If you’ve followed the revelations of the $165 million tax fraud, you’ll know that one of the ATO’s top enforcement officers allegedly sought to cut a deal for his son, one of the ringleaders of the fraud.
This case, of which we’ll hear lots more, highlights how self-employed people can get caught up in scams quite quickly. The ACCC is always warning us about scams and it pays to keep watch on the ACCC scam websites: here and here. More...
All News
Tax scams and others. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is!
‘We’ll only do what we’re made to do!’ says bank’s legal counsel
Around 8 years ago, we (ICA) were approaching the banks about supporting the introduction of unfair contract laws for small business people. One of the big bank’s chief legal counsel said to us “We’ll only do what we’re made to do!” What a sad attitude. But, unfortunately, in our dealings with many at the ‘big end of town’, that’s our experience with them.
Unfair contract protections
It took us ten years of hard advocacy, but late last year the small business unfair contract laws took effect. Now the change is happening. In The Australian yesterday Robert Gottliebsen detailed how the ACCC has forced Sensis to fix unfair contract clauses. Sensis had concealed clauses that renewed contracts without the small businessperson agreeing. Sensis could cancel contracts but the small businessperson could not. Sensis has agreed to make refunds. More...
Will franchisors get away with it? Vulnerable Workers Bill
It’s getting close to decision time in the Senate! Remember the 7-Eleven wages fraud scandal exposed by 4Corners/Fairfax late 2015? The scandal has spread since then with Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, Caltex and United Petroleum being caught out underpaying workers.
The Federal government has put forward legislation (The Vulnerable Workers Bill) that will require franchisors to be at least partly responsible if underpayment occurs. We strongly support the Bill. It will force franchisors to properly support the 79,000 small business franchisees to prevent underpayment. More...
The Australian Constitution protecting our freedoms
ICA Executive Director Ken Phillips spoke at a ‘Liberty’ conference in Sydney over the weekend. With over 350 people in attendance and with more than 70 speakers it was a stimulating, ideas-packed weekend. Not everyone agreed with each other, but all present agreed on the right to speak freely.
Ken talked about how we at ICA have used the Australian Constitution to defend individual liberty, specifically the right of people to be self-employed. You might recall last year our: More...
Recent Posts
- ATO Executive ‘Not Guilty’– Credible evidence that ATO audits are ‘wrong’
- Thank goodness. Morrison Government is DOING, rather than just promising, ATO reform
- China and the ATO – Dictatorship vs the Rule of Law
- Labor takes bold move on unfair contracts
- ATO refuses internal corruption probe. Anti-Corruption Commission needed
- Continuing our theme of (put me to sleep?) summer holiday tax reading
- Here’s some really interesting (not?) holiday reading
- What’s been happening in the construction sector for the self-employed?
- Criminal justice vs Tax Justice. Are the two the same?
- Thank you, Norman, for 18 years of service to self-employed people
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