For small businesses The government wants to improve the superannuation system and bring it into the modern electronic world through the introduction of SuperStream, and this includes for SMSFs. Under the new system, employers must interact electronically using approved software. Employers with 20 or more employees should have already started using SuperStream from July 1...

The term “capital gains tax” (CGT) is perhaps the biggest misnomer in tax. It is not its own, separate tax on capital gains per se. For an individual, it is included as part of that person’s assessable income and subject to tax at their marginal tax rate. When a taxing point for CGT happens (referred...

While it is generally accepted that business owners are the most driven to see their business succeed, the same sort of vested interest can also give staff a sense of participation and a solid reason to see the company become profitable. Having a real stake in a company through owning shares in it is an...

A recent decision by the Full Federal Court dealt with the goods and services tax (GST) treatment of four types of manufacturer incentive payments made to a car dealership. However the decision, and the Tax Office’s response, is likely to have an impact in the wider market, not just in the motor vehicle dealership industry....

It is typical for people to consider stamp duty, land tax and income tax implications when they sell a property, but remember that it is equally important to consider whether the transaction will be subject to goods and services tax (GST). One important thing to remember is that there is now a single test that...

Credit reporting and receivables management company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) reports that in its extensive experience it has found that new or inexperienced entrepreneurs often send business plans to potential investors before their plan is fully completed or vetted. “Sharing a plan with obvious errors is one thing,” D&B says. “But investors are also alert...

The recent bushfires across much of the country are a reminder that as well as the more obvious immediate devastation inflicted on people’s property, these destructive events can also mean loss of income for many affected people — not only directly, but also in terms of damage done to workplaces, income-earning tools of trade, vehicles...

Many SMSF trustees contemplate investing in real property as part of the fund’s investment strategy. However a recent Tax Office notification raised its concerns that some trustees may not fully consider the risks and issues associated with holding a real property investment and how this can affect other aspects of the fund, such as benefit...

“Pardon” is a word that can sound somewhat archaic — which could be why the term “debt forgiveness” is barely mentioned in discussions on “bankruptcy”, even though the two concepts are related. Bankruptcy is dramatic, Hollywood; debt forgiveness seems dated, even mildly medieval. In reality debt forgiveness, on the face of it, is a means...

Australian tax legislation recognises that certain taxpayers, due to the nature of their work, can make inconsistent levels of income from year to year. In light of this, there is a concessionary tax treatment available that allows for a reduction of the otherwise unreasonable tax rates that would apply in higher income years, in effect...