Skip to main content

Taking Steps to Stay Compliant with ATO Rules

Written by webadmin on . Posted in budgeting, cashflow, News, People and Culture, Tax.

Staying on Track with ATO Compliance

“Every year we see small businesses run into avoidable issues because they haven’t kept accurate records, reported all their income or managed their cashflow effectively”

Angela Allen, ATO Assistant Commissioner

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is encouraging Aussie small businesses to stay compliant. By doing so, you avoid the problems, penalties and fines that can occur when your business fails to follow the rules and compliance duties set out by the ATO.

What can you do to improve your overall tax compliance position?

Here are 5 key ways you can ensure your business stays in the ATO’s good books.

1. Stay on top of your ATO debts

The ATO wants you to proactively manage your tax debts. If you can engage early with the ATO, whether that’s to set up a payment plan or even make a prepayment, this makes the debt easier to manage and removes the need for stronger enforcement.

2. Separate accounts for separate obligations

Make sure you have dedicated bank accounts for GST and PAYG withholding. This protects your essential cashflow and stops cash from being used for operational expenses, so you always have funds available for BAS lodgements and other contributions.

3. Good records, good business

Keeping accurate records is a legal requirement for a small business. The ATO is keen for businesses to transition from manual ‘shoebox’ methods to digital systems and ATO online services. This minimises errors and helps you provide all your tax information in a digital format.

4. Prepare for Payday Super

Starting 1 July 2026, Payday Super will come into force, making it mandatory for employers to pay Superannuation Guarantee contributions on each payday. Review your payroll systems now to make sure they can manage more frequent reporting and payment requirements.

5. Closing or winding down a business

If you’re closing down your business and exiting the market, you must meet your final obligations, including cancelling ABNs and lodging your final tax returns. This prevents future compliance issues and ensures all employee entitlements are settled.

ATO Advice

The ATO advises businesses to work with registered tax practitioners. Working with a qualified tax adviser from the Tax Practitioners Board keeps you in line with all current tax laws.

Talk to our team and let’s make sure you’re 100% compliant with ATO rules.

Key EOFY Dates & Deadlines to Watch for

Written by webadmin on . Posted in budgeting, cashflow, News, People and Culture, Tax.

As the End of Financial Year (EOFY) approaches, it’s crucial for both businesses and individuals to keep track of important dates to meet tax obligations, avoid penalties, and make the most of financial planning opportunities. Staying on top of deadlines isn’t just vital for the current financial year — it’s equally important to prepare for the upcoming one.

At Zweck, we’ve compiled a list of essential EOFY dates and key deadlines for this financial year and the next (1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026) to help you plan ahead confidently.

Key Dates for the 2025–26 Financial Year

July 2025:
  • 14 July – Due date for Final Single Touch Payroll (STP) declaration due.
  • 28 July – Superannuation Guarantee contributions (SGC) for the quarter ending 30 June 2025 must be paid to avoid penalties.
August 2025:
  • 1 August – Can start lodging QBCC Financial Reporting.
  • 21 August – Monthly July IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
  • 25 August – Quarterly June BAS Return due.
  • 28 August – Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) due.
September 2025:
  • 21 September – Monthly August IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
 October 2025:
  • 28 October – Super Guarantee contributions due for the quarter ending 30 September 2025.
  • 28 October – Annual BAS lodgment due.
  • 31 October – Deadline for annual individual income tax return lodgment & deadline for taxpayers who lodged late in the previous year without a lodgement concession or if they are a first-year lodger & for QBCC licensee’s you must lodge MFR reports for licence upgrades.
November 2025:
  • 1 November – Can start lodging QBCC Financial Reporting.
  • 21 November – Monthly October IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
  • 25 November – Quarterly September BAS return due.
December 2025:
  • 21 December – Monthly November IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
  • 31 December – QBCC Financial Reporting due: Categories 1-7 (turnover >$800k).
 January 2026:
  • 28 January – Super Guarantee contributions due for the quarter ending 31 December 2025.
February 2026:
  • 21 February – Monthly January IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
  • 28 February – Quarterly December BAS due.
March 2026:
  • 21 March – Monthly February IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
  • 31 March – QBCC Financial Reporting: SC1 & SC2 Categories (Turnover <$800k) due.
April 2026:
  • 28 April – Super Guarantee contributions for the quarter ending 31 March 2026.
May 2026:
  • 15 May – Company income tax returns to be lodged.
  • 20 May – Tax Planning (if required).
  • 21 May – Monthly April IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
  • 25 May – Quarterly March BAS return due.
June 2026:
  • 21 June – Monthly May IAS (PAYG Withholding & PAYG Instalments) return due.
  • 30 June – Trust Resolution due & date marks the end of the 2025–26 financial year.
July 2026:
  • 1 July – This date marks the commencement of the 2026–27 financial year.
  • 14 July – STP Payroll.
  • 28 July – Super Guarantee contributions due.

Why These Dates Matter

Missing deadlines can lead to penalties, interest, and missed opportunities for tax optimisation. Staying ahead allows better cash flow management and reduces last-minute pressures.

How Zweck Can Help

Our expert team works closely with you to ensure all your financial obligations are met on time. From lodgement reminders and payroll compliance to strategic tax planning, we guide you through each step of the financial year.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help you stay ahead with your EOFY and ongoing compliance requirements.

Cafe_Worker

Why Productivity Matters and What You Can Do About It

Written by webadmin on . Posted in People and Culture, Uncategorised.

Productivity is a term linked to strong economies, successful businesses, and the efficiency of clever staff. If businesses were more efficient, we’d see fewer failures, more jobs, and better incomes for everyone.

