That's illogical, rehctub.

>>I have recently engaged a contractor, looks like he will have to now go cause it's simply not worth the hassle<<

A genuine contractor - as opposed to an employee who pretends to be a contractor - is the very easiest to deal with. They handle their own tax, super, insurance etc., all you do is pay their legitimate invoice.

>>What if you haven't met your super obligations<<

If you haven't paid into the individual's super fund, and if you haven't paid into a Fund that you use as a "bucket" for those who haven't given you their details, then the Government wants you to pay it to them instead - into their "bucket", if you will. I had to do this on one occasion. It is painless.

>>In reality, super should be paid to the employee<<

There certainly is a case to be made for that. But given the burden is minimal, it's just another aspect of employee care. It is certainly far less onerous than calculating and paying their wages in the first place.

>>...an even simpler option would be for employers to combine super, with our PAGY contributions, and let the government deal with the employees super component<<

I wouldn't trust a government department to look after my employees' interests further than I could throw them. Can you imagine the hassle, time-wasting and blame-passing if they dropped the ball?

Which they inevitably would.

>>...when it comes to paying their employees super, they have to pay someone else to do it for them, much like their bas...<<

It really does sound as though you don't have a computer. All of this can be done in no time at all. A simple accounting package that handles wages (and PAYG, GST, super etc) and a link to the internet, and you're home free. Don't pay someone else to do what you can do in an hour a month - which you'd have to spend collecting the paperwork for them to work through anyhow.

This has been another Public Service announcement in support of small business.

' so many today are doing it tough.'

They're killing us! They're killing small business!

'Now, how did you go with finding that unpaid worker, still searching are we.'

Tell you what butcher, you can pay yourself double time when you do the business' books on Sunday over a beer. Of course that would mean you'd have to pay income tax like your workers.

Ah these business owners, always with their hand out to the government. The poor tax payers footing the bill for ever more. Do you think the government's a charity to supply free administration for your business? One cost of doing business is paying employees their entitlements and doing the books. Super is one of these entitlements.

' the workers, the ones we do this for'

Yep, still doing the world a favour you magnanimous business man you. Is it doing them a favour to give them their money? Do you make them buy their own toilet paper too?

You're as bad as the airlines and their fuel levy.

' this type of burden be lifted from small business owners'

Oh the burden, it's too much! Too much!

'doing it tough', 'the ones we do this for', 'burden'. The trifecta! Wooho!

Encore!

Houellebecq, reading between the lines, I can only assume you didn't find another unpaid worker, who's unpaid work comes with threats.

...You're as bad as the airlines and their fuel levy.

So you think they should just wear that one hey, just so you can enjoy your cheap air fairs.

As for tax, we do not pay one red cent more than we have to, in any case, it's just wasted.

Good old depreciation and negative gearing.

It's just a pity it's more beneficial to buy plant, than it is to employ now.

But you're not unpaid Butcher, as I said, you can pay yourself double time.

'So you think they should just wear that one hey'

Haha wearing the cost of fuel. I suppose you wear the cost of meat. Maybe you should have a meat levy on your customers, as a separate charge. A butcher shouldn't have to pay for meat!

Who would have thought fuel would be needed to run an airline. I wonder what other costs of business can be turned into a levy. It was a nice way of devaluing the frequent flier points of their loyal customers.

'As for tax, we do not pay one red cent more than we have to, in any case, it's just wasted.'

On things like free administrative and accounting services to all you small business owners?

Houl, sorry, havnt checked for a while.

Fuel levies are very common in any business that is a high user of fuel.

When fuel hits the $150/ Lt mark, most deliveries have a surcharge added to cover the cost.

Of cause with airlines, they could simply increase fairs, but then you would whinge about that too.

I am still waiting for that unpaid worker example too.

But remember, the job must come with the risk of a fine if they get it wrong.

As I've said many times butcher, you're not unpaid. You can pay yourself whatever you want for your time. But you'd have to pay some income tax for a change. That would hurt!

So until now I haven't bothered thinking of any unpaid worker, as you're not unpaid, so your point is moot. You can pay yourself $200 an hour for the burden if you want butcher. You know you can.

But anyway there are many occupations where you can be fined for unpaid work, even go to jail for supposed negligence. Ask any doctor. And everyone has to do their tax return for free and can get fined if it is wrong.

Australians do hundreds of thousands of hours of unpaid overtime every year. That's free work for you business owners.

'The typical full-time employee in Australia works 70 minutes of unpaid overtime a day. This equates to 33 eight-hour days per year, or six and a half standard working weeks.'

http://apo.org.au/research/something-nothing-unpaid-overtime-australia

But you want money for the 'burden' of spending 2 minutes on the internet changing a direct debit. So charitable you are. How many unpaid hours have your workers put in for you, so you can make your fortune, yet you wont even spend 2 minutes to change where their super gets paid.

I would not complain at all about increased air fares, they can just quote me their best price and leave aside the sob story about their fuel prices. Why am I supposed to care? Why? They seem to have the same mentality as you that their customer should directly compensate them for the burden of paying for the costs of running their business