Succession planning for family businesses

Succession planning for family businesses

For most family businesses as well as private groups, succession planning (sometimes known as transition planning) involves considerations around the eventual sale of your business, or the passing of control of it to other family members when you retire. Depending on your circumstances, this may include realising assets and making other changes to ownership, but is certainly tied up with retirement planning and estate planning.

Family companies and the many tax traps

Family companies and the many tax traps

If you own a family company, then it is very important how you receive and treat any payments made from the company to you (or your associates– for example, your spouse). And this is simply because any payment from a company (other than a return of the original capital) is, in most cases, prima-facie a dividend in the hands of the recipient – however it may otherwise be classified.

The tax treatment of compensation payments can be tricky

The tax treatment of compensation payments can be tricky

If you have had a rental or commercial property damaged by recent summer storms (or bushfires or floods) you may have received an insurance payout to cover the damage. You maybe surprised to know that this payout is subject to capital gains tax (CGT) on the basis that it arises from your right to seek compensation (being a CGT asset itself). However, the tax law and the ATO will treat it concessionally depending on what exactly the payout is for and how it will be used.

Selling your home to a developer? Beware the tax consequences!

Selling your home to a developer? Beware the tax consequences!

The NSW state Government is attempting to help with the housing affordability crisis by making areas around train station’s and shopping centres eligible for rezoning for denser development. It will be important to see your tax adviser if you receive a generous offer from a property developer for your home (or rental property) as a result of this rezoning. And not just if you live in NSW.