The Australian Tax Office has its sight set on an emerging tax avoidance tactic being taken up by a number of self-managed superannuation funds. The ATO has warned trustees not to use a strategy known as personal services income (PSI) through their SMSF to pay little or no tax. Even though only a handful of…
Tougher superannuation rules may create an unintended spike in risky property borrowing by those with a self-managed super fund, with experts suggesting that the changes will force SMSFs to load up on debt in an attempt to increase returns. While there are still incentives for people to wanting to own property within their SMSF, under…
The Government is now giving individuals a greater incentive to work without being taxed more by making a start to personal income tax relief. The changes will take place from 1 July 2016 and will prevent average full-time wage earners from moving into the second top tax bracket until 2019-2020, by increasing the 32.5 per…
The ATO has identified certain businesses it plans to target for potential tax audits. These businesses include the supermarket, bakery, computer system design and car retailing industries that often need more help to meet their tax and super obligations. In response to this, the ATO has begun an education campaign for business owners in these…
The ATO has issued a statement expressing its concern over recent misrepresentations of transition to retirement income streams (TRIS) and how they are meant to operate. In its statement, the ATO said that under special circumstances a member can select under regulation 995-1.03 of the Income Tax Assessment Regulations (ITAR) 1997 to treat a TRIS…
The ATO has begun working with insurance companies to assess artworks and collectibles owned by taxpayers and identify the owners of these kinds of assets. There have been many instances where the tax office has identified ‘lifestyle assets’ that were not being properly accounted for. Since some assets may be subject to capital gains tax…
After a taxpayer has held a life insurance policy for ten years or longer, the reversionary bonuses received on that policy become tax-free. Life insurance policies are issued by life insurance companies and friendly societies. A reversionary bonus is profit earned annually on traditional life contracts on top of the sum insured that is added…
Businesses with a GST turnover of less than $20 million who have not been asked by the ATO to report their GST on a monthly basis can report and pay their GST quarterly. Businesses who report and pay their GST quarterly have three reporting options: 1. Calculate and report GST quarterlyThis option allows businesses to…
With the end of the fringe benefits tax (FBT) year fast approaching, business owners need to be aware of the FBT and gross up rates when preparing for their FBT return. The FBT rate increased from 47 per cent to 49 per cent from 1 April 2015. The rate increase was due to the introduction…
It may be beneficial for trustees who buy and sell assets through their self-managed super fund to start a transition to retirement pension to escape the burden of capital gains tax. Capital gains are profits that an SMSF makes on the sale of an asset. Capital gains tax (CGT) is a tax on the profits…