Month: October 2021

Getting Technical – Stapling Of Super Funds

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Introduction

The Your Super, Your Future Legislation Was Passed Into Law On 24 June. A Key Feature Is The New Superfund Stapling Rules Which Will Impact The Many Bookkeepers Who Handle A Client’s Payroll, Superannuation And The Setting Up Of New Employees In These Systems. This New Measure Commences In Just A Few Short Weeks On 1 November 2021! 

The New Rules Ensure That When A Worker Moves Jobs The Super Fund That They Used With Their Former Employer Will Be ‘Stapled’ Automatically To Them, To Protect Their Retirement Savings Being Drained By The Costs Of Unintended, Multiple Accounts.

Background

Unintentional multiple accounts are created when a worker changes jobs and does not nominate a superannuation fund to the new employer under the super choice system. For background, under Australia’s compulsory superannuation system, employers must nominate a superannuation fund on behalf of their workers (default funds). Employers pay a worker’s compulsory contributions into their default fund if a worker does not choose their own fund. If you change jobs multiple times over your working life and do not nominate a superannuation fund, you could end up with multiple superannuation accounts, all charging their own fees and insurance premiums.

The latest data from the ATO indicates there are approximately six million multiple accounts held by 4.4 million people. Over one-third of multiple accounts are held by people aged 35 or younger. These multiple accounts collectively charge $450 million in fees per year. Eliminating these multiple accounts, through stapling, will eradicate these fees and, in turn, boost the retirement savings of affected individuals.

The New Rules

Under the new rules, effective 1 November, an employer can comply with the choice of fund rules by making contributions to the stapled fund of an employee who:

  • started their employment on or after 1 November 2021
  • has a stapled fund, and
  • has not chosen a fund to receive superannuation contributions.

Employers can continue to make contributions to their own default fund in compliance with the choice of fund rules if the employee does not have a stapled fund.

To support the new stapled fund rules, the amendments allow employers to request that the ATO identify any stapled fund held by an employee. This request must be made in the approved form (see later). Where a valid request is made, the ATO must notify the employer they can identify a stapled fund for the employee as soon as practicable.

Identifying The Stapled Fund

You’ll be able to request an employee’s stapled super fund from the ATO after the employer (or their BAS Agent or Tax Agent on their behalf) has submitted a Tax file number declaration or Single Touch Payroll pay event linking the employer to them. There is no limit to the number of requests you can make. To request a stapled super fund, employers, or their authorised representative such as their BAS Agent, need to:

  1. log into ATO online services.
  2. enter the employee’s details, including their:
    • TFN – an exemption code can be entered where an employee cannot provide their TFN, but this could result in processing delays
    • full name – including ‘other given name’ if known
    • date of birth
    • address (residential or postal), if TFN not given.

The ATO’s online system will use rules based on the regulations to work out and return a stapled super fund in response to a request.

You will receive the response on-screen. You should be notified of the result of the stapled super fund request within minutes.

ATO Compliance Approach

The new superannuation stapled fund rules will see the ATO adopt a gently-gently approach to employer compliance. The new guidelines are contained in SPR 2021/D1 – choice of fund – written guidelines for the reduction of an increase in an employer’s individual superannuation guarantee shortfall determination 2021.

A transitional period will apply from 1 November 2021 until 31 October 2022. During this time employers will, in the first instance, be provided with help and assistance to comply with the stapled fund requirements. The Commissioner will reduce any choice shortfall to nil where that shortfall arose due to an emloyer’s lack of knowledge of the stapled fund requirements (as opposed to an intentional disregard). This lenient transitional approach is confined to the stapled fund changes – not to existing superannuation choice rules. From 1 November 2022, the transitional approach will end. By that time, penalties may be applied on a stricter basis.

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Construction Industry

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Why is Construction Accounting Different?

  • Construction is project driven. Construction workers are contractors who operate their business around projects with billing, production, or labor. The projects are scattered and occur on different sites and locations. Different sites often have wage differences, equipment, and transportation costs.
  • The length of contracts can vary and lag payment can be an issue here.
  • Costs need to be accurately tracked to each project.
  • Orders and plans can change abruptly and these changes need to be tracked diligently. Changes in the construction scope, design, site conditions, or even the project schedule have the ability to make or break the budget.

