Company debt can become your personal problem.
Know where you stand.
The company structure provides some separation — but it's not unconditional. When ATO debt goes unresolved, directors can find themselves personally liable through a Director Penalty Notice. The good news: you can find out exactly where you stand — confidentially, at no cost, with no obligation to go any further.
The company shield has limits.
Here's where they are.
Operating through a company creates real separation between business debts and personal assets. But when ATO obligations — particularly unpaid PAYG withholding or superannuation — go unresolved, the ATO has a formal mechanism to make directors personally liable.
A DPN makes the company's tax debt your personal debt.
When a Director Penalty Notice is issued, the tax liability isn't just the company's problem any more. It becomes yours personally — and your home, savings, and other personal assets can enter the picture. Interest and penalties continue to compound while the debt goes unresolved.
There's a formal process where you stay in control.
Small Business Restructuring (SBR) was introduced in 2021 specifically for this situation. Unlike voluntary administration, you remain in the director's seat. A registered practitioner develops a plan, creditors vote, and if accepted — the agreed terms replace the original debt obligations. Eligibility criteria apply.
Clarity instead of a worry.
You don't have to have it all worked out. The whole point is to swap the guessing for a clear picture of where you stand — and what options are genuinely open to your company.
Your real position
A clear, honest read on your company's ATO exposure and your personal liability as a director — not the worst-case scenario you've been imagining.
Your legitimate options
Small Business Restructuring, ATO payment arrangements, director liability strategies — we'll tell you which formal pathways may apply to your situation.
A path that protects what you've built
The goal is resolution — dealing with the company's debt through a structured, legal mechanism while reducing personal exposure where possible.
What we actually help you sort out.
The most common thing we hear from directors: "I don't know if my situation is serious enough to bother — or if it's already too far gone." Here's exactly what we work through with you.
Your company's ATO position and your personal exposure
What the company owes, what the ATO's current stance is, and whether a Director Penalty Notice is in play or likely. No guessing.
Whether formal restructuring is an option
SBR has specific eligibility criteria — including a debt threshold and tax lodgement requirements. We'll tell you whether your company qualifies, and what that means in practice.
What's realistic from where you are
A plain-English picture of your options — SBR, payment arrangements, or another path — and what each involves, what it costs, and what you can genuinely expect.
Thinking about refinancing your home to pay the company's ATO debt?
It's one of the first ideas directors reach for. It makes sense on the surface — but there's something important that often gets missed.
You're absorbing a company liability into your personal life.
When you use home equity to pay the company's ATO debt, what was a company liability — sitting at arm's length from your personal assets — becomes a personal liability secured against your home. If the underlying business issues aren't resolved, many directors find themselves facing the same pressures again. Except now their personal position is more exposed, not less.
"How do I deal with this debt without putting my home on the line?"
For many directors, the answer is a formal process — one that addresses the company's debt through a structured, legal mechanism without requiring personal funds. That's exactly what Small Business Restructuring is designed for. Refinancing may still have a role — but ideally alongside dealing with the root cause, not instead of it.
The questions directors ask us first.
"Will this commit me to anything?"
No. The eligibility check is free and takes about 30 seconds. If we have a conversation after that, it's still no obligation. If there's nothing worth doing, we'll tell you straight — and that's where it ends.
"Is voluntary administration the only option?"
No. Small Business Restructuring is a separate pathway introduced in 2021 — specifically designed so directors can stay in control of the business while the debt is dealt with through a formal plan. It's not right for every situation, but it's the option most directors don't know about.
"Is my situation too messy — or too early?"
That's exactly what the eligibility check sorts out. Either answer is useful. The directors who come out of this in the best position are the ones who understood their situation clearly while they still had room to choose their path.
No mystery. Here's the process, start to resolution.
One of the things that keeps directors from reaching out is not knowing what "reaching out" actually leads to. So here it is, plainly.
Eligibility check
A few quick questions about your company and its debt situation — takes about 30 seconds, online, whenever suits you. We'll tell you whether SBR or another formal pathway is likely open to you.
Conversation with a debt advocate
Not a call centre. A real person who understands director obligations, ATO processes, and restructuring options. You tell us where you're at — we give you an honest picture.
Financial review and practitioner appointment
We look at the full picture: company debt, ATO position, director exposure. If SBR is the right path, a registered restructuring practitioner is formally appointed. You remain in the director's seat throughout.
Who this is for: directors and owners of Australian Pty Ltd companies carrying ATO or business-related debt. We work alongside qualified legal, restructuring, and tax specialists. Any formal restructuring process is carried out by a registered practitioner under the Corporations Act 2001.
Small Business Reboot has been featured across Australia's leading current affairs and business news programs, discussing how business debt can put directors' personal assets at risk — and the structured options that may help.
You've been carrying this.
Find out where you actually stand.
The eligibility check is free, takes about 30 seconds, and doesn't commit you to anything. It just tells you what's possible — so you can stop guessing.
Contact Us
Speak with our team about your restructuring options — no obligation.
Phone
Head Office
117/530 Little Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
