Latest News
Taxpayer’s claim for home office and car expenses successful
The Administrative Review Tribunal (‘ART’) recently held that a taxpayer was entitled to claim deductions for home office and car expenses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The taxpayer was employed full time by the ABC producing the ABC Sport Digital Radio station (‘Digital Role’) and producing ABC live sports broadcasts, mainly NRL football (‘Live Role’). […]
Beware of tax advice from ‘finfluencers’
The Tax Practitioners Board (‘TPB’) warns that the number of ‘finfluencers’ is on the rise. These are influencers who offer financial advice, including tax advice, on various social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Unfortunately, they do not always have the necessary qualifications to give out this advice or provide all the information taxpayers […]
TBAR for June quarter due 28 July
All SMSFs must report relevant transfer balance account (‘TBA’) events using transfer balance account reporting (‘TBAR’). All events must be reported regardless of the member’s total superannuation balance. Editor: TBA events include starting or commuting a retirement phase pension. TBARs for the June quarter are due by 28 July 2025. If no TBA event occurred […]
Notice of data exchange for skilled visa program compliance
The Department of Home Affairs will obtain data from the ATO to identify whether business sponsors are complying with their sponsorship obligations (e.g., paying visa holders correctly) and whether temporary skilled visa holders are complying with their visa conditions (e.g., to work only for an approved employer). The Department will provide to the ATO biographical […]
Taking Charge of Upcoming Employer Obligations
As the end of the financial year has just past, the ATO is reminding employers that they should check what they need to do and take note of the following upcoming key dates. Pay as you go (‘PAYG’) withholding — From 1 July 2025, some withholding schedules and tax tables will be updated (but not […]
Reminder of June 2025 Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’)
Employers are reminded that employee super contributions for the quarter ending 30 June 2025 must be received by the relevant super funds by Monday, 28 July 2025. If the correct amount of SG is not paid by an employer on time, they will be liable to pay the SG charge, which includes a penalty and […]
Forced to Unwind Your Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangements?
Limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) were once all the rage in SMS land, However, with the tightening of banking rules this frenzy has begun to abate somewhat over the last few years. LRBAs are great in a growing market as they allow an SMSF to grow the value of assets it holds in the expectation […]
Disaster Planning
Q: I have great sympathy for the businesses which were battered by the floods, fires and cyclones in Australia this year. These things can happen to anyone, any time. What should I do to make my business disaster-proof? A: Identify which data and applications are critical to your business, then ensure you have them backed […]
Reward program benefits can be tax-free
Many companies, or even whole industries, offer their customers loyalty award-based incentives programs. These programs, such as the “Frequent Flyer” and “Fly Buys” schemes, are designed to reward customers for purchasing or using a company’s goods and services (or indeed, those of its affiliates). As a result of one particular court case, the Tax Office […]
What Is The Medicare Levy Surcharge
What is the Medicare levy surcharge and what is it for? The Medicare levy surcharge (MLS) is designed to reduce the demand on the public Medicare system. You will be required to pay the MLS if your income for MLS purposes is above the base income threshold and you or your family do not have […]
Identity theft crime & protecting your personal information
Identity theft crime happens when someone uses a stolen, manipulated, or assumed identity to commit fraud or other crimes. It can involve creating a new identity, false identity, or using stolen information to impersonate someone else. Identity Theft Crime and You Criminals can start using your identity with some basic details, such as your name, […]
Investing Overseas
As an Australian resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income, including your income from: offshore bank accounts interests in foreign entities rental income from overseas property capital gains on overseas assets. You must declare all overseas income from these sources in your Australian tax return. If you have paid tax on any of this […]