Australian & Victorian Government Support to Business Taxpayers in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Australian & Victorian Government Support to Business Taxpayers in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

The Australian Government has announced two stimulus packages which have now passed through both Houses of Parliament.  These packages include a number of plans to support Australian Businesses during the current Coronavirus Pandemic, with the most relevant highlighted below.

• Tax-free payments up to $100,000 for small business and not-for-profit employers.

Under this proposal any business who employ staff and have an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50 million (for the most recent income year) are eligible to receive 2 rounds of tax-free payments with each round worth a maximum of $50,000 with a minimum payment of $10,000.

These payments will be made to eligible employers by way of a credit equal to 100% of the PAYG amounts withheld from salary and wages paid to employees during the relevant period, up to the maximum amount of $50,000.

The “relevant period” depends on a business’s PAYG Withholding cycle.  Those lodging monthly IAS returns will have a relevant period covering March 2020 to June 2020 whereas those with a quarterly obligation will have a relevant period covering January 2020 to June 2020.

The credits are automatically calculated by the ATO and employers will need to lodge an activity statement to trigger the entitlement. If the credit puts the business in a refund position the excess amount will be refunded by the ATO within 14 days.

In addition to this first round of payments, a second round of payments will be made up to a maximum of $50,000, accessible from July 2020.   The second phase ensures that eligible employers receive another series of credits, equal to the credits that were received under the first phase and will be paid over the period of July 2020 – October 2020 with lodgement of activity statements.

  What you need to do:

1. Lodge your Business Tax Return for the year ended 30^th June 2019. This is used to confirm your business income is below the aggregated annual turnover of $50 million.
2. Prepare and lodge your monthly or quarterly activity statements as soon as possible after the end of each period – the ATO will then automatically calculate and apply your relevant credit

• Business Investment – increase and extension of the instant asset write-off and accelerated depreciation

From 12 March 2020, the instant asset write-off threshold will increase from $30,000 to $150,000, and access to the write-off will be expanded to include businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million until 30 June 2020.

The instant asset write-off is a tax deduction that reduces the tax liability of your business. It enables your business to claim an upfront deduction for depreciating assets in the year the asset was purchased and used (or installed ready to use).

Assets will need to be used or installed ready for use from when the changes were announced on 12 March 2020 until by 30 June 2020 to qualify for the higher threshold. Anything previously purchased does not qualify for the higher rate but may qualify for one of the other thresholds. Similarly, anything purchased but not installed ready for use by 30 June 2020 will not qualify.

In addition to the increased instant asset write-off rules, accelerated depreciation deductions will apply from 12 March 2020 until 30 June 2021. This will bring forward deductions that would otherwise be claimed in later years.  Any assets eligible for the Instant Asset Write-off do not qualify for this Accelerated Depreciation incentive

What you need to do:

1. To qualify for the Instant Asset Write-off, trading businesses will need to purchase a new asset (up to $150k) and have it installed and ready for use by the 30^th June 2020.
2. To qualify for the Accelerated Depreciation, trading businesses will need to purchase a new asset and have it installed and ready for use by the 30^th June 2021.

• Wage subsidy of up to 50% of an apprentice or trainee wage

 Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50% of the apprentice’s or trainee’s wage for up to 9 months from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. The payments are accessible to businesses with less than 20 employees. Employers will receive up to $21,000 per apprentice ($7,000 per quarter).

Where a small business is not able to retain an apprentice, the subsidy will be available to a new employer that employs that apprentice.

In order to qualify for this payment, the apprentice or trainee must have been in training with the business as at 1 March 2020. Employers of any size and Group Training Organisations that re-engage an eligible out-of-trade apprentice or trainee will also be eligible for the subsidy.

It is expected that employers will be able to register for the subsidy from early April 2020. Final claims for payment must be lodged by 31 December 2020.

What you need to do:

1. Contact your relevant Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) to register for the subsidy from 2^nd April 2020.

