The Federal Government has proposed a new, simplified small business restructuring process for eligible small businesses. The process will allow businesses to compromise their debts and maximise their chances of trading profitably in the future. It also allows for business owners to remain in control of their business during the restructuring period.
What Businesses Can Use the New Restructuring Process?
Companies with less than $1 million in debt will be able to access the restructuring process. In addition, companies seeking to take advantage of the process must have paid all outstanding employee entitlements including superannuation and have their tax lodgements up to date.
The Government has stated that the new provisions will be operational on 1 January 2021.
How Will the New Process Work?
An insolvent company engages an insolvency practitioner to assist with the process and pays them a fixed up-front fee. The company and the insolvency practitioner create a restructuring plan, which will include a proposal to creditors to compromise their debts. At the appropriate time during this process the company formally appoints the insolvency practitioner as their small business restructuring practitioner for a period of 20 business days.
Once the small business restructuring practitioner is officially appointed:
- Unsecured and some secured creditors are prohibited from taking action against the company;
- A personal guarantee cannot be enforced against a director or one of their relatives; and
- There is a protection from clauses in contracts that allow creditors to terminate an agreement because of an insolvency event.
Importantly for business owners, during the 20 business day restructuring process, they retain control of their company without the oversight of an insolvency practitioner. This will help minimise costs and also business disruption caused by an insolvency process.
At the end of the 20 business day period, the small business restructuring practitioner sends a proposal to creditors to restructure the business, which will include certain funds being available to creditors and creditors’ compromising their debts. Creditors will then have 15 business days to vote on the plan and the plan will be approved if a majority, in value, of unrelated creditors vote for it.
If the restructuring plan is approved, the company continues trading and the small business restructuring practitioner administers the plan and distributes funds to creditors.
If the restructuring plan is not approved, the process ends, and the company’s directors can then decide whether to place the company into voluntary administration or liquidation (or a new simplified liquidation process which is also proposed).
How We Can Help
We have been helping clients for years to settle debts rather than enter into a formal insolvency appointment. This includes settling lease debts, bank debts and other debts owed to general creditors. However, sometimes informal debt settlement is not feasible, particularly for companies with ATO debts which generally can’t be voluntarily compromised outside of a reduction in interest and penalties.
We envisage that one of the major benefits of small business restructuring will be that it will provide a simplified and low cost way for companies with unmanageable ATO debts to settle those and other debts without having to resort to voluntary administration and the issues associated with that type of appointment.
Whilst the new provisions will not come into effect until 1 January 2021, there is no reason you cannot start planning a strategy to deal with problem debts now, which may include using the small business restructuring process . If you wish to discuss your circumstances, don’t hesitate to contact Pearce & Heers Brisbane or Gold Coast office so we can assist you.
