14
MayOn Sunday 12 May, I’ll be participating in the Mother’s Day Classic Charity Event in Melbourne with my daughter and nieces, along with thousands of Australians in other capital cities. We’ve dedicated our donation to my sister’s memory, with the funds going to breast and ovarian cancer research. The Mother’s Day Classic is truly inspirational and has led to the creation of a community tradition for thousands of families who want to mark Mother’s Day with an event that makes a difference. The founders of the event should be very proud of how it has evolved and grown, and more importantly the difference the foundation makes to the lives of so many Australians. The growth of not-for-profits (NFPs), however, is not […]
03
MayNFPs need to get ready for new return From 1 July 2024, non-charitable not-for-profits (‘NFPs’) with an active Australian Business Number (‘ABN’) (sporting, community and cultural clubs, among other organizations) will be required to lodge a new annual NFP self-review return with the ATO to confirm their income tax exemption status. Non-charitable NFPs that have an active ABN can get ready now by: NFPs can use Online services for business lodgment: When it comes time to lodge, NFPs can use Online services for business which lets organizations manage their reporting at a time that is convenient for them. If an NFP has engaged a registered tax agent, their agent can also lodge on their behalf through Online services for agents.[…]
03
MayGovernment warns of ‘malicious’ MyGov scammers The Government says the ATO or MyGov will never send an email or text message with a link to sign in to MyGov. The ATO has received a large number of reports of scammers using fake MyGov sites to steal MyGov sign-in details, which can be used to commit tax and refund fraud in other people’s names. These criminals will often use text message or email to lure people into clicking a link using phrases such as ‘You are due to receive an ATO Direct refund’ or ‘You have a new message in your MyGov inbox – click here to view’. The Government has urged Australians to be vigilant regarding scammers who target ATO[…]
18
MarFind 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 businesses, and see how she can improve. Deb downloads the ATO app and opens the Business performance check tool. She uses this tool to work out the cost of sales to turnover benchmark for her pizza shop. It’s within the higher end of the range and above the average for pizza shop businesses. Deb works out her main supply costs. She then negotiates a better[…]
12
MarLoans 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 may also be disqualified as a trustee. SMSF trustees also cannot loan money to a related party, such as a business, where the value of the loan exceeds 5% of the value of the fund’s total assets, as this is a prohibited ‘in-house asset’ investment.
04
MarPrivate 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 Division 7A loans.Division 7A is an area where the ATO sees many errors and the ATO is currently focused on assisting taxpayers in managing their obligations when receiving payments and benefits from their private companies.In this regard, the ATO has recommended that business owners do the following:• keep adequate records;• properly account for and report payments and use of company assets by shareholders[…]
26
FebEmployers 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% for the 2024 income year.Please note: Many of the comments in this publication are general in nature and anyone intending to apply the information to practical circumstances should seek professional advice to independently verify their interpretation and the information’s applicability to their particular circumstances.
21
FebThe 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 Australian Business Registry Services to increase uptake of the director ID, and better utilise registry data to combat unlawful activity.
14
FebTaxpayers 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 or block out the property for their own use? Taxpayers cannot claim deductions for the periods the property was used or blocked out by them. How and where did they advertise the property for rent, and is the rent in line with market values? If they only used obscure means of advertising, or put unreasonable restrictions or conditions in the advertisement, they may[…]
07
FebThe 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 the original lodgment was due; 2. have overdue income tax returns, business activity statements or FBT returns that were due between 1 December 2019 and 28 February 2022; and 3. lodge between 1 June and 31 December 2023. When taxpayers lodge their eligible income tax returns, business activity statements and FBT returns, failure to lodge penalties will be remitted without the need to[…]