• Access to working capital for SMEs – SME Guarantee Scheme

 The Government has announced a Coronavirus SME guarantee scheme that will guarantee 50% of new loans to SMEs up to $20 billion.  These loans are new short-term unsecured loans to eligible SMEs with turnover up to $50 million.

The guarantee will apply to loans with the following terms:

• Maximum total size of loans of $250,000 per borrower
• The loans will be up to three years, with an initial six month repayment holiday
• The loans will be in the form of unsecured finance, meaning that borrowers will not have to provide an asset as security for the loan.

Loans will be subject to lenders’ credit assessment processes with the expectation that lenders will look through the cycle to sensibly take into account the uncertainly of the current economic conditions.

The Scheme will commence by early April 2020 and be available for new loans made by participating lenders until 30 September 2020.

What you need to do:

1. Contact your bank or financial institution to confirm they are “eligible lenders” under the scheme
2. Engage with your eligible lender to complete the application before the 30^th September 2020

In addition to the announcements made by the Australian Government there have also been proposals released by the Victorian Government to support Victorian Businesses.  The most significant of these are outlined below.

• Payroll Tax to be Waived for the 2019-2020 financial year for eligible employers

Businesses with annual taxable wages up to $3 million will have their payroll tax for the 2019-2020 financial year waived.  There is still a requirement to continue to lodge payroll tax returns however no further payments will be required for eligible businesses for this financial year.

The State Revenue Office will contact eligible businesses directly in relation to refunding any payroll tax already paid for this year from 27th March 2020.

These businesses are also eligible to defer paying payroll tax for the period 1st July 2020 to 30th September 2020 until January 2021.

What you need to do:

1. Continue to lodge your payroll tax returns each month but do not make any further payments for the 2020 financial year
2. The SRO will contact all eligible businesses with instructions on how to request refunds of previously paid amounts – this will be done online via PTX Express
3. Details regarding the process to defer the Sept 2020 Quarter payments will be provided by the SRO in July 2020

• 2020 Land Tax payments to be deferred

Some land owners are eligible to defer their 2020 land tax payment until after 1 January 2021.

Eligible land owners must have at least one taxable non-residential property and total taxable landholdings below $1 million to qualify for the deferral.

Under the deferral mechanism land owners can request a refund of 2020 land tax already paid but full payment will be required by the 31st March 2021.

What you need to do:

1. The State Revenue Office will contact all eligible land owners and provide further information so nothing further needs to be done at this stage.

These are the main announcements that have been made at this time which we feel will impact on our client base.  We will be doing our best to follow up with all effected clients who may benefit from these incentives.  However, if you wish to discuss any of these items and how they may impact on your business, please do not hesitate to contact the office on 9898 9221.

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by McPhail & Partners

News, views and clues June 2019

The Notice of Requirement to Lodge a Return for Income Year Ended 30 June 2019 has been registered. This covers income tax returns and other lodgments for franking account returns, including special rules for late balancing corporate tax entities that elect to use 30 June as a basis for determining their franking deficit tax liability; venture capital deficit tax returns; ancillary fund returns; trustees of SMSFs; and member information statements by superannuation providers.

The Notice also covers use of approved forms for lodgment, lodgment deferrals, lodgment exemptions, and penalties for non-lodgment.

The Notice of Requirement for Parents with a Child Support Assessment to Lodge for the Income Year Ended 30 June 2019 has also been registered.

While it is being reported that many businesses are not ready for Single Touch Payroll (STP), one report suggests that 70% of small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) are not ready, the employees of businesses that are operating STP face some changes.

As a result of the introduction of STP, taxpayers may need a myGov account in order to get the payment summary details they need to complete their 2019 tax returns. How taxpayers receive their payment summary or income statement from their employer depends on how their employer reports their income, tax and super information to the ATO.

Employers need to let employees know if they won't be giving them a payment summary this year.

Employees with more than one employer may receive both a payment summary and an income statement. In that situation, employees will need to check that income from their payment summaries is included in their tax return.

