Hotels, pubs & licensed venues compliance obligations in New South Wales: 1–5 employees
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine for a Pty Ltd company with 1–5 employees, turnover $100K–$1M, in hotels, pubs & licensed venues, operating in New South Wales and selling to consumers and small businesses.
Short answer: 48 obligations
48 obligations apply (17 critical) across 27 regulators, plus 14 to check. Risk rating: medium. No licensed regime, but you employ staff (WHS, Fair Work, super and payroll duties); 17 critical obligations apply.
What changes at 1–5 employees
Compared with a hotels, pubs & licensed venues business with no employees in New South Wales, 21 obligations apply that did not.
- Applies: Pay superannuation on every payday (Payday Super)
- Applies: Pay employees in accordance with the applicable modern award
- Applies: Manage psychosocial hazards at work
- Applies: Take reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent sex discrimination, sexual
- Applies: Withhold PAYG from employee and contractor payments
- Applies: Provide 10 days paid family + domestic violence leave (FDV)
- Applies: Document VEVO checks + retain employer records (s 245AYL Migration Act)
- Applies: Casual employment definition + conversion (Closing Loopholes 2024)
- Applies: Report under Single Touch Payroll Phase 2
- Applies: Honour employees' right to disconnect (s 333M)
What switches on at 6–19 employees
Nothing new switches on for a Pty Ltd company with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M.
New South Wales law that applies
4 New South Wales obligations apply on these facts, and 1 more is worth checking:
| Obligation | Why it applies |
|---|---|
| PCBU primary duty of care (NSW WHS Act s 19) | Every business is a PCBU — the primary duty of care applies whether or not you employ anyone · NSW law |
| Notify SafeWork NSW of notifiable WHS incidents | Every PCBU must notify the regulator of notifiable incidents (death, serious injury, dangerous incident) · NSW law |
| Pay long service leave under the LSL Act 1955 (NSW) | You have employees (1–5) · NSW law |
| Comply with Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 (NSW) | You have employees (1–5) · NSW law |
| Comply with Retail Leases Act 1994 (NSW) | Check: applies only if you lease retail premises |
Payroll tax in New South Wales (FY2026-27)
NSW: 5.45% on Australian wages above the $1.2 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27). On these facts the business is below the New South Wales threshold, so payroll tax does not apply yet.
- How the threshold works
- Flat tax-free threshold, apportioned by the share of Australian wages paid in NSW and by days employed; only one group member claims it.
- Returns
- Monthly by the 7th of the following month; annual reconciliation by 28 July
- Administered by
- Revenue NSW
New South Wales regulators
Where the obligations sit
| Area | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Tax | 7 |
| Workplace | 7 |
| Directors | 4 |
| Whs | 4 |
| Privacy | 3 |
| Food safety | 3 |
| Super | 2 |
| Migration | 2 |
| Liquor | 2 |
| Corporations | 2 |
Critical obligations on this profile
- Apply for a Director Identification Number (Director ID) (Incorporated company (Corporations Act))
- Comply with directors' general law and statutory duties (Incorporated company (Corporations Act))
- Prevent insolvent trading (s 588G) (Incorporated company (Corporations Act))
- Pay superannuation on every payday (Payday Super) (You have employees (1–5))
- Pay employees in accordance with the applicable modern award (You have employees (1–5))
- Manage psychosocial hazards at work (You have employees (1–5))
- Take reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent sex discrimination, sexual (You have employees (1–5))
- Australian Business Number (ABN) application (Every business carrying on an enterprise needs an ABN)
Check whether these apply
- Franchising Code of Conduct (mandatory industry code): only if you are a franchisor or franchisee
- Lodge an FBT return and pay FBT by 21 May: only if you provide fringe benefits (cars, entertainment, loans) to employees
- Wash outbound marketing lists against the Do Not Call Register: only if you make outbound telemarketing calls
- Influencer + ad disclosure under ACL + AANA Code: only if you advertise to consumers or engage influencers
- Comply with Retail Leases Act 1994 (NSW): only if you lease retail premises
- Implement Food Safety Program where prescribed (Standard 3.2.1): only if you serve food to vulnerable persons (FSANZ Std 3.3.1) or your state prescribes a food safety program
- Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) for producers + wholesalers: only if you produce, import or wholesale wine
- Track eligibility for the electric car FBT exemption: only if you provide electric vehicles to employees
Thresholds to watch
- Lose the Privacy Act small-business exemption at $3M annual turnover (removal of the exemption altogether is proposed, not yet law) (threshold $3M; approaching)
Questions
- How many compliance obligations apply to hotels, pubs and licensed venues in New South Wales with 1–5 employees?
- 48 obligations apply (17 critical) across 27 regulators, plus 14 to check. Risk rating: medium. No licensed regime, but you employ staff (WHS, Fair Work, super and payroll duties); 17 critical obligations apply.
- Which New South Wales laws apply?
- PCBU primary duty of care (NSW WHS Act s 19), Notify SafeWork NSW of notifiable WHS incidents, Pay long service leave under the LSL Act 1955 (NSW) and Comply with Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 (NSW)
Related
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues compliance in New South Wales
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues: all obligations
- Compliance obligations by industry, state and size
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: sole trader
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: sole trader with employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: partnership
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: trading trust
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: no employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: 20–99 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: 100–499 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: 20–99 employees, turnover $1M–$3M
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: 6–19 employees, turnover $3M–$10M
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: 100–499 employees, turnover $100M–$1B
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in NSW: 500+ employees, turnover $1B+
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in Victoria: 1–5 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in Queensland: 1–5 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in Western Australia: 1–5 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in South Australia: 1–5 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in Tasmania: 1–5 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in Northern Territory: 1–5 employees
- Hotels, pubs & licensed venues in Australian Capital Territory: 1–5 employees
- Franchising Code of Conduct (mandatory industry code): does it apply to hotels, pubs & licensed venues?
- Hold valid liquor licence (state liquor licensing): does it apply to hotels, pubs & licensed venues?
- Appoint a certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS): does it apply to hotels, pubs & licensed venues?
- Register for ACT portable long service leave (hospitality / beauty): does it apply to hotels, pubs & licensed venues?
Sources
- Revenue NSW: payroll tax thresholds and rates
- PCBU primary duty of care (NSW WHS Act s 19)
- Notify SafeWork NSW of notifiable WHS incidents
- Pay long service leave under the LSL Act 1955 (NSW)
- Comply with Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 (NSW)
- Apply for a Director Identification Number (Director ID)
- Comply with directors' general law and statutory duties
- Prevent insolvent trading (s 588G)
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.