ATO expands Reach Out Indigenous business support programme

The program aims to help small Indigenous businesses with their tax and superannuation obligations through education and support.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) started the pilot programme in July 2019 and has plans to expand the programme into New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria in 2020.

Andrew Watson, ATO assistant commissioner said, “Reach Out was actually the brainchild of a group of our Queensland-based Evergreen Indigenous employment program participants, so we owe the success of this pilot program to their initiative and willingness to get out and about to try something new.

“We want Indigenous small businesses to thrive. Reach Out is all about helping build sustainable businesses that will support themselves, their families and their communities.”

The ATO has already established partnerships with 11 Indigenous business intermediaries through the pilot programme, like the Black Coffee Indigenous Business Network of small business owners who meet to discuss business issues, successes and ideas.

So far, the ATO has delivered nine education workshops in locations including Brisbane, Ipswich and Palm Island with improved tax awareness and superannuation obligations for employees the key takeaways for participants. In 2020, it plans to hold over 130 workshops and other activities aimed to support and education.

The pilot is one of several Australian government initiatives introduced to increase economic participation of Indigenous Australians and to help more Indigenous people build sustainable businesses.

This program forms part of the ATO’s Reconciliation Action Plan which is all about commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

More information about the Reach Out program is available at ato.gov.au/ReachOut

Date published 2 Mar 2020 | Last updated 3 Mar 2020