What expenses can I deduct for my holiday home
Renting out your holiday home for part of the year can help to finance the costs associated with purchasing and maintaining the property. As well as providing an income stream, this will also allow you to deduct some of the expenses such as interest payments on a loan you have taken out to buy the […]
How does listing my home on Airbnb affect my tax?
Millions of Australians are now using the “sharing” economy to earn some extra money on the side. Thanks to smartphones and user-friendly apps, people can easily access sharing services like ride sharing, accommodation sharing and pet minding. The government is concerned that some Australians who receive income from sharing platforms may not be paying the […]
Government tenders and tax compliance
Do you run a business that would like to bid on Commonwealth government contracts or is likely to do so in the future? From 1 July 2019, the government is seeking to exclude from the tender process those businesses that do not have a “satisfactory tax record (STR)”. The initiative would apply to all tenders […]
Deemed dividends: changes are coming
Div 7A or deemed dividend payments may be familiar to you if you’re the shareholder or associate of a private company. It generally applies to treat a benefit provided by a private company to the shareholder or associate as a deemed dividend, which is then taxed at the recipients’ marginal tax rates. The government has […]
Compensation from the ATO
With all the media attention around the ATO’s alleged rough treatment of the small business segment. Many of these small business owners may think that they have a case for compensation from the ATO for everything that they have been through. Although is getting compensation from the ATO even possible? The answer it turns out […]
ATO blitz on the sharing economy continues
The sharing economy is booming in Australia with a large proportion of the population either making it their full-time job or making a little extra money on the side. However, with the boom comes the all-seeing-eye of the ATO which is now firmly focused on the sharing economy. Its latest target are those people who […]
Reportable payments system to be extended
The black economy is a significant growing economic and social issue in Australia. By some estimates, the size of the black economy is around 3% of GDP or around $50 billion. In response, the government will be extending the existing Taxable Payments Reporting System (TPRS) which currently only applies to the building and construction industry […]
Improvements to GST risk assessment
Are you a business that has had a GST refund held up as a part of the ATO’s risk assessment program to verify GST refunds? The Inspector-General of Taxation (IGT) has recently completed and released his review into ATO’s practice and the findings are surprisingly good for the ATO. Even so, as a part of […]
Garnishee orders may bring home the bacon
A garnish is an enhancer, something to dress up a plate – think of a sprig of parsley. A garnishee is something entirely different, although it can enhance an otherwise dire situation for a creditor and bring home the bacon. It’s a third party who is ordered by the court to release money to remedy […]
Direction of future tax reform
To be fiscally responsible, a government needs to have enough resources to service its debt obligations. One of the main sources a government uses to service its debts is tax revenue. A recent report by the Parliamentary Budget Office examined broad trends within the tax system and identified a number of risks to the sustainability […]
