From 1 July 2017, superannuation fund members have been subject to a $1.6 million transfer balance cap (TBC). The TBC is a limit on the total amount of superannuation that can be transferred into the retirement phase, which in turn limits the tax exemption on balances above this amount.
Read MoreThe ATO estimates that $2.85 billion is currently owed in late or missing SG payments. Running from 24 May 2018 for 12 months, the amnesty encourages employers to reduce this SG gap by providing relief from the punitive penalties that normally apply to late payments.
Even if you do not believe that your business has an SG underpayment issue, it is worth undertaking a payroll audit to ensure that your payroll calculations are correct, and employees are being paid at a rate that is consistent with their entitlements under workplace laws and awards.
Read More1 July 2018 is the start date for the seven year income tax plan announced in the recent 2018-19 Federal Budget. The seven year plan benefits low and middle income earners in the first few years before expanding out to a broader restructure of the tax rates and brackets for everyone.
From 2018-19, the top threshold of the 32.5% personal income tax bracket will increase from $87,000 to $90,000. Dovetailing into the tax bracket change is the introduction of the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset for those with taxable incomes up to $125,333. The offset is a non-refundable tax offset that you receive when you lodge your income tax return.
Read MoreReward for work is a dominant theme in this year’s Budget. The seven year personal income tax plan initially targets low to middle income earners before making significant changes to the tax brackets.
Innovation continues to be the Government’s mantra with the medical industry a clear winner. The Government has dedicated a total of $1.3 billion to fund genomic research projects investigating medicines that can be tailored to individual patients, clinical trials of new drugs and development of new medical technologies.
Read MoreDear Santa,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide tax advice for your operation. We are pleased you have initiated this advice as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is looking closely at any business or individual that operates within Australia but has significant transactions or operations internationally. The fact that you run a global business that generates no profit but 'gifts' millions of toys each year produced by your offshore factory, have significant brand value in Australia across thousands of goods and services, have never lodged a tax return, or paid tax in Australia, is likely to trigger an investigation. We have identified a number of issues as a starting point for further discussions.
Read MoreWorkplace functions are a great way for organisations to recognise the hard work of all staff, celebrate their achievements and give colleagues the opportunity to get to know each other in a social setting. The combination of various factors, including the glee of celebration, the relaxed party atmosphere and the consumption of alcohol, can lead to questionable behaviour and impaired judgment. Employers must therefore be aware of their legal obligations and take precautions to minimise risks arising out of incidents that occur at such functions.
Read Morevery vendor selling a property needs to prove that they are a resident of Australia for tax purposes unless they are happy for the purchaser to withhold a 12.5% withholding tax. From 1 July 2017, every individual selling a property with a sale value of $750,000 or more is affected.
While these rules have been in place since 1 July 2016, on 1 July 2017 the threshold for properties reduced from $2 million to $750,000 and the withholding tax level increased from 10% to 12.5%
The intent of the foreign resident CGT withholding rules is to ensure that tax is collected on the sale of taxable Australian property by foreign residents. But, the mechanism for collecting the tax affects everyone regardless of their residency status.
Read MoreThe difference between an employee and an independent contractor has been an issue causing much confusion amongst small business for a long time.
Some of the more common industries we find that are caught up in this confusion include building and construction, cleaning, road transport, engineering and information technology industry (IT).
The Australian Taxation Office has been on the record saying while most business try to do the right thing, some deliberately treat their employees as contractors to illegally lower their labour costs by not withholding tax or paying the superannuation guarantee.
Read More
