
The Christmas run-up can be frantic for small business owners.
It’s important to think about business basics like paying taxes and staff over the festive season.
Staff partiesThrowing a staff party can be a great way to see out the year and celebrate successes, but there are tax considerations to think about. Expenses can include:
Business Gifts and EntertainmentGenerally, you can claim the costs of gifts as a business expense, eg hampers or gift vouchers. But you may need to pay fringe benefit tax on these gifts. Giving to charityYou can deduct 100% of the cost of entertainment you provide to members of the public for charitable purposes. For example, if your business donates food to a party at a hospital. Paying staff over the holidaysWhen there’s a public holiday on a day your employee usually works, they’re entitled to a paid day off — no matter how long they’ve worked for you.
MondayisationWhen a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, employees who don’t normally work then get the following Monday as their paid public holiday — this is called Mondayisation. The public holidays for the upcoming Christmas break, are as follows:Christmas Day — Friday 25 December 2020 Any employee can ask to transfer a public holiday to another day. Days in lieuAn employee is entitled to a full day off in lieu of working a public holiday — no matter how many hours they worked that day.
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