There are a range of Business Support Grants and Packages available for the Tourism and Hospitality sector and lockdown-impacted businesses in Queensland.    

Program 2021 COVID-19 Business Support Grants for lockdown-impacted businesses in Queensland
Type Grant
Amount Initial $5,000 (ex GST)

Plus an additional:

  • $5,000 one-off, top up to small businesses with payroll of less than $1.3 million (bringing total grant available to $10,000)
  • $10,000 one-off, top-up grant to medium sized businesses with payroll of greater than $1.3 million and up to $10 million (bringing total grant available to $15,000)
  • $25,000 one-off, top-up grant to large sized tourism and hospitality businesses with payroll of greater than $10 million (bringing total grant to $30,000).

Not matched funding

Can be used for business expenses

Application Dates Applications open: 12pm, Monday 16 August 2021 (for initial $5,000 only) – details for additional payments of $5,000-$25,000 will be released shortly.
Applications close: 16 November 2021 (for initial $5,000)
Industry SMEs and NFPs – any industry type.

Large businesses and NFPs (payroll over $10 million) – identified tourism and hospitality ANZSIC codes only.

Location Queensland-wide
Eligibility Online eligibility checker is available.

To be eligible, your business or not for profit organisation must:

  • employ staff (employees must be on your payroll and does not include any business owners)
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN) continuously held from 30 June 2021
  • be registered for GST
  • have Queensland headquarters (i.e. your principal place of business is located in Queensland) and have been trading in Queensland on 31 July 2021
  • not be insolvent, or have owners or directors that are insolvent or an undischarged bankrupt
  • have an annual payroll of not more than $10 million (except for large businesses and not for profit organisations operating in an identified tourism and hospitality sector) during any of the 2018–19, 2019–20 or 2020–21 financial years
  • have an annual turnover of over $75,000 during any of the 2018–19, 2019–20 or 2020–21 financial years

 

Note: Businesses that have recently started can provide financial records to show they will reasonably meet this turnover requirement in the 2021–22 financial year

  • demonstrate the business or not for profit organisation was directly or indirectly impacted by a lockdown event
  • demonstrate or declare a reduction in turnover of 30% or more during a nominated 7-day period

- this must include at least 1 full day of a lockdown event when comparing against turnover achieved during the same 7-day period in July or August 2019
-or-
-  if the 2019 period does not indicate a typical weekly turnover (e.g. for a recently started small business or business that has experienced structural changes), include another comparable period (e.g. the same period in July/August 2020). 

Large tourism and hospitality businesses and not for profit organisations must ensure they are undertaking business activities in any of the identified tourism and hospitality ANZSIC code industry areas and meet all eligibility criteria (although you can have an annual payroll greater than $10 million). List of specific ANZSIC Codes is on the website but includes things like: Accommodation; Cafes & Restaurants; Catering; Pubs; Tourism Transport eg water passenger, sightseeing; Performing Arts Venues; Museums; Zoos; Travel Agency and Tour Arrangement services.

Supporting evidence
  • Reduction in turnover of 30% or more – you must demonstrate or declare you have experienced a reduction in turnover of 30% or more over a nominated 7-day period (including at least 1 full day of a lockdown event) compared against the same 7-day period in July/August 2019. If the 2019 period doesn't indicate a typical weekly turnover, include another nominated 7-day period (e.g. the same period in July/August 2020). Provide the following evidence to demonstrate:
    • direct impact: – complete a declaration in your application
    • indirect impact:
      • submit sales turnover information from your business records for the relevant periods
        or
      • rely on a dated letter on letterhead issued by a member of CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, Institute of Public Accountants, registered tax agent or registered BAS agent.
  • Employ staff – you must demonstrate you employ staff (in addition to the business owners and be employed on the business's payroll). Evidence may include:
    • business financial statements, business payroll records, payroll tax return information
      or
    • a dated letter on letterhead issued by a member of CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, Institute of Public Accountants, registered tax agent or registered BAS agent.
  • Annual payroll up to $10 million – you must demonstrate an annual payroll up to $10 million during any of the 2018-19, 2019-20 or 2020-21 financial years (except for large tourism and hospitality businesses and not for profit organisations operating in an identified tourism and hospitality sector). Evidence may include:
    • business payroll records, payroll tax return information
      or
    • a dated letter on letterhead issued by a member of CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, Institute of Public Accountants, registered tax agent or registered BAS agent.
  • Annual turnover of over $75,000 – you must demonstrate annual turnover of over $75,000 during any of the 2018-19, 2019-20 or 2020-21 financial years. Evidence may include:
    • BAS statements or Australian Taxation Office records
      or
    • a dated accountant letter on letterhead from a member of CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, Institute of Public Accountants, registered tax agent or registered BAS agent.
  • Trading location – to verify your trading location, you may provide:
    • publicly available web information to identify your business operations (e.g. website or social media pages)
      or
    • utility bills for the business location.

