Smart insolvency solutions for you and your business — SBR (Small Business Restructuring), Voluntary Administration, Safe Harbour, Turnaround, and Personal Advisory. More than 30 years helping Australian directors find creative solutions.
Free initial consultation with an ASIC-registered specialist. Confidential and no obligation.
Three quick questions tell you if Small Business Restructuring is on the table.
SBR is only available to incorporated proprietary limited companies. Sole traders, partnerships, and trusts can't use it.
The legal threshold for SBR is $1 million in total liabilities (excluding employee entitlements). Above that, Voluntary Administration is usually the right path.
Income tax returns, BAS, and superannuation must be substantially current. A practitioner can help you bring these into line before formal appointment.
Three yeses? You're likely eligible. Two? It may still be possible with quick housekeeping. One or none?
See other optionsA formal debt-relief process for incorporated small businesses, introduced by the Federal Government in 2021.
You stay director and continue running the business. SBR is the only formal insolvency process that leaves the directors in charge — unlike Voluntary Administration or Liquidation, where an external administrator takes over.
A Restructuring Practitioner helps you propose a plan to creditors — typically paying 20–40 cents in the dollar over up to three years. Accepted plans wipe the rest of the unsecured debt.
The company continues operating throughout. Employees stay employed, suppliers keep being paid for new work, and customers don't see the back-office process.
SBR is one of several paths. Whichever fits your situation, we have an ASIC-registered specialist for it.
From first phone call to debt restructured, typically inside 6 to 8 weeks.
An ASIC-registered Restructuring Practitioner reviews your books and talks you through whether SBR is viable. No obligation, no cost. If SBR isn't right, they'll tell you what is.
You formally appoint the Practitioner. They have up to 20 business days to draft a restructuring plan and put it to creditors. The company keeps trading the whole time.
Creditors get 15 business days to vote. If accepted (more than 50% by debt value), you repay the agreed amount over up to three years. Remaining unsecured debt is wiped.
Only ASIC-registered Restructuring Practitioners can run an SBR. Don't engage anyone who isn't.
Every Restructuring Practitioner must be registered with ASIC and listed on the public register. Always confirm a name appears on it before signing anything.
Practitioner fees should be disclosed before appointment, not after. Standard SBRs are typically fixed-fee in the $15,000–$30,000 range, paid through the restructure.
"Pre-insolvency advisors" who aren't ASIC-registered cannot run an SBR — they can only refer you to one. Ask for the registration number.
Things that derail SBRs — or lead directors into worse trouble.
Anyone offering to "wipe your tax debt" who isn't ASIC-registered is selling you a referral, not a process. Some charge thousands for advice that an actual practitioner would give free.
Reputable SBR plans typically pay creditors 20–40 cents in the dollar. Anyone promising you'll wipe 90%+ should be questioned — unrealistic plans get voted down by creditors.
Unlodged BAS or unpaid super means the ATO can issue a "lockdown" Director Penalty Notice — which makes the debt personal regardless of what the company does. Stay current.
More than 30 years of experience. Creative solutions. In your corner from day one.
Our practitioners have spent more than 30 years helping Australian businesses navigate financial distress. We've seen every situation — and the creative solutions that come with them.
We don't see directors in trouble as victims. We see business operators who hit a hard patch and need a clear path through. Our job is to find the path that actually works.
Insolvency is full of rules: who pays whom, in what order, by when. We make sure every party plays by them — fairly, transparently, with no surprises later.
Plain-English answers to the questions directors ask first.
No. SBR is the only formal insolvency process where the directors stay in charge of day-to-day operations. The Restructuring Practitioner has oversight of the plan, but the directors continue to run the business.
Practitioner fees are typically fixed at $15,000–$30,000 for a standard SBR, paid through the restructuring plan rather than upfront. Plus a small ASIC notification fee. Always get fees in writing before appointment.
The appointment is published on ASIC's public notice register, so it is technically public. In practice, employees usually only need to know operationally — supplier relationships and customer-facing trading continue normally.
If the restructuring plan isn't accepted, the SBR ends and the company returns to its prior position. Directors can then choose Voluntary Administration, liquidation, or another path. The SBR doesn't lock you in.
Only if the underlying debt is "non-locked-down" — i.e. lodged with the ATO within the deadlines, even if not paid. If the debts are locked-down (un-lodged BAS or super for more than 3 months), the personal liability stays with the director.
If you've received a Director Penalty Notice, you have 21 days from the date on the notice. Don't wait. If you're dealing with mounting tax debt but no DPN yet, sooner is always cheaper than later.
Yes. ASIC-registered Restructuring Practitioners typically offer a free initial consultation — no fee, no obligation. They'll tell you honestly whether SBR fits, or whether a different path makes more sense.
Get a free, confidential consultation with an ASIC-registered specialist. We'll review your situation and tell you honestly which path fits — SBR, Voluntary Administration, Safe Harbour, DPN response, Turnaround, or Liquidation.