Q. I propose to purchase about 20 acres of land which is used for cattle grazing. I will continue to use the land for agistment purposes, although my long-term plan is to subdivide the land and sell the subdivided blocks. Will the agistment activities amount to a business? A. Whether your agistment operations constitute […]
The ATO – as the regulator of SMSFs (self-managed super funds) – has a range of treatments available to it to deal with SMSF trustees who have not complied with the super laws. The ATO says its primary focus is to encourage SMSF trustees to comply with the super laws. However, SMSF trustees should be […]
Taxpayers who can’t pay their tax by the due date should consider whether to request a payment arrangement with the ATO. An arrangement to pay in instalments does not vary the time when the amount is due and payable, and therefore does not affect any liability to pay the general interest charge, or any other […]
An “employee” for superannuation guarantee purposes includes anyone who is an employee at common law. The relationship between employer and employee is often described as a “contract of service” whereas the relationship between principal and independent contractor is a “contract for services”. However, defining the contractual relationship between the employer and employee can be a […]
Broadly speaking, if you are a resident of Australia, you must annually lodge an income tax return and pay annual taxes on worldwide income from many sources. If you are lodging directly, the deadline is October 31 for the previous tax year ending on June 30. If the deadline falls on a weekend, you can lodge on the […]
An “employee” for superannuation guarantee purposes includes anyone who is an employee at common law. The relationship between employer and employee is often described as a “contract of service” whereas the relationship between principal and independent contractor is a “contract for services”. However, defining the contractual relationship between the employer and employee can be a […]
CURRENCY: This issue of Client Alert takes into account all developments up to and including 27 April 2016. Tax incentives to promote innovation The Government has released draft legislation to implement more of the tax incentive measures announced as part of its National Innovation and Science Agenda (released in December 2015). The measures are designed […]
Tax incentives to promote innovation Innovative companies with an interest in getting involved in the “ideas boom” need to be aware of the Government’s proposed tax incentives to help promote innovation. The Government has released draft legislation to implement more of the proposed tax measures announced as part of its National Innovation and Science Agenda […]
It costs money to start a business, and generally you cannot deduct those expenses because they are not incurred as part of running a company. Money spent to start a business is not considered as the cost of carrying on business. For example, before your company starts operating, it cannot deduct such costs as: Performing […]
Electronic data-matching is a key tool used by the ATO to check compliance. Most people are willing to meet their tax and superannuation responsibilities. However, there are a small minority of taxpayers who don’t fully meet their responsibilities. The ATO says it uses a range of measures to identify those taxpayers, including the use of […]