
While the ATO doesn’t use the benchmarks in isolation, small businesses who fall outside the ATO’s benchmarks are more likely to trigger a closer examination from the ATO. The ATO uses information reported in business tax return with key performance benchmarks for the relevant industry to identify potential tax risks.
Aside from determining the risk of unwanted attention from the ATO, the benchmarks can also be used to compare your business performance against other businesses in the same industry. The benchmarks could help you spot areas where you might be able to reduce costs or improve efficiency.
The small business benchmarks can be accessed HERE.
Aside from the small business benchmarks, the ATO also has a business viability assessment tool which can help business owners identify whether there are any obvious financial risks. The ATO consider a business to be viable if it is generating sufficient profits to meet commitments to creditors and provide a return to the business owners. If a business isn’t generating profits, the ATO looks at whether the business has sufficient cash reserves to sustain itself.
The business viability assessment tool can be found HERE.
Please let us know if you would like us to review your business performance and make recommendations on ways that performance could be improved.
This information is general information only and not intended to be financial product advice, investment advice, tax advice or legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. As this information is general in nature it may omit detail that could be significant to your particular circumstances. Scenarios, examples, and comparisons are shown for illustrative purposes only. Certain industry data used may have been obtained from research, surveys or studies conducted by third parties, including industry or general publications. Knowledge Shop has not independently verified any such data provided by third parties or industry or general publications. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to its fairness, accuracy, correctness, completeness or adequacy. We recommend that individuals seek professional advice before making any financial decisions. This information is intended to assist you as part of your own advice to your client. Use of this information is your responsibility. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Knowledge Shop expressly disclaims all liabilities and responsibility in respect of any expenses, losses, damages or costs incurred by any recipient as a result of the use or reliance on the information including, without limitation, any liability arising from fault or negligence or otherwise. While all care has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publishing, superannuation and tax legislation can change from time to time and Knowledge Shop Pty Ltd is not liable for any loss arising from reliance on this information, including reliance on information that is no longer current. Tax is only one consideration when making a financial decision.
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