According to the Xero Small Business Insights special report in Australia, the most productive industry in 2023 was wholesale trade ($214.20/hour), while hospitality lagged at $40.20/hour. Though productivity dipped across all industries, ten sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, and construction, outperformed the national average ($100.30). Western Australia was the most productive state ($102.50/hour), with productivity 15% higher than Tasmania ($89.00/hour), the least productive state.

What is Productivity?

Productivity measures how efficiently a business turns inputs into outputs. The more productive you are, the better you turn resources like labour, capital, or materials into products or services you can sell.

Types of Productivity

  1. People Productivity: How much work it takes to deliver products or services to customers, usually measured as hours worked per dollar earned.
  2. Financial Productivity: How well a business monetises its investments in assets like machinery, often measured as the return on capital invested.
  3. Materials Productivity: How much a business spends on materials to generate sales, including inventory and energy.

Why Productivity Matters

More productive businesses get more from less. This boosts their potential to profit, handle inflation or slowdowns, and withstand price competition. Productivity gains are harder to come by nowadays, but digital tools have levelled the playing field, allowing small businesses to compete with larger ones.

How to Increase Productivity

There are four main ways to boost productivity:

  1. Better Tools: Tools amplify efforts. Invest in software or equipment that reduces manual work. For instance, a booking system that integrates with your calendar and payment systems.
  2. Smarter Methods: Continuously review and improve your processes.
  3. Skilled Workers: Invest in training and development.
  4. Entrepreneurship Mindset: Embrace optimisation and innovation.

Increasing Productivity Checklist

  1. Better Tools:
    • List potential investments and their costs.
    • Estimate the return on each investment.
    • Choose the best mix of affordability and impact.
  2. Smarter Methods:
    • Map out and document your work processes.
    • Identify and address friction points.
    • Implement software for repetitive tasks.
    • Align processes with customer preferences.
  3. Skilled Workers:
    • Ensure clear job descriptions and training.
    • Regularly provide and receive feedback.
  4. Entrepreneurship Mindset:
    • Look for scaling opportunities.
    • Stay open to acquisitions.
    • Focus on niche opportunities.
    • Continuously improve supply chains.
    • Hire and empower entrepreneurial staff.

Boosting Productivity is an Attitude

Small businesses can significantly improve productivity by constantly refining processes, investing in tools, and eliminating inefficiencies. With smart investments in teams and technology, the benefits will add up. Efficient businesses experience fewer delays, miscommunications, and wasted efforts, leading to increased satisfaction and profit.

Foosball table

Are you hiring the best talent for your business culture?

Written by webadmin on . Posted in People and Culture.

Are you hiring the best talent for your business culture?

Your people are a vital asset, so when you hire a new starter , it’s critical that this new employee fits perfectly into your operations, culture, and values as a company.

But how do you know if a potential hire is a ‘good fit’? Will they drive your business to bigger and better success, or could this new employee create problems down the line?

Be transparent about your company values

Your company values are central to your mission as a business. So making sure those values are clearly outlined and shared is essential for hiring the right talent. By clearly defining and sharing these fundamental values, you’ll attract candidates who share your ethics, values and core motivations – making them a great potential fit for your company culture.

To do this:

  • Identify your core values and what’s important to you as a business and an owner.
  • Communicate your core values to your employees and all new starters
  • Live your values. Reflect them in the way you do business and how you treat people

Communicate your values, mission and culture in your job advert

When you’re hiring, this process isn’t just about you choosing an employee – it’s also about a worker choosing your company and understanding what you stand for. Make sure your job advert gives the best possible indication of what the job entails, but also what you’re like as a workplace. This is a great way to appeal to like-minded people with the best skills.

When advertising and interviewing:

  • Describe your mission and ask candidates if they are on board with these goals
  • Talk about your culture and ask candidates why this might appeal to them
  • Paint the most honest and appealing picture of your workplace

Ask interview questions that reveal the real candidate

You obviously want to know that a prospective hire has the right mix of experience, knowledge and professional skills. That’s a given. But it’s also sensible to ask questions that reveal more about their underlying values, morality, work ethic and interpersonal skills. This will help you to assess whether the candidate is a good fit for your company culture.

Here are some examples of interview questions that dig a little deeper:

  • What do you look for in an ideal employer? And how important are their core values?
  • Tell us about a time your faced conflict in the workplace, and how you resolved it
  • Our culture is front and centre. How do you see yourself fitting into our culture?
  • How do you see your career evolving as a valued team member in our business?

Ask your team for feedback on candidates

You may think a candidate is the bee’s knees, but what do the rest of your team think? Gauging the opinions of your management team and other team members is vitally important. These people will be working directly with this new hire, so they have to get a good vibe from them.

To encourage objective feedback, give your team members a chance to meet the candidate and take their feedback into account when making a hiring decision.

Monitor your new hire and have regular, ongoing performance reviews

Once you’ve made a hiring decision and have a new employee on the team, it’s vital to have regular and ongoing informal catch-ups and more formalised performance reviews. This helps you to measure how your new employee is settling in. It’s also an opportunity to gauge whether there are areas where they may need support from you and the wider team.

Don’t hold back. Be as open and transparent as possible:

  • Ask them how they’re feeling about their role, workload and their performance so far
  • Check their progress against set targets and objectives for their first three months.
  • Find out if they need help, support, further information or more onboarding support.
  • Check if they feel they are fitting into the team, and if they are feeling happy
  • Look out for potential issues that may be causing conflict in the team.

Having the very best talent in your team is central to achieving your goals for the business. So, making sure you hire the right people is actually a business-critical decision to make.