Video conferencing technology will continue to be used to witness legal documents such as wills, powers of attorney and statutory declarations. Witnessing via audio-visual link (AVL) can be done through technology such as Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom. The witness must watch a person signing the legal document in real time through AVL. They then […]
Early this week, the Tax Institute of Australia (TIA) called for guidance material on the JobKeeper scheme in relation to the R&D Tax Concession and transfer pricing. In an open letter from TIA president Peter Godber, the TIA made a submission to the ATO encouraging a more “considered approach … in relation to guidance being […]
Start Path – Mastercard’s global start up program – has bolstered 230 fintechs around the world and helped them raise $2 billion in capital. The program boasts an Australian alumni of Airwallex, Money Tree and identitii, and has recently partnered with its first Australian fintech mx51. We chatted with Kallan Hogan, Head of Fintech Australasia […]
Amidst the constantly changing news cycle and rule amendments, it can be hard for SMEs to keep track of their tax obligations. We interviewed Kirsten Fish, Chief Tax Counsel at the ATO (currently Deputy Commissioner Small Business), on the major tax issues facing SMEs during the pandemic and how best to navigate them. What are […]
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns are a rising trend in investment decision-making globally. Between 2016 and 2018, the value of sustainable and responsible investment assets in Europe, the US, Japan, Canada and Australia/New Zealand rose by 34 per cent to $30.7 trillion. This trend has been accelerating the fastest in the United States. More […]
Applications for the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) grant close tomorrow, 10 September 2020 5:00 pm AEST. Under the BRII, SMEs can apply to receive up to $100,000 to conduct a feasibility study on five key challenges that the government currently faces. If successful, applicants can then receive up to $1 million to develop […]
The Victorian Government has contracted with tech giants Salesforce and IBM to digitise their contact tracing efforts after being slammed by the Federal Government. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister criticised Victoria’s roadmap out of lockdown as the “worst case scenario.” “The most important thing is ensuring that we build an integrated tracing capability right across […]
Less than 5 per cent of the Federal Government’s $40 billion Coronavirus SME guarantee scheme has been taken up by business owners. On 22 March, the Government announced the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme (the Scheme). Under the Scheme, the Government guarantees 50 per cent of loans issued by eligible lenders to SMEs. Loans can be […]
The Senate Committee on Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology has recommended that the Australian Government provide greater clarity around the Research & Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) eligibility guidelines to ensure software innovation and creation is supported in Australia. On Wednesday, Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg tabled an interim report covering tax, regulation, access to capital, skills […]
The NSW Government has released its first AI strategy to create jobs and improve services to citizens. Premier Gladys Berejiklian emphasised the positive impact that this would have on job creation in IT, cyber security, data science and engineering. “This is great news for citizens, researchers and businesses. We know how important AI is and […]
