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When Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the 2024-25 Federal Budget on 14 May 2024, it was clear that the government had a diverse range of objectives. From offering tax cuts to supporting vulnerable groups, the budget is packed with measures aimed at stimulating economic growth and providing relief. Let’s unpack the key points from this year’s budget, focusing on how they impact small businesses. Tax Incentives and Extensions Instant Asset…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. ATO cracking down on tradies dodging the fringe benefits tax The Australian Tax Office is cracking down on tradies who are wrongly not paying fringe tax benefits for their vehicles. Treasurer Jim Chalmers gets to work on fresh jobs plan The government is set to get to work on…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. The dream of business ownership is drifting out of reach for young Aussies In the past, starting a business was a young person’s golden ticket to financial independence. Today, however, for many young Australians, this dream is drifting out of reach. August unemployment rate remains firm at 3.7% The…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Consumers opt for convenience and money-saving technologies amidst higher cost of living Budget-conscious Australians are redirecting funds towards essential goods and services or savings, and changing their shopping and spending habits in response to cost of living pressures, a new CommBank survey shows. Rethinking taxation for Australia’s future A…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Australia’s inflation rate eased to 4.9% in July, down from 5.4% in June Australia’s inflation rate eased last month to its lowest level in 17 months, led by falling prices for fresh produce and automotive fuel, reducing the likelihood the Reserve Bank will need to raise interest rates again.…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Australia’s nervous watch for any great fall of China Economic troubles in China could hit Australian jobs and growth. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the slump in China’s economy painted a worrying picture. Intergenerational report 2023: six key points for Australian businesses The latest Intergenerational Report has arrived, projecting what the…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. A survival guide for SMEs in the face of inflation Inflation is a challenge for all businesses, but the sting is especially painful for SMEs. With limited resources, they can find themselves struggling to absorb costs associated with inflation, potentially leading them down the path of price increases and…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Australia lags US in beating inflation Australia is lagging considerably behind the United States in combating inflation, with recent data showing a vast disparity between the two nations. ASIC accuses $13.6b Active Super of greenwashing its investments in gambling and coal The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Stoking the engine room of the Australian economy The nation’s fleet of small to medium-sized businesses boosting economic growth has been one constant amid the technological and demographic transformation of the Australian economy. Enabling them to be more successful is the focus of ANZ’s new Group Executive, Australia Commercial Clare…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Another 1.3 billion consumers will shop online by 2027 Online retailers should be gearing up for the addition of a further 1.3 billion consumers worldwide joining the ranks of online shoppers by 2027, says market research firm Juniper Research. Not fair on consumers, not good for business’: Financial complaints…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Why Aussies are ditching cash New data by Reserve Bank of Australia has revealed that the number of Australians paying by cash has more than halved since 2019. Of the people who held cash in their wallet in 2022, the most important reason for doing so was for emergency…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Tradies say raising pension age “unfair” after a life of hard work takes its toll Hardworking Aussies fear a decision to lift the pension age to 67 means they will be forced to work even longer in labouring jobs. Consumer watchdog says Australians paying too much for electricity As…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. One of biggest defence deals in Australia’s history inked in Berlin Australia will export more than 100 Brisbane-made Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles to Germany starting in 2025 under a $1 billion deal. The military vehicles will be produced in Redbank and will secure around 1,000 jobs. Gas ‘plays a…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Electricity prices rising In May, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) confirmed that energy prices would rise by 19.6 per cent and 23.9 per cent in NSW, SA and southeast Queensland. Electricity prices are set to increase by up to 25% from 1 July. Chinese travellers invited to Come and…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Small business skills and training boost Small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million will be allowed an additional 20% tax deduction for external training courses delivered to employees by registered training providers.  The boost applies to eligible expenditure incurred from 29 March 2022 until…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Almost 950,000 Aussies working two jobs to combat cost of living crisis According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost 950,000 Australians are working multiple jobs.  Australians are jumping onto that side hussle to help combat the rising cost of living. Taxpayer dollars fuel $1.4 billion in annual revenue…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Suncorp forced to pay back $32 million to underpaid employees Suncorp’s insurance arm paid $32m to over 15,800 underpaid staff for not paying them the minimum wage. Read More Australian inflation is stubbornly high. Some countries don’t have that problem There is no one underlying cause of inflation across…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. Be ready – recession or not Businesses should be prepared for a recession, even if one is not imminent. Planning ahead and having a strategy in place can help businesses survive and even thrive during a recession. This includes having a cash reserve, reducing costs, and diversifying income streams.…  Read more

For small business owners and payroll managers, staying up-to-date on the latest superannuation changes is essential. And, with the Australian Superannuation Guarantee (SG) set to increase from 10.5% to 11% from 1st July 2023, it’s important to understand what this means and how it could affect your business. As an employer, this increase, and subsequent increases, will have an impact on your payroll management and accounting systems. Here’s what you…  Read more

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with recent news updates relevant to business and the economy. ‘Most significant’ scam targeting Aussies Scammers have taken advantage of the secondhand sale market by using a PayID scam to steal over $260,000. The scam involves the scammers creating fake PayID accounts and using them to receive payments from unsuspecting buyers. This has caused a hit to the secondhand sale…  Read more