Latest News
Businesses using cash to dodge obligations
The ATO is ‘cracking down’ on businesses that use cash to dodge obligations on their tax, employer and business. Businesses that do this may: – fail to report all sales transactions and fail to issue receipts; – avoid paying GST, income tax, PAYG withholding, super guarantee, insurance and work cover protection; – report their income […]
$20,000 instant asset write-off extended
Editor: The Government recently passed legislation to extend the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses by 12 months to 30 June 2026. Taxpayers should note that if their business has an aggregated annual turnover of less than $10 million, they may be able touse the instant asset write-off (‘IAWO’) to immediately deduct the business […]
Tax dodgers banned from leaving the country
The ATO is actively using departure prohibition orders (‘DPOs’) as part of a broader shift towards strengthening payment performance and debt collection. A DPO is an enforcement action available to the ATO to prevent certain persons with tax liabilities from leaving Australia without paying their outstanding tax. Since July 2025, the ATO has issued 21 […]
Paying super guarantee
The ATO is reminding employers that they must pay super guarantee (‘SG’) contributions for eligible employees. Employers need to pay a minimum of 12% (the current SG rate as from 1 July 2025) of each employee’s ordinary time earnings into a complying super fund on a quarterly basis (the due date for the March 2026 […]
Taxpayer’s dog breeding activities held to be an enterprise
The Administrative Review Tribunal (‘ART’) recently held that a taxpayer had carried on an enterprise of dog breeding for GST purposes. He had lodged activity statements for the quarters ended 30 September 2018 to 31 December 2021 inclusive, claiming input tax credits (‘ITCs’) for the dog breeding activities he carried on from his home (among […]
Time limits on GST and fuel tax credit claims
Taxpayers should note that GST credits and fuel tax credits will expire if not claimed within the 4-year credit time limit (i.e., generally four years from the due date of the original BAS in which the taxpayer could have claimed them). Once credits expire, the ATO has no discretion or ability to amend the assessment […]
Superannuation Work Test Contributions For Over 65s
Whether or not the trustee of a complying superannuation fund can accept member contributions for those aged between 65 and 75 depends on the member satisfying a “work test”. The work test requires a member to have been gainfully employed for at least 40 hours in a period of not more than 30 consecutive days […]
Taxpayers not carrying on an agistment business
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’) has held that two taxpayers were not carrying on a business of providing services to a company (which they owned) and consequently were not entitled to various deductions. The taxpayers had claimed those deductions on the basis that they were carrying on a business of providing agistment and full care […]
Builders Get Your Taxable Payments Report Ready Before August 28
Businesses in the building and construction industry, take note —the deadline is August 28, 2018, to report the total payments you made to each contractor you enlisted the services of in 2017-18. You will need to report these payments to the ATO on the Taxable payments annual report. The taxable payments reporting system was initially […]
Expanding the Empire and Retaining the CGT Main Residence Exemption
A question that surfaces now and then in regard to capital gains is whether the main residence exemption extends to additional land acquired after the time of acquisition of the residence. The short answer is yes — provided that certain requirements are met. It should also be noted that where the exemption applies upon satisfaction […]
Can a SMSF Invest in Property Development?
The ATO has been sending some mixed messages about property development involving an SMSF, and has indicated that it is one of the issues on its radar for 2018. So is property development an allowable investment for an SMSF? The short answer yes, but be careful. A longer answer is be very careful — it […]
What is a Testamentary Trust – Look Before You Leap
What is a Testamentary Trust Testamentary trusts are formed under the auspices of a valid will or testament rather than other trusts which are ordinarily created during life (inter vivos) under the terms of a trust deed. It is a trust structure that is often used to protect family assets by having greater control […]