The ATO has recently confirmed that collection of business debts – including debts relating to superannuation guarantee (SG), pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and GST – is among its key focus areas. This is a timely reminder for all businesses to ensure they’re meeting their obligations. The most recent ATO statistics show that although […]
With the latest statistics showing a significant rise in liquidations and with the ATO’s focused efforts on debt collection, small businesses face significant financial pressures. However, the answer isn’t to evade responsibilities or take shortcuts – business restructuring has to be done properly and in compliance with the relevant laws. The small business restructure roll-over […]
Does your business or investment structure make payments such as interest, dividends or royalties to any foreign residents? You may be required to withhold tax from these payments. The ATO is currently focusing on ensuring that taxpayers are aware of these obligations. If these withholding requirements apply to you, you’ll need to lodge a PAYG […]
If you’re an Australian resident for tax purposes, you don’t have to pay income tax on the first $18,200 you earn each year, from any source. This is called the “tax-free threshold”. If you have more than one job, change employers during the year, have a sole trader side gig or get government payments, it’s […]
Tax time 2024 sees the ATO continuing to turn the spotlight on rental property owners and inflated claims to offset increases in rental income. ATO data shows the majority of rental property owners are continuing to get information in their income tax returns wrong, even with most using a registered tax agent to complete their […]
Claiming work-related expenses is an area where taxpayers frequently make mistakes, and the ATO has flagged it a primary area of focus for tax time 2024. More than eight million taxpayers claimed a work-related deduction in 2023, with around half of those claiming a deduction related to working from home costs, so it’s clear that […]
Despite preventative approaches by the ATO and the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) to take down fraudulent websites and block scam text messages, ATO impersonation scams are on the rise as tax time approaches. Using unsolicited contact via SMS, email or on social media, ATO impersonators frequently offer refunds or assistance in resolving tax issues or […]
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has issued a scam alert warning consumers that there has been an increase in the use of ASIC’s logo in social media scams promoting fake investments and stock market trading courses; cold calling scams; and impersonation accounts on Telegram. ASIC is working with the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) […]
The ATO is encouraging small business owners to prepare for their 2024 tax return lodgment by considering the following: […]
Beware of “cold callers” offering to switch your super Following an extensive review, ASIC has uncovered a worrying trend where cold callers, after procuring personal details from third-party data brokers or through online baiting techniques, have been aggressively pushing consumers to switch their superannuation funds. These cold callers have been found collecting the details of […]
The digital currency landscape continues to be treacherous terrain for self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) trustees, with a growing number of reports indicating significant losses due to a variety of factors, including scams, theft and collapsed trading platforms. The ATO is urging trustees to educate themselves on the potential pitfalls of crypto investing, including the […]
Hot on the heels of reports that a growing number of self managed super funds (SMSFs) are sustaining significant losses in crypto asset investments, the ATO has announced it will be extending its current crypto asset data-matching program for the 2023–2024 financial year through to the 2025–2026 financial year. Under this program, identification data will […]
The end of the financial year is fast approaching and with that, tax time 2024 is kicking into gear. As it has in previous years, the ATO has recently flagged some primary areas where taxpayers frequently make mistakes on their tax returns. “These are the areas that people are most likely to get wrong”, ATO […]
Paying super on Government paid parental leave from 1 July 2025 confirmed The Budget confirmed the proposal to pay superannuation on Government-funded paid parental leave (PPL) for births and adoptions on or after 1 July 2025. From that time, the super guarantee (SG) rate will be 12% (up from 11.5% for 2024–2025). Therefore, eligible parents […]
ATO BAS notification period extended The Government will extend the time the ATO has to notify a taxpayer if it intends to retain a business activity statement (BAS) refund for further investigation. The ATO’s mandatory notification period for BAS refund retention will be increased from 14 days to 30 days to align with time limits for […]