Our latest insights

The Senate committee charged with reviewing the government’s proposed new legislation for the exemption from fringe benefits tax (FBT) for electric vehicles (EVs) has now handed down its report.

The Government today introduced draft legislation to give effect to a pre-election promise to exempt (non-luxury) electric cars from fringe benefits tax (FBT). In further good news, hybrid electric cars have now been added to the exemption – we assume due to the extreme wait times for new electric cars at the moment, which would otherwise have significantly dampened the effect of the new law.

Many people are getting excited about the Government’s pre-election promise to exempt electric cars from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) as of 1 July 2022. But before you rush to order your new vehicle, there are a few considerations for you to take into account. While this measure is expected to take effect shortly, there is no legislation for this yet – not even in draft – and parliament’s next sitting days have not been announced. This means any new legislation will no doubt need to be retrospective to have effect from 1 July 2022.

The ATO has recently issued a new class ruling expanding on what products qualify as a ‘portable electronic device’ for FBT exemption purposes. In addition to devices that were designed to operate as a small, portable complete unit without an external power supply such as laptops, mobile phones and similar devices, the new ruling extends to include portable display monitors that run in connection with phones, tablets, etc. Espresso Displays were an instrumental part of the process, having obtained the ruling for their portable screens.

Businesses and employees have embraced the positive impact of working from home and the value in being agile in response to potential restrictions or COVID-19 variants. But as organisations discuss ongoing flexible work arrangements, and the support and equipment to allow employees to work from home, what Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) implications, concessions and exemptions should be considered?

Both the ATO and the State Revenue Offices have a number of focus areas putting employment taxes squarely on the agenda again.

With recent economic changes and COVID-19-related measures, the ATO has recently revised a couple of its rulings.

The ATO recently issued a set of three publications outlining the tax deductibility and fringe benefits tax (FBT) consequences of transport, accommodation and travel-related food and drink expenditure.

With the recent closure of restaurants for dine-in options, many NFP employees including health care workers, were effectively unable to access the meal entertainment part of their salary package.

FBT returns are due to be lodged in a few short months. To be on the front foot, listen to our one-hour free webinar as we discuss the latest updates on your critical employment tax obligations, including those that have come into play as a result of the COVID-19 situation.

2019 has been an interesting and challenging year for businesses, both large and small. As well as grappling with a weakening economy and an unsettled global trading environment, one consistent theme that stands out in Australia is an increased focus on employment tax compliance, with a raft of law changes, audit activity and landmark cases.