Latest News
ATO advice regarding year-end trustee resolutions
The ATO has advised that, in the lead up to 30 June, trustee clients who wish to make beneficiaries presently entitled to trust income for the 2023 income year should ensure their trustee resolutions are effective. This includes where trustees may want to make beneficiaries ‘specifically entitled’ to franked dividends and capital gains included in […]
In the ATO’s sights this Tax Time
The ATO has announced its three key focus areas for this Tax Time: rental property deductions; work-related expenses; and capital gains tax ATO Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh said the ATO is continuing to prioritise areas where they often see mistakes being made: “Within these areas, we have identified common mistakes, and are particularly focused on […]
2023/24 Budget Update
On 9 May 2023, Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the 2023/24 Federal Budget. Some of the measures announced by the Government (including some which were actually announced prior to the Budget), include: from 1 July 2026, employers will be required to pay their employees’ superannuation at the same time as their salary and wages; providing […]
Last chance to claim deductions under temporary full expensing
Deductions under ‘temporary full expensing’ are only available in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 income years, and are expected to come to an end on 30 June 2023. Editor: Under temporary full expensing, businesses with an aggregated turnover of less than $5 billion can generally claim a deduction for the full cost of eligible new […]
Know the rules for accessing superannuation
The ATO has reminded SMSF trustees that their SMSF must be operated for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for its members. This means SMSF trustees can’t use funds from their SMSF to pay for personal or business expenses. This is known as ‘illegal early access’ of superannuation, and severe penalties apply. The ATO […]
May 2023 Federal Budget for Businesses – What It Means for You
The 2023 Federal Budget was announced on Tuesday 9 May 2023, with a focus on cost-of-living relief and modernising our economy. There were only a few tax and superannuation changes announced, which is good news. However, no mention was made of the previously announced Stage 3 Income Tax cuts that are planned to begin on […]
What’s New For Taxpayers
Before you complete your tax return for 2015, there are some changes you should be aware of in case they affect you. Mature age worker tax offset You can no longer claim the Mature age worker tax offset (MAWTO) in your tax return. Previously, to be eligible for the offset you needed to be an […]
Travel between home and work and between workplaces
While trips between home and work are generally considered private travel, you can claim deductions in some circumstances, as well as for some travel between two workplaces. If your travel was partly private and partly for work, you can only claim for the part related to your work. What you can claim You can […]
Gifts and donations
You can only claim a tax deduction for gifts or donations to organisations that have the status of deductible gift recipients (DGRs). Deductions for gifts are claimed by the person that makes the gift (the donor). For you to claim a tax deduction for a gift, it must meet four conditions: The gift […]
Capital gains tax checklist
The following questions will help you to identify possible capital gains tax (CGT) obligations. If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, CGT may apply. Some questions are intended to highlight the possibility of a capital gain or loss arising in the current year, others to alert you to the possibility of a […]
Tax on Super Contributions
The tax you pay on your super contributions generally depends on whether the contributions were made before or after you paid income tax, you exceed the super contributions cap or you are a very high-income earner. Before-tax super contributions The super contributions you make before tax (concessional) are taxed at 15%. Types of before-tax contributions […]
Zone Tax Offset – exclude ‘fly-in-fly-out’
In the 2015–16 Federal Budget, the government announced that it will exclude ‘fly-in-fly-out’ and ‘drive-in-drive-out’ (FIFO) workers from the Zone Tax Offset where their normal residence is not within a ‘zone’. Currently, to be eligible for the Zone Tax Offset, a taxpayer must reside or work in a specified remote area for more than 183 […]