Regulatory Requirements For Hospitality Business

Hospitality Business Regulatory Requirements in Queensland, Australia

Company Name and ABN

The company name has to be registered under the business names register. This will be under the restaurant name and the preferred registration period will be indicated as either 1 or 3 years. The registration costs for one year is $35 and three years is $82. The business name registration form is filled in online in the website for Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

A food business licence under the Food Act 2006 will be required as the business is a restaurant hence will be selling unpackaged food (Mundial, 2013).The food business licence application can be filled online and lodged at the nearest regional business centre and the fees will vary according to restaurant specifics as follows.

 The Australian Business Number will not require any fees but must be applied for and the company has to provide its proof of identity. The ABN application form is filled online through the Australian Business Register website and there are no costs.

Building Regulations

An application will be required by the restaurant if they are to change the layout of the premise that they want to hire (Dwyer & Kotey, 2015). The application form for building layout change will be filled in online on the local council website,lodged and approved before renovations and the application charge is $89.

Planning Permits

An application has to be made by the restaurant for the planning of the restaurant setup. The application must be approved before the restaurant is opened. The form that will be filled is the  food business approvals online form, which is available in the Queensland Government website. The fees that will apply are as follows.

Third Party Insurance

The business has to consider third party insurance as it will be serving customers. The restaurant must have third party insurance just in case any accident happens that will lead to lawsuits or any other legal issues. Third party issues will make sure such issues are covered. Third party insurance forms can be filled at any local insurance firm and costs may be as follows.

Health and Safety Regulations

For a restaurant business, all food safety regulations of Queensland must be complied with. The food standards code should be followed and is available for free to all businesses that deal with food. A food safety program based on HACCP principles must be developed and the document has to be regularly updated (Mundial, 2013). The state carries out impromptu audits of food safety programs at restaurants around Queensland. The form that will be completed is the online food safety program accreditation, available online in the Local Council website and the costs are as follows.

Liquor License Regulations

The restaurant will be handling liquor hence a licence and registration from the Queensland council will be required. This license has to be renewed annually by 31 July every year. The amount for the liquor license will be $ 492.90 each year and renewal requires the same amount. In Queensland, the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) regulates liquor licence and permit applications. Liquor licenses may take 4-6 months to be approved. The application form for liquor license will be filled in Queensland Government Website.

GST Registration

The restaurant business will require goods and services tax registration. This is required by any business which has an annual GST turnover of $75,000 or more. If a new business is registered and predicts that it will have this turnover, it has to register for GST. No application fees are required for this. The form can be filled at the Queensland Government Website. GST is charged at 10%.

Taxation Requirements

The business must have a tax file number. Tax must be paid by the business and filed to the Australian tax authority (Dwyer & Kotey, 2015). The employer will also have to ensure that tax is deducted from its employees during salary payments. An employer must register for payroll tax 7 days after the end of the month if group wages exceed $21153 a week and the form is filled online in Queensland Government Website. The payroll tax rate is 4.75% of taxable wages. The business must also fill taxation forms for businesses at the Australian Taxation Office

Legal Advice Required

It is important that the restaurant seek legal advice from a lawyer who is familiar with requirements in Queensland. This will ensure that all legal requirements are met and that compliance is met as per the State requirements. The contract forms for legal advice will be signed at any lawyers office and costs will vary depending on the lawyer used.

Business Compliance Needs

The restaurant will have to comply with workplace compliance rules which apply to Queensland. All staff employed must undergo proper training for the workplace including food safety (Mundial, 2013). The restaurant can consider online nationally accredited training courses, in-house staff training or training manuals to be given to staff. The food safety training course can be done through completing an online application form at www.foodsafety.edu.au and paying a fee of $ 49.

Risks, Penalties and Consequences of Non-Compliance

The restaurant will have to follow required regulations or it risks hefty penalties and fines including the restaurant being closed down. On the spot fines can apply if the restaurant does illegal dumping and rates are as follows.

• less than 200 litres - 10 penalty units
• between 200 litres and 2500 litres - 50 penalty units
• over 2500 litres - 75 penalty units.

Specialist Advice

It is mandatory for restaurants in Queensland to have a food safety supervisor with proper certificates and training. An outside contractor can be hired or a current employee nominated. The supervisor has to attend training through a registered training organisation. The food safety supervisor training course can be done through completing an online application form at www.foodsafety.edu.au and paying a fee of $ 159.

References

Dwyer, B., & Kotey, B. (2015). Financing SME Growth: The Role of the National Stock Exchange of Australia and Business Advisors. Australian Accounting Review, 25(2), 114-123.

Mundial, B. (2013). Doing business 2013: smarter regulations for small and medium-size enterprises. The World Ban