Simplified home office expense deduction claims due to COVID-19
Update to ATO home office expense deduction claims Given that many Australians continue to work from home due to COVID-19, the ATO has updated its Practical Compliance Guideline. The Practical Compliance Guideline now allows taxpayers working from home to claim a rate of 80 cents per hour, by keeping a record of the number of […]
Employers need to apply recent tax cuts as soon as possible
The ATO has now updated the tax withholding schedules They reflect the 2020/21 income year personal tax cuts. Updated schedules are available at ato.gov.au/taxtables. The ATO has said that employers now need to make adjustments in their payroll processes and systems in order for the tax cuts to be reflected in employees’ take-home pay. Employers […]
Tax treatment of JobKeeper Payments
Broadly, JobKeeper Payments received by an employer are assessable income to the employer Likewise, the payments an employer subsequently makes to an employee that are funded (in whole or in part by the JobKeeper Payment) are generally allowable deductions to the employer. The ATO has recently issued some guidance for employers in receipt of JobKeeper […]
80c per hour ‘shortcut’ method for home office expenses extended
Work-related expenses Back in April 2020 the ATO announced that a ‘shortcut’ method was to be made available to use from 1 March 2020 until 30 June 2020 for individuals claiming home office expenses due to COVID-19. The ATO recently announced an extension of this shortcut method to also include 1 July 2020 to 30 […]
ATO reminder for employers – Finalise STP data for 2020
Single Touch Payroll 2020 data The ATO has issued a reminder to employers who report through Single Touch Payroll (STP) – which should be all employers, unless an exemption or deferral applies – that they will need to finalise payroll information for the 2020 income year by making a declaration. The due date for making […]
2019/20 Tax Return Checklists
Tax saving strategies prior to 1 July 2020 For Individuals A good strategy to reduce tax payable is normally to accelerate any income tax deductions into the current income year, which will reduce overall taxable income in the current year. Despite this, for the 2020 tax season, tax planning may require consideration of an individual’s […]
Natural disaster SMS scam
SMS scam targeting natural disaster victims The ATO is warning the community about a new SMS scam which promises an 8% bonus on 2020 tax returns to victims of recent natural disasters. The scam text message says: “Due to natural disasters, Australians are entitled to an 8% bonus on their tax return. Please begin the […]
Company or trust home-based business deductions
Deductions for a company or trust home-based business The ATO reminds taxpayers that, if they run their home-based business as a company or trust, their business should have a genuine, market-rate rental contract (or similar agreement) with the owner of the property. The agreement will determine which expenses the business pays for and can claim […]
Tax time tips for small business
Top 3 business tax return issues To lend a ‘helping hand’ to small businesses to get their tax right this tax time, the ATO has identified the top three issues for small businesses lodging their tax returns: Failing to report all of their income; Not having the necessary records to prove small business expenses claims; […]
Data matching and share transactions
ATO data matching and share transactions The ATO has extended its data matching program, this time focusing on share data. The ATO will continue to receive share data from ASIC, including details of the price, quantity and time of individual trades dating back to 2014, with more than 500 million records obtained. The ATO will […]
