Entries by Hurley & Co

What Does “Retirement” Mean For Super Access Purposes?

Recently, AMP reported that its superannuation support team has seen a surge in questions about the rules for accessing super. It says people are especially unaware about the retirement rules that apply in the 60-to-64 age range. Here, we break down the requirements by age group and clarify what you must do to “retire” and access […]

ATO tweaks ABN application process

The tax office has amended its Australian business number application process to ensure applicants are entitled to an ABN, giving it greater visibility over an applicant’s history. According to an ATO spokesperson, the tax office has implemented changes to the ABN application process to make it easier for applicants to determine that they are entitled […]

SMSF Benchmark Report – Class

Class provides detailed analysis of newly established SMSFs, delivering revealing insights on key characteristics and trends. Background- The Class SMSF Benchmark Report, released for March 2019, is a statistical analysis of approximately 170,000 Self Managed Super Funds administered on Class Super, representing around 28% of the estimated number of SMSFs in Australia today. The quarterly […]

Single Touch Payroll – Do it Once, do it Right

IN BRIEF The new Australian Single Touch payroll system is coming into effect in 2019, making way for a more efficient and secure system of payroll filing. While the impact for businesses already using online accounting software will be minimal, those employing desktop software or spreadsheets will notice the difference. Australia’s Single Touch Payroll (STP) […]

Solicitors Trust Account Audit March 2019

For any Law Practitioner, the Law Society requires an audit of the trust records at 31st March each year under the Law Professional Uniform Law (NSW). The Law Society website sets this out as follows: Appointing an external examiner Your law practice must appoint an external examiner to complete a written external examiner’s report on […]

ATO Benchmarks A Handy Business Check-up

The ATO has released its latest benchmark data to help businesses in over 100 industries compare their performance against competitors. These valuable benchmarks can help you assess measures like your cost of sales or total expenses, among others, which can greatly assist in gauging business performance and spotting tax compliance risks. How can I use this […]

Compulsory Super: How Can You Speed Up Your Retirement Savings?

“Superannuation guarantee” (SG) contributions are the minimum superannuation contributions that employers must make for their employees. The SG rate is currently 9.5%, which means employers must make contributions equal to 9.5% of the employee’s salary or wages. SG contributions are capped for high-income earners. Effectively, an employer is only required to make SG contributions to the […]

Three Common CGT Obstacles For Homeowners

In straightforward cases, a property owned by individuals and used as a main residence throughout the period of ownership will receive a full exemption from capital gains tax (CGT) when the home is sold. But this “main residence exemption” has a number of caveats. Here, we highlight three common scenarios in which a homeowner may face […]

Increased Super Thresholds For 2019-20

While the concessional and non-concessional contributions caps will remain unchanged for the 2019-20 financial year, certain other important superannuation thresholds are set to increase from 1 July 2019. The “CGT cap amount” for non-concessional contributions will increase by $35,000 to $1.515 million for 2019-20, up from $1.480 million for 2018-19. The CGT cap amount is […]

Explanatory Memorandum April 2019

Things to get right this FBT season Fringe benefits tax (FBT) returns will soon be due and with the FBT season now in full swing, it’s vital for tax professionals and managers to have the latest information. FBT expert Stephen O’Flynn has outlined some things to get right with 2019 FBT returns. FBT rate updates […]