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If a trust in your family group has made a family trust election, 31 December 2026 is an important date. For many years, the practical understanding of family trust election rules was relatively simple: keep distributions within the family group or risk family trust distribution tax. So family groups and accountants readily complied with that principle. That was broadly how the rules were expected to operate when introduced. The original…  Read more

From 1 July 2025, interest the ATO charges on late payments or shortfalls is not tax-deductible. This covers General Interest Charge (GIC) and Shortfall Interest Charge (SIC), even if the debt relates to an earlier income year. The new rule applies from the date the interest is incurred. Australian Taxation Office What Changed  Some ATO debt such as on a personal tax return was never deductible but other interest was…  Read more

In recent times, there has been a notable increase in fraudulent tax return lodgments across Australia, often resulting from compromised myGov accounts. The Australian Taxation Office has indicated that breaches of myGov accounts have been in those with a Basic or Standard identity level and potentially none with a Strong identity level. On 13 November 2024 the Australian Government rebranded their digital identity management system from myGovID to myID. myID…  Read more

In a discretionary trust structure, several key roles play distinct and important parts. Understanding the functions and interrelationships of the Appointor, Guardian, along with the Trustee, Directors and Shareholders (or the alternative of an individual trustee) is crucial. Let’s break down each role: Appointor Primary Function: The Appointor is the most powerful figure in a discretionary trust. Their key role is to appoint or remove trustees. Control: Through the power…  Read more

How many things can go wrong? We don’t have an exact number, but at a guess, quite a lot. Enough to take notice and manage risk as a process and with intent. Not so many that we need to wrap ourselves in cotton wool and stay indoors. What have we seen in recent years? This is probably not the full list, but it’s a pretty good start: Payment sent to…  Read more

The evolution of Single Touch Payroll (STP) requires more effort than usual on year end payroll finalisation. Under STP employers must report pay, allowances, taxes and superannuation information directly to the ATO every payday through STP. Employers using STP will not give employees a payment summary as they usually would at this time of year. Instead, employees will get an end-of-year income statement in ATO online services through myGov. Employers…  Read more

ChatGPT – more exciting than crypto currency, bitcoin and the metaverse put together. More useful than Instagram and TikTok. AI generative language models are a transformational leap forward. I’ve had a chat with ChatGPT to write this article… You will see my input and ChatGPT responses. write a 4 line poem to get a business owner interested to use chatgpt With ChatGPT by your side, Your workload will subside, Efficient,…  Read more

The ATO has recently released a draft tax guidance (PCG 2023/1) for claiming tax deductions for working from home. You need to be aware of these changes so that you can keep the appropriate records to maximise your tax claims in your 2023 Tax Return. You need to implement improved record keeping starting immediately. The ATO record keeping requirements are onerous for what are usually relatively low value claims.  Example…  Read more

As a client of an accounting firm, it’s important to remember that you are a vital part of the team working towards your financial success. Here are some tips on how to be a good client and get the most out of your relationship with your accountant: Communicate openly and honestly: It’s important to be upfront and honest about your financial situation and concerns. We are to help you, and…  Read more

The good news is there were virtually no tax or superannuation changes that affect small or medium size business. This is very much welcomed. The bad news is with interest rates rising, high inflation and labour costs rising, businesses looking for assistance from the Government will be very disappointed by this interim Budget. Based on our analysis, the big winners appear to be: Families – Childcare subsidies extended, increased benefits…  Read more

Farm management deposits Tax planning is aimed at farmers saving tax while banking the benefits of a good year while creating a safety net for difficult years. Farm management deposits allow you to build wealth, save tax and get ahead. Farm management deposits (FMD’s) are a useful tax planning tool that can be used to delay tax liabilities in the year a deposit is made with income and tax recognised…  Read more

We regularly try to explain to clients the concept of a franked dividend – what are they, why do they matter, what does it mean for your tax and how can they work to your benefit. Some understand franking credits, some nod wisely but still feel confused, and some dream about doing something else, anything else apart from tax. We get that the concept is a challenge, so we’ll try…  Read more

Scrapping the $450 per month super guarantee threshold was a parting gift of the Liberal Party. From July 1, employers must make super guarantee payments for all employees regardless of an employee’s total monthly earnings. As announced in the 2021–22 federal Budget, the Australian Government the $450 per month threshold will be scrapped from July 1 to expand coverage of super guarantee to eligible employees regardless of their monthly pay. The…  Read more

As a parent, you may worry about how to ensure your child can receive a post-secondary education. Costs are constantly rising, and you may face high tuition fees as well as cost of living expenses if your child has to live away from home. Here are some steps you can take to save for your child’s education. Be clear about what you can and cannot afford to pay Being clear…  Read more

We spoke with bookkeeper and business owner Tash Black about her thoughts on running a small business. What made you want to be a business owner? It was something that I had always wanted to do, I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted the challenge of making something mine and experiencing the rewards of reaching my goals and being successful. What impact did owning your own business have…  Read more

Lodge your FBT to REDUCE ATO AUDIT PERIOD. Many small businesses manage their business to avoid fringe benefits tax using methods such as director contributions to ensure no tax is payable – this method is low cost and pragmatic however leaves an unlimited timeframe open for ATO. We recommend our clients to complete and lodge an FBT return, even if it is a nil result so as to draw a…  Read more

In April and May 2022, we assist clients with Tax Planning to provide specific actions to reduce your tax and manage your business and personal profits. REDUCING YOUR TAX and PLANNING FOR YOUR TAX PAYMENTS We have annual tax planning guides that will help you succeed: FY22 Tax planning tips and ideas for business FY22 Tax and wealth management tips and ideas for individuals When is a tax plan essential?…  Read more

On 23 February 2022 the ATO targeted the tax benefits of family trust distributions with a focus on distributions to the adult children of trust controllers. It’s one of the most significant developments for the taxation of trusts in over two decades. The ATO’s attack on the potential tax benefits of trusts is comprehensive: • Taxation Ruling TR 2022/D1 Income tax: section 100A reimbursement agreements • Practical Compliance Guideline PCG…  Read more

The technical drafting and operation of a trust deed is becoming increasingly important. A trust deed is a legal document. Each has been drafted by a lawyer at a particular point in time on the basis of an understanding of key issues in the law. There is no standard template. As accountants we work with a simple rule of thumb: Read the Deed A well drafted deed is easy to…  Read more

On 9 February 2022 the High Court released two decisions that changed our understanding of employee vs contractors. At the bottom of this article are the summaries provided by the High Court. For many years Australian Courts have increasingly followed a doctrine of substance over form. That is, look at the substance and reality of a transaction or relationship rather than the initial intent as documented in the legal drafting…  Read more