23

Jul

Keeping Your Business Secure During Tax Time: Essential Tips from ATO

With tax time in full swing, it’s crucial to keep your business secure online by implementing systems and processes that help reduce the risk of a cyber event. It’s also essential to plan for what you’ll do if a cyber-attack occurs. Every Australian business, regardless of size, is a target for cyber-attacks. While there are practical steps you can take to enhance your business’s cyber security, it’s vital to make these steps part of your business habits. This includes safeguarding accounts, protecting devices and information, and preparing your staff to identify cyber threats. To help reduce the risk of a cyber breach: The Australian Signals Directorate, through the Australian Cyber Security Centre, is the Australian Government’s leading authority for cyber […]

23

Jul

Have you paid your employees’ super guarantee?

July 2024 The next quarterly due date for SG contributions is 28 July. However, as this falls on a weekend, the super fund must receive your payment by Monday 29 July. Remember to make your payment in full, on time and to the right fund. If you don’t pay your SG contributions by the due date each quarter, you’ll need to pay the super guarantee charge. This is more than the SG contribution amount and you can’t claim it as a tax deduction. From 1 July, the SG rate increased to 11.5%, so make sure the payments you make for eligible workers on or after 1 July reflect the new rate. For the quarter ending 30  June, the 11% SG rate applied to payments you made before 1 July. The[…]

23

Jul

Practice  Update ( 7 / 2024 )

ATO’s ‘main residence exemption tips’ Reminder of June 2024 Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’) Employers are reminded that employee superannuation contributions for the 1 April 2024 to 30 June 2024 quarter must be received by the relevant super funds by 28 July 2024 (which is a Sunday), in order to avoid being liable to pay the SG charge. Notice of Medicare levy exemption data-matching program The ATO will acquire Medicare Exemption Statement data from Services Australia for the 2024 to 2026 income years, including individuals’ full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, entitlement status, and approved entitlement details. The objectives of this program are to (among other things) ensure individuals are correctly claiming an exemption from payment of the Medicare levy[…]

26

Jun

Small Business – Get ready for tax time

Are you ready for tax time? This might be your last chance to make any tax-deductible purchases before this financial year ends on 30 June. See if there are any tax-deductible items your business needs, or any concessions you can access. Finalise your employees’ Single Touch Payroll (STP) If you have employees, make sure you finalise their 2023–24 STP information by 14 July. This is an important end-of-year obligation and ensures your employees have the right information they need to lodge their income tax return. Remember to finalise all employees you’ve paid in the financial year, even those you haven’t paid for a while, like terminated employees. Check your pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and instalments From 1 July, individual tax rates and thresholds will change. This[…]

04

Jun

Downsizer super contributions

Check if and how you can contribute money from the sale of your home into your super fund via a downsizing contribution. accountant Melbourne About downsizer contributions If you are 55 or older, you may be able to contribute up to $300,000 from the proceeds of the sale (or part sale) of your home into your superannuation fund. A downsizer contribution is a non-concessional contribution, but it doesn’t count towards the contribution cap. It will not affect your total superannuation balance until it is re-calculated at the end of the financial year. However, downsizer contributions count towards your transfer balance cap. This cap applies when you move your super savings into retirement phase, and is taken into account in determining eligibility[…]

04

Jun

Easy guide to functional currency rules

accountant Melbourne Information about functional currency rules, eligibility and the implications for tax accounting and reporting. How to use this guide The electronic version of this document is the only authorised version. Printed copies may be out of date. Read this guide to find out more about the functional currency rules, including: You can use this guide if you are: This guide does not cover income from overseas permanent establishments of resident taxpayers. Functional currency translation rules The functional currency translation rules are an exception to the core foreign currency translation rules. Under the core foreign currency translation rules, amounts in a foreign currency must be translated into Australian dollars (A$). There are also rules about when and at what exchange rate[…]

30

May

Queensland women sentenced for fraudulent claims to COVID-19 scheme

Three Queensland women who illegally attempted to access superannuation payments have been sentenced to imprisonment. Three Queensland women who illegally attempted to access superannuation payments under a Federal Government COVID-19 scheme have been sentenced to imprisonment. Two women who both pleaded guilty were Tuesday, 28 May 2024 sentenced in the Brisbane District Court to three years and six months’ imprisonment. A third woman, who also pleaded guilty, was sentenced in April to five months in prison. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) anti-fraud Taskforce Iris charged the women in August 2020 after an investigation revealed the group submitted several fraudulent applications to attempt to access early release of superannuation payments totalling $103,500. The women used myGov accounts to claim to be other[…]

21

May

Application for payment of ATO-held superannuation money

How to apply for super held by the ATO online or by using the paper application form (NAT 74880). Manage your super online You can manage your super using our online services. This includes applying for your ATO-held super money and uploading supporting documents. To use our online services, you need to create a myGov account and link to the ATO. For more information, see Keeping track of your super. Eligibility criteria You can only apply for a payment of your super held by us if you meet at least one of the eligibility criteria outlined in the tables below. If you apply using ATO online services, in most instances we will automatically work out if you are eligible. Depending on[…]

21

May

Register or manage an asset

Instructions for foreign investors who need to register an asset or update details about an existing asset. What is an asset An asset can be a: There is no fee payable to register assets. Register a new asset Check the information required to register the relevant asset type. Have the information you need ready to complete the registration in one session, as: Each asset must be registered separately. Log in to Online services for foreign investors. From the home page, select the Asset menu or Register asset quick link. At the Asset page select Add then Register new asset. The asset will have an Asset ID after it is registered. Required information The information you need to provide for each asset type: Property Each registration represents one property. If a property has[…]

14

May

Global Tax Chiefs and SFCT build capability to combat crypto crime

J5 deliver crypto asset investigation training to over 50 members of Australia’s Serious Financial Crime Taskforce. Last week, specialists from across Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5) jurisdictions delivered crypto asset investigation training to over 50 members of Australia’s Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT). This collaboration between the J5 and SFCT comes at a critical time, as crypto assets are increasingly utilised in criminal activities, including to launder the proceeds of tax crime. Criminals are drawn to trading in crypto assets due to perceived anonymity and the ease and speed with which they can be traded anywhere in the world. The training provided the opportunity to explore real-world case studies and emerging technologies to support the identification, investigation, and[…]