Latest News
New ATO Data-Matching Programs Involving Property
| | | The ATO has advised that it will engage in two new data matching programs dealing with property transactions, as outlined below: The ATO will acquire property management data from property management software providers for the 2018/19 through to 2022/23 financial years (relating to approximately 1.6 million individuals); and The ATO will […]
Luxury Car Tax Thresholds
| | | The ATO has updated the luxury car tax (‘LCT’) thresholds for the 2021/22 financial year. The LCT threshold for fuel efficient vehicles in 2021/22 is $79,659 (up from $77,565 in 2020/21) and the LCT threshold for other vehicles in 2021/22 is $69,152 (up from $68,740 in 2020/21). Note that these thresholds […]
Do You Use the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House?
| | | The ATO has advised employers intending to claim a tax deduction for super payments that they make for employees in the 2020/21 income year that any such payments must be accepted by the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (‘SBSCH’) on or before 23 June 2021. This allows processing time for the […]
Family Assistance Payments
| | | The ATO has reminded individuals receiving Child Care Subsidy and Family Tax Benefit payments from Services Australia that they and their partners must lodge their 2019/20 Individual tax returns by 30 June 2021. Lodgement deferrals with the ATO do not alter this requirement. Services Australia needs such individuals’ income details to […]
ATO Warns on ‘Copy/Pasting’ Claims
| | | The ATO is alerting taxpayers that its sights are set on work-related expenses like car and travel claims that are predicted to decrease in this year’s tax returns. Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh noted that COVID-19 has changed people’s work habits, so the ATO expects their work-related expenses will reflect this. “We know […]
Car Parking Threshold For 2022 FBT Year
| | | The car parking threshold for the FBT year commencing on 1 April 2021 is $9.25. This replaces the amount of $9.15 that applied in the previous FBT year commencing 1 April 2020.
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 […]