With reported unpreparedness for Single Touch Payroll (STP), mainly among small businesses, and with employers having less than 19 employees needing to report their employees' tax and super information through STP from 1 July 2019, the ATO has reminded businesses about the STP exemptions and deferrals that are available.

There are exemptions for reporting through STP for a particular financial year, for certain payments, or for certain employees.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) has issued a report into the ATO's enforcement of debt recovery. In a press release, the ASBFEO called for the ATO to immediately cease debt recovery action where tax disputes were before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).

The report contains three key conclusions and seven recommendations. The ASBFEO also reminds small business taxpayers in dispute with the ATO of its Small Business Concierge Service, which started on 1 March 2019. This service provides legal assistance for AAT appeals for a limited cost.

The ATO issued a press release outlining its response to the report stating its long standing policy on debt recovery for cases in dispute at the AAT is to only pursue disputed debt in "exceptional circumstances" and that there are only ''very rare cases'' (eg in 2017-18, it took garnishee action against small business in just four cases).

The ATO further stated that it will give consideration to the report's recommendations while it awaits the Australian National Audit Office's review of how the ATO manages tax debts for small business.

The Commissioner has published a gazette notice setting out the record keeping requirements for cryptocurrency owners and traders. The ATO advises that it is undertaking a data matching program for 2014-15 to 2019-20 for such entities.

The data obtained from cryptocurrency designated service providers (DSPs) is being (and will continue to be) used to identify the buyers and sellers of crypto-assets and quantify the related transactions. Data will be matched against ATO records to identify individuals who may not be meeting their registration, reporting, lodgment and/or payment obligations.

The ATO will be working with other regulators, in particular, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to ensure that tax law requirements align with a whole of system approach.

The Federal Court has dismissed an appeal against a decision to pay a superannuation death benefit pension to a fire fighter's de facto partner instead of a lump sum to his estate in Howard v Batistich [2019] FCA 525.

The trustee of the Crown Employees Superannuation Fund determined that the respondent, Ms Batistich, was a "de facto partner" of the deceased at the date of his death under the Superannuation Act 1916(NSW) and the Interpretation Act 1987(NSW). Accordingly, the trustee determined that Ms Batistich was entitled to a fortnightly pension. If there was no spouse (including a de facto), a lump sum death benefit of $350,000 would have been payable to the deceased estate.

The deceased's parents, as the administrators of his estate, complained to the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal that Ms Batistich did not meet the definition of de facto partner.

In dismissing the appeal, the Court said it was not satisfied that the SCT had misunderstood its task or failed to take into account all the circumstances of the relationship.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Protecting Your Superannuation Package) Act 2019introduces a number of reforms to protect individual's super savings from undue erosion by fees and unnecessary insurance. The ATO says it will now be able to proactively consolidate eligible unclaimed super money into eligible active super accounts, including SMSFs and small APRA funds, if an individual hasn't requested a direct payment of this money or for it to be rolled over to a fund of their choice. Under the Protecting Your Superpackage, the ATO says SMSFs may receive a rollover of consolidated unclaimed super money for members.

The ATO has reminded businesses that employ backpackers that they may need to pay superannuation guarantee (SG) for them.

Backpackers on working holidays are considered temporary residents, and are entitled to superannuation guarantee if they are paid $450 or more before tax in a calendar month. Once they leave Australia, they can claim the super paid to them as a Departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) providing all requirements are met.

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by McPhail & Partners

Tax news, views and clues April 2019

Fringe benefits tax (FBT) returns will soon be due and as always, it’s vital to make sure you use the latest rates and rely on the correct information.

FBT rates have recently been updated for the year, and a range of other factors may be need to be considered, including using the best car parking valuations, correctly identifying which travel expenses are deductible, considering how FBT applies to your arrangements with employees and independent contractors, and making sure you keep within the entertainment benefits rules. Another issue to keep an eye on is employees’ private use of work vehicles.

The Small Business Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, has announced that taxpayers wanting an external review of an adverse tax decision by the ATO through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) can now contact the office of the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman for assistance.

