Latest News
ATO’s focus on small business
The ATO is ‘detecting and addressing’ recurring errors in specific industries when businesses have a turnover between $1 million and $10 million. These industries include property and construction (including builders, contractors and tradies), and professional, scientific and technical services (including engineering, design, IT and consulting professionals). In these industries, the ATO continues to see recurring […]
ATO reminder: Business expenses that can (and cannot) be claimed
Taxpayers can claim a tax deduction for most business expenses, provided they meet the ATO’s three ‘golden rules’: The expense must be for business use, not for private use. If the expense is for a mix of business and private use, they can only claim the portion that is used for business. They must have […]
Dual cab utes and FBT
The ATO wishes to dispel the ‘common myth’ that dual cab utes are automatically exempt from fringe benefits tax (‘FBT’). If an employer provides dual cab utes to staff to complete their duties and the vehicle is available for personal use, then the benefit may be subject to FBT. By understanding how their employees use […]
ART dismisses argument that medical expenses were deductible
In a recent decision, the Administrative Review Tribunal (‘ART’) held that a taxpayer could not claim a tax deduction for medical expenses incurred by him in relation to his total and permanent disability pension. The taxpayer had been terminated from his employment due to total and permanent disablement (‘TPD’). For the 2024 income year, his […]
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 […]
SMSF stats just keep getting better
The ATO has recently released the latest of what has become a regular update on the state of the SMSF market. The Self-managed super fund statistical report, with the latest covering the quarter to March this year, has become an anticipated overview for many in the SMSF arena — containing as it usually does some […]
Tax Deductions Specifically for SMSFs
One overarching fundamental that SMSF trustees should ideally keep in mind is the sole purpose test – that is, every decision made and action taken is required to be seen as being undertaken for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for the fund’s members. lf an SMSF trustee incurs an expense in the usual operation […]
The Transitional CGT Relief Measure and Your SMSF
Transitional capital gains tax (CGT) relief is temporary relief available to all complying superannuation funds, not just SMSFs, for certain CGT assets that would otherwise give rise to a taxable capital gain through the necessary efforts to comply with the new transfer balance cap and new conditions to be applied to transition to retirement income […]
SMSFs And The In-House Asset Rules Explained
A not-uncommon conundrum for many SMSF trustees is what to do when the fund is found to have breached the in-house asset rules. There are also some common misconceptions about these regulations that keep resurfacing. WHAT DOES THE ATO SAY IN RELATION TO THE IN-HOUSE ASSET RULES? Recent ATO statistics on the SMSF sector show […]
Is the Peer-to-Peer Lending Investment Option Right for Your SMSF?
One investment option that has surfaced relatively recently, and that SMSF trustees may consider as a part of their strategy to grow their fund, is investing through peer-to-peer lending. Peer-to-peer lending involves an investor – a trustee of the SMSF in this example – providing funds to an online lending platform. This platform, which must have an […]
SMSFs need to prepare for the new transfer balance cap
Recent legislation introduced several superannuation rule changes. Among them is a new “transfer balance account”, which each recipient of a superannuation pension will be required to have. In other words, individuals receiving superannuation income stream benefits will need to keep such a transfer balance account. The use of “accounts” for tax law purposes is not new. […]