Template letter

If you choose to, send this template to your accountant or tax professional so they can prepare your letter to submit with your application.

Website https://www.business.qld.gov.au/starting-business/advice-support/grants/covid19-support-grants

 

 

TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR COVID-19 LOCKDOWN SUPPORT PACKAGE INCLUDES:

  • Payroll tax deferral
  • State land rent deferral
  • Commercial tourism daily passenger fee waiver / refund
  • Inbound tour operator fee waiver / refund
  • Marine tourism rebate
  • Liquor licensing fee waiver / refund

 

Program Payroll tax deferral
(part of Tourism and hospitality sector COVID-19 lockdown support package)
Type Deferral
Amount N/A – deferral only.

6-month deferral for either July or August

Application Dates Applications open – now

Applications close – 30 September 2021

Industry Hospitality and tourism sector only. List of specific ANZSIC Codes is on the website but includes things like: Accommodation; Cafes & Restaurants; Catering; Pubs; Tourism Transport eg water passenger, sightseeing; Performing Arts Venues; Museums; Zoos; Travel Agency and Tour Arrangement services.
Location Queensland-wide
Eligibility If you are a business operating in the hospitality or tourism sector and lodge payroll tax returns monthly, you can apply to defer paying your liability for July 2021 for 6 months (If you have paid your July return liability, the deferral will be applied to your August return).

The deferral will only apply to 1 month.

No refunds are available if these July and August returns are paid.

To qualify for the 2021 deferral, your business must:

  • pay payroll tax in Queensland
  • operate in the hospitality or tourism sector (check your ANZSIC code)
  • lodge payroll tax returns monthly
  • have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns in Queensland
  • apply no later than 30 September 2021 using the online form.

If you have applied for payroll tax registration in Queensland and are waiting on confirmation from us, we will contact you about your eligibility for the deferral. You must have applied for payroll tax registration on or before 30 September 2021.

Supporting evidence Nil – just apply for the deferral after lodging July or August return.
Website https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/employing/payroll-tax/lodging/coronavirus-tax-relief

 

 

Program State land rent deferral
(part of Tourism and hospitality sector COVID-19 lockdown support package)
Type Deferral
Amount N/A – deferral only

Rent for 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 (12-months) has been automatically deferred until 1 July 2022

Application Dates N/A – automatic – no application is required
Industry Tourism sector only. No specific information available yet
Location Queensland-wide
Eligibility Rent for eligible tourism lessees, licensees and permit holders that is payable for the period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 has been automatically deferred for payment until 1 July 2022. No further action is required.

Payment of rent for this period will now be due on 1 July 2022.

The following are not eligible for a rent deferral:

Supporting evidence Nil – automatic deferral.
Website https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/state/rents/covid-19-tourism-assistance

 

 

Program Commercial tourism daily passenger fee waiver / refund
(part of Tourism and hospitality sector COVID-19 lockdown support package)
Type Waiver / Refund
Amount Full waiver / refund

For fees that have (or will have) been incurred from tourism activities occurring between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022

Application Dates DES will contact permit holders directly about how to access the support
Competitive? No
Industry Tourism sector only – commercial tour operators working on Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service managed areas
Location Queensland-wide
Eligibility Tourism businesses that operate in a national park, conservation park, recreation area or state forest, including whale watching operations, may have fees waived or refunded where those fees have (or will have) been incurred from tourism activities occurring between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022.
Supporting evidence Nil – DES will contact permit holders directly about how to access the support

 

Website https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/management/permits/covid-support-tourism-operators

 

 

Program Inbound tour operator fee waiver / refund
(part of Tourism and hospitality sector COVID-19 lockdown support package)
Type Waiver / Refund
Amount Full waiver / refund (1 year renewal valued at $800.40)

Waiving 12-month registration fee for renewals lodged before 30 June 2022

Application Dates Applications open – now

Applications close – must lodge renewal application before 30 June 2022

Industry Tourism sector only – inbound tour operators
Location Queensland-wide
Eligibility The government has identified that ITOs may benefit from renewal application fees being waived (or where paid, refunded) to mitigate the impact this may have on their business.

