In a statement the ATO said it is providing the extension to provide administrative support to taxpayers, and the extension for lodging BAS will apply to small business and individual taxpayers in affected local government areas (LGAs) in Queensland and NSW that need to lodge business activity statements and instalment notices with an original due date of 28 February 2022 or 21 March 2022.
These taxpayers will now have until 28 March 2022 to lodge their statements.
However, the lodgement extension does not apply to significant global entities or large businesses, which will need to contact the ATO to work through any lodgement concerns.
The ATO has asked businesses to be aware that:
- You do not need to request a lodgement deferral if you lodge by 28 March 2022.
- Our systems will still reflect the original lodgement due date of these documents until they are lodged. The due date will only update after the lodgement has been received.
- You may see a penalty on your account until we are able to complete the process of remitting associated penalties.
- The payment due date for these lodgements will not change. General interest charge (GIC) will still apply if payment is not made by the original payment due date.
If businesses are not able to pay by the due date, they should contact the ATO to discuss payment options and request a remission of GIC.
If businesses are not be able to lodge by 28 March 2022, they can apply for a deferral on a case-by-case basis. If a deferral has already been issued it will remain in place.
