Journeys Kitchen and Bar closes under $500k tax bill

Several former staff from Brisbane café Journeys Kitchen and Bar are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid superannuation. 

Owner Michael Milne announced the café would close last week, with documents revealing his company, Mine Concept Pty Ltd, has been put into external administration, owing about $220,000 in superannuation to former staff. This is in addition to the $300,000 estimated to be owed to the Australian Tax Office. 

Milne said he had been working with the tax office for about two years to try to rectify the situation, adding “there's never been any malicious intent into not paying it”. 

"We've had staff come to us, we've worked with the ATO and we're still currently working with the ATO,” he said. 

"As a small business owner it's become too much, that's one of the reasons why we've ended up shutting the venue down." 

He put the dire financial situation down to bookkeeping errors and a "lack of experience" in management.

25^th February 2019