From 1 March 2019, small business owners without legal representation can access an hour with an experienced small business tax lawyer at a significantly reduced cost, subsidised by the office of the Ombudsman. Lawyers can review relevant documents and provide advice on the viability of an appeal. And should an appeal progress, the Ombudsman’s case managers will help the small business owner through the process.

Small business taxation decisions will be finalised within 28 days from the date of a hearing at the AAT.

The ATO has released its latest small business benchmarks, providing over 100 different industries with average cost of sales and average total expenses. Businesses can see clearly what the relevant benchmarks are for their industry. The benchmark data is drawn from over 1.5 million small businesses around Australia.

Business owners can use the benchmarks to gauge the strength of their business and keep an eye on their competition.

The benchmarks also help the ATO identify small businesses that may be doing the wrong thing and not properly reporting some or all of their income.

Minister for Small and Family Business Michaelia Cash has asked Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell to look into the ATO’s practices in pursuing early recovery of tax debts from small businesses who are in dispute with the ATO.

The Minister said she was determined to make sure the ATO treats small businesses fairly.

“Early recovery can be devastating for a small business, and is particularly damaging when the small business disputes the recovery and then goes on to win the case,” she said.

The Ombudsman will look into the extent of the problem to gather a holistic picture of how current systems impact people running small businesses. The scrutiny will focus on historical cases and will not include live cases currently before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Mr Robert Cornall, a former Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, will lead a review of the Scheme for the Compensation for Detriment Caused by Defective Administration (the CDDA Scheme).

The CDDA Scheme allows Commonwealth Government agencies (including the ATO) to pay discretionary compensation when a person or an organisation suffers as a result of defective administration but there is no legal requirement to make a payment.

Mr Cornall’s review will consider the consistency of the ATO’s CDDA Scheme processes for small businesses, the timeliness of decisions, how effectively findings are communicated, how independent decision-making can be best achieved in future, and the adequacy of compensation for small businesses that have suffered an economic and/or personal loss as a consequence of the ATO’s actions.

Single Touch Payroll (STP) is a payday reporting arrangement where employers need to send tax and superannuation information to the ATO from their payroll or accounting software each time they pay their employees. STP reporting started gradually from 1 July 2018, and it will be required for all small employers (with fewer than 20 employees) from 1 July 2019.

A range of no-cost and low-cost STP solutions are now coming into the market. The solutions are required to be affordable (costing less than $10 per month), take only minutes to complete each pay period and not require the employer to maintain the software. They will best suit micro employers (with one to four employees) who need to report through STP but do not currently have payroll software.

The ATO reminds businesses to be aware that under the current law, if they have missed a superannuation payment or haven’t paid employees’ super on time, they are required to lodge a superannuation guarantee (SG) charge statement.

Until law giving effect to the proposed superannuation guarantee amnesty is enacted, the ATO says it will continue to apply the existing law, including applying the mandatory administration component ($20 per employee per period) to SG charge statements lodged by employers.

The Bill containing the amnesty was still before the Senate when Parliament most recently concluded on 22 February 2019.

If it is eventually passed into law, the proposed amnesty will be a one-off opportunity for employers to self-correct their past SG non-compliance without penalty. It is intended to be available for 12 months from 24 May 2018 to 23 May 2019. The ATO will apply the new law (if it is passed) retrospectively to eligible voluntary disclosures made during this period.

ATO Commissioner Chris Jordan has advised that as part of the ATO’s broad random enquiry program, its auditors have recently completed over 300 audits on rental property tax deduction claims and “found errors in almost nine out of 10 returns reviewed”.

The ATO is seeing incorrect interest claims for entire investment loans where the loan has been refinanced for private purposes, incorrect classification of capital works as repairs and maintenance, and taxpayers not apportioning deductions for holiday homes when they are not genuinely available for rent.

The ATO’s next area of focus will be rental income and related deductions, to help taxpayers report the right information, claim only the amounts they are entitled to, and “close the tax gap”.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has decided that a property a small business owner used to store materials, tools and other equipment was an active asset for the purpose of the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions.

