The WA Government will introduce urgent legislation that will allow the Government to provide additional payroll tax support for Western Australian businesses impacted by COVID-19, if they are needed after the March (2021) State election.
Current laws that give the Government the power to introduce payroll tax support measures to respond to economic impacts of COVID-19 expire in April next year (2021).
WA Finance Minister Ben Wyatt will introduce legislation to extend these powers, given it is unlikely there will be sufficient time to deal with the legislation when Parliament resumes after the election in March 2021.
The Pay-roll Tax Relief (COVID-19 Response) Act passed through Parliament in April (2020), giving around 10,700 small businesses a four-month payroll tax waiver, as well as payroll tax exemptions for payments made under the Commonwealth Government’s JobKeeper scheme.
The Act also included powers that would allow other payroll tax measures to be introduced as part of COVID-19 relief measures, if required. It will be automatically repealed on April 21, 2021, meaning any regulations and all regulation-making powers will cease.
The Bill introduced will preserve the regulation-making powers in the event other payroll relief tax measures are required after April 20, 2021.
Source: WA Government