Claiming deductions in relation to a holiday home
Maximising Holiday Home Deductions A Guide to Valid Rental Expenses Taxpayers should remember that they can only claim deductions for holiday home expenses to the extent they are incurred for the purpose of gaining or producing rental income. They need to consider the following in determining whether the deductions they wish to claim are valid […]
Updated tax cuts approved by both Houses
Starting 1 July, a wider range of taxpayers will benefit from tax reductions as the tax cuts bill proposed by Labor has successfully passed through the Senate. Key points On 25 January 2024, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would redesign the legislated Stage 3 tax cuts and increase the Medicare levy low-income thresholds. […]
Contributions caps increase July 1
Contribution caps to increase from 1 July 2024 Following the release of the latest Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) index, the expected increase to the contribution caps from 1 July 2024 has been confirmed. As a result, from 1 July 2024: The standard Concessional contribution cap will increase from $27,500 to $30,0001. The Non-concessional […]
ATO warning regarding prohibited SMSF loans
Navigating Superannuation Compliance ATO’s Focus on Loans to SMSF Members Loans to members continue to be the highest reported contravention of the superannuation laws that the ATO sees in auditor contravention reports. SMSF trustees should remember that they cannot loan money or provide other forms of financial assistance to a member or relative, and if […]
New ATO guidance on “who is an employee?”
ATO Clarifies Definition of ‘Employee’ for PAYG Withholding Purposes New Ruling Provides Guidance on Determining Employment Status The ATO recently issued a ruling which explains when an individual is an ’employee’ of an entity for pay as you go (‘PAYG’) withholding purposes. A useful approach for establishing whether or not a worker is an employee […]
Government announces changes to proposed ‘Stage 3’ tax cuts
New Changes to Tax Rates and Thresholds Raise Questions Amidst Speculation What You Need to Know Despite previous assurances, and after much speculation, the Government has announced tweaks to the ‘Stage 3’ tax cuts that will apply from 1 July 2024. More particularly, the Government proposes to: reduce the 19% tax rate to 16% reduce […]
Tax issues for businesses that have received a support payment
Navigating Tax Implications for Government Support Grants What Business Owners Need to Know Taxpayers who have received a government support grant or payment recently to help their business recover from COVID-19 or a natural disaster should check if they need to include the payment in their assessable income. Grants are generally treated as assessable income, […]
Losses in crypto investments for SMSFs
Navigating Cryptocurrency Investments in SMSFs Understanding Risks and Safeguards Over the last few income years, the ATO has seen some instances of SMSF trustees losing their crypto asset investments. These losses have been caused by: crypto scams, where trustees were conned into investing their superannuation benefits in a fake crypto exchange; theft, where fraudsters would […]
Notice of visa data-matching program
ATO’s Enhanced Data Collection for Visa Holders The 2024-2026 Visa Data Acquisition Program in Detail The ATO will acquire visa data from the Department of Home Affairs for the 2024 to 2026 income years, including the following: address history and contact history for visa applicants, sponsors, and migration agents; active visas meeting the relevant criteria, […]
Care required in paying super benefits
Navigating SMSF Benefit Payments: Rules and Risks for Trustees Ensuring Compliance and Minimizing Penalties in Superannuation Benefit Distributions Generally, before SMSF trustees pay a member’s super benefits, they need to ensure that: the member has reached their preservation age; the member has met one of the conditions of release; and the governing rules of the […]
