Can I claim a tax deduction for my gym membership? There are lots of reasons to keep fit but very few of them have to do with how we earn our income. As a result, a tax deduction for a gym membership isn’t available to most people. And yes, the Tax Office has heard all [...]
Fuel tax credit changes The Government temporarily halved the excise and excise equivalent customs duty rates for petrol, diesel and all other petroleum-based products (except aviation fuels) for 6 months from 30 March 2022 until 28 September 2022. This has caused a reduction in fuel tax credit rates. During this 6 month period, businesses using [...]
The 120% deduction for skills training and technology costs It’s a great headline isn’t it? Spend $100 and get a $120 tax deduction. Days after the Federal Budget announcement that businesses will be able to claim a 120% deduction for expenditure on training and technology costs, we started receiving marketing emails encouraging us to spend [...]
The ATO’s Attack on Trusts and Trust Distributions Late last month, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) released a package of new guidance material that directly targets how trusts distribute income. Many family groups will pay higher taxes (now and potentially retrospectively) as a result of the ATO’s more aggressive approach. Family trust beneficiaries at risk [...]
Are Your Contractors Really Employees? Two landmark cases before the High Court highlight the problem of identifying whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee for tax and superannuation purposes. Many business owners assume that if they hire independent contractors they will not be responsible for PAYG withholding, superannuation guarantee, payroll tax and workers [...]
Immediate Deductions Extended Temporary full expensing enables your business to fully expense the cost of: new depreciable assets improvements to existing eligible assets, and second hand assets in the first year of use. Introduced in the 2020-21 Budget and now extended until 30 June 2023, this measure enables an asset’s cost to be fully deductible [...]
Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments rules change The rules for the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, the payment accessible to those who have lost work because they have had to self-isolate with COVID-19, or are caring for someone who contracted it, changed on 18 January 2022. The new rules change the definition of a close contact in [...]
Cash injection for struggling businesses Businesses struggling with the Omicron wave of the pandemic have been offered new grants and support in NSW, SA and WA. New South Wales The NSW Small Business Support package provides eligible employing businesses with a lump sum payment of 20% of weekly payroll, up to a maximum of $5,000 [...]
PCR and RAT tests to be tax deductible, FBT free The Treasurer has announced that PCR and rapid antigen tests (RAT) will be tax deductible for individuals and exempt from fringe benefits tax (FBT) for employers if purchased for work purposes. There has been confusion over the tax treatment of RAT tests with the Prime [...]
Professional Services Firm Profits Guidance Finalised The Australian Taxation Office’s finalised position on the allocation of profits from professional firms starts on 1 July 2022. The ATO’s guidance uses a series of factors to determine the level of risk associated with profits generated by a professional services firm and how they flow through to individual [...]