The Australian Labor Party are short odds favourites to win the next federal election and have proposed a substantial tax reform agenda. This article outlines what we know to date about their negative gearing, capital gains discount, and imputation credit reforms.
Read MoreIf you have a discretionary or hybrid trust that owns residential land in New South Wales you may need to have your deed amended before 31 December 2018.
Read MorePayroll tax grouping is a key risk area for all businesses. It is not only a problem for closely related entities that carry on a common or similar business. Seemingly unrelated entities can also be grouped.
Read MoreThe Commonwealth Government has announced a 12-month amnesty for employers to self-report underpaid superannuation amounts, during which period the usual penalties for underpayment (non-deductible payments and administrative penalties) will not apply. The amnesty period ends on 24 May 2019.
Read MoreIt is now well known that where a discretionary trust is to acquire or own residential land in New South Wales it may be necessary to amend the trust deed for the trust to prevent foreign person duty and land tax surcharges being imposed on the trustee.
Read MoreIt would be prudent to recommend to your clients that their "fixed" trusts and unit trusts be reviewed having regard to recent developments.
On 13 September 2017, the ATO issued a finalised Guideline (PCG 2016/16) which sets out the circumstances when the Commissioner will exercise his discretion to treat a trust as a fixed trust.
Read MoreMost accountants and lawyers are aware of the duty implications of changing a trustee of a trust that holds dutiable property in New South Wales – as long as any new trustee or continuing trustee cannot benefit under the trust, the duty payable on a transfer of dutiable property to the new trustee or continuing trustee will only be $50.
Read MoreAfter the introduction of land tax and duty surcharges for foreign persons acquiring or holding residential land in NSW, it was thought that discretionary and certain hybrid trust deeds needed to be amended by no later than 31 December 2016 to ensure that the surcharges would not be imposed on those trusts.
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