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

Self-employed numbers up
The latest labour force survey released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (June 2008) shows two steady trends.
  • The number of self-employed people in the community is steadily increasing. Over 19 per cent if the workforce are self-employed. That's 2.03 million (2008) up from 1.9 million (2004)
  • It's also clear that as people mature they gravitate toward self-employment. 50 per cent of the self-employed are aged 35-54. 28 per cent are older than 55. This could predictably result in larger numbers of self-employed as the workforce ages.
For ICA's full commentary on the latest ABS figures, click here. For the ABS labour force report, click here.

Managing tax debts
If you're having trouble with tax debts, the ATO is prepared to assist. They are offering payment terms and interest free arrangements. It's worth checking and contacting the ATO if you are affected. Click here.

End of financial year: preparation
  1. With the additional 50 per cent tax deduction for small business, now is the time to make any equipment investments you may need. Click here for details on the investment allowance.
  2. Prepare for tax time by attending an ATO small business seminar. These are running across Australia during July. Click here.
  3. Rental property deductions, click here.
Self Managed Super Fund: Alerts
The ATO has issued a number of alerts on schemes being offered to people running their own SMSF. Be careful of 'investment' schemes that could cause you trouble. Demographics and Economic Cycles
In a recent Business Spectator article, Ken Phillips discusses the idea that demographics determine economic cycles. Further, that the ageing of the post-war baby boomers means that the global downturn is long term. Click here for Ken's article supplemented with some basic Australian graphs and stats.


Work Safety Break Through
Improvements to work safety in Australia have been hampered for well over a decade because the States have had widely different legislative approaches. There have been many reviews and ICA has consistently made submissions about the principles that should drive OHS legislation---particularly as they affect independent contractors. We have argued that (like tax) it is destructive of good policy outcomes to design legislation based around the artificial definitions of employer and employee. See ICA submissions:
National Review 2008
NSW Discussion paper 2005
Victorian Review 2003
Corporate Manslaughter Legislation, 2002

The Federal Government has committed to harmonization of Australia's OHS laws. But the question has been: what should the laws look like? There are two broad options: following the NSW-style model or the Victorian-style model. ICA has persistently argued against the NSW model and in favour of the Victorian model. Last year, the Federal Government commissioned a review which made recommendations. Late on Monday, 18 May, the national Workplace Relations Minister agreed to the principles of national harmonized OHS laws. The key outcomes are:
  • The laws reflect the Victorian model.
  • The definitions of employer and employee are NOT the basis of the laws.
These are very positive outcomes, consistent with the long-argued positions of ICA. We believe safer work will be the outcome.

For ICA's briefing on the new laws click here.

The two key documents released late on Monday are:
(1) Ministers' joint communique
(2) Details of the principles of the new legislation.

For Business Spectator commentary article by Ken Phillips, click here.
For Ken's 'Counterpoint' interview with Michael Duffy, click here

 All articles and news supplied by Independent Contractors of Australia

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