Economic Stimulus Package

312 The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14 October 2020). As at 13 October 2020, how many businesses had sought a payroll tax deferral?

(a) How many businesses received a payroll tax deferral?

(b) In total, what is the value of these deferrals?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier): I have been advised:

Significant payroll tax relief is being provided to businesses to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

an exemption of all commonwealth JobKeeper payments from payroll tax;

a 15-month waiver of payroll tax due over the period April 2020 to June 2021 for businesses and business groups with annual Australian grouped wages below $4 million;

a six-month waiver of payroll tax due over the period January 2021 to June 2021 for businesses with annual Australian grouped wages over $4 million that are eligible for the extended commonwealth JobKeeper payment from 4 January 2021;

up to a nine-month deferral of payroll tax due over the period April 2020 to December 2020 for businesses with annual wages above $4 million adversely affected by COVID-19. Extended repayment arrangements for deferred payroll tax are also available.

A 12-month payroll tax exemption for wages paid to eligible new apprentices and trainees who commence a relevant contract of training with an employer from 10 November 2020 to 30 June 2021 is also being introduced to encourage the employment of workers retraining and younger South Australians seeking to enter the workforce.

As outlined in the 2020-21 budget, total payroll tax relief over the three years to 2021-22 is now estimated to be $233 million.

In addition, the nine-month deferral of payroll tax was expected to result in a cashflow benefit of around $180 million for taxpayers.

Payroll tax returns are submitted on a monthly basis. Up to the October 2020 payroll tax return period, around $128 million in payroll tax had been deferred by around 1,100 grouped businesses.