Tag: Creditors Statutory Demand

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Free debt collection tool

Is your business or are you personally owed money by a company here in Australia?

If yes – and if the amount in over $2,000 – it is likely you are able to use our free debt collection tool called the Creditors Statutory Demand.

To find out – click here and complete the check list, then proceed to collect the money (no charge from us).

To schedule a free review of your current business structure click the following link: Book a meeting instantly

To view our knowledge base glossary – for the definition of a term click the following link:  Glossary of terms

To view our knowledge base click the following link: Knowledge base

take our free Business Health Check and receive bespoke, obligation free advice suited to your needs within minutes.

Otherwise – click here to book a free appointment, call me anytime on 1300-327123 (till late), or click the chat tool – bottom right corner to instant chat now

Thanks, Mark Smith, Director

If you need help with your business’ finance, to access more finance, complete the form below:

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Debts owed to your business

Having too many or too few debtors could be a sign of poor business health – take our Business Health Check.

Having too few (or no) debtors might mean that your business could expand its business by offering to the right clientele some limited credit facilities?

To schedule a free review of your current business structure click the following link: Book a meeting instantly

To view our knowledge base glossary – for the definition of a term click the following link:  Glossary of terms

To view our knowledge base click the following link: Knowledge base

take our free Business Health Check and receive bespoke, obligation free advice suited to your needs within minutes.

Otherwise – click here to book a free appointment, call me anytime on 1300-327123 (till late), or click the chat tool – bottom right corner to instant chat now

Thanks, Mark Smith, Director

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What is a liquidator?

What is a liquidator

A liquidator is a person appointed, in the winding up of a corporation, to assume control of the company’s affairs and to discharge its liabilities in preparation for its dissolution.  The appointment of a liquidator may be done voluntarily (by the proprietors) or via the courts (usually upon the application of a creditor – very often the ATO using a creditors statutory demand).

The process of the liquidator conducting the affairs of the company and realising its assets is called liquidation.

The liquidator’s role is to ascertain the liabilities (and assets) of the company, convert its assets into money, terminate its contracts, dispose of its business, distribute the net assets to creditors and any surplus (which is rare) to the shareholders and/or proprietors.

The liquidator will extinguish the company, lawfully, as a corporation on the records of ASIC by formal dissolution.

In determining the assets of a company, it is the liquidator’s duty to determine whether particular assets under the company’s control are owned by the company or others – i.e. stock may be purchased subject to a retention of title, vehicles may be on a corporate hire purchase and secured via a PPSR.

BAP can assist company directors to structure their assets and affairs, if not insolvent, in such a fashion to provide lawful asset protection.  To discuss how we can help to structure your company’s affairs and assets to provide maximum asset protection, please click here to book an appointment, call 1300-327123 (1300-DCP123), or complete the below form.

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ATO kills McGrath franchisee overnight … 

We’ve been researching the circumstances of a number of once successful real estate businesses which have recently gone into receivership, administration or closed.

One business, a McGrath franchisee with dozens of off the plan sales, a large rent roll and the backing of head office (seemingly), was killed by the ATO.

Another business, Castlecrag Realty Pty Ltd (receivers and managers appointed), trading as Stone Castlecrag is presently in receivership.  It is understood the owner was experiencing personal difficulties.

Our research, which we’d like to share with agents in competition, indicates some or all of each of these situations might have been avoided by more thoughtful structuring and asset protection arrangements.

The McGrath business was wound up, more or less overnight, by the ATO.

The Castlecrag business is seemingly in very real financial distress.

Business Asset Protection, applying the research these cases (and others) have uncovered, is offering free business structuring health checks for estate agencies – particularly in the current slow and falling market where finance is difficult to obtain, overheads are fixed and the present election cycles may be causing distress.

To arrange a free structuring health check call now on 1300-327123 or complete the below form.

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ATO kills huge liquor business overnight … 

We’ve been researching the circumstances of a once highly successful liquor manufacturing business, with a huge client base – domestically as well as around the world.

This business had grown and prospered for more than 50 years until this year.  This hard work was all undone overnight when it was wound-up by an aggressive ATO.

Our research indicates some or all of the situation could have been avoided with more thoughtful structuring and asset protection arrangements.

The business was wound up, more or less overnight, by the ATO.

50 years of hard work bought undone overnight.

Business Asset Protection, applying the research this case has uncovered, is offering free business structuring health checks for companies – particularly in high tax sectors such as liquor, with slow paying wholesale customers or those experiencing growing inventory levels.

To arrange a free structuring health check call now on 1300-327123 or complete the below form.

 

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Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (i.e. the ATO) v GSFPA

(Work in progress, more details to follow on this page).

  • Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (i.e. the ATO) v GSFPA – this matter involved an alleged tax debt of sum $800,000+, a creditors statutory demand and Federal Court proceedings to set aside the demand.
  • We were ultimately successful in defeating the ATO based upon deficiencies in the method of service of the creditor’s statutory demand.
  • Such deficiencies are discussed generally in our blog – What to do when served?

Call anytime on 1300-327123 (till late) or complete the form below.

To view related blogs, case notes or otherwise, follow the following category links and tags below.

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What is a creditors statutory demand?

The Corporations Act 2001 (“the Act”) provides for the conducting of business by a corporation in Australia.

Section 459E of the Act provides that a corporation may be served a statutory demand by a creditor (i.e. a creditor’s statutory demand) relating to (subsection 1):

                     (a)  a single debt that the company owes to the person, that is due and payable and whose amount is at least the statutory minimum; or

                     (b)  2 or more debts that the company owes to the person, that are due and payable and whose amounts total at least the statutory minimum.

 

Once served with such a demand, a company cannot ignore the demand.  The most serious of possible consequences for the company are now rolling out.  There are no friendly rules or casual arrangements, strict compliance with the demand is necessary by law.

Requirements

 

There are further other requirements such as:

             (2)  The demand:

                     (a)  if it relates to a single debt–must specify the debt and its amount; and

                     (b)  if it relates to 2 or more debts–must specify the total of the amounts of the debts; and

                     (c)  must require the company to pay the amount of the debt, or the total of the amounts of the debts, or to secure or compound for that amount or total to the creditor’s reasonable satisfaction, within 21 days after the demand is served on the company; and

                     (d)  must be in writing; and

                     (e)  must be in the prescribed form (if any); and

                      (f)  must be signed by or on behalf of the creditor.

             (3)  Unless the debt, or each of the debts, is a judgment debt, the demand must be accompanied by an affidavit that:

                     (a)  verifies that the debt, or the total of the amounts of the debts, is due and payable by the company; and

                     (b)  complies with the rules.

 

The key words above in each of the subsections are the words Must and AND.

The above requirements of the Act’s provisions are cumulative.

Skip any of the requirements and the consequences for the creditor’s demand is that it is potentially defective.

What happens next

Once a creditor’s statutory demand has been served upon a company, several things can happen:

  1. the recipient company pays the debt in full
  2. the company contacts the creditor and they negotiate a settlement
  3. the company applies to have the demand set aside – for instance if there has been a genuine disputing of the debt.
  4. the company does not respond, and the creditor applies to have it wound up

Next steps

If your company has received a creditor’s statutory demand, you have no time to waste.  Go straight to our “what to do next blog” for further next steps – click here to book a free appointment, call us on 1300-327123 or complete the form below.

To view related blogs, follow the following category links and tags below.

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Good debt practices

There are a number of healthy things a company can do in the conduct of its affairs.  Some obvious, some not so obvious.

Below is a short checklist of good practice suggestions (in no particular order).

Checklist

 

  1. Not incur debts in the first instance.
  2. Checking invoices and ATO tax office statements carefully – ensuring there are no additional, unapproved items.  Particularly in relation to taxation matters, it is critical that you check these thoroughly!
  3. Disputing unapproved items quickly.  Ideally in writing.  Particularly concerning alleged taxation debts, directors tend to do the opposite.  And, a director under pressure already, often fails to fully read a tax notice of assessment.  (Sometimes they are just plain depressing).  A director must resist the urge to bury the document and should immediately dispute any tax ruling or assessment that they believe is incorrect.  Failing to dispute assessments can have huge consequences later when and if a creditor’s statutory demand has been issued – options become vastly more limited.
  4. Putting everything in writing.  i.e. using email particularly when entering contractual arrangements.  This can provide an important record of the exact agreement.
  5. Confirming discussions in writing by email after discussing things with the other party.  i.e. if one side has made concessions about the debt, the time when due or payable or similar, send an email immediately afterwards confirming what was discussed.  It’s much easier to remember at the time than 2 months later.
  6. Keeping documents and records.  Ideally electronically in an inbox.
  7. Backing up and saving documents and records.  There are many good free or low-cost cloud solutions for storing emails and documents.

If your company needs help arranging its file, contract and legal documentation, or if your company needs to dispute a tax notice of assessment or director’s penalty notice call us for a free consultation, call 1300-327123 or complete the form below.

To view related blogs, follow the following category links and tags below.

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The ATO, debts and debt collection

The ATO is one of Australia’s most aggressive debt collectors and certainly makes use of the creditor’s statutory demand as discussed in other blog articles (see tags below).

