THE Small Business Development Corporation has officially opened its GST Transition Centre.
The centre is designed to help small business people deal with just about any problem they are likely to encounter during the change over to the new tax.
It is a free service. People can either go to the centre at 553 Hay Street, Perth or phone its toll free number 1300 130 678.
Two Australian Tax Office staff have been seconded on a full-time basis to the centre.
Both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Society of CPAs have also provided assistance to the centre.
SBDC managing director George Etrelezis said recent SBDC research showed the problem of GST understanding was becoming worse among small businesses.
“Of the small businesses surveyed, 47 per cent said they still had an inadequate understanding of the GST.
“That’s up about 6 per cent from the last survey,” Mr Etrelezis said.
According to an Australian Society of CPAs’ survey, 66 per cent of WA small businesses have not reviewed their business practices to ensure they are GST ready.
The centre will be linked to the network of thirty-six Business Enterprise Centres around WA and the seventy-two telecentres in the state.
After-hours GST workshops are also planned and will start in the latter part of November.
