Education & Work Petition to Vic Govt: Provide financial support for Sole Traders in Victoria

Hi everyone,

I've created a petition to encourage the Victorian Government to extend their support to ALL sole traders.

Sign the Petition

(www.change.org/SupportSoleTraders)

We're 6 months into this COVID-19 fiasco and still no support for some sole traders. So I decided to act, rather than sitting, waiting and hoping for the government to do the right thing.

Can I ask you to please sign and also share? Together, we'll get through this!

Here's a blurb for sharing if needed:

"I just signed the petition "Victorian Government: Provide financial support for Sole Traders in Victoria" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.
Our goal is to reach 100 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:"

Sign the Petition

(Admins, I understand if you don't think this post is appropriate in which case, apologies)

 

I haven’t really followed what victorian government support is being offered or not offered - what are sole traders missing out on you say?

 

I'm with you in believing they are covered - if they can prove their income is down they qualify for Jobkeeper:

JobKeeper payments: who is eligible? | HLB Mann Judd

Eligibility of sole traders

• Businesses without employees, such as the self-employed, can also register their interest in applying for JobKeeper payments from 30 March 2020.
• Sole traders will need to have had an ABN on or before 12 March 2020 and have either:
  • reported an amount of assessable income in their 2019 tax return, if lodged prior to 12 March 2020; or
  • made a supply between 1 July 2018 and 12 March 2020 and provided this information to the ATO prior to 12 March 2020.
• Sole traders will need to provide an ABN and nominate an individual to receive the payment and provide that individual’s Tax File Number as well as provide a declaration as to recent business activity.

 

I could be wrong, but sole traders are eligible for the Jobkeeper program and the various tax refunds that the government has offered. My understanding is it's the same as what small and medium businesses are getting.

We'd all like more assistance, but what makes sole traders special?

 

sole traders are covered under job keeper,

the criteria is the same or virtually the same
But i signed anyway, small business are hit hard

 

Thanks for all the replies.

JobKeeper was available to some yes, but it was flawed. It also had a stipulation around a reduction in income of 30% at the time it was first offered and you had to register by a set date. They're now onto version 2.0 with even further restrictions on who could apply.

With the entire shutdown of Melbourne, many that would not have previously qualified or enrolled, now need support. Tradies are prime example. Many of those sole trader tradies that were busy on jobs now cannot work. The Stage 4 lockdown specifically says "emergency only". So no lawn mowing, painting, odd jobs, preventative repairs, fixing gutters, Building & Pest inspectors, home stagers and the list goes on.

What I'm looking at here is what is being offered by the Victorian Government to support Victorians.

The current Victorian government stimulus packages cover sole traders that have employees, but not those that do not employ people. A lot of sole traders do not have employees so have no avenue to support.

When the first 10 Melbourne suburbs were announced, they were offering $5000 to sole traders with employees. When the lockdown went Melbourne wide, they offered $5000 to sole traders in those suburbs, with employees. Now we are in Stage 4 and closed businesses can get $5000, but only sole traders with employees.

There are lot of sole trader businesses without employees that really do now need some support.

 

Hi thatbum
It's the sole traders without employees that have not been offered any support by the Victorian government.

There are many such people that would not have registered for JobKeeper at the time (not qualified), but now with a 6 week shut down, they've lost all sources of income and really need to be supported.

 

When you shut down an entire economy for 6 weeks without access to any assistance (remember, a lot of these sole traders without employees would not have qualified for JobKeeper back in March/April), that's not the special basket you really want to be in.

 

JobSeeker Payment - Who can get it - Services Australia

"The change in your work situation can be for 1 of the following reasons. You’re:

• a permanent employee and have lost your job
• a sole trader, self-employed, a casual or contract worker and your income has reduced
• caring for someone who’s affected by coronavirus."

 

I thought Sole Traders without employees can receive Jobkeeper if their turnover has decreased by 30%

 

Was there only a certain window to apply for jobkeeper? ie you cannot do a new application for it now?

 

If JobKeeper is the answer for all sole traders (and others) in Victoria, why is the Victorian Government also offering stimulus and support for some businesses and not others? To reference a previous comment, what makes them so special (those that have received support)?

Here is a real case example (a comment on the petition page):

"I own a small business of which I am the only employee. I have a commercial lease and I'm struggling to pay it. I receive JobKeeper, but that only just covers my living expenses. Small non-employee business need grants too!"

So clearly saying "put em on JobKeeper" is not the solution. It falls far short.

If the Victorian government is extending a hand to businesses, it needs to be extended to ALL businesses. Or is it ok for the Andrews Government to imply some businesses are more deserving of support than others?

 

What other stimulus and support are you referring to that are only offered to some businesses and not others?

moving the goalposts doesnt help your argument. Some businesses dont get jobkeeper, jobkeeper conditions are too onerous, jobkeeper is not enough, and now other businesses get additional grants on top of jobkeeper?

 

They should negotiate with their landlord

 

The petition is not about JobKeeper. That is Federal Goverment support. Other forum users introduced conversations about JobKeeper to the thread.

This thread is about Victorian not Federal support.

I am talking about the Victorian Government and the stimulus and support they offer Victorian businesses.

As I have stated above, there is currently support in place offered by the Victorian government that provides payments to sole trader businesses with employees. The same support/payments are not offered to sole trader businesses without employees.

In a nutshell:
VIC Govt Support OFFERED TO: sole trader businesses with employees
VIC Govt Support NOT ELIGIBLE: sole trader businesses without employees

No goal posts have been moved.

 

one of my relatives is a sole trader with no employees and they receive jobkeeper

 

Again, not talking about JobKeeper (Federal).

The petition relates to Victorian Government (State)

 

What support is it? I think a few people have asked that, myself included.

 

Sure thatbum, here you go

Business Support Package

This paragraph:
"The Business Support Fund – Expansion program providing $10,000 for employing businesses in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire and $5,000 for employing businesses in regional Victoria (except Mitchell Shire.)"

The Government's wording is "employing businesses".
Sole traders WITH employees can receive this $10,000, but sole traders WITHOUT employees do not qualify.

 

I was looking into this today for a couple of clients.
From my research;

Sole traders without employees are not eligible for the cashflow boost payments. This is a minimum of $20k and can be as much as $100k in support for some businesses. Big cashflow support as it can be used to offset GST and PAYG withholding obligations and any extra is refunded to tax payer.

A lot of state government grants, eg Business Victoria Grants require you to be enrolled in Jobkeeper and have employees to be eligible - sole traders miss out on $10k grant currently available. (You must provide WorkCover number as proof).

Commercial tenancy relief also requires applicant to be receiving Jobkeeper to get relief. Can’t apply until you are eligible for Jobkeeper.

These are some of the challenges for sole traders and businesses that don’t have employees or were not eligible for Jobkeeper because their revenue did not decline by 30% or more.