CONTRACTING SOLUTIONS

Would you like to hire skilled labour and not worry about paying tax, superannuation, payroll tax, workers' compensation, public liability and other insurances?

Did you know that having a direct relationship with your independent contractors could be damaging your business?

Contracting Solutions has a cost-effective answer.

We remove the financial and emotional link between you and your independent contractors. Now you can legitimately engage people with the required skills, outside the jurisdiction of the industrial relations system.

Hiring staff through our Agency gives you more flexibility with less risk. You pay a pre-arranged contracted price and we pay the contractors and take care of all statutory and legal requirements.

Many jurisdictions both State and Federal have a vested interest in classifying your independent contractors as employees � they receive financial gain, at your expense.

If the amount you pay independent contractors is based mainly on the labour component, there's a good chance they will be classified as employees and you are responsible for paying the on-going costs.

Our ODCO Contracting model overcomes these problems and creates clarity in the workplace. You have a stress free environment knowing your valuable business is not accruing an unwanted and unforeseen debt.

Let us give you more time to work on your business, instead of in it.



LATEST NEWS

Charter of Contractual Fairness
[1 July 2010]

Today we launch our Charter of Contractual Fairness.

We've drawn the principles of contract fairness heavily from the new consumer unfair contract protections laws. If it's fair for consumers, it's fair for small business people.

And we're writing to Australian corporations asking them to commit to contract fairness in their dealings with small business people.

Failure to fix unfair business contracts
[1 July 2010]

The Federal government has pushed through changes to the Trade Practices Act to protect consumers from unfair contracts. This is positive. But originally it was also going to protect businesses from unfair contracts. It has backed out of this.

We've looked at the new laws and summarised the situation. It's not good enough. Small business people are (again) losing out. We (self-employed and small business people) have new obligations to treat consumers fairly (good!) but no protection from unfairness ourselves (bad!) Here are the new laws: For how the legislation defines unfair contract terms, go here.

Click here for Ken Phillips' associated Business Spectator article.

Here's why small/micro business people should have TPA protections from unfair contracts.

New rules for BAS
[29 June 2010]

If you pay someone to fill out and lodge your BAS return, you should be aware of new regulations covering such services. Here are the new rules which are designed to protect you. And here is information about registration of BAS services.


Internet filter: don't mince your views!
[27 June 2010]

The Gillard government wants an Internet filter. Many people say "NO filter!" It won't work and minces democracy:

No Clean Feed
APC Magazine

The US government is looking at Internet control.
But the UK government says leave the internet free.

Have your say: National Small Business Summit. Brisbane, next week, 8th July. Register to attend. Can't attend? ICA's Ken Phillips will be going along.

US double dip economy?
[25 June 2010]

Read this and see if you expect the US to avoid a double dip in its economy! It's all about the consequences of debt-induced financial problems. We've accumulated stories covering:

• current and expected US bank collapses;
• the 'insolvency' of US state and municipal governments;
• the pending collapse of the US commercial property market loans book; and
• the almost bizarre story of GM, which blows out of the water any traditional notions of what capitalism means in the USA.

Update 29 June 2010: Click here for a summary of the recently passed US financial reform legislation.

Babies good. Red tape bad!
[17 June 2010]

We need more babies: The Age explains why!

The Rudd Government has passed its new Paid Parental Leave legislation. That's good! Here's:
A government booklet
A Ministerial Interview
The legislation
A detailed background briefing

Now for the bad! The government has created a new red tape small business nightmare. The peak small business body COSBOA and others explain why! Will the government never learn the simple needs of small business?

The Abbott Coalition tried to amend the legislation to remove small business red tape but this was rejected by the government.

Update 21 June 2010: Click here for Ken Phillips' Business Spectator article.

Tax burden
[10 June 2010]

Just as the UK is moving toward more sensible small business (contractor) tax laws, in Australia we're having to defend the progress we've made.


UK moves to fix bad contractor tax laws
In Australia our tax laws for self-employed people are not perfect, but they are fairly good. The UK has had a big problem (called IR35) for a long time. Now the new UK government has made the following commitment:
    "Review IR35 as part of a wholesale review of all small business taxation, and seek to replace it with simpler measures that prevent tax avoidance but do not place undue administrative burdens or uncertainty on the self employed, or restrict labour market flexibility."
The UK Professional Contractors Group has been fighting for this for a long time. Here are the explanations:

PCG comments on the Queen's speech.
PCG explains IR35 and the proposed changes.

Australia risks going backwards to bad contractor tax laws
We've asked the PM to clarify his position on PSI laws and stop any confusion. The Abbot opposition has called for the contractor PSI laws to remain.

The ATO has won another case against a contractor on PSI laws. This particularly affects IT contractors working through labour hire arrangements. We comment on the problems in this area.

This reinforces other ATO wins. If you're a PTY or Trust, you have to be very careful to pass the results test. Check our PSI ready reckoner.

Update 13 June 2010: Click here for an opinion piece by an IT contractor on the implications for IT people.

Update 14 June 2010: Click here for Ken Phillips' Business Spectator article.

Self-employed protection from Australian unions [9 June 2010]
There have been two important recent announcements covering protections from union bullying tactics. We explain both situations here. Here's the latest union thuggery on commercial construction sites in Victoria.

Self-employed numbers down a bit
[7 June 2010]

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data on self-employed numbers indicate a decline of 56,000 (2.8%) between November 2008 and November 2009. We've analysed the data with links to the ABS.


Catching shams
[6 June 2010]

It's good to see some government action to reel in potential sham contract and phoenix company operations in Queensland. We've reported on the problems before involving tourism operators. Here's the update.


Registering "My name"
[6 June 2010]

Ah, we'd all love to see our name in lights! Now it'll be easier. You'll be able to register your business name nationally instead of state by state. This makes sense. Here's the detail.



Stand up for your (contract) rights! [2 June 2010]

Here's the story of a contractor who simply didn't want to accept a contract that he considered unfair. It involves government and a contract management company.
Here's the overview.
Our letter to the contract management company.
Our letter to the government department.

Dear PM. What's happening with tax?
[28 May 2010]

In 2007, the Rudd ALP opposition undertook to keep the current Personal Services Income tax laws (see item 138 and question 1). This was good and they have stuck to the promise so far. But now they have created a policy vacuum going forward on the PSI tax issue. It's all to do with the Henry tax review!

Today we've written to the PM asking him to clarify his forward PSI policy. Here's the letter. It pretty much explains everything! We're making enquiries of the Abbott coalition as well. We'll publish both responses.

All articles and news supplied by Independent Contractors of Australia

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