Adjustment of payroll tax when employer changes circumstances
84 Adjustment of payroll tax when employer changes circumstances
If an employer changes their circumstances during a financial year, the employer must, if the amount of payroll tax paid or payable by the employer when the employer made returns relating to the relevant period prior to the change of circumstances is less than the correct amount of payroll tax payable by the employer in respect of the financial year, pay to the Commissioner as payroll tax an amount equal to the difference.
A change of circumstances occurs when the employer—
ceases to pay or be liable to pay taxable wages and interstate wages; or
becomes a group employer (following a period as an individual employer); or
ceases to be a group employer (and becomes an individual employer).
The relevant period prior to a change of circumstances is the period prior to the change (during the financial year concerned and since any prior change of circumstances) for which the employer paid or was liable to pay taxable wages or interstate wages.
In calculating for the purposes of this section the correct amount of payroll tax payable by the employer, it is to be assumed that the wages paid or payable by the employer during the relevant period are the only wages paid or payable by the employer during the financial year concerned.
Any amount payable by an employer under this section in respect of a relevant period must be paid within the period during which the employer is required to lodge a return under this Act relating to that relevant period or the last return under this Act relating to the relevant period.
Any payroll tax paid or payable by an employer under this section is to be included as payroll tax paid or payable by the employer for the purposes of the annual adjustment of payroll tax under this Part.
Note
If an employer ceases to be a group employer during a financial year an adjustment will be made under this section. If later in that financial year the employer ceases to pay wages there will be a further adjustment under this section. The first adjustment will adjust payroll tax paid for the period as a group employer against the correct amount of tax that should have been paid (based on the assumption that the period as a group employer is the only period for which the employer paid wages throughout the year). The second adjustment will adjust payroll tax paid for the period as an individual employer against the correct amount of tax that should have been paid (based on the assumption that the period as an individual employer is the only period for which the employer paid wages throughout the year). Any amount of payroll tax paid under this section is taken into account for the purposes of the annual adjustment of payroll tax.
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