A recent Federal Court decision has put the spotlight on asset betterment – the controversial approach the ATO takes to determine undisclosed income. In the case of Le v Commissioner of Taxation [2021] FCA 303, the ATO used an asset betterment calculation to justify including an additional $4.5 million in the assessable income of a...

Many people living in Australia often have money remitted to them from overseas. Often this money is from relatives, friends or an “entity” to which they have a connection. However, even if such funds are merely loans or gifts, it’s time to be vigilant and to keep proper records. The ATO is now actively reviewing...

When do employee gifts and celebrations attract fringe benefits tax (FBT)? And when are they exempt? Christmas is traditionally a time of giving – including employers showing gratitude towards staff for a job well done. However, Christmas parties and gifts can attract the attention of the Taxman. In certain circumstances, an employer can hold a...

Imagine you’re lucky enough to inherit, say, four post-CGT rental properties from a deceased parent – but what happens when your sibling also inherits a half-share of these? While you both acquire a very valuable 50% interest across four properties, it’s safe to say that in most scenarios, you’d both rather have a 100% interest...

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more employees working from home than ever before. This, in turn, has resulted in such people being able to claim a range of deductions for various “running expenses” associated with working from home. These expenses include electricity, phone service, cleaning, decline in the value of equipment, furniture and furnishing...

The Federal Government has put measures in place to help protect businesses from insolvencies stemming from the COVID-19 economic downturn. Yet not all businesses will come through to the other side and bankruptcy will be a reality for some. So, what happens to super benefits (ie, lump sums and pensions) when a superannuation fund member...

If you or your client are not satisfied with an ATO private ruling or decision, there are a number of ways you can dispute it. ATO INTERNAL DISPUTES POLICY The ATO’s in-house facilitation services deal with less complex disputes. This is essentially a mediation process where an impartial ATO facilitator meets with you and the...

New legislation will ensure that when an employee moves jobs, the super fund they used with their former employer will be ‘stapled’ and will automatically follow them. Under current rules, if an employee changes jobs multiple times over their working life and does not nominate a superannuation fund to their employer, they could end up...

When an Australian trust makes a distribution to a non-resident beneficiary, it is often the case that the Australian trust is required to pay tax on the distribution. The trustee’s payment of tax on trust distributions to non-resident beneficiaries of an Australian trust is a tax collection security measure. It is a type of withholding...

Sometimes an individual or couple decide to buy a new home before selling their existing one. In such cases, a concession exists that allows for both houses to be treated as a main residence for up to six months – but only if certain conditions are met. Section 118-140 of the Income Tax Assessment Act...