To support this, we are waiving the registration fee for a 12-month period for ITO renewal applications lodged before 30 June 2022.

Supporting evidence Nil
Website https://www.qld.gov.au/law/laws-regulated-industries-and-accountability/queensland-laws-and-regulations/regulated-industries-and-licensing/regulated-industries-licensing-and-legislation/inbound-tour-operators-working-in-queensland/inbound-tour-operators-forms-and-fees

 

 

Program Queensland COVID-19 cleaning rebate
Type Rebate
Amount Up to $10,000 (ex GST) per incident

Up to 80% of cleaning costs – capped at $10,000

Application Dates TBC

Eligible businesses will be able to apply through this Business Queensland website in the near future.

Industry SMEs and NFPs – any industry type
Location Queensland-wide
Eligibility Small and medium businesses and not-for-profit organisations can access a rebate after:

This rebate applies to businesses that undertake an eligible professional clean in the 2021–22 financial year—this includes businesses that may have undertaken cleaning aligned to the South East Queensland and Townsville lockdown that commenced on 29 June 2021.

To be eligible, businesses (including sole traders) need to have a Queensland based business premises (i.e. principal place of business is located in Queensland) and an annual payroll in Queensland of not more than $10 million.

Supporting evidence A rebate amount of up to 80% of the cleaning cost is available, capped at $10,000 (excluding GST) per incident.

To receive the rebate, eligible businesses will use an online process to provide their business details, cleaning invoice and evidence of payment for the professional cleaning at the impacted business premise.

Website https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/covid-19-restrictions/cleaning-rebate

 

 

FOR INDIVIDUAL WORKERS:

 

Program COVID-19 Disaster Payment
Administered by Services Australia (Australian Government)
Type Lump-sum payment
Amount $450 (for lost hours of more than 8 – and less than 20 hours)

$750 (for lost hours of 20 or more hours)

Note: Tax-free income – does not need to be declared on tax return

Application Dates SEQ lockdown locations:

  • 1 August – 7 August period (claims open 7 August and close 28 August 2021)
  • 8 August period (claims open 15 August and close 4 September 2021)

Cairns and Yarrabah locations:

  • 9 August – 11 August period (claims open 16 August and close 5 September 2021)
Competitive? No – all eligible applications will receive payment
Industry Any industry type
Location COVID-19 hotspot subject to restricted movement from 1 July 2021:

  • SEQ LGAs – Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Sunshine Coast.
  • Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs

If you visited any of these LGAs during the relevant periods and were then subject to a restricted movement order as a result, you may also be eligible.

Sole traders? Yes, as long as they have not accessed the ‘2021 COVID-19 Business Support Grants for lockdown-impacted businesses in Queensland’
Eligibility You can get it even if you were eligible on only one day during the payment period.

If you’re a member of a couple, you can both claim this payment. You and your partner will need to make separate claims. If you’re a sole trader, you should check to see if you’re eligible for your state or territory’s COVID-19 business support payment first. You can only get the COVID-19 Disaster Payment or a state or territory business support payment per relevant period, not both. You need to decide which payment is best for you.

To get the payment, you need to meet all eligibility rules that apply.

This includes all of these rules:

  • you're an Australian resident or hold a visa that gives you the right to work in Australia; and you’re 17 years or older
  • you didn't get an income support payment, Dad and Partner Pay, Parental Leave Pay or ABSTUDY Living Allowance during the same period
  • you didn't get the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, a state pandemic payment or a state small business payment for the same period
  • you lost income and didn’t have any pandemic-related paid leave entitlements.
  • you lived in, worked from or visited a Commonwealth-declared COVID-19 hotspot that is subject to a state restricted movement order
  • you have been unable to earn your usual income of 8 hours or more, or a full day’s work because you were in the COVID-19 hotspot and subject to restricted movement
  • you’re not getting your usual income and your employer is not getting Retaining Domestic Airline Capability payments on your behalf.

Note: A full day of your usual work is what you were scheduled to work but could not because of a restricted movement order. This includes not being able to attend a full time, part time or casual shift of less than 8 hours.

Supporting evidence Via myGov account (may need to prove identity online if you’ve not claimed a Centrelink income support payment before). No supporting documentation needs to be provided.
Website https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/covid-19-disaster-payment-queensland