A PDF copy of our Monthly Client Information Newsletter for October 2016 wallace-partners-client-information-newsletter-october-2016 A recurrent topic of inquiry when it comes to possible tax deductions is when taxpayers travel to a work location, and the eligibility or otherwise of certain claims for that travel. We unravel the complexities. A start-up business is going to have to make...

Do-it-yourself superannuation, in one form or another, has been around for about 30 years. But it has only been over the last few years that SMSFs have made an indelible mark on Australia’s retirement savings landscape. The SMSF sector now claims a bigger slice of the super pie than it ever has, in terms of...

About general law and tax law partnerships A general law partnership is formed when two or more people (and up to, but no more than, 20 people) go into business together. Partnerships are generally set up so that all partners are equally responsible for the management of the business, but each also has liability for the...

If you identify a goods and services tax (GST) error for a previous period or on an already lodged business activity statement (BAS), there is always scope to make a correction. The ATO has realised that it is necessary for businesses to be able to make these adjustments, which can easily come about because of...

There are tempting tax incentives for Australians to save for their retirement via the superannuation system, with an array of choice between superannuation funds that can manage your savings for you, but also the do-it-yourself option of a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF). Managing your own retirement savings however is a huge responsibility and one that...

It was about 1990 when the ATO was asked about the tax deductibility of interest on a loan a business may have taken out to repay a tax debt. It was the third time, according to ATO records, that the matter was raised. Of the two previous requests for clarification, one was made as far...

When a legal expense is incurred in relation to the operation of a business to produce assessable income, it is generally allowable as a deduction. Exceptions are when the legal fee is capital, domestic or private in nature, if it is specifically excluded by another section of income tax legislation, or is incurred in earning...

$20,000 write off is only available for small business, unless… Everyone assumes that the $20,000 instant asset write-off is exclusive to eligible small businesses. However there is a hidden gem buried within the small business simplified depreciation provisions that in some circumstances can widen the application of this valuable deduction. It is possible, under certain...

A PDF copy of our Monthly Client Information Newsletter for September 2016 wallace-partners-client-information-newsletter-september-2016 The small business community welcomed the government’s $20,000 instant asset write-off initiative from the last federal budget, but there is an added bonus hidden in the legislation that could open up the valuable deduction to a wider tax-paying cohort than just small business...

ATO warns on franked distributions funded by raising capital to release franking credits The ATO is concerned about arrangements being exploited by some companies for the purpose of releasing franking credits or streaming dividends to shareholders. It says this may attract the operation of the anti-avoidance rule in section 177EA of the Income Tax Assessment...