When the tax and super owed on staff wages have fallen behind, there are funding options.
- Some non-bank lenders can fund a hospitality tax debt within 2 business days
- Loans from $50K to $2M for a single venue or a group of venues
- Restaurant, cafe, bar, pub and catering owners, plus the directors of the companies that run them
- Unpaid PAYG withholding, the tax taken from wages, super guarantee shortfalls, GST and overdue BAS
- Full-doc (tax returns), low-doc or alt-doc (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead) and no-doc options across our 90+ lender panel
A slow winter, a refit that ran over, or a month of cancelled bookings can leave a venue short just as the pay run comes around. Staff were paid on time, every week. The tax withheld from those wages and the super owed on them were the amounts that waited. In a company, those are among the debts a director can become personally liable for. ATO tax debt finance for hospitality clears what the venue owes the ATO with a lender's money, leaving one fixed repayment with an end date. Joseph Farhat and his team work with restaurant, cafe and bar owners on exactly this, and they will tell you plainly what a lender is likely to offer.
Who we can help access finance
- Restaurant owners whose PAYG withheld from kitchen and floor staff has built up over a quiet season.
- Cafe operators with a mostly casual roster who have fallen behind on super since it became due with each pay run.
- Bar and pub directors who hold a director penalty notice, or expect one, for the company's unpaid PAYG withholding and super guarantee charge.
- Owners of two or more venues, each run through its own company, where one or more of those companies has an ATO balance.
- Caterers and function venues whose cash flow follows the events calendar, with a BAS due in the months between busy periods.
- Venue owners with equity in a home or investment property who would rather borrow against it than carry an ATO balance that keeps accruing interest.
- Operators whose ATO payment plan defaulted after a slow quarter, leaving the full overdue amount payable.
How ATO Tax Debt Finance for Hospitality Works
Hospitality payroll is large, frequent and mostly casual. Every pay run creates two amounts owed on top of the wages themselves. The first is PAYG withheld from each employee's pay, which employers must hold back and pass to the ATO. The second is super. Since 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, contributions must reach each employee's fund within 7 business days after payday, with some exceptions such as new employees. That removed the quarterly gap many venues used to absorb a slow month. Casual staff aged 18 or over are owed super regardless of how many hours they work or how much they earn. Staff under 18 are owed it if they work more than 30 hours in a week. The rate is 12%.
Directors carry a personal exposure here. A company director can be personally liable for the company's unpaid PAYG withholding, GST and super guarantee charge (SGC) through a director penalty notice (DPN). The ATO can begin recovery from the director 21 days after the notice is issued. Paying the company debt in full clears the director penalty, because any payment by the company or by a director reduces everyone's share of it. A loan can pay the debt. What happens after that is a matter for the ATO.
Joseph Farhat and his team look at the ATO balance, your sales and payroll pattern, and any security on offer, then put the file to lenders on a panel of 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders who fund venues. Security can be business assets such as kitchen equipment or vehicles, or a director's property. Settled With Joe arranges loans. Tax and solvency questions belong with your accountant, who comes first. If there is any doubt the venue can pay its debts when they are due, a registered insolvency practitioner needs to be involved before a new loan is considered.
What Lenders Assess for ATO Tax Debt Finance for Hospitality
Daily takings
card terminal and bank statement data show the real trading pattern, including the busy and quiet months.
Seasonality
lenders look at whether the repayment still fits in the slowest month, not only the average one.
What is owed and to whom
an ATO account statement showing how much is PAYG withheld, super, GST and income tax.
Payroll records
wage totals, the casual and permanent mix, and whether super has been paid on each payday since 1 July 2026.
The lease
how many years remain, any options to renew, and whether rent is up to date, because the lease is what keeps the venue trading.
Security
kitchen equipment, vehicles, a director's home or an investment property, and what is already owed against each. Where a home is offered, it is at risk if repayments are not met, so get independent legal advice before you sign.
Group structure
where several venues sit in separate companies, which company owes the ATO and which companies or directors would guarantee the loan.
The ATO Tax Debt Finance for Hospitality Process: What to Expect
- Tell Joseph Farhat and his team which company owes the ATO, how much, and whether there is a notice with a date on it. If funding looks hard, you will hear it in that first call.
- Gather the ATO account statement, card terminal reports or bank statements for the last 6 to 12 months, a payroll summary and a copy of the lease. A bookkeeper can usually pull these together.
- We take the file to lenders on the panel that fund hospitality businesses with a tax debt, and set out what each would cost and what security each needs.
- The chosen lender puts its offer in writing. Before anything is signed, we walk you through the total cost over the full term.
- The lender pays the ATO the agreed amount. Repayments start on the agreed schedule, sized to be affordable in your slowest month, and you have someone to call if the next quiet season is harder than planned.
Indicative Finance Options
| Lender Type | Indicative Rate | Security | Typical Loan Range | Loan Term | Speed to Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Rarely available as a standalone venue tax payout. Can sit inside a larger property-secured refinance. | ||||
| Non-Bank Lenders | From ~12% p.a. | Unsecured, equipment or property | $50K to $1M | 3 to 36 months | Within 2 business days |
| Private Finance | From ~1.2% per month | Property security | $150K to $2M | 1 to 24 months | Available for unique scenarios |
Indicative figures only. Actual rates and terms depend on your project, financial position, property location, and lender assessment at the time of application. Rates are subject to change.
