‘Payday super’ will overhaul the way in which superannuation guarantee is administered. We look at the first details and the impending obligations on employers. From 1 July 2026, employers will be obligated to pay superannuation guarantee (SG) on behalf of their employees on the same day as salary and wages instead of the current quarterly...

Multinational ride-sharing system Uber has successfully contested six Revenue NSW payroll tax assessments totalling over $81.5 million. The assessments were issued on the basis that Uber drivers were employees and therefore payroll tax was payable. The Payroll Tax Act 2007 (NSW) imposes the tax on all taxable wages paid or payable by an employer. The...

Own an investment property or an expensive lifestyle asset like a boat or aircraft? The ATO are looking closely at these assets to see if what has been declared in tax returns matches up. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has initiated two data matching programs impacting investment property owners and those lucky enough to hold...

ASIC’s annual insolvency data shows corporate business failure is up 39% compared to last financial year. The industries with the highest representation were construction, accommodation and food services at the top of the list. Restructuring appointments grew by over 200% in 2023-24. Small business restructuring allows eligible companies – those whose liabilities do not exceed...

The Government has amended the legislation guiding registered tax practitioners to include compulsory reporting of material uncorrected errors to the Tax Commissioner. The Government has legislated a series of changes to the Tax Agents Services Act 2009 that place additional requirements on registered tax practitioners and how they interact with clients. The reforms are in...

It’s essential that any income earned from sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb, Stayz, Uber, etc., is declared in your tax return. Since 1 July 2023, the platforms delivering ride-sourcing, taxi travel, and short-term accommodation (under 90 days), have been required to report transactions made through their platform to the ATO under the sharing economy...

Legislation increasing the instant asset write-off threshold from $1,000 to $20,000 for the 2024 income year passed Parliament just 5 days prior to the end of the financial year. Purchases of depreciable assets with a cost of less than $20,000 that a small business makes between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024 can potentially...

The ATO has warned that it is looking closely at how trusts distribute income and to who. The way in which trusts distribute income has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. Trust distribution arrangements need to be carefully considered by trustees before taking steps to appoint or distribute income to beneficiaries. What does your...

The end of the financial year is fast approaching. We outline the areas at risk of increased ATO scrutiny and the opportunities to maximise your deductions. For you Opportunities Take advantage of the 1 July 2024 tax cuts by bringing forward your deductible expenses into 2023-24. Prepay your deductible expenses where possible, make any deductible...

If you own a family company, then it is very important how you receive and treat any payments made from the company to you (or your associates – for example, your spouse).  And this is simply because any payment from a company (other than a return of the original capital) is, in most cases, prima-facie...