18

Mar

Use our small business benchmarks to improve your business

Find out how your small business compares to others in your industry. We’ve updated our small business benchmarks for 2021–22. The benchmarks help you compare your business turnover and expenses to other small businesses in the same industry. For example, Deb runs a pizza shop as a sole trader. She’d like to track her business against other pizza shop […]

12

Mar

ATO warning regarding prohibited SMSF loans

Loans to members continue to be the highest reported contravention of the superannuation laws that the ATO sees in auditor contravention reports. SMSF trustees should remember that they cannot loan money or provide other forms of financial assistance to a member or relative, and if they do, they can incur a penalty of up to $18,780.  They[…]

04

Mar

Avoiding common Division 7A errors to compliance with their additional tax obligations

Private company clients who receive payments, benefits or loans from their private companies need to ensure compliance with their additional tax obligations (which are often referred to as their ‘Division 7A’ obligations).There are multiple ways in which business owners may access private company money, such as through salary and wages, dividends, or what are known as complying[…]

26

Feb

Reminder of December 2023 Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’)

Employers are reminded that, in relation to their SG obligations for the quarter ending 31 December 2023, the due date is 28 January 2024.If the correct amount of SG is not paid by an employer on time, they will be liable to pay the SG charge, which includes a penalty and interest component.The SG rate is 11%[…]

21

Feb

Notice of officeholder data-matching program including details and estimation that records relating

The ATO will acquire officeholder data from ASIC, the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission for the 2024 and 2025 income years, including details such as: The ATO estimates that records relating to approximately 11 million individuals will be obtained. This program aims to (among other things) enable the[…]

14

Feb

Claiming deductions in relation to a holiday home and considerations of the valid claim

Taxpayers should remember that they can only claim deductions for holiday home expenses to the extent they are incurred for the purpose of gaining or producing rental income. They need to consider the following in determining whether the deductions they wish to claim are valid rental deductions: How many days during the income year did they use[…]

07

Feb

ATO’s lodgment penalty amnesty is about to end and businesses must meet the following criteria

The ATO is remitting failure to lodge penalties for eligible small businesses.  Businesses which have not yet taken advantage of the ATO’s lodgment penalty amnesty only have until 31 December 2023 to do so. Businesses must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for the amnesty: 1. had an annual turnover under $10 million when[…]

11

Jan

Advice under development of superannuation

[4042] Ordinary meaning of the term ’employee’ [updated] We are reviewing several products that currently provide guidance on the meaning of the term ‘employee’ to reflect the direction provided in the High Court decision in Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union v Personnel Contracting Pty Ltd [2022] HCA 1:

20

Dec

A deductible gift recipient (DGR)-deductions for Christmas Gifts

When a gift or donation is deductible You can only claim a tax deduction for a gift or donation to an organisation that has the status of a deductible gift recipient (DGR). To claim a deduction, you must be the person that gives the gift or donation and it must meet the following 4 conditions: DGRs sometimes authorise a business[…]