Samuel Ord

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has published a report detailing the period between 2021 and 2025, revealing that 238 retail businesses collapsed during that period, with total liabilities of $3.66 billion and median liabilities of $2.10 million per appointment. The report has been described as the first detailed public breakdown of how the voluntary administration and deed of company arrangement (DOCA) process is undertaken.

Earlier this year, as part of the 2026–27 Federal Budget, the Government announced it would introduce a 30 per cent minimum tax on discretionary trusts from July 1, 2028. A trust is a structure in which a trustee acts on behalf of the trust's members. According to the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), many of its members are concerned that these reforms will result in them paying thousands of dollars more in tax each year.

That’s according to the latest analysis from Retail Edge Consultants, which found that jewellery sales in June increased by 8 per cent on a year-by-year comparison. The data is sourced from more than 400 independent jewellery stores in Australia and New Zealand. Unit sales for June declined by 7 per cent on a year-on-year comparison and were 14 per cent lower than the same month in 2024.