A long-established feature of the taxation landscape for Australian business entities is that the residency status of a business determines a large part of its income tax obligations. Foreign resident entities are generally taxed in Australia on any income that has an Australian source. Australian resident entities are generally taxed on their worldwide income. Also...

The Inspector-General and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO) reports in its latest IGot News that over recent months its office has received an influx of complaints from a number of small businesses (as well as their representatives in the accounting and tax profession) around their eligibility for JobKeeper and Boosting Cash Flow payments.   Ombudsman Karen Payne...

It has long been an accepted standard that the auditor of an SMSF needs to be independent of that fund, and be a third party entity to the SMSF. This requirement is written into the relevant legislation. There have of course been breaches of this requirement, and instances where auditors and/or fund trustees have suffered...

Interest is a common deduction claimed by taxpayers. Generally, interest is seen as being inherently deductible where it is incurred in gaining or producing assessable income. An established factor from court cases is that the deductibility of interest depends on the purpose of and use of borrowing the principal. Interest expenses will not be deductible...

Businesses wanting to claim CGT concessions for active assets may find hope in a recent Full Federal Court decision on a long-contested vacant land case. In 2007, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) ruled that vacant land on which two shipping containers had been placed for storing business records did not qualify as an “active asset”...

When you first went into business, either buying an established enterprise or starting from scratch, probably the last thing on your mind was the day you would close the door for the last time. But in a way it’s inevitable, whether through the outcomes from COVID-19, retirement, health reasons or, in a more ideal scenario,...

The last Federal Budget carried with it a number of tax changes that were designed to assist the Australian economy recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the changes announced was the temporary re-introduction of the loss carry back rules for corporate tax entities (it was previously briefly in force for 2012-13). The...

Access our Wallace Partners Client Information Newsletter December 2020 below:

ATO to allow extended time for minimum yearly repayments on Div 7A loans In these COVID-19 times, concerns about Div 7A applying are understandable. Some borrowers are facing circumstances beyond their control, and even making the minimum yearly repayments required under complying loan agreements may be out of reach. The ATO has now announced that...

ATO says it will not impose penalties for SMSF asset valuations during COVID-19 due to lack of evidence When SMSF trustees prepare the financial statements and accounts for their fund, they must report the fund assets at market value to comply with regulation 8.02B of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SISR). Before this came...