The taxpayer carried on a business of building, bricklaying and paving through a family trust. He owned a block of land used to store work tools, equipment and materials, and to park work vehicles and trailers. There was no business signage on the property.

After the property was sold in October 2016, the ATO issued a private ruling that the taxpayer was not entitled to apply the small business CGT concessions to the capital gain because the property was not an “active business asset”.

However, the AAT concluded that the business use of the land was far from minimal, and more than incidental to carrying on the business. This meant the CGT concessions could be applied.

Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this article. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also, changes in legislation may occur quickly. We, therefore, recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas. This article is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.

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by McPhail & Partners

Federal budget 2018

PERSONAL TAXATION

Personal tax rates: staged seven-year reform plan starting from 2018–2019

In the 2018–2019 Budget, the Government announced staged tax relief for low and middle income earners. The Government is proposing a major seven-year, three-step plan to reform personal income tax.

Step 1 will see a new, non-refundable low and middle income tax offset from 2018–2019 to 2021–2022, designed to provide tax relief of up to $530 for each of those years. The offset will be delivered on assessment after an individual submits their tax return, and will be in addition to the existing low income tax offset (LITO).

The low and middle income tax offset will provide a benefit of up to $200 for taxpayers with taxable income of $37,000 or less. Between $37,000 and $48,000 of taxable income, the value of the offset will increase at a rate of three cents per dollar to the maximum benefit of $530. Taxpayers with taxable incomes from $48,000 to $90,000 will be eligible for the maximum benefit of $530. From $90,001 to $125,333 of taxable income, the offset will phase out at a rate of 1.5 cents per dollar.

Step 2 will increase the top threshold of the 32.5% tax bracket from $87,000 to $90,000 from 1 July 2018. In 2022–2023, the top threshold of the 19% bracket will increase from $37,000 to $41,000 and the LITO will increase from $445 to $645. The increased LITO will be withdrawn at a rate of 6.5 cents per dollar between incomes of $37,000 and $41,000, and at a rate of 1.5 cents per dollar between incomes of $41,000 and $66,667. The top threshold of the 32.5% bracket will increase from $90,000 to $120,000 from 1 July 2022.

Step 3: from 1 July 2024, the top threshold of the 32.5% bracket will increase from $120,000 to $200,000, removing the 37% tax bracket completely. Taxpayers will pay the top marginal tax rate of 45% from taxable incomes exceeding $200,000 and the 32.5% tax bracket will apply to taxable incomes of $41,001 to $200,000.

The Government says this means that around 94% of all taxpayers are projected to face a marginal tax rate of 32.5% or less in 2024–2025.

Medicare levy, 2017–2018 tax rates unchanged

The Government had proposed to increase the Medicare levy from 2% to 2.5% from 1 July 2019, but has decided not to proceed with this. Presumably the Bills to do this, which are currently before Parliament, will be removed. In an address on 26 April 2018 to the Australian Business Economists in Sydney, the Treasurer said that, due to the improving economy and fiscal position, the Government is “now in a position to give our guarantee to Australians living with a disability and their families and carers that all planned expenditure on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be able to be met in this year’s Budget and beyond without any longer having to increase the Medicare levy”.

At the same time, it has been reported that Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen has announced that Labor will not proceed with its proposal to increase the Medicare levy by 0.5% (to 2.5%) on those earning above $87,000.

The tax rates and thresholds for the 2017–2018 year remain unchanged.

BUSINESS TAXATION

$20,000 instant asset write-off for SBEs extended by 12 months

The Government will extend the current instant asset write-off ($20,000 threshold) for small business entities (SBEs) by 12 months to 30 June 2019. This applies to businesses with aggregated annual turnover less than $10 million.

The threshold amount was due to return to $1,000 on 1 July 2018. As a result of this announcement, SBEs will be able to immediately deduct purchases of eligible depreciating assets costing less than $20,000 that are acquired between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2019 and first used or installed ready for use by 30 June 2019 for a taxable purpose. Only a few assets are not eligible for the instant asset write-off or other simplified depreciation rules (eg horticultural plants and in-house software).

