Latest News
Melbourne man sentenced to jail for attempting to defraud the ATO
A Wheelers Hill man was recently sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment for defrauding the ATO of nearly $35,000 and attempting to defraud the ATO of a further $458,000, following a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police (‘AFP’) and ATO’s serious financial crime taskforce. The investigation began in June 2020, after the […]
Sale of land subject to GST
The AAT recently held that the sale of land by a taxpayer was subject to GST, as it was a supply made in the course of an enterprise being carried on by the taxpayer. The taxpayer purchased a single parcel of land in 2013 for $1.6 million, and he subsequently took steps for the land […]
Deductions denied for work-related expenses
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT‘) recently held that a taxpayer should not be allowed deductions for various work-related expenses, largely because the substantiation requirements had not been satisfied. The taxpayer, a real estate salesperson, claimed tax deductions for the 2018 to 2020 income years, during which time he derived income from his employment with a […]
Changes in reporting requirements for sporting clubs
Not-for-profits (‘NFPs’), including sporting clubs, societies and associations with an active ABN, need to lodge an annual NFP self-review return to continue accessing their income tax exemption. The main purpose of a sporting organisation must be the encouragement of a game, sport or animal racing. Any other purpose of the organisation must be incidental, ancillary […]
Government announces changes to proposed ‘Stage 3’ tax cuts
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 the 32.5% tax rate to 30% for incomes between $45,000 and a new $135,000 threshold; increase […]
Reminder of December 2023 Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’)
Employers are reminded that, in relation to their SG obligations for the quarter ending 31 December 2023, the due date is 28 January 2024. If the correct amount of SG is not paid by an employer on time, they will be liable to pay the SG charge, which includes a penalty and interest component. The […]
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What’s New For Taxpayers
Before you complete your tax return for 2015, there are some changes you should be aware of in case they affect you. Mature age worker tax offset You can no longer claim the Mature age worker tax offset (MAWTO) in your tax return. Previously, to be eligible for the offset you needed to be an […]
Travel between home and work and between workplaces
While trips between home and work are generally considered private travel, you can claim deductions in some circumstances, as well as for some travel between two workplaces. If your travel was partly private and partly for work, you can only claim for the part related to your work. What you can claim You can […]
Investment Property – Claiming Repairs and Maintenance Expenses
Can you claim the cost of repairs you make before you rent out the property? You cannot claim the cost of repairing defects, damage or deterioration that existed when you obtained the property, even if you carried out these repairs to make the property suitable for renting. This is because these expenses relate to the […]
Gifts and donations
You can only claim a tax deduction for gifts or donations to organisations that have the status of deductible gift recipients (DGRs). Deductions for gifts are claimed by the person that makes the gift (the donor). For you to claim a tax deduction for a gift, it must meet four conditions: The gift […]
Capital gains tax checklist
The following questions will help you to identify possible capital gains tax (CGT) obligations. If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, CGT may apply. Some questions are intended to highlight the possibility of a capital gain or loss arising in the current year, others to alert you to the possibility of a […]
Tax on Super Contributions
The tax you pay on your super contributions generally depends on whether the contributions were made before or after you paid income tax, you exceed the super contributions cap or you are a very high-income earner. Before-tax super contributions The super contributions you make before tax (concessional) are taxed at 15%. Types of before-tax contributions […]