ATO Masterclass series: Supporting small businesses
Published on 18 March 2025
The ATO has an online learning platform designed by small businesses for small businesses: Essentials to strengthen your small business. Essentials to strengthen your small business provides free and professional courses to support small businesses improve their tax, super and business management knowledge.
The ATO is also hosting a series of Masterclasses over the coming months to help you understand what you need to know to start a business, and tips to help you succeed. Scheduled over a six-month period, this Masterclass series is designed to help businesses understand the below topics:
Starting a small business – 14 April 2025
This course will help you understand the difference between a hobby and a business, the most common business structures and the registrations you may need to run a small business
Record keeping – 19 May 2025
Good record keeping helps you know the state of your business at any time which helps you manage your business successfully. You’re also legally required to keep records of all transactions relating to your tax and super affairs while you’re running a business.
Claiming small business tax deductions – 20 June 2025
This course covers expenses you can deduct immediately, expenses you can deduct over time and expenses you can never deduct. Motor vehicle deductions are also covered in this course.
Cash flow for small business success - 21 July 2025
In this course you will learn critical cash flow management skills to work out your cash flow position, analyse your cash flow, test potential cash flow improvement strategies and to track and monitor your business cash flow.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) - 18 August 2025
This course outlines who must register for GST, how to calculate GST on sales and purchases, as well as other requirements such as invoicing, record-keeping, and reporting GST to the ATO.
Hiring & paying workers – 22 September 2025
If you are thinking about hiring employees for your business, you can learn what to consider before hiring employees and your obligations as an employer. In this course you will also learn about how to set up systems and pay your employees. You’ll learn about your payment obligations to your employees and your reporting obligations to the ATO.
You can sign up reserve your place for this masterclass series by visiting: ATO Masterclass series 2025
Training for small business success
Want to improve your skills in business planning, finances, record keeping and registration, tax and super management? Or just understand what you need to know to start a small business?
Essentials to strengthen your small business is a free, online learning platform where you can upskill in those critical areas. It includes 30 short, free courses in record keeping, cash flow, deductions, GST, super and more.