Small Business Updates from ATO & Small Biz Matters: Single Touch Payroll

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 25 September 2018

I'm proud to announce that Small Biz Matters is now working with the Australian Taxation Office to provide regular updates on how they supports small business including having regular ATO representatives speaking on the show! Today we’re joined by John Shepherd an expert in Single Touch Payroll  to chat about how this big change will affect you as a small business.

Welcome to the show John.

Discussion Points:

• Single Touch Payroll is the largest change to payroll and overhaul of the Tax System since the GST.
  • Why has this been initiated?
  • What is the ATO hoping to achieve with these changes?
• For a small business with up to 19 or fewer employees for example when does this start and what changes do they need to make in their payroll processes to be compliant?
  • Take us through the steps to be ready
  • What takes place in the end of financial year finalisation process?
• Will this change anything about the way we work with contractors as opposed to employees?
• How will this impact employees and what can small business do to inform employees of the changes?
• What resources does the ATO provide to support small businesses in these changes?
• What do you say to those employers and employees who have concerns about their data protection?

 

John Shepherd, Assistant Commissioner – Australian Taxation Office.

John is the Program Lead for Single Touch Payroll.

John has performed a number of senior roles in his 27 years with the ATO, leading significant change programs and projects seeking to improve the client experience. Playing an active role in the implementation of SuperStream, John also led the delivery of a number of other super reform initiatives, including driving online superannuation account consolidation.

John has been a passionate Movember ambassador since 2009, the ATO team he leads raised over $40,000 last year.

John holds a Masters of Taxation and is based in Canberra.

To find out more go to their website: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Single-Touch-Payroll/