In the ATO’s sights this Tax Time
The ATO has announced its three key focus areas for this Tax Time Make sure you are up to date as necessary The areas of focus are: rental property deductions; work-related expenses; and capital gains tax. ATO Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh said the ATO is continuing to prioritise areas where they often see mistakes being […]
Super health check
Use this checklist to review the health of your super in 5 easy steps Getting started The best way to perform these checks is either on ATO online services through myGov or by contacting your super advisor directly You need a myGov account linked to the ATO Once you link your myGov account, you can also use […]
Know the rules for accessing superannuation
ATO warns SMSF trustees against illegal early access to superannuation Reminder of strict rules on using SMSF funds for personal or business expenses and related party investments The ATO has reminded SMSF trustees that their SMSF must be operated for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for its members. This means SMSF trustees can’t […]
Residential investment property loan data-matching program
ATO to Acquire Residential Investment Property Loan Data for Compliance and Analytical Purposes Scope, Utilisation, and Implications of the ATO’s Data-Matching Initiative for the 2021/22-2025/26 Financial Years The ATO has advised that it will acquire residential investment property loan data from authorised financial institutions for the 2021/22 through to 2025/26 financial years, including: client identification […]
Electric vehicle home charging rates: cents per km
Draft Guidelines on Calculating Electric Vehicle Charging Costs Released by ATO Recordkeeping Requirements and Application of the EV Home Charging Rate for FBT and Income Tax Purposes The ATO recently released draft guidelines setting out a methodology for calculating the cost of electricity when an electric vehicle (‘EV’) is charged at an employee’s or individual’s […]
Last chance to claim deductions under temporary full expensing
Temporary Full Expensing: A Time-Limited Deduction for Businesses Eligibility Criteria, Opt-Out Provisions, and Impending Deadline for the Tax Benefit Deductions under ‘temporary full expensing’ are only available in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 income years, and are expected to come to an end on 30 June 2023. Under temporary full expensing, businesses with an aggregated […]
Feds crack down on tax fraud
ATO and AFP crackdown on GST-fraud promoters A raft of enforcement activity has been undertaken across the country by the ATO-led Serious Financial Crime Taskforce, including the execution of search warrants and issuing of warning letters. At 31 December 2022, the ATO took compliance action on more than 53,000 clients and stopped approximately $2.5 billion […]
Significant change to claiming working from home expenses
Be aware of updated rules when claiming working from home expenses Before 1 July 2022, an individual taxpayer that incurred additional deductible expenses as a result of working from home, had a choice of three methods to claim these expenses. These choices were: The shortcut method – which was available from 1 March 2020 to […]
Builder unable to obtain refund of incorrectly charged GST
Ruling by Administrative Appeals Tribunal impacts GST refund guidelines The Administrative Appeals Tribunal has held that a builder was unable to receive a refund of GST incorrectly charged on the sale of a residential premises that had been rented for just over five years since construction was complete. The taxpayer claimed the GST charged on […]
Improving payroll governance
Make sure you’re up to date on payroll compliance How employers can understand and meet their payroll obligations and some of the common issues seen by the ATO. How to meet your employer obligations The ATO wants to help you ensure your entity’s payroll governance measures are designed effectively and fit for purpose. This means […]
