Author: Sarah Wallace
Both tax and SMSF audits still on ATO’s radar, but some leniency given
While the ATO has lately been focusing on the rollout of stimulus measures, it has also flagged that audit work is not off the table completely. In late July, when the ATO fronted a parliamentary Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, its representative said plans were to start tax audits sometime between September and October 2020....
What the “full expensing” write-off deduction means for business
The Federal Budget measure of allowing businesses to fully write-off eligible assets is a boon to Australian businesses, even though the measure is temporary. Just to recap, businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $5 billion will be able to deduct the full cost of eligible capital assets acquired from 7:30pm AEDT on 6...
Wallace Partners Client Information Newsletter November 2020
Access our Wallace Partners Client Information Newsletter November 2020 below:
Bonus Article, Clock ticking for certain NSW discretionary trusts on land holdings
In NSW, surcharge purchaser duty applies to acquisitions of NSW residential land by foreign persons, and surcharge land tax applies to foreign persons who are owners of residential land in NSW. Surcharge purchaser duty and surcharge land tax (together known as the “foreign surcharges”) are payable in addition to any other duty or land tax...
SMSF regulations to allow six members under new legislation
A bill has been introduced into Parliament that partially implements a measure to allow an increase in the maximum number of allowable members in self-managed superannuation funds and small APRA funds from four to six. First floated in the 2018-19 Federal Budget, the remainder of the measure is to be implemented through regulations. The bill...
Fears of Div 7A danger from COVID-relaxed loan repayments unfounded
The ATO has clarified its position regarding loans, and the repayments of loans that may have been put on hold for the period that COVID-19 has a grip on the economy and our lives. An important sidebar to the ATO’s announcement is the implications regarding Division 7A — just in case you have had some...
Electronic execution of documents during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted state and territory governments to temporarily ease the manner in which documents are executed. It is now possible under multiple jurisdictions to sign and witness certain documents electronically or via audio visual links. The changes address difficulties in executing documents amid social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions. However the requirements for...
SMEs: ATO confirms JobKeeper payments do not contribute to aggregated turnover
From the outset, it has been emphasised that JobKeeper payments are assessable income. However some concerns had been raised as to JobKeeper payment status in regard to being statutory income or ordinary income. And if the latter, whether it is ordinary income derived in the ordinary course of carrying on a business. If so, JobKeeper...
New data matching programs initiated by Federal Government
Over the first quarter of this financial year, the government has initiated two new data matching programs, using data that the ATO holds. Data matching involves bringing together data from different sources and comparing it. For example, records from different agencies or businesses are compared, with the results possibly identifying people who are being paid...
JobKeeper rules, conditions and payment rates have changed
Legislation has been put in place to extend the JobKeeper scheme beyond its original sunset date, although the rates of payment and certain other details have been altered. The scheme is now to run until March next year, with one version lasting until 3 January and another version in place from then until 28 March....