GST on imports: new rules for goods under $1,000 Last month, Parliament passed legislation that will see GST applied to all consumer imports regardless of their value. Currently, imports below $1,000 are excluded from GST. The perceived preferential treatment of internet shopping has been a contentious issue for a while with the retail sector lobbying [...]
What did I miss? 1 July changes GST applies to digital products & services imported by consumers Small business $20k instant asset write-off extended until 30 June 2018 Company tax rate reduction to 27.5% for entities with an aggregated turnover of less than $25m (companies with a turnover of less than $10m have been subject [...]
The 2017-18 Federal Budget attempts to please as many people as possible. It tackles the issues currently in focus across the Australian community – gaps in healthcare, first home ownership, foreign workers, investment and bank accountability to name a few of the pressure points. It also delivers an economic ‘sugar hit’ in the form of $75 [...]
When can I claim self-education expenses? Normally, if you undertake study that is connected to your work you can claim the costs of that study as a tax deduction - assuming your employer has not already picked up your expenses. There is also no limit to the value of the deduction you can claim. While [...]
State tax warning for Family Trusts Recent changes to State laws may trigger a surprise tax bill for family trusts (discretionary trusts). The problem for family trusts stems from recent legislative changes in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC) and Queensland (QLD) that impose a surcharge on foreigners purchasing residential land. While that might not [...]
Would you buy a house with friends or relatives? It’s not uncommon for friends and relatives to band together to capitalise on the investment property market. But what happens when it all goes wrong? The Housing Industry Association shows that it now takes 2.04 average full time salaries to comfortably service a standard mortgage on [...]
Is A Contractor Really An Employee? There are so many myths about when a contractor really is an employee? Not understanding the differences could leave you in a lot of trouble with the ATO. Here’s a short video explaining more. There are a number of key determinants as to whether an employee is [...]
Changes to the Age Pension rules – will you be affected? From 1 January 2017 Government changes to the Age Pension are likely to reduce pensioner entitlements. It’s important that you understand how the changes could affect you. Increase in the Assets Test threshold The Assets Test threshold is the amount of assets pensioners can [...]
Crowdfunding - is it worth it? We’ve all seen the success stories of an innovator with a great idea who, supported by crowdfunding, was able to launch a successful and high growth business. But what happens to the money? There are several types of crowdfunding: Donation based - funding a cause without the fundraiser providing [...]
ATO Targets Dodgy Tax Deductions With over eight million Australians claiming work-related expenses each year, Assistant Commissioner Graham Whyte from the ATO is reminding people to make sure they get their deductions right this tax time. “Australians claim over $21 billion in work-related expenses each year, and we want to support taxpayers to claim what [...]
