Taxpayers can start lodging their tax returns With millions of pieces of information now pre-filled (including information from most banks, employers, government agencies and private health insurers), the ATO is giving taxpayers with simple affairs the ‘green light’ to lodge their tax returns. Taxpayers who plan to claim deductions this year should make sure they …
ATO’s tips for correctly claiming deductions for rental properties Taxpayers who have work done on their rental property should consider the following factors in determining claims for expenses. Repairs and general maintenance are expenses for work done to remedy or prevent defects, damage or deterioration from using the property to earn income. These expenses can …
ATO’s ‘main residence exemption tips’ The main residence exemption needs to be considered in a variety of situations when a taxpayer sells a property they have lived in. The ATO hopes that the following tips will help in this regard: Reminder of June 2024 Quarter Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’) Employers are reminded that employee superannuation contributions …
ATO’s three focus areas this tax time The ATO will be taking a close look this ‘tax time’ at the following common errors made by taxpayers: Work related expenses: Taxpayers using the ‘revised fixed rate method’ of calculating a working from home deduction must have comprehensive records to substantiate their claims, including records that show …
Government warns of ‘malicious’ myGov scammers The Government has urged Australians to be vigilant regarding scammers who target ATO log-in details to commit tax fraud. The ATO has received a large number of reports of scammers using fake myGov sites to steal myGov sign-in details, which can be used to commit tax and refund fraud …
How to claim working from home expenses Taxpayers who have been working from home this financial year, and who consequently incurred work-related expenses, have two ways to calculate their work from home deduction: Using the fixed rate method, taxpayers can claim a rate of 67 cents per hour worked at home. This amount covers additional …
Super contribution caps to rise The big news story for those contributing to super is that the contribution caps are set to increase from the 2025 income year. The increase in the NCC cap also means that the maximum available under the three-year bring forward provisions will increase from $330,000 to $360,000. This is provided …
Government announces changes to proposed ‘Stage 3’ tax cuts Despite previous assurances, and after much speculation, the Government has announced tweaks to the ‘Stage 3’ tax cuts that will apply from 1 July 2024. More particularly, the Government proposes to: The Medicare levy low-income thresholds for the 2024 income year will also be increased. Changes …
ATO’s lodgment penalty amnesty is about to end The ATO is remitting failure to lodge penalties for eligible small businesses. Businesses which have not yet taken advantage of the ATO’s lodgment penalty amnesty only have until 31 December 2023 to do so. Businesses must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for the …
Tax issues for businesses that have received a support payment Taxpayers who have received a government support grant or payment recently to help their business recover from COVID-19 or a natural disaster should check if they need to include the payment in their assessable income. Grants are generally treated as assessable income, and taxpayers may …