“Protect, Promote, Provide”
Criminal justice vs Tax Justice. Are the two the same?
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
In what would seem a rather startling revelation in The Australian yesterday, Robert Gottliebsen comments that, pending an explanation, in his view “…as it now stands, there is one law for the alleged criminals and another for law-abiding, taxpaying people...." MoreThank you, Norman, for 18 years of service to self-employed people
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Last Wednesday we had a thank you dinner for Norman Lacy, our Chair of 10 years and board member since our formation 18 years ago. Norman has been our steady, reflective and cautious guiding hand, keeping our focus on achieving practical outcomes for self-employed people.... MoreHUGE breakthrough for small business – ATO reform
Thursday, November 29, 2018
The Morrison government has proposed a new Small Business Tax Tribunal—low cost, easy to access, independent of the ATO and lawyer-free. This is a HUGE win for small business and the self-employed... More It’s chaotic in Canberra, but ….
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Yes, well it’s pretty obvious that the political system is in chaos. But despite the turmoil we thought we’d give you some updates on a few more sane things (from our perspective) that are coming through, including some possible help for small businesses on tax matters ... MoreMore SEA News...
We monitor self-employment news from around the world. Full list here.
Self-Employed Australia Webinars
Self-Employed Australia's inaugural webinar—‘Tax Breaks and Tax Traps’—was conducted on 14 August 2018. A YouTube recording of the webinar is available to the public here. Additional (written) information on tax breaks and potential traps is available for Self-Employed Australia's Members here. Our next webinar is titled 'Will Your Contract Pass the ATO Test?' We'll provide more info here when the details are confirmed.
Our Tax Campaigning
We want reform of the ATO because the evidence shows that it abuses small business people.
ATO Exposed!The ABC Four Corners program exposed the truth about the ATO abuse of vulnerable small business people.
Our agenda to reform the ATOWe want checks and balances applied to the ATO, similar to police forces.
- Tax prosecution be removed from ATO and transferred to Attorney-General.
- A Small Business Tax Tribunal.
Full reform agenda here: The Power to Audit is the Power to Destroy.
7 key ATO powers ... greater than the policeMost Australians would be unaware of the huge powers at the ATO's disposal to enter premises, seize documents and make claims against your assets (including your home), even bankrupt you. We say, don't panic, but instead be prepared. A members' briefing on the ATO's powers is here.
Full ATO issues here
ATO news alerts
Defend the right to be self-employed
Public sector bureaucracies along with unions are wanting to close down the right to be self-employed. We have seen these attacks before such as:
- Contractors are ‘dependent’.
- Sham contracting is rife.
See our responses on these arguments in 2011. See our success at the International Labour Organisation in 2006.
And now the new attack is against the ‘gig economy’. We have new campaigns on our hands!
Self-employment challenges managerial orthodoxy
The supposed ‘rise’ of the ‘gig’ economy is causing much debate on whether its impacts are good or evil for society. But that debate is not new. In 2005, SEA's Executive Director, Ken Phillips, published his challenging book, Independence and the Death of Employment, in which he examined the fundamental changes that were occurring, even then, in the way we work and how notions about independence and the role of the commercial contract were fundamental to them. The Introduction to the book is available here. Recent arguments about the ‘gig’ economy have refired that debate.
Is your contract fair?
SEA can rightly claim huge success in achieving Unfair Contract protections for small business people. New protective legislation came into effect in November 2016—a world's first for self-employed people. Resources for checking your own contract are here.Join Self Employed Australia
Protected Member $40/month (see details below)
Standard Member $20/month (see details below)
Protected Member
Tax Audit Support
Professional defence against ATO investigation of your
- Income Tax
- Personal Services Income
- GST liabilities
- Company tax
- ABN denial/cancellation
Full details here
Unfair Contract Protection
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About Self-Employed Australia
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Self-Employed Australia does not provide tax, financial, legal or other professional advice. We seek to understand members' situations and make referrals to our partner, outsourced, self-employed specialist Lawyers, Accountants, Insurance Brokers and other professionals.
Member Information Services:
- Tax Breaks and Tax Traps 2018
- Check/Design Your Contract
- Contract template: Good/bad clauses
- What is a contract
- Independent Contractors Act
- Sham Contracts
- Unfair Contract Protection
- PSI Tax Laws
- Partnership Income
- Who is a contractor definition
- ICs & labour hire
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- Your Business Angels Accountants
- Lawyer Up
- Industrial Labour Solutions
- Solo & Smart
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