The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) welcomes Premier Mark McGowan’s announcement in relation to payroll tax and thanks the Premier for listening to industry.

Payroll tax in Western Australia will be waived for a four-month period between March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020 for small-to-medium sized businesses with Australia-wide annual wages of less than $7.5 million in 2019-20. This is expected to deliver around $165 million in relief to around 10,700 businesses that will not be required to pay payroll tax for this period. Critically, many of these businesses will be family owned and operated electrical contractors.

Suresh Manickam, CEO of NECA, said:

“NECA thanks Premier Mark McGowan for listening to NECA and reducing payroll tax for small-to-medium businesses. These relief measures will assist many of our ‘mum and dad’ members.

“In thanking Premier McGowan we ask him to seriously consider the following:

1. That these measures be extended to large businesses as well. In NECA’s experience, all businesses (small, medium and large), are an integral part of the Western Australia economy and should not be penalised due to their size; and
2. Make these measures a permanent fixture. A four month window will not be sufficient time for any business to be expected to awake from hibernation and then to be financially fit.

“NECA looks forward to working with the McGowan Government to enact our suggestions.”

ENDS