Year of the Tiger: Roaring or Bellowing? The 2022 Luna New Year, Year of the Tiger, is courage and bravery. It is a year to drive out evil and one of momentum and change. The message; walk boldly with courage. And it seems the Reserve Bank Governor is aligned with this sentiment. The Tiger economy [...]
2022: The year ahead 2021 was to be the year we returned to a post-COVID normal however the pandemic has fundamentally changed the way many of us operate in our personal and work lives. Here is some of what we can expect in 2022: Federal Election The Federal election will be held between March and [...]
The ‘Backpacker Tax’ and the High Court The High Court has ruled that the ‘backpacker tax’ is discriminatory. We look at the impact. Since 2017, the ‘backpacker tax’ has taxed the first dollar of income a backpacker earns in Australia - regardless of their residency status - at the working holiday maker tax rate of [...]
The top Christmas tax questions Every year, we are asked about the tax impact of various Christmas or holiday related gestures. Here are our top issues: Staff gifts The key to Christmas presents for your team is to keep the gift spontaneous, ad hoc, and from a tax perspective, below $300 per person. $300 is [...]
If Santa was an Australian tax resident A lighter look at the complexity of Australian taxation laws and the year that has been. Dear Mr Claus, Thank you for the opportunity to provide strategic business, tax and compliance advice for your operation. We’re pleased you have initiated this advice as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) [...]
Overseas gifts and loans in the spotlight The ATO has recently issued an alert on gifts or loans from overseas. The ATO is particularly concerned about schemes and arrangements designed specifically to circumvent Australian tax laws. In general, Australian-resident taxpayers need to declare their worldwide income in their Australian tax return. Some schemes however disguise [...]
SMSF COVID-19 audit relief extended The ATO has extended COVID-19 relief for SMSF trustees. The relief measures, which protect trustees from COVID-19 related contraventions of the super laws, now extend from the 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years. The relief measures provide: Residency relief where the pandemic has prevented members from returning to Australia. This [...]
Tax and the normalisation of cryptocurrency The Australian Taxation Office recently updated its guidance on tax and cryptocurrency. In early November, the Commonwealth Bank announced that it is now Australia’s first bank to offer customers the ability to buy, sell and hold crypto assets, directly through the CommBank app. You know when the banks come [...]
How to set up your Director ID Directors are now required to register for a unique identification number that they will keep for life. What is a director ID? A director ID is a 15 digit identification number that, once issued, will remain with that director for life regardless of whether they stop being a [...]
Recruiting new employees? The 1 November superannuation rule changes When your business hires a new employee, the Choice of Fund form is used to identify where they want their superannuation to be directed. If the employee does not identify a fund, generally the employer directs their superannuation into a default fund. From 1 November 2021, [...]