Why borrowers choose Settled With Joe for ATO tax debt finance for hospitality
We represent you, not the lender
Joseph Farhat and his team work in your interest at every step, up to the day the ATO receives the funds.
Lenders who read venue trading
some lenders understand a seasonal hospitality business and some price it as a risk. We know which is which before your file goes out.
A repayment sized for winter
a facility that suits your best month can leave you short in your worst, so the term and repayment are matched to your quiet season.
An honest view of security
fit-out usually counts for little, so we tell you early what lenders will actually accept.
Venue groups handled as a whole
where several companies are involved, the loan, the borrower and any guarantees are set out clearly before you sign.
One review, not a string of applications
lenders record every credit enquiry, so your file is sent only where it is likely to be funded.
90+ lenders on one panel
bank, non-bank, and specialist. A venue with tidy books may suit a bank on price, and a harder file still has places to go.
Private finance for unique scenarios
where bank and non-bank lenders are not the right fit, we can introduce you to private finance options.
Usually no direct cost to you
as a broker we are typically paid by the lender on settlement.
An honest answer early
if a DPN or ATO letter has a date on it, tell us early and we will tell you what is realistically achievable before then.
Frequently asked questions
What is ATO tax debt finance for hospitality?
It is funding for a restaurant, cafe, bar or venue group to pay the ATO, usually for PAYG withheld from staff wages, unpaid super, GST or income tax. The money goes to the ATO, and the venue then pays back the lender in regular instalments. The amount owed stays the same. What changes is who it is owed to, and that the interest-accruing ATO balance becomes a loan with an end date.
Is a venue's fit-out acceptable security?
Usually not on its own. Fit-out is built into leased premises, it is hard to remove, and it rarely sells for anything close to what it cost. Most lenders give it little or no value as security. Freestanding items with a resale market, such as commercial ovens, coffee machines, coolrooms or a delivery vehicle, may be accepted, often at a fraction of their purchase price. A director's home or investment property is the security that most changes the rate and term. Unsecured funding assessed on your takings is also possible, at a higher cost and over a shorter term. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you what lenders are likely to accept from your list of assets.
What if I hold several venues in different companies?
Each company has its own ATO account, so the debt sits with the company that ran the payroll. A director of that company can be exposed to a DPN for its PAYG withholding, GST and SGC. When you borrow, the lender needs to know which company is the borrower and which other companies or directors will guarantee the loan. Lenders often ask for guarantees from related companies or from directors. A guarantor may have to repay the whole loan plus interest, so get independent legal and accounting advice before signing one. We work with the structure you already have. Any question about changing it belongs with your accountant.
Can I clear super and BAS together?
Often, yes. A single loan can be sized to cover GST and PAYG withholding on your BAS together with a super shortfall, as long as the lender is willing to fund each type of debt. Some lenders will not fund an ATO balance that includes employee super, so it matters which lender sees the file. How the super shortfall is paid, and whether a voluntary disclosure to the ATO is open to you, are questions for your accountant. Our page on super guarantee debt finance covers super debt on its own in more detail.
Can repayments follow a seasonal trading pattern?
Some lenders allow it. A few offer lower repayments through agreed quiet months, and others let you make extra repayments in busy months without a penalty. Most set one fixed repayment, so it needs to be affordable in your slowest month. Joseph Farhat and his team will check what each lender on the panel allows before you choose.
Can I get ATO tax debt finance for hospitality with low-doc or no-doc?
Often, yes. Many non-bank lenders work from card terminal reports and business bank statements rather than full financials, which suits venues whose accounts run behind. Most still want BAS and payroll reporting up to date, so the true size of the ATO balance is known. No-doc options generally need property security and cost more. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you what each lender on the panel needs to see.
Do you work with borrowers with bad credit?
Yes, we do. A default with a supplier, overdue rent that was later caught up, or a mark on a director's personal file does not rule you out, and you will not be made to feel awkward about it. In hospitality, a credit listing and a tax debt often come from the same quiet season. Several lenders on our panel give more weight to current takings, the lease and any property security than to the credit file, and some will price for the risk where others would decline. Mention it in the first call, so the file reaches a lender that suits it before any enquiry is made. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly what is achievable before you apply anywhere.
Why work with Settled With Joe to arrange your ATO tax debt finance for hospitality?
Because one call to us replaces several applications. Most of the people we help with venue tax debts are owners and company directors with a date to meet: a DPN, an SGC assessment due on the day it issues, a payment plan that defaulted after winter, or a BAS that landed in the quietest month of the year. We deal with these often, and nobody is judged for being in one. What matters to lenders is that the venue is trading, the lease is secure, and the repayment fits your slowest month. With 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders on the panel, a venue with well-kept records can be placed with a bank at a sharper rate, and a harder file, or one that must fund this week, still has options. We are based in Sydney and help venue owners in every state. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly and early whether we can help and what is realistically achievable in your timeframe.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We do not guide you on your finances, nor give financial advice. We focus on outcomes and solutions of presenting your unique scenario to the right lender so you can access funding in a timely and compliant manner.
Do you help with ATO tax debt finance for hospitality outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges ATO tax debt finance for hospitality Australia-wide, covering both metro and regional areas. We work with restaurant, cafe and bar owners in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, as well as regional areas including Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba. Tourist towns are often assessed differently from city venues. Joseph Farhat and his team will identify which lenders on the panel suit your venue and your timeframe.
