16th Nov, 2017
After the ATO’s unplanned systems outages, it provided lodgment deferrals, and remitted interest and penalties where the outages affected practitioners and their clients’ lodgments.
The ATO has also advised that it assesses claims for compensation in two ways:
The ATO considers claims in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Finance.
16th Nov, 2017
The ATO is proposing to modify how the small business restructure rollover (SBRR) operates.
The SBRR means that small businesses can restructure from one legal entity to another – for example, from a company to a trust – and transfer the business’s assets to the new structure without immediately causing a capital gains tax liability.
The ATO’s latest proposed changes address the fact that the transferred business assets in this type of restructure could still give rise to a dividend for the transferee.
16th Nov, 2017
The Government has released exposure draft legislation to deny access to the lower corporate tax rate of 27.5% (down from 30%) for companies with predominantly passive income. Under the changes, companies will qualify for the lower tax rate only if:
16th Nov, 2017
The Government has announced a package of reforms to combat phoenix activities, including the introduction of a Director Identification Number (DIN).
Phoenixing involves deliberately transferring assets from a failed or insolvent company to a new company, with the intention to avoid paying the original company’s creditors, tax and employee entitlements (that is, the new company illegally “rises from the ashes” of the indebted company).
The DIN would identify each director with a unique number, allowing regulators to map the relationships directors have with entities and other people.
16th Nov, 2017
The Government has released draft tax legislation to implement elements of its housing affordability plan. The proposed measures include an increased capital gains tax discount for people who hold affordable rental housing investments for at least three years.
Under the draft legislation, managed investment trusts would be allowed to hold affordable housing investments with the main aim of deriving long-term rental income, but purchasing residential property that is not affordable housing would no longer be permitted for these trusts.
16th Nov, 2017
A Bill has been introduced into Parliament to establish the First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme and allow people aged 65 or over to make “downsizer contributions” to their super.
The FHSS scheme will allow people to make voluntary contributions into super, take advantage of the associated tax concessions, and later withdraw the contributions and associated earnings to buy their first home.
The downsizer contribution changes will allow older Australians who sell their main residence from 1 July 2018 to make non-deductible contributions of up to $300,000 to their superannuation from the sale proceeds.