2 million self-employed
Their interests are our interest
It's your contract: Take control of it!
We say you should control your contract. Here's how. Check for clauses that are:
Red for Stop
Amber for Caution
Green for Go
You can also make use of our Contract Template to design your contract.

Matrixes and template are available here (ICA members only). Not a member? Join here for as little as $55.
You and Your Contract
Charter of Contractual Fairness.

Debate: Suck it up?

Contract problems?
Fixing business disputes
There's lots happening for new dispute resolution services for small business people. The Small Business Commissioner (SBC) model is being rolled out across Australia. Explanation of developments.
Watching: Self-employed entrepreneurs
Our discussion on enabling innovation
Watching: The coordinated attack against self-employed in Australia
Do unions hate the self-employed?
Federal tax attack
Sham contracting small problem
Watching: New Technology
Opportunities and new threats for self-employed people
Charles Dickens on debt and misery
'Income 20 pounds; expenditure 21 pounds; result misery!'
Bureaucracy can be so confusing!
The perils of designing a traffic sign
Great truths ...
25 great quotations
Our Campaigning
We need unfair contract protections
Defend contractor tax laws
Watching: Your Superannuation
Scary super stories

Abbott says ATO to administer Super

Super Review and Govt response.
Watching: Work Safety Laws
Harmonised laws have big problems.
Watching: Government Contracts
Military Aircraft (JSF)

National Broadband Network
Watching: Fair Work Act
We're watching

What the AIG wants
Handy ATO Links
Filing your tax return:
A member's problem
ATO advice

Handy ATO tax links:
ATO debt collection: overview
ATO debt collection: 'Products'
Guide to managing your debt
Not-for-profit tax guide
Lodge your BAS online
PAYG withholding tax tables
New tax form: Taxpayer Statement of Account
New tax form: Notice of Assessment
Mortgage scams
Small business support
Payment arrangement calculator
Want an ATO visit?
ATO Help for small business
ABN eligibility rules
Self managing your tax debt

Handy Super links:
ATO SMSF compliance
ATO free seminars.
SMSF Admin advice
New Super clearing house
Tax on SMSF loans
Watching Global Economies
Watching Global Economies
Watching the USA
Watching China
Central Banks on Debt
Watching Housing Bubbles
Ken Phillips on the debt equation

ICA Discussion Forums


ICA currently maintains four general discussion forums: one based on our Executive Director's articles in Business Spectator; another generated by our guest columnist Dick Davies; the third a collection of 'burning issues' that have arisen since 2009; and the fourth, added in early 2011, on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business.

Business Spectator articles

Written from his unique perspective, Ken's articles cover a wide variety of topics ranging from OHS to integrity of contract, the recession and the role of unions---always with contractors and the self-employed in mind. They often lead to spirited discussion!

Dick Davies writes ...

A long-time industry observer and management consultant, Dick Davies has written a number of articles for us - the first, on co-operative contract management - generated some useful discussion. In 2010, he started a series of articles on independent contractors and the future.

Hot topics

We are currently running a number of topics of importance to independent contractors and the self-employed. The full list can be found in the drop-down menu, but here are just a few:

Innovation, entrepreneurship, economic development and self-employed people

Kicked off by Ken Phillips's article on innovation, entrepreneurship and the self-employed, this new discussion page, added in January 2011, already features some interesting comments and suggestions about innovation, the ideas of Joseph Schumpeter, and the role of small business for economic development. We expect it to grow steadily as further articles in the series on innovation are added to the site.