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17th Jan, 2025
As retirement approaches, couples often discover a significant imbalance in their superannuation accounts. This disparity can become crucial when planning for retirement, and addressing it proactively can be beneficial for various retirement strategies.
Your individual total super balance as of 30 June each year impacts your ability to implement various super strategies in the following financial year. Key strategies where your total superannuation balance (TSB) is a condition of eligibility include:
When planning for retirement, the Age Pension is a consideration for many. The asset test only includes superannuation for individuals of pension age. If there’s a significant age difference between spouses, directing more super to the younger spouse could potentially maximise Age Pension entitlement at retirement.
Spouse contribution splitting allows you to transfer up to 85% of your annual concessional contributions to your spouse’s super account.
Key points:
Check if your fund offers spouse contribution splitting, as it’s not mandatory for all funds.
Apply for contribution splitting after the end of the financial year in which the contribution was made. If you roll over or withdraw your entire super balance before the financial year’s end, you can apply to split the contributions within that same year.
Spouse contribution splitting can help couples equalise their superannuation balances and optimise retirement outcomes. Consider your unique circumstances and seek professional advice to ensure this approach aligns with your long-term financial goals.
17th Jan, 2025
If you’re thinking of making a permanent move between New Zealand and Australia, what do you do about your superannuation fund or KiwiSaver scheme? Under the Trans-Tasman Retirement Savings Portability Scheme, retirement savings can be transferred between Australia and New Zealand.
It’s important to note that the scheme is voluntary – for individuals, Australian superannuation funds and KiwiSaver scheme providers. Check with your Australian super fund or your New Zealand KiwiSaver scheme provider to confirm that they participate. Only APRA-regulated complying super funds and NZ KiwiSaver scheme providers can participate in the transfers, and not all super funds will accept KiwiSaver transfers.
Funds are held in two parts – you can access the Australian component when you reach age 60 and are retired; for the NZ component you’ll need to reach the NZ retirement age (currently 65).
13th Sep, 2024
If you’re an Australian resident for tax purposes, you don’t have to pay income tax on the first $18,200 you earn each year, from any source. This is called the “tax-free threshold”. If you have more than one job, change employers during the year, have a sole trader side gig or get government payments, it’s important to think about the tax-free threshold and which employer, job or payment you’ll claim it for.
The ATO advises claiming the tax-free threshold once from your “main” payer – typically the job, gig or payment that pays you the most during the year. That payer will not withhold income tax from the first $18,200 they pay you but will withhold tax from payments once your earnings go over the threshold.
At the end of the financial year, the ATO calculates your total income and tax withheld. If not enough tax has been withheld, you can expect a tax bill. If more tax has been withheld than you owe for your total earnings, you can expect a refund.
When starting a new job, your employer should ask you to complete a withholding declaration.
To claim the tax-free threshold, you must be an Australian resident for tax purposes on the declaration and answer “yes” to the question “Do you want to claim the tax-free threshold from this payer?”. Where you answer “no”, tax will be withheld from all income from that payer.
Avoid claiming the threshold from multiple payers simultaneously unless you’re sure you’ll earn less than $18,200 total for the year. Overclaiming might make your take-home pay higher each pay cycle but will likely mean a tax debt later.
When changing jobs you can claim the threshold from your new payer even if you have claimed it from your previous one.
If you add a job or side gig that will provide more income than your existing main payer, you can change your claim at any time using ATO online services, via your myGov account. If you’re earning income outside of employment (eg as a sole trader) you’ll need to pay tax yourself on that income. Consider setting aside a percentage for tax or using pay as you go (PAYG) instalments each time you are paid.
13th Sep, 2024
Does your business or investment structure make payments such as interest, dividends or royalties to any foreign residents? You may be required to withhold tax from these payments. The ATO is currently focusing on ensuring that taxpayers are aware of these obligations.
If these withholding requirements apply to you, you’ll need to lodge a PAYG annual report or an annual investment income report, and withhold and pay the correct amount of tax.
