Latest News
ATO warning regarding private use of work vehicles and FBT
Employers that supply work vehicles to their employees need to check how the work vehicles are used and whether any exemptions apply to determine if they attract fringe benefits tax (‘FBT’). FBT generally applies when a work vehicle is made available for private use, even if it is not actually used. Private use includes any […]
Tips to help sole trader clients
The ATO is seeing sole traders make mistakes in the following areas: not reporting all income — this includes income earned outside their business (like a ‘side hustle’), cash jobs, or payments in-kind/barter deals; overclaiming expenses — this includes claiming the portion of an expense related to personal use, or overstating the cost of goods […]
Correctly dealing with rental property repairs
Taxpayers who have had work done on their rental property should ensure the expense is categorised correctly to avoid errors when completing their tax return. A deduction for ‘repairs and maintenance’ expenses can be claimed for work done to remedy, or prevent defects, damage or deterioration from using the property to earn income. These expenses […]
Reminder of September Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’)
Employers are reminded that employee super contributions for the quarter ending 30 September 2025 must be received by the relevant super funds by Tuesday, 28 October 2025. If the correct amount of SG is not paid by an employer on time, they will be liable to pay the SG charge, which (as noted above) includes […]
Employees incorrectly treated as independent contractors
The ATO is warning businesses that if they incorrectly treat an employee as an independent contractor, then they risk receiving penalties and charges, including: PAYG withholding penalty for failing to deduct tax from worker payments and send it to the ATO; Super guarantee charge (‘SGC’), which is more than the super that would have been […]
PAYGW reminders for activity statement lodgments
The ATO will be sending certain employers a reminder to lodge their activity statements. The reminder will include the amounts the ATO has on record for them, such as: PAYG withheld amounts reported through Single Touch Payroll; and any other pre-filled amounts, including GST instalments and PAYG instalments (instalment amount option). The ATO’s reminders are […]
Get Ready For Super Changes From 1 July 2022
As the new financial year approaches, employers need to be aware of two important super changes. From 1 July 2022, employees can be eligible for super guarantee (‘SG’), regardless of how much they earn, because the $450 per month eligibility threshold for when SG is paid has been removed. Employers only need to pay super […]
ATO To Start Clearing Backlog Of ENCC Release Authorities
Due to “unavoidable delays caused by improvements to” its systems, the ATO will start issuing requests to release excess contributions and other charges for individuals who did not make an election on the tax treatment of their excess non-concessional contributions (‘ENCC’) for prior financial years. This may result in a higher than normal number of […]
ATO Warns About GST Fraud
Taxpayers are being warned to be on the lookout for dodgy online ads, often on social media platforms, promising easy GST refunds. The ATO recently issued a media release about large-scale GST fraud attempts exceeding $850 million, that involve customers setting up an ABN without operating a business, and then submitting fictitious BAS statements to […]
Employers Need To Prepare For Changes Under Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 Expansion
Single Touch Payroll (‘STP’) reporting has been expanded. This expansion, known as ‘STP Phase 2’, means that employers will need to start reporting extra information to the ATO each time they run their payroll. Some digital service providers (‘DSPs’) needed more time to update their products and applied for deferrals, which cover their customers – […]
High Court Rejects Attempt To Disclaim Interest In Trust Distribution
The High Court has rejected a taxpayer’s attempt to disclaim an interest in trust income that arose as a result of a default beneficiary clause being triggered. Facts The taxpayer, Ms Natalie Carter, was one of five default beneficiaries of the Whitby Trust, a discretionary trust. For the 2014 income year the trustee had failed […]
Disclosure Of Business Tax Debts
The ATO is in the process of writing to taxpayers that may be eligible to have their tax debts disclosed to credit reporting bureaus (‘CRBs’). The ATO can potentially report outstanding tax debts to a CRB where the following criteria are satisfied: The taxpayer has an Australian business number and is not an excluded entity; […]