Latest News
ATO warning regarding private use of work vehicles and FBT
Employers that supply work vehicles to their employees need to check how the work vehicles are used and whether any exemptions apply to determine if they attract fringe benefits tax (‘FBT’). FBT generally applies when a work vehicle is made available for private use, even if it is not actually used. Private use includes any […]
Tips to help sole trader clients
The ATO is seeing sole traders make mistakes in the following areas: not reporting all income — this includes income earned outside their business (like a ‘side hustle’), cash jobs, or payments in-kind/barter deals; overclaiming expenses — this includes claiming the portion of an expense related to personal use, or overstating the cost of goods […]
Correctly dealing with rental property repairs
Taxpayers who have had work done on their rental property should ensure the expense is categorised correctly to avoid errors when completing their tax return. A deduction for ‘repairs and maintenance’ expenses can be claimed for work done to remedy, or prevent defects, damage or deterioration from using the property to earn income. These expenses […]
Reminder of September Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’)
Employers are reminded that employee super contributions for the quarter ending 30 September 2025 must be received by the relevant super funds by Tuesday, 28 October 2025. If the correct amount of SG is not paid by an employer on time, they will be liable to pay the SG charge, which (as noted above) includes […]
Employees incorrectly treated as independent contractors
The ATO is warning businesses that if they incorrectly treat an employee as an independent contractor, then they risk receiving penalties and charges, including: PAYG withholding penalty for failing to deduct tax from worker payments and send it to the ATO; Super guarantee charge (‘SGC’), which is more than the super that would have been […]
PAYGW reminders for activity statement lodgments
The ATO will be sending certain employers a reminder to lodge their activity statements. The reminder will include the amounts the ATO has on record for them, such as: PAYG withheld amounts reported through Single Touch Payroll; and any other pre-filled amounts, including GST instalments and PAYG instalments (instalment amount option). The ATO’s reminders are […]
ATO Impersonation Scam Update
According to the July 2019 ATO impersonation scam report: 6,179 online scam reports were received in the first month of their new online reporting form going live; 6,645 phone scam reports were officially recorded, and 465 phishing scam emails were reported to reportemailfraud@ato.gov.au; 520 taxpayers provided scammers with their personal identifying information including date of […]
ATO Watching for Foreign Income This Tax Time
| | | The ATO is urging taxpayers who receive any foreign income from investments, family members or working overseas to make sure they report it this tax time. New international data sharing agreements allow the ATO to track money across borders and identify individuals not meeting their obligations. “This year, the ATO has […]
Expansion Of Support For SMEs To Access Funding
| | | The Government is providing additional support to small and medium sized businesses (‘SMEs’) by expanding eligibility for the SME Recovery Loan Scheme. Specifically, in recognition of the continued economic impacts of COVID‑19, the Government will remove requirements for SMEs to have received JobKeeper during the March quarter of 2021, or to […]
Reminder Of Superannuation Caps Indexation For 2022
| | | From 1 July 2021, the superannuation contributions caps have been indexed for the 2022 income year. The new concessional contributions cap for the 2022 financial year is now $27,500 (increased from $25,000). The new non-concessional (i.e., non-deductible) contributions cap for the 2022 financial year is now $110,000 or (where the ‘bring […]
The ‘Gigs Up’ With A New Sharing Economy Reporting Regime
| | | Treasury has released draft legislation introducing the long-awaited third party reporting regime (proposed to apply from 1 July 2022). The new regime will initially require ride-sharing and short term accommodation online platform operators to report transactions they facilitate directly to the ATO. This measure was first announced in the 2020 MYEFO (following […]
Independent Review Service for Small Businesses Made Permanent
| | | Following a successful multi-year pilot, the ATO’s small business independent review service will be offered permanently as a dispute resolution option for eligible small businesses. ATO Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Geale said the service is all about ensuring small businesses are given the opportunity to achieve an independent, fast, free, and fair […]