1 fewer way to stall a tax bill. The Australian Taxation Office moved to stop taking credit cards, after the Reserve Bank surcharge ban left the Taxation Office wearing $200 million a year. ABC News, 9 October 2026. My view: a card was never a plan. How do you fund yours? #smallbusinessau #tax
CPA Australia, 9 October 2026: of Australian businesses whose profitability rose, 63% used AI widely or had AI deeply embedded. Where profitability was flat or fell, that figure was 50%. Depth of AI use separates those 2 groups, not access to AI.
A joint parliamentary inquiry into AI heard on 9 October 2026 that AI saves bankers 150,000 annualised hours assessing mortgage and credit applications. A solo operator's loan application sits in that volume. Write the loan application for the model, not only for the lender. #smallbusinessau #AI
Client-to-agent linking, published by the Australian Taxation Office on 2 October 2026, hands the approval to the business owner through ATO online services for individuals. A sole trader without that login becomes the delay in her own lodgement. #smallbusinessau #tax
Hearings on cyber security for Australian small business began 6 October 2026. The House Select Committee survey behind them stays open to businesses under 200 employees until 29 January 2027, the date that decides what evidence exists. #smallbusinessau #cybersecurity
Surcharging on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa ended 1 October 2026, per Commonwealth Bank, page dated 1 October 2026. The Commonwealth Bank list of surfaces to update names signage and receipts. The quote template and the pay button are not on that list. #smallbusinessau #payments