Australia Business Development
To operate a successful business in Australia, it is first important for you to understand the laws, regulations, and statistics that are related to this region of the world. Understanding this information will allow you to tip the odds of success in your favor. If your company is incorporated in Australia, the government will consider it to be subject to taxes. In addition to this, any shareholders of the company who are Australian citizens will be given a large amount of voting power. As of this writing, resident companies that are in Australian will be taxed at a level that is approximately 30 percent. There are a list of assets that will commonly be taxed by the Australian government.
Some of the assets are any items that are used by companies to conduct business in the country, and any real estate which is built in the country will be taxed as well. Any shareholdings which exceed 10% will be taxed. Some other taxes that foreign corporations may face in Australia are land tax and sales tax. A change was made in 2004 by the Australian Treasurer which has lowered the compliance costs that small businesses in the country have faced in the past. Statistics have shown that well over 700,000 small businesses benefited from this measure.
Overall, Australia is an excellent country to operate a business. Since 2005, the Australian government has offered a number of incentives that are favorable to small businesses. One of the incentives that was presented are a 25 percent offset for the income tax for those who are entrepreneurs. To qualify for this tax offset, the business must generate a turnover of less than $75,000 per year. In addition to this, the Australian government has also passed legislation that has given small businesses a larger amount of control over the taxation of their income. Since the year 2000, a number of changes in Australian law has allowed the country to be an excellent location for entrepreneurs who are looking to start a business.
Another important aspect of taxes that you will need to be familiar with is called the consolidation tax. This is a tax that will allow a collection of companies to be taxed as one company instead of separate entities. In addition to small businesses, the Australian government has made the region friendly towards multinational corporations as well. If you are a fund manager, it is important for you to realize that you may be allowed to take take 10 percent of your funds and place it in foreign investments before you have to worry about the FIF, or Foreign Investment Fund.
If you wish to do business in this world, you will also need to know the many different ways that you are allowed to conduct business. You can conduct business via a corporation, subsidiary, joint ventures, and trusts. If you are a foreign investor, one of the best places to invest your money are either Australian branch offices or subsidiaries. When it comes to taxes, you won't see a large difference by choosing one rather than the other. The vast majority of foreign businesses that operate in Australia will use what is called a local subsidiary company. Some dividends that are produced by the subsidiaries may not have to pay the withholding tax.
If you are a foreign business that wants to expand your operations into Australia, you will need to be listed in the ASIC, or Australian Securities and Investment Commission. Companies which generate revenues of less than $50 million will not be seriously examined. The Australian governments will look at foreign businesses to find out how much potential wealth they can bring to the country. However, there are restrictions that businesses may run into in certain areas. Some of these areas are the acquisition of real estate in cities.
It is also important to note that there is an exemption for the wholesale tax. It is primarily applied to products that are purchased by businesses. A large number of incentives will be given to countries that wish to place their headquarters in the country. The immigration process for these companies will be rapidly increased, and tax deductions will be given for any costs that are necessary or the company to relocate to Australia. In addition to this, they will offer support when it comes to the selection of the construction site, business contacts, and firms that are able to provide services to the company.
Another program that you will want to become familiar with is the Export Market Development Grant. This is a grant that will give financial support to companies that wish export products. Capital is offered which will pay no more than 50 percent of the costs that are involved with qualified expenses. To qualify, you must advertise Australian skills or products. The cost of research and development may be included as well. To qualify for the Export Market Development Grant, the minimum cost of the expense must be $15,000, and the maximum amount can be no more than $150,000. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of doing business in Australia is the fact that the states that comprise the country will compete with each other in order to earn the business of corporations or entrepreneurs.
These states will provide various grants and other forms of financial assistance. They can provide employees as well. There are a total of six states that comprise Australia, and each state will have its own laws and incentives that are related to doing business. The important thing to realize is that they are all competing with each other, and this is beneficial for any companies that want to do business in the region. It is important for you to do your research on each state before making the decision on where you would like to place the business. What works well for one business may not work well for another, and the laws and regulations that exist in some of the states may not be good for your industry.