The ATO is looking for personal services income diverted to SMSFs
The ATO has announced that it is reviewing arrangements where members of an SMSF (typically at, or approaching, retirement age) purport to divert income earned from their personal services to their fund, which results in minimising or even avoiding tax altogether on...
Guide to making motor vehicle expense claims
A perennial topic regarding tax deductions is claiming expenses for a car. The following notes summarise the most salient points when it comes to claiming a deduction for motor vehicle expenses. Of course every person’s circumstances may be different, but the...
For certain travel expense claims, the term ‘itinerant’ needs clarity
Being able to make claims for work-related travel expenses is generally an enviable deduction situation, and one that a good many taxpayers would like to achieve — especially given that the status of being deemed an “itinerant” worker brings with it an expectation of...
Consumers compensated by financial institutions still need to consider tax
With the ongoing financial services Royal Commission, and likely future cases brought before various courts for compensation — or indeed the present building of class action lawsuits on the back of various revelations to come out of the Royal Commission — the ATO has...
Investment tax issues you need to be aware of
Investors must consider a range of tax laws dealing with income, assets and deductions. Even that term ”income”, the meaning of which most of us would assume, can take on nuanced shades of meaning when considered in regard to investment. For example, investment income...
Alerts, not alarms
Every now and then you might read or hear about a “taxpayer alert” being issued by the ATO. Taxpayer alerts are the ATO's “early warning” signals to the public about a certain area of concern – it could be about fraudulent schemes, or dodgy investments, or perhaps...
Do you need an agreement with your business partner?
Going into new business with other people is exciting and can be extremely rewarding. A formal agreement can set the ground rules and stop owners getting caught out if things don’t quite go as well as planned. Whether your firm is structured as a partnership or a...
How much do we need to retire?
The question of how much a person needs to have saved before confidently launching into their retirement years very much requires an individual answer. The more the better may seem to be an obvious response, but then again each one of us lucky enough to reach the...
Carrying on a business through your SMSF
Under the regulations, self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are not prohibited from carrying on a business, however the business must be: allowed under the SMSF’s trust deed, and operated for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for fund members. Note however...
Renting out part or all of your home
If you rent out part or all of your home, the rent money you receive is generally regarded as assessable income. This means: you must declare your rental income in your income tax return, and you can claim deductions for the associated expenses you may not be entitled...