You’ve lodged your tax return and you have a tax payable. You’re generally given a fair amount of time to consider if you want to make a full payment, or review the ATO’s payment options. So this begs the question, what do you do when you can’t pay your tax on time? Businesses who cannot pay their taxes on time can set up an agreed payment plan with the ATO to avoid late payment penalties.
What is an ATO Payment Plan?
A payment plan allows businesses to pay off their tax debt in instalments when they are not able to make a complete payment by the due date. Businesses with a debt of $100,000 or less can propose a payment plan through the ATO’s online Business Portal or through their tax agent or BAS agent. For debts over $100,000, businesses must contact the ATO directly to discuss their options.
Businesses wishing to go on a payment plan are still required to lodge their activity statements and tax returns on time to avoid penalties. Interest will generally continue to accrue on unpaid debts even when a business has made a payment plan. However, a 12-month payment plan free of interest may be available for small businesses with an activity statement debt. This will require businesses to pay their debt through direct debit within 12 months.
To be eligible for a payment plan, businesses must:
Have an annual turnover of less than $2 million.
Have a recent activity statement debt of $50,000 or under that was paid within 12 months of it being due.
Have no overdue activity statement lodgements.
Have had a maximum of one payment plan default within the last 12 months.
Be unable to obtain finance, such as a loan.
Meet all of their other tax payment and lodgement obligations.
The ATO may require businesses to demonstrate their viability for a payment plan. This assesses the business’ ability to meet their ongoing financial commitments by considering factors such as gross margin, cash flow, liquidity, and asset/liability position.
What payment methods are available?
When your payment plan is setup, you can either select Direct Debit or BPAY. You will be given a payment schedule that will need to be followed, as a missed payment results in your payment plan being defaulted. An SMS or email reminder is sent before payment is required. If you select the BPAY option, we recommend setting up a recurring bank transfer to avoid the potential of missing a payment.
If you require a payment plan or want to discuss your overdue balance, schedule a call to speak with us today!