Ask For Help

As the financial operations within a construction company can get very complicated very quickly, sometimes it’s best to get a little assistance from someone who’s done it all before. Outsourcing a bookkeeper to keep and maintain your financial records is a great way to ensure every process is being performed accurately and meets legal obligations. If you do outsource, however, ensure that the bookkeeper you choose understands the complexity of construction bookkeeping and has experience in the field – as in, bookkeeping-wise.
 
In the case of small businesses, you may not have the budget to outsource. In this case, you may conflate the bookkeeping duties with the administrator’s role – this runs the risk of causing errors within your records as admin staff do not always have the required skill set for bookkeeping. Avoid losing track of your expenses by getting initially set up with an understanding in bookkeeping processes required for running a construction business by having a consultation with a bookkeeper, to learn the ropes. At Shoebox Books, we can provide small businesses with advice on maintaining their financial records, and if you need more help, you can retain a bookkeeper on an ongoing basis. It really depends on your needs.
 
The important thing is that if you’re struggling or losing track of your finances because your business is getting too busy (which is a good thing – well done you), then it’s important to get help with your bookkeeping. Invest in getting it done right so that you have one less thing to worry about.

Keep In The Loop

As a business owner, you most likely already do know the ins and outs of your business; however, as businesses grow and expand and get busier, owners sometimes take on a more managerial role and sometimes lose focus of smaller operations as they concentrate on the bigger picture. Changes in orders, contracts, and plans come often and quickly in construction and can sometimes mess up budgets and financial records – that’s why it’s important to stay on top of all of the jobs running in the background. A great step for ensuring you’ve got all your projects (if there’s more than one) in sight is by going digital.  Use a digital tracking system for projects and orders, and ensure that your project or site manager (if not yourself) keeps in regular communication with you and all workers. There are many great online platforms for project management; however, some can be more geared towards digital jobs. This website provides some resources to help you get started, if you’re looking for a good project management system.  Ultimately, to keep in the loop with all of your ongoing and upcoming projects, regular communication and meticulous organisation is key. Having a clear picture of what’s happening with each project allows you to keep track of material and labour costs day by day, allowing you to manage each budget better.
 
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Keep a Digital Trail

On top of turning to the internet to help you manage projects and tasks needing to be done, consider going cloud-based for your financial reporting as well. This saves a lot of time and effort (and paper) down the track, especially during tax time. Going digital also helps with meeting financial obligations in the case of an audit; the ATO stipulates that businesses must keep all financial records for five years (some for longer depending on the nature of your business). Going digital can be as easy as utilising an online storage drive (like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox) and uploading your files. Microsoft and Google also allow you to use their office tools online so that all of your files automatically back up to the cloud. Everything is one place and you can access it from any device – making it easy for you to manage the financial side of your business. You can also take it one step further and get really into construction bookkeeping by investing in accounting software.

Using the Right Accounting Software

Accounting software – also referred to as bookkeeping software – provides a great virtual hub for all the little jobs necessary in business finance. You can manage payroll, invoices, and expenses, all in one place, and your data will be safe and secure online. We’ve previously talked about some of the most popular accounting platforms, which we shared in this article. For novice users of accounting software, Shoebox Books provides guidance on how to streamline your financial processes using the popular bookkeeping platforms Xero, MYOB, and Quickbooks. Get more info here.

Don’t Dig Yourself Into a Hole

Shoebox Books Bookkeeping specialises in solutions for tradies and construction businesses. The pricing is fixed, and our services are mobile, ensuring your BAS is lodged correctly and on time. To learn more about our services, get in touch with us by sending an enquiry today.

Improve your cash flow

Assess your company’s financial health to see if there are ways to improve cash flow. Can you charge clients a deposit or encourage payment up front to increase cash flow? Are there products you sell or services you provide that bring in revenue more quickly than others? Are there ways to save money that won’t hurt your business in the long run?

It can be tempting to eliminate staff, but when things are good you’ll just need to hire employees again. Doing so costs time and money. See if you can find small ways to save money that won’t negatively affect your business when it starts booming. Cutting overtime, for example, can save you money without losing staff.

Make sure you can account for every dollar your business spends. Don’t hide from creditors, communicate with them to find out if you can restructure your debt or extend your terms. Free up as much money as you can without setting yourself up for failure when things turn around.

Final thoughts

Chances are your business will go through tough times at least once. It’s important you take action to help get you through it, rather than crossing your fingers and hoping the difficulties pass.

The steps you take during these challenging periods will help you, but they can also help set you up for increased success in later years. 

Got a question? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.