Figuring out whether an obligation to pay withholding tax arises from a particular payment can be complex. Assuming your structure is resident in Australia, the starting point is that the withholding tax regime generally applies to interest, dividends and royalties derived by foreign residents, unless an exemption applies. This means the withholding tax obligation arises whether you make the payment to the foreign resident, credit it to their account, or deal with the payment on their behalf or at their direction. (Certain payments can also be captured if your structure is not resident but has a permanent establishment in Australia.)
However, a number of exemptions apply. These can be technical in operation, so it’s important to seek advice specific to your circumstances if you make any payments to non-residents.
The ATO is alert to payers who have not withheld and paid amounts (or have withheld and paid incorrect amounts), incorrectly relied on an exemption or treaty relief, or misclassified deductions for interest or royalty payments to an offshore entity.
13th Sep, 2024
With the latest statistics showing a significant rise in liquidations and with the ATO’s focused efforts on debt collection, small businesses face significant financial pressures. However, the answer isn’t to evade responsibilities or take shortcuts – business restructuring has to be done properly and in compliance with the relevant laws. The small business restructure roll-over (SBRR) provides a legitimate, structured path for businesses to reorganise their operations, allowing them to better meet these challenges without prejudicing creditors or engaging in unethical practices.
To qualify for the SBRR, each party to the transfer must meet the small business entity definition. A small business entity is defined as an entity with an aggregated turnover of less than $10 million. This includes businesses that operate as a sole trader, partnership, company or trust, provided they meet the turnover threshold. Entities connected with or affiliated with a small business entity also fall under this definition.
The assets being transferred must be active assets, which include CGT assets, trading stock, revenue assets or depreciating assets. Non-active assets, such as loans to shareholders, are not eligible.
The transfer must be part of a genuine restructure of an ongoing business, not an artificial or inappropriately tax-driven scheme, and there must be no change in ultimate economic ownership of the transferred assets.
Opting for the SBRR has several tax implications:
For CGT assets, the transferee must wait at least 12 months to claim the CGT discount on any subsequent sale, and pre-CGT assets retain their status. For trading stock, the roll-over cost is based on the transferor’s cost or value at the beginning of the income year. Depreciating assets allow the transferee to continue deducting the decline in value using the transferor’s method and effective life. Revenue assets are transferred without resulting in a profit or loss for the transferor.
13th Sep, 2024
The ATO has recently confirmed that collection of business debts – including debts relating to superannuation guarantee (SG), pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and GST – is among its key focus areas. This is a timely reminder for all businesses to ensure they’re meeting their obligations.
The most recent ATO statistics show that although 94% of employers are meeting their SG obligations without ATO intervention, the ATO still raised over $1 billion in SG charge liabilities in the 2022–2023 financial year.
To ensure your business doesn’t incur these extra liabilities, you must pay SG contributions for your employees and eligible contractors on time and to the correct funds. Some contracts and awards may require you to pay contributions more regularly than quarterly.
If you make contributions to a commercial “clearing house”, the contribution is considered to be paid when it’s received by the employee’s fund, not by the clearing house. However, if you use the ATO’s Small Business Superannuation Clearing House, the contribution is “paid” when received by that clearing house.
From 1 July 2026, employers will need to pay SG at the same time as salary and wages (commonly known as “payday super”).
If you miss a payment, taking action promptly is essential to accessing the ATO’s support services and minimising your exposure to penalties. You must lodge an SG charge statement with the ATO within one month of the missed quarterly due date. You can ask the ATO for an extension to the lodgement date, but you must do this before the due date.
You’ll also need to pay the SG charge. This charge is more than the amount of contributions you would have paid if you had paid them on time, and it’s not deductible. The charge is paid to the ATO, not your employee’s fund. General interest charge will accrue on any outstanding SG charge, and the ATO may also issue a director penalty notice if it remains unpaid.