Latest News
Reminder of September Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’)
Employers are reminded that employee super contributions for the quarter ending 30 September 2025 must be received by the relevant super funds by Tuesday, 28 October 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 (as noted above) includes […]
Employees incorrectly treated as independent contractors
The ATO is warning businesses that if they incorrectly treat an employee as an independent contractor, then they risk receiving penalties and charges, including: PAYG withholding penalty for failing to deduct tax from worker payments and send it to the ATO; Super guarantee charge (‘SGC’), which is more than the super that would have been […]
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), […]
Getting a tax valuation from the ATO
We all know that the ATO is the guardian of the tax laws, administers tax regulations and can provide advice and guidance on how they apply. But not every personal situation fits neatly with the tax laws as they stand. Sometimes, an individual may need help understanding and meeting their tax obligations. In such circumstances, […]
Home Office Deductions: What substantiations will the ATO accept?
Home office expense claims are subject to the same general substantiation requirements as other deductions – that is, it is a requirement that records should be kept for at least five years. But in practice, full compliance with the substantiation rules may be difficult. It may be simple to keep a receipt for a printer purchased for […]
Shopping for a luxury car? Beware of the luxury car tax.
You can judge whether a car is luxury or not, according to the government, if it costs more than $64,132 for 2016-17. It’s not an over-the-top price tag if you’re considering true luxury, but it’s enough to cop an extra tax. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The luxury car tax (LCT) kicks in after that threshold […]
Extend the festive cheer (but in a tax efficient way)
The festive season is here again. As with other years it is always brimming with the spirit of giving. The list of practical ways in which Australians spread goodwill is as endless as a Christmas wreath. The ATO also gets into the spirit of the season, but of course feels required to set some limits. When […]
Christmas Party Decision Tree
This flowchart will help businesses work out the general tax implications of the year-end Christmas party. Minor benefit exemption must be less than $300 per benefit, provided on an Irregular and infrequent basis, and satisfy other relevant conditions. Income tax treatment for entertainment expenses determined under tax law. An associate of an employee is […]
The Process (and Pros and Cons) of “Electing” to be a Family Trust
Trusts are an important and very useful concept for managing one’s financial affairs, as well as estate planning. A trust is established whenever there is a separation of the legal ownership (for example, the name appearing on a land title) from the beneficial (equitable) owner of an asset (in other words, the person that a court would […]