COURSE OVERVIEW:
Payroll legislation in Australia is a vast and complex area of law. It covers payroll administration, payroll records, payroll tax liability, and superannuation - to name but a few aspects.
Employers must know how the payroll process works because even the slightest breach of payroll obligations could result in severe penalties and harsh sanctions. Unfortunately, most employers operate under this misconception that payroll is just about paying their employees the correct amount of wage on time. But there is so much more to payroll.
In Australia, most employment relationships are governed by the national workplace relations system - otherwise known as the Fair Work System - which the Australian government implemented using the Fair Work Act in 2009. While the Fair Work System governs the minimum employment standards for most Australian workplaces, some workplaces are governed by State and Territory Industrial Relations systems.
Depending on which state and industry your business operates in, there are both state and federal legislation you must abide by to be payroll compliant, including Modern Awards, National Employment Standards, Single Touch Payroll, and payroll tax.
The national minimum wage, set by the Minimum Wage Panel, acts as a safety net for employees who belong to the Fair Work system by providing minimum pay rates for employees who are not covered by Modern Awards or Enterprise Agreements.
Modern Awards are industry or occupation-based minimum employment standards which apply in conjunction with the National Employment Standards. The purpose behind implementing these Modern Awards was to create one established set of minimum conditions that can apply to all employers and employees across Australia who work for the same industries and occupations.
Employers must make superannuation guarantee contributions on behalf of their eligible full-time, part-time and casual employees. As an employer, you are obligated to contribute a minimum of 10% of an employee’s earnings to a complying super fund or retirement savings account at least four times a year. When it comes to your superannuation obligations, record keeping is just as important. You must keep adequate records showing the amount of super you paid for all your eligible employees.
The PAYG system simply requires employers to withhold income tax from an employee’s wages or salary and pay that directly to the ATO. It’s worth noting your PAYG obligations extend to all aspects of your employee’s pay conditions including allowances.
Your best bet at avoiding breaches and maximising payroll compliance is to be well informed of Australia’s payroll legislation.
This course provides a detailed look into all aspects of payroll legislation so that you can keep up with changes and stay on top of your obligations.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:
- The responsibilities of the Fair Work Commission
- The responsibilities of the Fair Work Ombudsman
- The Fair Work Act 2009
- The role and powers of the Fair Workplace Inspector
- The issues a Fair Work Inspector may investigate
- Employer Obligations (Employee Records) including; Privacy, General Records, Pay Records, Hours of Work Records, Leave Records, Superannuation Contribution Records, Individual Flexibility Arrangement Records, Guarantee of Annual Earnings Records, Termination Records, Transfer of Business Records, Payslip Obligations and Allowable Deductions to Pays
- The Single Touch Payroll (STP)
- The Tax File Number Declaration Forms
- The 10 privacy principles that need to be applied by organisations
- The National Employment Standards (NES)
- The Modern Awards
- The principles of Enterprise Agreements
- The Individual Transitional Employment Agreement (ITEA)
- The Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA)
- The principal legislation governing taxation in Australia
- The Threshold values and payroll tax rates in Australia
- The taxation laws applied to payroll systems
- The Fringe Benefits Tax
- Superannuation obligations
- Salary Sacrifice and the types of benefits you can sacrifice
- The implications of entering into a salary sacrifice arrangement
- The ABN Regulations
- The HECS-HELP Debt
- The marginal tax rates for individual taxpayers
- The Medicare Levy
- The PAYG (W) Withholding
- The PAYG (I) Instalments
- The FBT Instalment
- The Employees Entitlements (Leaves)
- The Tax Agents Services Act (TASA)
- The Payroll Services a BAS Agent can provide
- The TASA Course requirements
- The Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) requirements
- The BAS Agent services in relation to payroll systems
- The BAS Agent documentation required in relation to payroll systems
- The Work Health and Safety legislation
- The Anti-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Laws
- The Environmental Laws and Sustainability
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics
- The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (“ICB”)
- The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)
- The Codes of Practice relevant to Payroll Operations
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.
COURSE DELIVERY:
Purchase and download course content.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.