Arts grant availability and the way to get Benefits from it
The $250 million package provided by Prime Minister for creative and cultural projects, the savior for the industry!
The financing of arts is for initiating the sector at instant preferences with funding export initiatives. It creates jobs and has a positive influence on the economy. As opposed to the cultural or creative funding, this is an economic package. The Support Act, got $10m outside the funding packages for COVID-19 relief grants. This funding is accessible to:
• Music workers, crew, musicians who are not able to access the benefits by authorities due to eligibility or any other issues.
• The music workers, who are facing financial hardships despite accessing the government incentives.
Who will be eligible for Arts Grant?
For being eligible, you must be music worker, crew or musician and should be:
• Be Permanent resident, Australian citizen, or should have a valid working visa.
• Show proof that they have been working in the music industry for three years.
• Providing details and names of two professional referees.
• Showing that they have household expenses more than that of household income.
| AREA | FUNDING | DESCRIPTION |
| Investment to activate Tours and Productions, theatre, dance, community and arts, and gatherings | $ 75 m | The grant is administered by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand Fund (RISE) and it provides funding to substitute for capital lost just because of the rescheduling of events. The grants for this range from $75,000 to $2 million. |
| The show starters loan: In this, the businesses are efficient enough to generate jobs which include a boost in arts, entertainment, travel, hospitality, and tourism. | $90m | The authorities are offering a 100% guarantee for loans by financial institutions for assistance in arts and entertainment business for funding of new events and productions. Moreover, the lenders will be provided with facilities that must be drawn if required. The term loan shall be up to five years having repayment deferral of approximately a year. This drawn amount will be paid back; however, in the event, the loan cannot be repaid and the bank is protected. The loans are contained under the Small and Medium Guarantee Scheme (SME) by Government. |
| Local Screen Production: Local television and film productions | $50m | TIF (Temporary Interruption Fund) for Screen Australia for television producers and local film to again initiate with filming. This fund started on July 1st, 2020 for approximately a year. |
| Sector- Significant Organizations | $35m | Funding for the assistance of Commonwealth-funded culture and arts companies facing threats to viability because of Coronavirus. |
ATO ON COVID-19 TURBULENCE
It was pre-notion that the Government scheme swiftly distributing cash at the time of major crisis COVID-19. It could come with swift compliance and review measures, specifically when the eligibility was based on self-assessment. There are two main initiatives by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) which are looking for fraudulent activities. These are designed to take advantage of the Economic Response Package by Government during COVID-19.
TAX RETURNS, TIP LINES AND STP
The tax returns, tip lines, and STP (Single Touch Payroll) are fewer of the data sources which the ATO makes use to analyze the inappropriate behavior. The tip line has delivered already its first target with a public outing in the Australian Financial Review.
Internal emails from a worker who lodged a claim on the basis of the Fair Work Act against the manufacturer, shows an internal effort to push invoicing to other periods. The Australian comfort group denies anything done wrong. It is not hard to find tips from workers about the efforts to manipulate revenue to meet JobKeeper eligibility criteria by their employer.
The ATOs community forum has noticed certain cases where the respondent states that his employer is defrauding ATO, and claims to receive $1 million to claim JobKeeper Payment. The company is not eligible for this since the company’s sales not had face decline of 30%.
Also, the company has received the first payment for the month of April as a JobKeeper from ATO. The director of that company is emailing his employees to stop invoicing dates to prove that the company is falling 30% in sales.
The ATO has received intelligence in numerous schemes circulating. The withdrawal of money from superannuation and re-contributing it to seek the tax deduction is one of them. According to the ATO commissioner, a severe form of penalties could be applied under tax avoidance schemes or for people who will be found breaking the law.
The ATO has also set clear targets and assures that:
• The individuals meet the eligibility requirements as in relation to the business income.
• The individuals claim for the eligible employees.
• The businesses that are eligible are efficiently making claims.
• The individuals are not changing their turnover just to pretend the decline in the turnover test.
The behaviors that are alluring the attention of ATO, for early release of superannuation, involves:
• To meet eligibility criteria, one unnaturally arranges the affairs.
• Applying when there is the stagnant wage, salary or any employment data.
• Creating fraudulent attempts and pretending statements to meet eligibility criteria.
The ATO has also clearly stated that a fine of up to $12,000 will be applicable for misleading statements. Part IV A, could be also applicable whether the scheme has been entered to seek tax benefits.
For the boost of Cash Flow, ATO is glancing into schemes that are designed to:
• Creating fraudulent measures for the creation of entitlement.
• Reviving dormant activities.
• Changing of the character of payments to salary to get more cash flow boost.
• Increasing the withholding amount to enhance the cash flow boost.
• Restructuring the businesses artificially to get access to cash flow boost.
“The ATO has also mentioned that if your mistake is genuine, they will provide you extensive assistance that you will need without worrying of repaying money or getting penalized.”
MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED IN DATA MATCHING PROGRAM
The number of individuals covered in data matching program is approximately 3 Million. In this data matching program, Services Australia and ATO will share records of three million entities in approximation. This will be done to make it sure that those who are accessing the benefits are eligible to receive them.
The people who have access their superannuation under Coronavirus measures, Services Australia will look into their eligibility where they have indicated that they are eligible for JobSeeker payment, youth payment, parenting payment, farm household allowance and special benefit.
The program will be analyzing the records of those who have applied for early access from the duration of April 19, 2020, to September 24, 2020. The data of 45,000 prisoners of the state and the territory correctional facilities are being compared against applications for JobKeeper. The eligibility criteria for cash flow boost to assure appropriate access and early access to superannuation in a temporary form. The data taken shall include period from March 1, 2020, to September 27, 2020.
INCREMENT IN WAGES BY 1.75%
An increment to the minimum wage of 1.75% will begin rolling out for the full pay period from July 1, 2020. The increment is applicable to minimum rates in three different stages:
GROUP 1 AWARDS- To be started from July 1, 2020
- Teachers and child Care
- Social Assistance Workers and Frontline Health Care
- Other important services
GROUP 2 AWARDS- To be started from November 1, 2020
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Different industries
GROUP 3 AWARDS- To be started from February 1, 2020
- Tourism
- Retail
- Aviation
- Accommodation and Food Services
- Recreation and Arts Services
If anyone does not get covered in this award category then a new national minimum wage of $750.80 per week or $19.84 per hour applies to them.
TERMINATION AND JOBKEEPER PAYMENT
It is a an approximation payment (ETP) Employment Termination Payment made to employees when the job is terminated. These are usually made from unused sick leave or unused rostered days off, or authentic redundancy, etc.
For fewer of the employees, JobKeeper will not be sufficient to maintain the employee in employment. The ATO has also JobKeeper fortnights from June 8 onwards until the end of the scheme.
PPL (PARENTAL LEAVE PAY) SCHEME
The parents, who are accessing the PPL scheme, will have more flexible options from July 1, 2020. The modifications include a new 30-day flexible parental paid leave. The alterations split time period into the following:
• 30 flexible days
• A period of up to 12 weeks
Under new guidelines, parents can take 12 week period and then can use 30 days at any time.
The modifications to the paid prenatal leave scheme are applicable to babies who are born after July 1, 2020. The scheme starts from April 1, 2020 to provide parents with the flexibility to make use of new arrangements.
Our high team of expert accountants Melbourne has gained knowledge regarding Arts grants by Government to save the industry and to boost the economy. We pledge to provide our clients the best assistance regarding availing these incentives. Reliable Melbourne Accountants adheres to provide you extensive accounting services related to all COVID-19 grants and incentives declared by government.