How well do you know your business deductions? Try these questions to find out! QUESTION 1 A company’s financial accounts show the following information in relation to its bad debts and doubtful debts for the year: Closing balance for doubtful debts from the previous year – $172,000; Doubtful debts provided for (but not written off)...

An issue that sometimes arises for business owners is whether interest expenses incurred on borrowed funds used in a business remain deductible after the business’s income earning activities have ceased. As a general rule, in order for interest expenses to be deductible in the relevant income year, a taxpayer is generally required to demonstrate that...

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is the government body responsible for enforcing the Franchising Code of Conduct, and if you or someone you know are considering entering into a franchise arrangement, this will probably be a good starting point to get an idea of what to expect.  It imposes strict obligations on franchisors...

It seems that the ATO will be taking a dim view (or dimmer, this year) of the abuse of work related expense claims for individual taxpayers. The total value of such claims rose to a record $21.2 billion in 2017, and reports contend that the ATO is concerned about over-claiming and even outright fraud. ATO...

Tax Planning 2018 The end of the financial year is in sight, but businesses shouldn’t assume their tax outcome is set in concrete just yet — there are still some legitimate tax planning strategies that can help us help you not pay a cent more tax than you have to…. Ask Yourself, How important is it...

If you are operating a small business and at the end of the income year you estimate that your trading stock’s value has not changed by more than $5,000, remember (especially if you are new to business) that you can choose not to conduct a formal stocktake. By making a decision to do this, you...

Single Touch Payroll is a government initiative to streamline business reporting obligations, which is due to become compulsory from 1 July 2018. When a business pays its employees, the payroll information will be sent to the ATO via the business’s payroll software. Reporting under the Single Touch Payroll (STP) system removes the requirement to issue...

Where some businesses have tripped up in the past is where the source of benefits provided is not clear cut — that is, where non-cash components of remuneration are sourced not directly from an employer, but from an associate, a related company or from a third-party provider. For fringe benefits tax (FBT) to apply, the...

It may seem fairly obvious whether a person is in business or not, but the distinction can be important for other reasons. Your client may be having fun AND making money. But is it a business or a hobby? For example, if you are not carrying on a business, the option to deduct losses from...

March 31 and the end of the FBT year is around the corner, so to help taxpayers get things right, the ATO has made public the fringe benefits tax issues that attract its attention. Broadly (not just in relation to FBT), the ATO says the following behaviours and characteristics tend to raise a red flag:...