant asset write-off threshold will increase from $30,000 to $150,000.
What is it?The instant asset write-off is a tax deduction that reduces the tax liability of your business. It enables your business to claim an upfront deduction for depreciating assets in the year the asset was purchased and used (or installed ready to use). For example, if your business is a base rate entity (turnover under $50m) in a company structure you will get back 27.5% in your 2019-20 company return if the company acquires an asset that is used by 30 June 2020. If your business is likely to make a tax loss for the year, then the instant asset write-off is unlikely to provide a short-term benefit to you.
Who can get it? Access to the write-off will be expanded to include businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million until 30 June 2020.
How does it work? Businesses need wary of what they are claiming and when. Assets will need to be used or installed ready for use from when the changes were announced on 12 March 2020 until by 30 June 2020 to qualify for the higher threshold.
Anything previously purchased does not qualify for the higher rate but may qualify for one of the other thresholds.
Anything purchased but not installed ready for use by 30 June 2020 will not qualify.
The instant asset write-off only applies to certain depreciable assets such as a concrete tank for a builder, a tractor for a farming business, and a truck for a delivery business.
If you're a sole trader and do not employ any staff you are eligible for the Jobkeeper payment. Read more about the JobKeeper Payment
Income support - Coronavirus supplement The new Coronavirus supplement is a short-term Centrelink payment of $550 per fortnight. This supplement will be paid to existing and new recipients.
When is it available? Coronavirus Supplement and expanded access for payments will commence from 27 April 2020.
How is it paid? It’s paid as a supplement to a number of Federal Government income support payments, which you can claim online at myGov
More information about the Coronavirus income supplement
The Australian Banking Association has announced that Australian banks will defer loan repayments for small businesses affected by COVID-19 for 6 months.
More information about how to defer bank loans on the Australian Banking Association website
Businesses with a turnover of less than $500 million will be able to deduct 50 per cent of the cost of an eligible asset on installation, with existing depreciation rules applying to the balance of the asset’s cost.
Learn more about Backing Business Investment.
How to register your intention to claim a coronavirus payment
Microsoft is providing its Teams video calling, chat, storage and real time collaboration tool for free.
Even if your business isn’t currently licensed for Teams, as a result of COVID-19, Microsoft is offering Office 365 E1 – including email, collaboration, cloud storage and office web apps - free for six months that can be activated here
intelliHR COVID-19 Essentials is offering HR business support to manage a newly remote workforce with free HR tools, including processes, policies, analytics
COVID-19 Essentials helps your business:
Cisco is providing free Webex including unlimited usage, support for up to 100 participants, toll dial-in and VoIP capabilities.
ASD's Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) encourages Australians to remain vigilant and ensure sound cyber security practices.
Ensuring good cyber security measures now is the best way to address the cyber threat.
Read more about the cyber security checklist from the Australian Cyber Security Centre
As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created complex challenges for all businesses, Business Australia have compiled free resources and relevant services to help businesses navigate this difficult time.
View COVID-19 Employer toolkits from Business Australia