Our latest insights

Legislation for the long awaited FBT exemption for electric vehicles has finally passed through the Senate. A few amendments moved by the Greens were agreed to by the Government in order to get the legislation through. Here is a summary of the new rules.

Historically, off-market share buy-backs and share reductions were an effective way for listed public companies to undertake capital management whilst returning franking credits to individual and superannuation fund shareholders in particular.

There were changes made to both Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions and Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 (STP2) reporting from 1 July 2022. Here’s what you need to know to avoid common errors.

ATO's draft GST Determination for Margin Scheme Valuations may soon require property developers to obtain new or ‘confirmed’ valuation reports to support the application of the margin scheme for sales of real property that occur outside of the three-month transitional period. Read more about the impact on businesses and the property market.

The 2022-23 Federal Budget committed over $20b towards renewable energy projects and initiatives in its push to cut carbon emissions by 43 per cent by 2030. Is it enough to aid the energy supply and demand challenge forecasted by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in its recent 2022 Electricity Statement of Opportunities Report?

Are you a Director? Has your company met its PAYG, GST and Superannuation obligations? If not, you could be personally liable for these amounts.

Federal budget 2022-23 tax implications for business and individuals.

The OECD has been gathering momentum towards addressing perceived tax avoidance amongst multinational enterprises (MNEs), ensuring a fairer distribution of tax for all taxpayers. The Government’s proposed multinational tax integrity to rewrite certain tax laws as they apply to MNEs is consistent with that shift. They were first announced with the intent of addressing the “loopholes” available to MNEs in the Australian taxation system.

As we watch the ramifications of the recent widespread data breach continue to play out in the media and on the floor of Federal Parliament, I keep reflecting on the requirements of APRA Prudential Standards CPS 234: Information Security and the draft Prudential Standard CPS 230: Operational Risk Management. If ever there was any doubt in the minds of Boards or Management as to why the focus on cyber security and operational resilience, then the current situation brings this into stark focus.

Wills, estates and the transfer of assets are hot topics as Australia approaches the largest intergenerational transition of wealth ever. Once a simple concept, the transition of wealth is now a maze of complex family arrangements and structures which work well to preserve assets for the next generation, however they can lead to a hefty serving of tax if not dealt with appropriately.

On 6 October 2022, the ATO released Draft Taxation Ruling TR 2022/D2 Income Tax: residency tests for individuals. TR 2022/D2 has consolidated and replaced previous ATO rulings, TR 98/17 and IT 2650 (both withdrawn effective 6 October 2022) on the ATO’s interpretation of the residency rules as set out in Section 6(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936.

On 21 September 2022 a case was released outlining that on 13 July 2022, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) determined that the taxpayer was unable to show that activities were eligible R&D activities for income tax purposes. In doing that, the AAT affirmed the previous decision by ISA.