Earlier this month, new legislation was passed, allowing the commissioner to issue a direction to an employer to pay an outstanding super guarantee liability, with failure to comply possibly resulting in criminal penalties.

Employers who receive direction from the commissioner must also complete an approved education course.

The maximum penalty for the offence is 50 penalty units, imprisonment for 12 months, or both.

Speaking to Accountants Daily, RSM senior manager Tracey Dunn said the new law might catch out small to medium-sized family businesses where a spouse or family member may be appointed as director without fully understanding their obligations regarding super payments.

“Obviously the criminal penalties will only apply to serious cases but unfortunately in a lot of small businesses, super guarantee payment are the first thing that goes and they are quite often behind because of cashflow issues so there will be a higher risk,” said Ms Dunn.

“For example, a husband runs a business and he is the brains of the business but the wife will be put in a position where she is a director. The accountant may discuss the director obligations with the husband but then rely on the husband to relay that to the wife and she may not ever fully understand what her risk is.

“They now face a criminal penalty if within a business, those compulsory superannuation guarantee payments aren’t made on time.”

Ms Dunn believes accountants will need to be on the front foot to help their clients understand the new risks.

“Accountants and advisers really need to ensure that when their clients employ staff, they are fully aware of the risk of non-compliance with super guarantee obligations,” she said.

“There is a real onus now on accountants and tax advisers to ensure their clients really fully understand what the risk is when they take a role as either an individual employer, the director of a trustee company, or a director of a company that is employing staff.”

Latest data from the ATO place estimates for the super guarantee net gap at $2.79 billion, with Ms Dunn believing that the new measure, along with the introduction of single touch payroll to all businesses, will see the gap shrink in the near future,

“With the measures in place now, it is a clear indication now that the government is extremely serious about ensuring that employees receive their compulsory super,” she added.

The new legislation is awaiting Royal Assent, with the legislation to take effect from 1 April 2019, but will apply to SGC obligations arising from 1 July 2018.

Jotham Lian 
01 March 2019
accountantsdaily.com.au