Did you know you can reduce your income tax by making a large personal tax-deductible contribution from your take-home pay to your super? This strategy may be particularly useful if you will be earning more income this financial year or if you have sold an asset this year and made a large capital gain.

Soon to be implemented changes to the Australian Consumer Law will provide additional protection to consumers and small businesses prohibiting the proposal, use or reliance on unfair contract terms in standard form contracts.

For property developers (or would-be property developers) a recent decision of the Federal Court may be of interest.

Looking to boost your employees’ skills and your tax deductions at the same time? Then keep reading to see if you could be eligible for the small business skills and training boost! If you run a small or medium business and are planning on investing in, or recently invested in, training your employees, taking care to ensure the training is provided by a registered training provider could mean you can claim an additional 20% bonus tax deduction at tax time.

The CGT small business concessions are invaluable to those who make a capital gain from a small business. They can eliminate a gain entirely; they can reduce a gain; and they can allow for the gain to be CGT-free if paid into a superannuation fund.

Personal deductible contributions can allow individuals to claim a tax deduction for contributions they have made to superannuation provided they meet certain requirements. So what are these requirements and what should you look out for?

If the subject of self-education leads to, or is likely to lead to, an increase in the taxpayer’s income from current (but not new) income-earning activities, a deduction for self-education expenses incurred will be allowable.

Sometimes promoters of schemes target self-managed super funds (SMSFs). Schemes can include tax avoidance arrangements that inappropriately channel money or assets into your SMSF so you pay less tax. They may also include arrangements promoting the illegal early release of benefits from your fund for personal use.

The capital gains tax (CGT) discount can reduce by 50% a capital gain that you make when you dispose of (sell) a CGT asset that you have owned for 12 months or more.

The ATO has issued a reminder around trademarks!

For background, a trademark legally protects your brand and helps customers distinguish your products or services in the market from others. Trademarks can be used to protect a logo, phrase, word, letter, colour, sound, smell, picture, movement, aspect of packaging or any combination of these. In short, they protect your brand, products and services.

For the first time, many Australians are finding themselves in a position where they are being told they owe the ATO money after completing their tax return this year.

A significant number of taxpayers in this position are those that are still paying off their HECS/HELP debts – many of them young Australians. Following are some myths and facts around why this may be the case.

The recent ATO crackdown on trusts will no doubt have some business owners (and even some advisors) asking themselves the question: Is this structure for business purposes still worth it?

To recap, trust distributions have been under the ATO microscope in recent years. The latest ATO crackdown was in February 2022 when it updated its guidance around trust distributions especially those made to adult children, corporate beneficiaries and entities that are carrying losses.

For individuals who have retired and met a condition of release, or who have turned 65 and are still working, you can receive your superannuation as a super income stream, as a lump sum, or a combination of both. This third option is quite popular for those who have yet to pay out their house, for example – a lump sum is withdrawn to pay off the remainder of the mortgage, and the balance used to commence a super income stream.

Some employers, especially at Christmas time or for birthdays, give small gifts to their employees or the employee’s associates (i.e. spouses). These gifts typically take the form of bottles of wine, movie tickets, gift vouchers etc.

The ATO has issued a reminder for companies wishing to claim a tax offset for their R&D (research and development) activities. The reminder was issued in the context of the ATO’s success in the Federal Court decision T.D.S. Biz Pty Ltd v FCT.

SMSF trustees with limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) are now feeling the impact of ten interest rate rises since May 2022 in one hit, from July 2023.

The increase to the superannuation guarantee (SG) rate from 1 July 2023 will see more employees (and certain contractors) entitled to additional SG contributions on their pay. But what happens when income earned before 30 June is paid after 30 June 2023 – will employees be entitled to the higher SG rate of 11%?

Another key Federal Court case may have a bearing on whether you owe certain workers you engage superannuation guarantee or not.

Although not related to tax, there are a number of changes on the Fair Work front that employers should be aware of.

Since Budget night, the ATO has released more information around the small business lodgment amnesty…which can now be taken advantage of from 1 June 2023!