CGT and the family home If you are a foreign citizen currently living in Australia but planning to leave Australia at some stage in the short to medium term then these new rules are likely to impact on you. If you owned your home at or before 9 May 2017, you can access the main…
Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty On 24 May 2018, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services announced the commencement of a 12-month Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty (the Amnesty). The Amnesty is a one-off opportunity for employers to self-correct past super guarantee (SG) non-compliance without penalty. Subject to the passage of legislation, the Amnesty will be available from 24 May 2018 to 23 May 2019. Employers…
Definition of an SMSF to change The Government has announced that the maximum number of members an SMSF can have will increase from four to six. At present, under section 17A of the SIS Act, to meet the definition of an SMSF the fund must have 4 members or less. There is a long way…
CGT and the family home If you are an Australian citizen working overseas but a non-resident for tax purposes, these new rules are likely to affect your main residence in Australia. If you maintain your main residence in Australia, you can use the absence rule to maintain the exempt status of your property just in…
CGT and the family home Expats and foreign residents beware The family home of foreign residents and expats may be taxed if legislation before Parliament is passed by the Senate. If you are a foreign resident living in Australia or an Australian working overseas who owns residential property in Australia, this reform potentially has serious…
How to use EOFY to set yourself up for success Each end of financial year ‘EOFY’ is the highlight of the year (at least it is to us) It’s the green light for business owners to run the rule over their business and set up for success. It’s not just crunching the numbers and filling…
ATO driven to scrutinise car claims this tax time The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced that it will be closely examining claims for work-related car expenses this tax time as part of a broader focus on work related expenses. Assistant Commissioner Kath Anderson said over 3.75 million people made a work-related car expense claim…
5 ways to build a strong customer base from day one The hardest and often the most expensive part of business is finding customers, so it’s important to hang on to them from day one. When you’re new in business, having a plan to build the base who will provide early revenue and become your…
Tax Deductions: the danger zones A recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Tax Deductions created some fairly sensational headlines about what and how deductions are being claimed – $22 billion worth to be exact. In Australia, tax deductions are available for expenses incurred in producing assessable income. These are generally work-related deductions or investment related deductions. And,…
Work-related expenses At $19.7 billion, work-related expenses accounted for nearly two-thirds of total deductions claimed by individuals in 2012-13. The most common claims were for car expenses ($8 billion or around 40%), followed by $7 billion in ‘other expenses’ comprising home office costs and tools, equipment and other assets. Work-related travel expenses counted for $2…