On the 1 July 2018, the Australian Government introduced Single Touch Payroll (STP) for employers with 20 or more employees. The new scheme requires employers to report payment activities each time employees…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has released draft guidelines changing its previous stance on Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) for utes. Amendments originated from reports that dodgy tax returns were responsible for a…

The time to report and lodge your annual tax return for your business is fast approaching. Remember, what you must report will depend upon the type of business entity you have. Sole…

From 1 July 2018, businesses that supply cleaning or courier services must report payments made to contractors (if payments are for cleaning or courier services) via the Taxable payments annual report (TPAR)…

You may be able to claim a tax deduction for capital expenditure on a landcare operation in Australia in the year it is incurred. Providing you are a primary producer, a rural…

The Tax Office is reminding individuals who either own or are looking to purchase a rental property that there are essential record-keeping and taxation obligations that they must meet. Examples of records…

As tax time continues, the ATO has announced the top misconceptions many individuals make when completing their claims for tax deductions. Four popular tax misunderstandings include: 1. Individuals can give credit card…

The Tax Office has confirmed the rate for work-related car expenses will rise to 68 cents per kilometre for the income year beginning 1 July 2018. The new rate will affect those…

The ATO has released its latest findings on the tax gap for Australian individuals. The estimated gap in 2014-15 is approximately $8.7 billion or 6.4 per cent. The income gap is an…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is reminding individuals to remain vigilant against any scams that may pop up this year around tax time. With over 37,000 scam attempts reported to the ATO…

From 1 July 2018, the Tax Office is advising Australians that if they find an error in their tax return or activity statement they will not incur a penalty but will advise…

Tax Time is now upon us, with the ATO Assistant Commissioner announcing the top five mistakes commonly made when Australians complete their annual tax returns. Common mistakes some taxpayers are making include:…

The Personal Income Tax Plan announced as part of this year’s Federal Budget has been passed by Parliament. The plan introduces: – a new low and middle-income tax offset to reduce the…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is cracking down on claims for work-related clothing and laundry expenses this tax time. Last year total claims for work-related clothing and laundry expenses totalled nearly $1.8…

Overseas businesses that meet the GST registration threshold (A$75,000) will be required to charge GST on goods purchased from the 1 July 2018. Specifically, GST will be charged on goods that are:…

With the end of the financial year fast approaching, preparing ahead will help to take off the pressure of running your business and organising your tax affairs this tax season. Business owners…

The Government is widening the scope of Division 7A to include unpaid present entitlements from 1 July 2019. This will apply where a related private company is entitled to a share of…

As of 1 July 2018, purchasers of new residential premises or potential land are required to withhold an amount from the contract price and pay the amount to the ATO before settlement.…

The Tax Office has flagged work-related car expenses as a concern this tax time. The ATO is targeting those who make mistakes or deliberately lodge false claims. Examples include: – Claiming things…

The Government will continue its commitment to strengthen the economy by focusing on improving its integrity measures to create a fairer level-playing field for all. Funding new ATO enforcement Additional funds will…

The 2018 Federal Budget is built on the back of a historically strong post-mining boom Australian economy, triggering fairly conservative changes to tax policy. The Budget’s strategy is to provide sustainable tax…

The Australian Tax Office is standing by its actions undertaken that were presented on a recent current affairs program. The ATO says where taxpayers fail to lodge tax returns and BAS returns…

Employers can employ holiday makers on either a Working Visa (subclass 417) or a Working and Holiday Visa (subclass 462). Employees on either visa are taxed at 15 per cent from the…

Buyers of new residential premises or subdivisions of potential residential land will need to pay the GST component of the purchase price to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) as of 1 July…

Fuel tax credits are provided to businesses who acquire, manufacture, import or use fuel in part of running a business. These credits can greatly benefit business owners but it is important to…

The Tax Office has rental property owners in its sights this tax season with a large number of mistakes, errors and false claims made by some using their own property for personal…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is warning taxpayers to be aware of scammers impersonating the Tax Office and demanding cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin as payment for fake tax debts. The ATO became…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is urging employers with 20 or more employees to prepare for the introduction of Single Touch Payroll. Single Touch Payroll will be introduced from 1 July 2018,…

Property investors can access a wide range of tax deductions and items subject to depreciation for their rental property yet many miss out on unknown tax breaks, foregoing an average of $20,000…

The Australian Taxation Office is continuing to pay close attention to claims made as ‘work-related expenses’ throughout 2018. Making incorrect claims of work-related deductions can land you in hot water with the…

While we like to think of business ventures as a platform to make money, there are also many expenses that will be incurred through running one. Luckily, there are many tax deductions…

The Australian Tax Office is honing in on small businesses failing to comply with guidelines regarding appropriate record keeping. Findings from the ATO’s Protecting Honest Business campaign indicated that one of the…

The Australian Taxation Office is urging all businesses and individuals to take care in relation to avoiding the risk of fraud. With a focus on criminals lodging fraudulent returns in order to…

This year, the Australian Taxation Office has placed a greater focus on property developers and are particularly watching company directors with a history of GST obligations avoidance. As of May 2017, the…

The Government has announced a reform of the Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status to strengthen governance arrangements, reduce administrative complexity and ensure trust and confidence in the sector. The reforms are as…

With the FBT year-end just around the corner, it is a good time to review your FBT compliance to avoid raising attention from the Australian Tax Office (ATO). The ATO is currently…

It is quite common for small businesses to provide their staff with car parking benefits, however, many business owners may not take into account the effect parking has for fringe benefits tax…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is targeting privately owned and wealthy groups that display specific behaviours and characteristics in relation to their tax affairs and lifestyle. A large focus is currently on…

The holiday season is a peak time for activities in the sharing economy to increase. During this time those participating in the sharing economy must not forget their tax obligations. The most…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will be closed from midday Friday 22 December 2017 to 8.00am Tuesday 2 January 2018 over the festive season. The Tax Agent Portal Dashboard and BAS Agent…

Taxpayers are being reminded they can prepay amounts towards their expected tax bill to help stay on top of their tax and avoid falling into debt. To make a prepayment to the…

The holiday season is a busy time of year for many businesses and it is not uncommon to hire staff particularly for this period. If your business is one with an influx…

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has sophisticated data matching programs in place to ensure individuals and businesses are complying with their obligations and to uphold the integrity of the tax system for…

Those selling property as part of a business sale may be eligible for the margin scheme. The margin scheme is a way of working out the GST you must pay on the…

Australian goods and services tax (GST) will be implemented on sales of low-value goods imported into Australia by consumers as of 1 July 2018. According to the ATO, business will have to…

To protect honest, compliant Australian businesses, the Australian Taxation Office has placed a strong emphasis on targeting the cash and hidden economy. The ATO is visiting businesses that deal predominantly in cash,…

The ATO has established the ‘Business Assistance Program’ to help new business owners understand their tax obligations associated with running a business. Small businesses that have recently registered for an ABN, registered…

When it comes time to sell your home, you may be wondering if you will need to pay capital gains tax (CGT). Generally, if you live in the home you are selling…

In its effort to facilitate a fair business environment, the ATO has offered continued support for honest businesses. With an estimated $40 billion lost to the hidden economy, the need for strong…

Self-managed super fund trustees must notify the Australian Tax Office (ATO) if there are changes to their SMSF. Trustees must provide written notice within 28 days if there are changes to: the…