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ATO’s notice of government payments data-matching program
The ATO will acquire government payments data from government entities which administer government programs for the 2024 to 2026 income years, matching data on government payments made to service providers against ATO records, including service provider identification details and payment transaction details. The ATO estimates that records relating to approximately 60,000 service providers will be […]
Deductions for financial advice fees
The ATO has provided guidance about when an individual not carrying on an investment business may be entitled to a deduction for fees paid for financial advice. An individual is entitled to a deduction for fees for financial advice to the extent that the loss or outgoing is incurred in gaining or producing assessable income, […]
Lodging and paying business activity statements (‘BASs’)
The ATO is reminding taxpayers that it is important to lodge BASs and pay in full and on time to avoid penalties and interest charges. The BAS for the first quarter of 2024/25 is generally due on 28 October, but taxpayers may receive an extra: four weeks if they lodge through a registered tax or […]
Hiring employees for the festive season
As the festive season approaches, employers that hire new employees to help with their business should remember the following when it comes to their employer tax and super obligations: Employers should make sure they are withholding the right amount of tax from payments they make to their employees and other payees, especially as this will […]
ATO’s notices of data-matching programs
The ATO will acquire officeholder data from ASIC and other bodies for the 2024 to 2027 income years, including name, address, date of birth, ABN, contact details, organisation details and officeholder details. The ATO estimates that records relating to more than 11 million individuals will be obtained. The ATO will acquire property management data from […]
Valuing fund assets for SMSFs
One of the many responsibilities SMSF trustees have every income year is valuing their fund’s assets at market value. The market value of an asset is the amount that a willing buyer and seller would agree to in an arm’s-length transaction. These valuations will be used when preparing the fund’s accounts, statements and SMSF annual […]
Work-related expense claims rejected by Administrative Review Tribunal (‘ART’)
The Administrative Review Tribunal (‘ART’) recently disallowed a taxpayer’s claims for many different types of work-related expenses. The taxpayer was employed full-time as an engineer, working from home two days a week. For the 2023 income year, he claimed deductions totalling over $61,000, in relation to (among other things) car expenses, travel expenses, clothing expenses, […]
Check GST credit claims before lodging BASs
Taxpayers who are registered for GST can get GST credit claims (or ‘input tax credits’) for the GST included in the price of goods and services they buy for their business. However, if they buy something for both business and private use, they need to apportion their GST credit to only claim the business use. […]
Government payments programs
The ATO is reminding taxpayers that receive government payments for delivering services under a Commonwealth program, such as healthcare, disability support or child care, that they have an obligation to: keep accurate records; and report any such income they receive in their tax return. The ATO recently advised that it would be contacting taxpayers and […]
Contractors omitting income
Through data matching, the ATO is seeing some contractors incorrectly reporting or contractors omitting income. Contractors need to report all their income in their tax return, including payments made by businesses for their contracting work. Note that, as part of the taxable payments reporting system (‘TPRS’), certain businesses must lodge a ‘Taxable payments annual report’ […]
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 […]