At the end of 2017, an annual fee was introduced for dwellings owned by non-residents of Australia. The measure is part of the government’s housing affordability plan, and is also a financial incentive for foreign owners to make their dwelling available for rent and increase available housing in Australia. Under the legislation, foreign owners of...

The tax rates that apply to income a deceased estate declares depend on the period of time after the person’s death. First three income years For the first three income years, the deceased estate income is taxed at individual income tax rates, with the benefit of the full tax-free threshold, but without the tax offsets...

Most small business owners stay on top of their GST refunds, mainly because of cash flow concerns, but it’s not all that uncommon to now and then lose track of a credit. What quite a few small business owners may not know is that you have four years to claim any GST credit you’re entitled...

Business owners are naturally keen to be able to absorb a business loss as a tax deduction, but it also pays to not stray too far from the generally accepted rules regarding tax losses — there are circumstances where the ATO is legitimately able to deny such claims. The ATO has the discretion to disallow...

Everyone goes through the odd rough patch in their relationships with one another and SMSF trustees are no different. However the ramifications of a dispute between trustees are likely to have more wide ranging affects than the average quarrel between friends as SMSF trustees have vested interests, established duties and legal responsibilities towards the fund,...

There are times when the terms of a deceased’s will are not suitable and the beneficiaries involved seek to have the will varied. There are various situations where this may be the case, such as changing circumstances over a long period of time from when the will was first drafted, or an estrangement between family...

The value of a good education is widely accepted, and it is a common experience over one’s working lifetime to find that further learning is required along the path of one’s chosen career. Changing technology and evolving workplaces means that at some stage in every taxpayer’s life, an educational re-boot could become necessary — as...

Access our Wallace Partners Client Information Newsletter August 2018 below: Wallace Partners CIN August 2018

Tax Time toolkit The ATO been working with a small, diverse group of tax agents to develop a suite of resources for you and your clients this tax time. The Tax Time Toolkit includes information about car expenses, clothing and laundry, working from home, self-education and much more. See what’s available here. Q&A on the...

Trustees of SMSFs may be soon required to add the creation of a “retirement income strategy” alongside existing compliance requirements centring on investment and insurance. This would similarly require review on a regular basis. The covenants of investment and insurance strategies exist in the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SIS), with an additional retirement income...