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Working From Home Deductions: What’s Changed and What To Do Now From 1 July 2024 the ATO’s fixed rate deduction for working from home (WFH) running expenses is 70 cents per hour. In a frustrating approach by the ATO, estimates are not acceptable and you must keep contemporaneous records of actual hours for the whole year along with supporting copies of example invoices. ATO – difficult by design? If you…  Read more

Your Business Activity Statement (BAS) is a form submitted to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) by registered businesses to report their GST obligations, Pay As You Go (PAYG) withholding (PAYGW) and Pay As You Go (PAYG) instalments (PAYGI). Many business owners and their bookkeepers do a good job of preparing and lodging their own BAS, however recording the BAS payment back into the accounts is where things go astray. When…  Read more

Taxpayers earning up to $126,000 will get smaller tax refunds or tax payable in 2023. The low and middle income tax offset (LMITO) ended in the 2022 tax year. The LMITO, introduced in 2018-19, provided tax relief to help balance the tax creep which forces workers into higher tax brackets. The temporary tax cut was designed to support those earning up to $126,000. The greatest benefit of $1500 went to…  Read more

The Federal Government unveiled its annual budget on 9 May. The images of tradies in hi-vis were replaced by images of health workers, carers and the aged as the budget focus turned to helping with the cost of living, with support for low-income earners while also allocating funding to health and education with the support for small businesses more about headlines than substance. Small Business Support The accelerated depreciation provisions…  Read more

Legislation passed in late 2022 removes Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) on eligible electric cars provided by employers to current employees for private use. Before we dive into the detail, ask yourself a few questions to see if the tax concessions on an electric vehicle might be right for you: Do you need or want a new car? With a cost of say $50,000 to $85,000 a tax benefit will rarely…  Read more

Superannuation If you want to make a tax deductible contribution before 30 June or pay super for your employees for a tax deduction in FY22 – Take Action NOW. Funds must be received in a fund bank account before 30 June. From 1 July there are two key changes: the contribution rate for employer super contributions will increase to 10.5%; the minimum $450/month threshold ($350 for hospitality) for employer contributions…  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

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

The Australian government announced the implementation of the Modernising Business Registers program as part of the 2020 Budget Digital Business Plan. The program will establish an Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS) to enhance how businesses register and manage their information with the government. The ABRS will roll out progressively between 2021 and 2024, with the first change being that business directors must obtain a Director Identification Number (DIN). For most…  Read more

The introduction of Single Touch Payroll (STP) requires more effort than usual on year end payroll finalisation. Under STP employers must report pay, 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 have…  Read more

Tax Planning 2021 The end of financial year is fast approaching. Business and employment conditions alongside legislative change have thrown new considerations into the tax planning mix. Helping you achieve prosperity and pay less tax is our priority, so we have created guides for personal tax planning and business tax planning to help you get ahead before the end of financial year. The world is awash with government stimulus, debt and low interest rates. Asset…  Read more

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has released the 2021 Federal Budget and confirmed Australia’s economy is performing more strongly than was expected six months ago. This article has a summary of the “Winners and Losers” of the Budget and we’ve compiled a recap of the key points below. Get in touch with us if you have any questions. A Quick Overview This budget assumes our international borders won’t reopen until mid-2022. $1.9…  Read more

Often small business owners find themselves in the position of running a great business that appears to be profitable but there never seems to be any money in the bank. It’s an important situation to address. After all, a lack of adequate cash flow is one of the main causes of small business failure. Here are three reasons potentially profitable businesses have little money in the bank. What is the…  Read more

The past six years have been tough for Perth’s property market but maybe the tide has turned. Perth dwelling values fell by more than 22% from highs in June 2014. For any home or investment property buyers from 2008 onwards, breaking even on a subsequent sale has been a measure of success. Regional markets are also booming. You will struggle to find a rental property, a holiday home, a vacant…  Read more

The Federal Budget was released on Tuesday 6th October. We have summarised what we feel is most relevant information for clients of Porters CA. If you would like to read more about the “Winners and Losers” of the Australian Federal Budget for 2020 click here. Key Points: Tax cuts for workers – more money in pockets for more Australians. JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme – businesses supported for hiring employees aged…  Read more

What a year! We don’t need to tell you that this year has been “unprecedented”. With so many stimulus packages, support programs, tax changes and business shutdowns this financial year is set to be like we’ve never seen before. Oddly enough, amongst all the upheaval, rarely have we felt so enthusiastic about the opportunities for people and businesses who are open to new ideas and who are looking for guidance…  Read more

On 6 March 2020, just as COVID-19 was starting to cause mayhem, the government passed legislation for a Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty. The amnesty allows employers to disclose and pay previously unpaid Super Guarantee Charge, including nominal interest, that they owe to their employees for past quarters (1 July 1992 to 31 March 2018). Despite intense lobbying for an extension, no changes have been announced and the Amnesty is due to…  Read more

Seamless bookkeeping and accounting You want to avoid paying more than you should come tax time. Part of that is ensuring you have well organised and recorded financial records. When tax time comes around, are you ready or scrambling last minute for missing financial records? Business owners have a lot on their plate and can easily lose track of an approaching tax deadline or financial data needed to submit returns.…  Read more

Want to know how the 2017-18 Budget affects your future tax position?   Here’s the rub… The ATO is interested ATO audits of over 300 rental property claims found errors in 90% of returns.  This means a huge potential loss of revenue for the ATO and fertile ground for tax reviews. This year, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will undertake 4,500 audits of taxpayers it considers are “high risk” because…  Read more