Different meanings of ‘dependant’ for superannuation and tax purposes
Understanding Superannuation Death Benefit Distribution Different Definitions of ‘Dependants’ for Superannuation and Tax Purposes On a person’s death, their superannuation benefits can only be paid directly to one or more ‘dependants’ as defined for superannuation purposes, unless they are paid to the deceased’s legal personal representative to be distributed in accordance with the deceased’s Will. […]
Luxury car tax: determining a vehicle’s principal purpose
ATO Guidance on Determining the Principal Purpose of a Car for Luxury Car Tax (LCT) Insights into Assessing LCT Liability for Vehicles Used for Carriage of Goods versus Passengers The ATO recently explained how to determine the principal purpose of a car for ‘luxury car tax’ (‘LCT’) purposes (since LCT is not payable on the […]
Appointing an SMSF auditor
Important Reminders for SMSF Trustees and Auditors Key Requirements for Appointing and Engaging Approved SMSF Auditors The ATO reminds SMSF trustees that they need to appoint an approved SMSF auditor for each income year, no later than 45 days before they need to lodge their SMSF annual return. An SMSF’s audit must be finalised before […]
Reallocation of excess concessional contributions denied
Administrative Appeals Tribunal case The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’) has held that there were no special circumstances in relation to a taxpayer who made excess concessional contributions in a financial year, such that the ATO could allocate some of those contributions to the previous financial year. On Wednesday, 26 June 2019, the taxpayer arranged for […]
Downsizer contribution measure eligibility has been extended
Downsizer contribution measure eligibility extension The downsizer contribution concession was introduced to allow older Australians selling an eligible dwelling to make additional contributions into their superannuation fund. Broadly, the downsizer contribution concession allows eligible individuals to make non-deductible contributions of up to $300,000 (or up to $600,000 per couple) from the sale of an eligible […]
Claiming GST credits for employee expense reimbursements
Claiming GST credits for employee expense reimbursements Employers may be entitled to claim GST input tax credits for payments they have made to reimburse employees for expenses that are directly related to their business activities. A ‘reimbursement’ is provided when a taxpayer pays their employee the amount, or part of the amount, of a particular […]
CGT on the sales of shares and units
Capital gains tax on the sales of shares or units When you sell or dispose of shares or units you may make a capital gain or capital loss. This will depend on when you bought or acquired the shares or units. If you bought the shares or units: before 20 September 1985 – you are exempt […]
Masters course fees not deductible as self-ed expenses
Administrative Appeals Tribunal case ruling The AAT has held that tuition fees for a public policy Masters course were not deductible. This ruling was reached on the basis that the course did not relate to the taxpayer’s work as a music teacher. The taxpayer was a qualified teacher who specialised in teaching music. He had […]
Changes to deductions this tax time
Changes to deductions this tax time Taxpayers who are small business owners operating from home, or who use a vehicle for business purposes, need to be aware of some changes when claiming deductions this tax time, including the following. Cents-per-kilometre method – The cents-per-kilometre method for claiming car expenses increased from 72 cents to 78 […]
Fuel tax credit rate change 1 August
Use the correct fuel tax credit rates Rates changed on 1 July and 1 August — use the ATO’s calculator to apply the correct rates when making a claim on your BAS. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has made changes to the Fuel Tax Credit rates, impacting claiming credits for eligible fuel use. To benefit from Fuel […]
