Stafford Latest News (Queensland, Australia)

The Fair Work Commission has determined that a Philippines based "independent contractor" was an employee unfairly dismissed by her Australian employer.

Late last year, thousands of taxpayers and their agents were advised by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) that they had an outstanding historical tax debt. The only problem was, many had no idea that the tax debt existed.

Just because an agreement states that a worker is an independent contractor, this does not mean that they are a contractor for tax and superannuation purposes, new guidance from the ATO warns.

On 1 July 2023, award rates of pay and the National Minimum Wage increased by 5.75%. We recommend that all employers review their payroll systems to ensure they are applying the correct rates and Awards.