New bill promises special ACCC treatment for small business complaints
Small businesses would be granted a dedicated complaints process within the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, fast-tracking their concerns about breaches of competition law or franchising regulations, under a new bill before the House of Representatives.
Afterpay: No changes to Australian brand after reported US shake-up
Afterpay says it has no plans to shake up its Australian brand, despite reports its American operation will be merged with peer-to-peer payments platform Cash App, and payment experts flagging significant regulatory changes at home in 2024.
Explainer: What the “right to disconnect” means for businesses and workers
Australian workplaces and employees are only a few steps away from a legal "right to disconnect", allowing workers to mute their phones and shut off their laptops outside of working hours.
Crossbench “especially concerned” for small business in part two of Closing Loopholes
They may have partnered with the federal government on December's surprise industrial relations reforms, but a fresh report shows crossbench Senators Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock have significant concerns over the second half of Labor's Closing Loopholes package.
“Killer” buyouts: Small business acquisitions under Competition Taskforce scrutiny
Acquisition by a major company is the end goal for many small business founders, but the federal government's new Competition Taskforce promises to scrutinise Australia's deal-making scene -- and the "killer" acquisitions that make it harder for homegrown businesses to flourish on their own.
Tax recap: The 23 updates, reforms, and crackdowns that defined 2023
It was a year of transition for the Australian Taxation Office: after an extended period of leniency shown to small busines taxpayers struggling through pandemic lockdowns, 2023 marked a reversion to the norm.
Lower House battle looms as split IR reform bill pushed through Senate
Independent Senators Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock have successfully pushed four industrial relations reforms through the Senate, setting up a Lower House battle against a federal government still hoping to contain its contentious IR reforms in one giant bill.
IR reforms covering small business won’t come into law until 2024 as Senate pushes back
Small businesses have been given some breathing room before the next tranche of industrial relations reforms become law, after the Senate voted push a report on the Albanese government's 'Closing Loopholes' bill into 2024.
COSBOA fears ’employee-like’ rules could come for all contractors, despite Burke’s assurances
Small business representatives have issued a broad-scale rejection of the federal government's latest industrial relations reform package, despite Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations assuring entrepreneurs proposed changes to "employee-like" work will not encroach on "genuine small business".
Small business concerns central to new competition law review, says Andrew Leigh
Australia's competition policies will face a fresh federal government review, as market concentration and falling business formation rates set off alarm bells in Canberra.
Treasury’s tax adviser crackdown could unfairly hit small business accountants
The federal government has pledged its largest-ever "crackdown" on tax adviser misconduct after the PwC scandal, in a warning shot to industry professionals who fear small business accountants already face significant compliance burdens.
Explained: Payday superannuation reforms and what small businesses need to know
Employers will need to pay their workers' superannuation every time they pay their regular wage, thanks to a significant change to retirement saving rules introduced by the Albanese government.
