As the financial year draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking about whether your year-end tax planning is in order. Tax planning requires consideringyour income and deductions for the whole financial year, as well as you’ve met your obligations – for example, whether you’ve made tax-related elections on time and prepared other appropriate documentation and records. Here are some key considerations for this tax time.
Working from home deductions
The shortcut method of claiming a rate of 80 cents per hour worked from home is no longer available – the measure was temporarily introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended on 30 June 2022.
Instead, you can now claim deductions using the revised fixed-rate method, at a rate of 67 cents per hour, as long as you incur deductible expenses while genuinely carrying out work from home, and keep appropriate records, like timesheets for your work hours and receipts for the expenses.
If your work from home doesn’t meet these conditions, you won’t be able to rely on the fixed-rate method and will need to calculate and apportion the actual expenses. You can also simply choose the actual expenses method if it suits your situation better.
The fixed-rate method covers work-related costs like electricity/gas, stationery, your mobile/landline phone and internet. If you use the fixed-rate method you can’t also claim additional deductions for any of these categories. Depreciation of furniture and equipment (eg if you buy a desk, computer and printer for work) may be calculated separately (and in addition) to the fixed rate.
Rental properties and holiday homes
The ATO has flagged rental properties and holiday homes as an area of particular focus for this 30 June.
It’s important to remember that the ATO receives information from sources like sharing economy platforms, rental bond agencies and state and territory revenue authorities that enables it to detect under-reporting of income and inappropriate deduction claims.
Temporary full expensing
The immediate deduction for the cost of eligible depreciating business assets that has been available under the temporary full expensing concession since 2020 is coming to an end. To access the concession, your business must use the depreciating asset or have it installed ready for use by 30 June 2023.
From 1 July 2023, an immediate deduction will only be available to small business entities (with aggregated turnover less than $10 million) for assets costing less than $20,000.
Loss carry-back for corporate tax entities
Subject to certain rules being satisfied, corporate tax entities may be entitled to claim a refundable tax offset by carrying back a tax loss arising in the 2022–2023 income year to one or more of the four previous income years (that is, as far back as 2018–2019).
Deductions for superannuation contributions
For an employer to be entitled to a deduction for superannuation contributions, the contribution must be received by the fund on or before 30 June. The super guarantee contribution rate increased to 10.5% of an employee’s ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2022.
Individuals wishing to claim a deduction for personal contributions must provide their fund with a notice of intention to claim a deduction and have that acknowledged by the fund before the earlier of the day the individual’s tax return is lodged and 30 June of the next income tax year.