2020 Budget: What it means for small business owners
With an economy ravaged by the effects of Covid-19, the Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, last night unveiled a big spending Federal Budget designed to get the Australian economy moving.
There are big tax cuts for individuals and a number of significant boosts for businesses, all designed to increase spending and boost jobs.
For small businesses, the significant tax breaks included in the Budget are detailed below.
Also read: Tax cuts: Here’s everything you need to know
Also read: Federal Budget 2020: What it means for you
Temporary ‘full expensing’ deduction for businesses
Businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $5 billion will be able to deduct the full cost of eligible capital assets acquired from 7:30pm AEDT on 6 October 2020 (Budget night) and first used or installed by 30 June 2022.
“Full expensing” in the year of first use will apply to new depreciable assets and the cost of improvements to existing eligible assets. For small- and medium-sized businesses (with aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million), full expensing also applies to second-hand assets.
Businesses with aggregated annual turnover between $50 million and $500 million can still deduct the full cost of eligible second-hand assets costing less than $150,000 that are purchased by 31 December 2020 under the existing instant asset write-off. Businesses that hold assets eligible for the existing $150,000 instant asset write-off will have an extra six months, until 30 June 2021, to first use or install those assets.
Small businesses (with aggregated annual turnover of less than $10 million) can deduct the balance of their simplified depreciation pool at the end of the income year while full expensing applies. The provisions which prevent small businesses from re-entering the simplified depreciation regime for five years if they opt out will continue to be suspended.
In a nutshell, this means that businesses can now immediately deduct the full cost of all purchases of items such as:
Plant and machinery
Fixtures and fittings
Technology, such as laptops and computers
Motor vehicles such as utes, vans and most cars
Whilst this measure is undeniably generous (and potentially expensive for the Government), it does suffer from the same problem as the existing instant asset write-off; to benefit, businesses need either the cash or borrowing capacity to invest in new capital assets in order to benefit from the tax break. With many businesses currently cash strapped and unable or unwilling to borrow, initial take-up may be limited, at least until some semblance of business confidence is restored.
Temporary loss carry-back to support cash flow
The Government will allow eligible companies to carry back tax losses from the 2019-20, 2020-21 or 2021-22 income years to offset previously taxed profits in 2018-19 or later income years.
Under these measures, corporate tax entities with an aggregated turnover of less than $5 billion can apply tax losses against taxed profits in a previous year, generating a refundable tax offset in the year in which the loss is made. The tax refund would be limited by requiring that the amount carried back is not more than the earlier taxed profits and that the carry-back does not generate a franking account deficit.
The tax refund will be available on an election basis by eligible businesses when they lodge their 2020-21 and 2021-22 tax returns.
Currently, companies are required to carry losses forward to offset profits in future years. Companies that do not elect to carry back losses under this measure can still carry losses forward as normal.
This measure will promote economic recovery by providing cash flow support to previously profitable companies that have fallen into a tax loss position as a result of the currently weaker economic conditions, themselves associated with the economic impact of COVID-19.
Increase to the small business entity turnover threshold
The Government will expand access to a range of small business tax concessions by increasing the small business entity turnover threshold for these concessions from $10 million to $50 million.
Businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of $10 million or more but less than $50 million will, for the first time, have access to up to 10 further small business tax concessions in three phases:
From 1 July 2020, eligible businesses will be able to immediately deduct certain start-up expenses and certain prepaid expenditure.
From 1 April 2021, eligible businesses will be exempt from the 47% fringe benefits tax on car parking and multiple work-related portable electronic devices (such as phones or laptops) provided to employees. This concession already exists in the FBT law but now multiple work-related items can benefit from the concession.
From 1 July 2021, eligible businesses will be able to access the simplified trading stock rules, remit pay as you go (PAYG) instalments based on GDP adjusted notional tax, and settle excise duty and excise-equivalent customs duty monthly on eligible goods under the small business entity concession.
Eligible businesses will also have a two-year amendment period apply to income tax assessments for income years starting from 1 July 2021, excluding entities that have significant international tax dealings or particularly complex affairs.
From 1 July 2021, the Commissioner of Taxation’s power to create a simplified accounting method determination for GST purposes will be expanded to apply to businesses below the $50 million aggregated annual turnover threshold.
These changes will simplify eligibility, as more turnover thresholds will align to the aggregated annual turnover threshold for a base rate entity for company tax purposes.
The eligibility turnover thresholds for other small business tax concessions will remain at their current levels.
Victoria’s business support grants to be NANE
The Commonwealth Government will make the Victorian Government’s business support grants for small- and medium-sized business – as announced on 13 September 2020 – non-assessable, non-exempt (NANE) income for tax purposes.
State-based grants such as the Business Support Grants are generally considered taxable income by the Commonwealth. Given COVID-19 and the exceptional circumstances Victorian businesses face, providing this additional concessional treatment will assist in their recovery.
The Commonwealth will extend this arrangement to all states and territories on an application basis. Eligibility would be restricted to future grants program announcements for small- and medium-sized businesses that are facing similar circumstances to Victorian businesses.
Eligibility for this treatment will be limited to grants announced on or after 13 September 2020 and for payments made between 13 September 2020 and 30 June 2021.
Rolling coverage: For more Yahoo Finance stories on the 2020 Federal Budget, visit here.
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