The South Australian government stated that it will extend its payroll tax relief for an additional three months until December 2020—a response to the economic consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Under the scheme, businesses with annual payroll (grouped) of up to $4 million will be granted an extra 3-month payroll tax waiver (worth approximately $25 million) – in addition to the 6 months’ relief they have already received.

And approximately 1,900 businesses with grouped annual wages of more than $4 million will be able to continue to defer their payroll tax liability on demonstration of impacts on the cash flow of COVID-19 for a further 3 months^, providing around an extra $60 million in cash flow benefit on top of the $120 million in payroll tax deferrals already received over the past 6 months.

Latest ABS single touch payroll data shows SA’s employment growth of 6.8 percent since the COVID low point of mid-April is the strongest of every other state, except Western Australia.

National job growth for the same period was only 4.4 percent.

*Additional 3-month waiver and deferral is based on September to November returns ^Eligible businesses will be able to defer liabilities due in October to December 2020* until 14 January 2021. Any previously deferred amounts relating to April to September payments may also be further deferred to 14 January 2021.