Latest News
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 AFCX data-matching program
The ATO will acquire relevant account and transaction data (data-matching) from the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (‘AFCX’) for the 2025 to 2027 income years, including the following: Client identification details (names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, identity verification document details, IP addresses, etc); and Bank account transaction details (bank account details, transaction date and […]
Small Business Superannuation Clearing House is closing
The Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (‘SBSCH’) will close on 1 July 2026. Editor: The SBSCH is a free online service provided by the Australian Government through the ATO. The SBSCH can be used by employers to pay superannuation for all their employees through a single payment. The SBSCH will then distribute the money to […]
Getting the main residence exemption right
The ATO has the following tips for taxpayers in relation to the CGT main residence exemption. They should consider if they have bought or disposed of property in the past income year. If they have sold property, were they using it solely as their primary place of residence, earning income from it (rental or business), […]
Bill to reduce student debt now law
Legislation has recently been enacted which delivers on the 2025/26 Federal Budget announcement to reduce student debts. Pursuant to this legislation: there is a one-off 20% reduction to Higher Education Loan Program debts and other student loans that were incurred on or before 1 June 2025; the minimum repayment threshold is increased from $54,435 in […]
ATO to include tax ‘debts on hold’ in taxpayer account balances
From August 2025, the ATO is progressively including ‘debts on hold’ in relevant taxpayer ATO account balances. Editor: A ‘debt on hold’ is an outstanding tax debt where the ATO has previously paused debt collection actions. Tax debts will generally be placed on hold where the ATO decides it is not cost effective to collect […]
ATO warns of common Division 7A errors
The ATO reminds shareholders of private companies that understanding how Division 7A of the tax legislation applies is crucial to avoiding costly tax consequences when accessing the company’s money or other benefits. When Division 7A applies, the recipient of a payment, loan or other benefit can be deemed to have been paid an unfranked dividend […]
Taxpayers who need to lodge a TPAR
Taxpayers may need to lodge a Taxable payments annual report (‘TPAR’) online by 28 August if they have paid contractors to provide any of the following services on their behalf: building and construction; cleaning; courier and road freight; information technology; or security, investigation or surveillance. If the ATO is expecting a TPAR from a taxpayer […]
Changes to tax return amendment period for business
Businesses with an annual aggregated turnover of less than $50 million now have up to four years from the date of their tax return assessment to request amendments (increased from two years). This applies to assessments for the 2024/25 and later income years. If businesses make a mistake on a tax return amendment, they should […]
Taxpayer’s claim for travel expenses denied
In a recent decision, the Administrative Review Tribunal (‘ART’) denied an offshore worker’s claim for work-related travel expenses, although it did allow his claim for home office expenses. During the relevant period, the taxpayer resided in Queensland with his family, while his employment as an engineer was primarily based at an offshore facility located off […]
ATO to include tax ‘debts on hold’ in taxpayer account balances
From August 2025, the ATO is progressively including ‘debts on hold’ in relevant taxpayer ATO account balances. Editor: A ‘debt on hold’ is an outstanding tax debt where the ATO has previously paused debt collection actions. Tax debts will generally be placed on hold where the ATO decides it is not cost effective to collect […]
Getting the main residence exemption right
The ATO has the following tips for taxpayers in relation to the CGT main residence exemption. They should consider if they have bought or disposed of property in the past income year. If they have sold property, were they using it solely as their primary place of residence, earning income from it (rental or business), […]