Latest News
Hybrid vehicles and FBT changes
Employers that provide plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (‘PHEVs’) to employees (or associates) for personal use should remember the following. Home-charging expenses — new shortcut method The ATO has updated its guidelines to include a new method to make it easier to calculate PHEV electricity costs when a vehicle is charged at an employee’s home. To […]
When a hobby becomes a business
Taxpayers may not think they are running a business from their hobby or ‘side hustle’ activities. However, if they start to earn money from doing these activities regularly, they may be carrying on a business without realising it. Generally, carrying on a business involves ongoing and repeated activities with the intention of making a profit. […]
Know when a new logbook is required
Editor: Keeping a car logbook may be required to accurately calculate the business-use percentage of vehicle expenses (e.g., fuel, registration, insurance and depreciation) for tax deductions. Taxpayers can keep the same logbook for their car for five years, but there are circumstances where they may need a new one during that period. Relying on a […]
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 […]
Government Proposal to Modernise Business Communications
| | | The Government has committed to modernising certain laws so that they are ‘technology neutral’, to enable easier communication between businesses, individuals and regulators. The first phase of legislative reform will focus on key areas raised by stakeholders which are implementation-ready (ideally by the end of 2021), including: expanding the range of […]
ATO Keeping Jobkeeper Payment Fair
| | | The ATO is using its compliance resources to maintain the integrity of the JobKeeper measure. While most businesses and employees have done the right thing, the ATO has identified concerning and fraudulent behaviour as well as claims by a small number of organisations and employees, and will actively pursue these claims. […]
Independent Review Service for Small Businesses Made Permanent
| | | Following a successful multi-year pilot, the ATO’s small business independent review service will be offered permanently as a dispute resolution option for eligible small businesses. ATO Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Geale said the service is all about ensuring small businesses are given the opportunity to achieve an independent, fast, free, and fair […]
ATO Asks Businesses to Check if They Are Still Using Their ABNs
| | | The ATO has advised that, if a business hasn’t used its ABN for a while, the ATO may contact them about cancelling their ABN. The ATO may also contact them about their ABN if their business situation has changed. To ensure businesses don’t miss out on Government support, including during unfortunate […]
Passenger Movement Data-Matching Program
| | | The ATO will access data from the Department of Home Affairs on passenger movements during the 2016/17 to 2022/23 financial years, and match it with certain sections of ATO data holdings to identify taxpayers that can be provided with tailored information to help them meet their tax and superannuation obligations, or […]
Super Contribution Caps Will Increase From 1 July 2021
| | | The ATO has confirmed that, from 1 July 2021, the superannuation concessional and non-concessional contribution caps will be indexed. The new caps for the 2021/22 year will be: Concessional Cap: $27,500 Non-Concessional cap: $110,000 (or $330,000 over 3 years) The total superannuation balance limit that determines if an individual has […]