Category: Taxation
Claiming interest expenses for rental properties
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...
Small business CGT concessions: Goal posts moved on vacant land and active assets
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”...
Calling time out on your business? Some essentials you’ll need to know
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,...
A run-down of the new loss carry back measure
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...
JobKeeper extension’s alternative turnover tests
The extension of the JobKeeper scheme is now based on current GST turnover, not projected turnover.The basic test compares year-on-year turnover. If there were events or circumstances outside the usual business settings that resulted in your relevant comparison period in 2019 (September or December 2019 quarter) not being appropriate, then an alternative test may apply....
Rounding of GST where fractions of a cent result
The ATO has devised special rounding conventions where an amount of GST includes a fraction of a cent. Although it labels these conventions “rules”, there is no obligation for parties on either side of a transaction to follow them, as the ATO states: “You and your customer do not need to use the same rounding...
The investment option that can hide unexpected GST
New residential property is a popular investment for many, and can be especially so for self-managed superannuation funds, however the ATO is concerned that not every investor in residential property is fully aware that it is an option that may bring with it unexpected GST obligations. The ATO says that from 1 July 2018, most purchasers...
Both tax and SMSF audits still on ATO’s radar, but some leniency given
While the ATO has lately been focusing on the rollout of stimulus measures, it has also flagged that audit work is not off the table completely. In late July, when the ATO fronted a parliamentary Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, its representative said plans were to start tax audits sometime between September and October 2020....
What the “full expensing” write-off deduction means for business
The Federal Budget measure of allowing businesses to fully write-off eligible assets is a boon to Australian businesses, even though the measure is temporary. Just to recap, businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $5 billion will be able to deduct the full cost of eligible capital assets acquired from 7:30pm AEDT on 6...
Bonus Article, Clock ticking for certain NSW discretionary trusts on land holdings
In NSW, surcharge purchaser duty applies to acquisitions of NSW residential land by foreign persons, and surcharge land tax applies to foreign persons who are owners of residential land in NSW. Surcharge purchaser duty and surcharge land tax (together known as the “foreign surcharges”) are payable in addition to any other duty or land tax...