2019-20 Federal Budget The 2019-20 Federal Budget will be handed down on 2 April 2019. Keep an eye out for our update! Single touch payroll extended to all employers From 1 July 2019, single touch payroll – the direct reporting of salary and wages, PAYG withholding and superannuation contribution information to the ATO – will apply to all employers. What employers need to report will also be extended to include certain salary sacrificed amounts. Employers with 20 or more empl

What would happen if…. Life does not always go to plan. While we logically know that, most of us don’t plan for the worst - it’s all a bit morbid and time consuming. The downside of not planning is the potential for hard earned assets to be squandered, family fall-outs, and money handed to the Government that could have been distributed in accord with your wishes. If you are a business owner, then the stakes are even higher. As a population, planning is more important than ev

Merry Christmas We love this time of the year. There is a sense of goodwill and joy that people seek out and embrace (with the exception perhaps of the local shopping centre car park). After a hectic year where time seems to tick by faster than the laws of science should allow, Christmas is a reason to stop and be present. It is a time dedicated to revelling in the warmth and company of family and friends. We wish you and your family the warmest of Christmas wishes. Be safe,

Accelerated tax rate reduction for small business Small business is still a vote winner with the Government and Opposition teaming up to accelerate tax cuts for the sector by 5 years impacting on an estimated 3.3 million businesses. Parliament recently passed legislation to accelerate the corporate tax rate reduction for corporate tax entities that are base rate entities (BREs). Under the new rules: A 26% rate will apply to BREs for the year ending 30 June 2021, and A 25% rat

Working from home: What deductions can you claim? For a while now, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has been concerned about tax deductions individuals have been claiming for a whole host of expenses. The latest on their ‘hit list’ are home office expenses. We guide you through what you can and can’t claim if you work from home. Last financial year, 6.7 million taxpayers claimed a record $7.9 billion in deductions for ‘other work-related expenses’ which includes expenses

190,000 taxpayers 'examined' in ATO online rental blitz. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced a new data-matching program targeting taxpayers earning income from the exploding popularity of short-term rentals available on platforms like AirBNB and Stayz. Utilising information from online platform sharing sites matched to information from financial institutions, the ATO is targeting 190,000 individuals to make sure they have not failed to declare or under declare

Clothing deductions hung out to dry. The Australian Taxation Office is closely examining work-related clothing and laundry expense claims of taxpayers submitting their 2017-18 tax returns. The ATO says that clothing claims are up nearly 20% over the last five years with people either making mistakes or deliberately over-claiming. Common mistakes include people claiming ineligible clothing, claiming for something without having spent the money, and not being able to explain