If your company has received a creditor’s statutory demand from the ATO – it is critically important that you read a number of our blogs and then contact or call us to schedule a free introductory review.

Related blog articles:

  1. What to do when served with a creditors statutory demand.
  2. What is a creditor’s statutory demand.
  3. The ATO, debts and debt collection.
  4. Good debt practices.

Call us anytime on 1300-327123 or complete the form below.

To view related blogs, follow the following category links and tags below.

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What to do when served with a creditor’s statutory demand?

Firstly, don’t panic (straight away).  Think clearly.

For starters, it is a good idea to understand exactly what a creditor’s statutory demand (“the demand”) is?

Our related blog page is a good place to start?  It explains what a demand is in some detail.  That blog should be read if this is the first time your business has received such a demand.

But, make no mistake, a creditor’s statutory demand can have very serious consequences.

You, the director, must immediately action it by following the steps as suggested below.  Otherwise, in consultation with ourselves, action the demand using our free introductory review.

Once you’ve read this present blog and you know what a creditor’s statutory demand is, the focus moves to what now?  What to do next?

But first ….

Who, what, when, where, why, how?  

It’s a useful practice in business to always be considering these pointed questions.

But, they are probably best considered before a creditor’s demand is received.  Ideally when or before a debt is incurred.

Our separate blog on good debt practices may also be a helpful place for a business, particular if the director thinks it may be headed for a cashflow squeeze?

Having however incurred a debt, and now having been served with the demand, the director must consider what next?

The questions above are a helpful place to start.

  1. Who is making the demand?  Did you business incur a debt from this entity?  Was the debt actually incurred by the business that is named on the demand?  If not, the demand may be able to be set-aside, or better still, maybe the creditor will withdraw it without much fuss?  The demand’s requirements, discussed in another blog, are highly precise with no leeway for error.
  2. What is the demand saying your company owes?  Demands can only be issued to corporations, so if you’ve received a demand against you personally then it will not be of any effect.  Additionally, the amount owed must be for at least $2000.  If the debt is under $2000 presently, the demand is of no effect.  Assuming the demand is made out to the correct legal entity and is in excess of $2000, read on.
  3. When was the demand served on your premises?  This is both a technical and legal question.  If the article has come through the post (in the ordinary course of postage) the item is presumed to have arrived several days after post mark on the envelope.  It’s always an excellent idea to retain the envelop with the post-mark.  This can be very useful.  Is some instances, we’ve been able to get very large creditor’s statutory demands set aside for minor deficiencies (see blog – ATO v GSFPA link).  Can you answer this when question precisely?
  4. Where was the debt incurred, where is the jurisdiction of the loan, tax debt or other facility?  This is less relevant, but in some cases it can make a difference where the demand was served, where it was sent from (if posted from overseas), where it was left (if it wasn’t served at the company’s premises).  If in doubt as to whether procedures have been complied with, call us for your free initial review appointment.
  5. Why – why is the demand being used now?  Is the debt out of time?  Why is the demand being used rather than other debt collection techniques – this can be a very important question particularly if the debt was ever disputed (see our good practice blog).
  6. How?  How was it served?  How long ago was it served?  How was the debt incurred?  This last one is often highly relevant.  Whether a debt such as a PAYG or GST ATO tax debt has been incurred over several months or longer, or has continued to grow over time – can suggest bigger overall issues within the business?  For instance, if a business has been unable to fully pay its super, GST or PAYG ATO debt on time each quarter, or when due, the company may need to look more closely at itself?  Is the company trading profitably?  Is the owner taking too much in drawings?  Are overheads too high?  Are fixed or variable costs too high?  Our advisory service can offer a range of excellent solutions to a business to enable them to restructure and avoid cashflow issues, insolvency and worse.  A free introductory business review is available to assess a company’s issues and potential solutions.

After answering these questions, act.

It is critically important, after receiving a creditors statutory demand that the company does not ignore it (and hope it goes away).

Yet some business owners can be embarrassed to discuss these issues with their accountants.

The law provides only a short period after receipt of the demand to take action – so it is critical that action is not delayed.

Business Asset Protection offers a free introductory first session to help a director work through the above and other relevant questions.

Our service is judgement free and focussed very much on solutions to the present problem.

Our available solutions are often more comprehensive than merely negotiating an extension of time to pay the ATO.

Whilst we can often provide tax debt loans, often times a range of other solutions may also be better suited to some clients?  These can dramatically simplify your business and give it a fresh start.

If your company has received a creditors statutory demand and is unable to, or unwilling to pay the claimed debt, call us to schedule a free appointment – obligation free – on 1300-327123 (1300-DCP123), click our free appointment scheduling link, or complete the form below:

To view related blogs, follow the following category links and tags below.