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 […]
Christmas Gifts
With the holiday season approaching, many employers and businesses want to reward their staff and loyal clients/customers/suppliers. Again, it is important to understand how gifts to staff and clients, etc., are handled ‘tax-wise’. Gifts That Are Not Considered to Be Entertainment These generally include a Christmas hamper, a bottle of whisky or wine, gift vouchers, […]
Taxpayer Liable For Excess Transfer Balance Tax Despite Commutations
A taxpayer has unsuccessfully tried to challenge an excess transfer balance tax liability, despite following the ATO’s instructions. The taxpayer was receiving three pensions in 2017, including two capped defined benefit income streams and one account-based pension. Based on information reported by the super funds, the ATO became aware that the taxpayer had exceeded his […]
ATO SMSF Trustee Obligations – Super Lookup ‘Status’ Will Change If SMSF Annual Returns Are Late
The ATO considers the lodgment of an SMSF’s annual return on time to be a fundamental part of an SMSF trustee’s obligations. Consequently, from 1 October 2019, if an SMSF is more than two weeks overdue on any annual return lodgment due date and hasn’t requested a lodgment deferral, the ATO will change their status […]
Government Passes Other Superannuation Legislation
The Government has recently passed legislation requiring insurance in superannuation for new members under 25, and members with low balance accounts, to only be offered on an opt-in basis from 1 April 2020. Importantly, low balance account holders and young members will still be able to opt in if they want to take out insurance. […]
Reporting Asset Disposals For CGT
As the ATO’s data-matching capabilities increase, they are paying close attention to capital gains made on shares, property and cryptocurrency. Therefore, it’s important to let us know about any asset disposals (which can include an asset’s sale, loss or destruction) and to keep records relating to CGT events, including asset disposal, for at least five […]
ATO Recommends You Update Your ABN Details For Disastrous Reasons
The ATO has provided a novel, though important, reason for businesses to update their ABN details: to help businesses to manage the coming disaster season. ABN details are used by emergency services and government agencies to help identify and contact businesses during times of emergency and potential disaster. Therefore, to make sure they don’t miss […]