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12th Nov, 2018
The Government has released draft legislation and regulations to provide a one-year exemption from the work test for superannuation contributions by recent retirees aged 65–74 who have a total superannuation balance of less than $300,000. This proposal was announced in the 2018–2019 Budget.
Currently, people aged 65–74 must pass the “work test” – working at least 40 hours in any 30-day period during the financial year – in order to make voluntary super contributions.
01st Oct, 2017
Treasury has released draft legislation to implement the 2017–2018 Federal Budget superannuation measures aimed at improving housing affordability by the establishment of the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS).
The FHSSS will allow voluntary superannuation contributions made from 1 July 2017 to be withdrawn for a first home deposit starting from 1 July 2018. The scheme provides for up to $15,000 per year (and $30,000 in total) to be withdrawn from superannuation.
01st Jul, 2017
The 2017–2018 Federal Budget announced that the Government will introduce a charge on foreign owners of residential property where the property is not occupied or genuinely available on the rental market for at least six months per year. The charge will be levied annually and will be equivalent to the relevant foreign investment application fee imposed on the property at the time it was acquired by the foreign investor.
The Government has announced it will revise the residency requirements for claimants of the Age Pension and Disability Support Pension (DSP). From 1 July 2018, claimants will be required to have 15 years of continuous Australian residence before being eligible to receive the Age Pension or DSP, or meet other, more specific, time requirements.
01st Jul, 2017
As part of the 2017–2018 Budget, the Government announced that it would create a new one-stop shop for financial disputes – the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) – to be established by 1 July 2018. AFCA will replace the existing framework of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) and Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT). These existing bodies will continue to operate after 1 July 2018 to work through their existing complaints. Financial firms will be required to be members of AFCA, and its decisions will be binding on all firms.
02nd Jun, 2017
The Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, has announced a package of reforms to higher education – the Higher Education Reform Package – to take effect generally from 1 January 2018. The details announced will be confirmed in the 2017–2018 Federal Budget. They include:
The Minister said that taxpayer-funded student loans stand at more than $52 billion and, without changes to address this situation, around a quarter of that is expected to go unpaid.