Assets valued at $20,000 or more (which cannot be immediately deducted) can continue to be placed into the general small business pool (the pool) and depreciated at 15% in the first income year and 30% each income year thereafter. The pool can also be immediately deducted if the balance is less than $20,000 over this period (including existing pools).

The current “lock out” laws for the simplified depreciation rules (which prevent small businesses from re-entering the simplified depreciation regime for five years if they opt out) will continue to be suspended until 30 June 2019.

The instant asset write-off threshold and the threshold for immediate deductibility of the balance of the pool will revert to $1,000 on 1 July 2019.

While the extension of the write-off will be welcomed, SBEs of course need to have the cash-flow to enable them to spend the $20,000 in the first place.

Anti-avoidance rules: family trust circular distributions

The Government will extend specific anti-avoidance rules that apply to other closely held trusts that engage in circular trust distributions to family trusts.

Currently, where family trusts act as beneficiaries of each other in a round-robin arrangement, a distribution can ultimately be returned to the original trustee in a way that avoids any tax being paid on that amount. The measure will allow ATO to pursue family trusts that engage in these arrangements and impose tax on such distributions at a rate equal to the top personal rate plus the Medicare levy.

This measure applies from 1 July 2019.

Deductions disallowed for holding vacant land

The Government will disallow deductions for expenses associated with holding vacant land. Where the land is not genuinely held for the purpose of earning assessable income, expenses such as interest costs will be denied. It is hoped this measure will reduce the tax incentives for land banking which limit the use of land for housing or other development.

The measure will apply to both land held for residential and commercial purposes. However, the “carrying on a business” test would generally exclude land held for a commercial development. It will not apply to expenses associated with holding land that are incurred after:

• a property has been constructed on the land, it has received approval to be occupied and available for rent; or
• the land is being used by the owner to carry on a business, including a business of primary production.

Disallowed deductions will not be able to be carried forward for use in later income years. Expenses for which deductions will be denied could be included in the cost base if it would ordinarily be a cost base element (ie borrowing costs and council rates) for CGT purposes. However, if the denied deductions are for expenses would not ordinarily be a cost base element, they cannot be included in the cost base.

This measure applies from 1 July 2019.

Partnerships: enhancing integrity of concessions

Partners that alienate their income by creating, assigning or otherwise dealing in rights to the future income of a partnership will no longer be able to access the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions in relation to these rights.

The Government said this measure will prevent taxpayers, including large partnerships, inappropriately accessing the CGT small business concessions in relation to their assignment to an entity of a right to the future income of a partnership, without giving that entity any role in the partnership.

There are no changes to the small business CGT concessions themselves. The concessions will continue to be available to eligible small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $2 million or net assets less than $6 million.

These measures will apply from 7:30PM (AEST) on 8 May 2018.

TAX COMPLIANCE AND INTEGRITY

No tax deduction for non-compliant PAYG and contractor payments

Measures will be enacted to ensure that taxpayers will not be able to claim deductions for payments to their employees such as wages where they have not withheld any amount of PAYG from these payments, despite the PAYG withholding requirements applying.

Similarly, the Government intends to remove deductions for payments made by businesses to contractors where the contractor does not provide an ABN and the business does not withhold any amount of PAYG (again despite the withholding requirements applying).

These measures were recommended by the Black Economy Taskforce.

The revenue expectations linked with this expenditure is quite modest – “a small unquantifiable gain to revenue over the forward estimates period”.

The measures will commence on 1 July 2019.

Cash payments limit: payments made
to businesses

The Government will introduce a limit of $10,000 for cash payments made to businesses for goods and services.

This measure will require transactions over a threshold to be made through an electronic payment system or by cheque. Logically it would seem that this threshold amount should be $10,000, but this is not spelt out in the Budget papers or the media release.

The rules will not apply to transactions with:

• financial institutions; or
• consumer-to-consumer non-business transactions.

This measure was recommended by the Black Economy Taskforce. It is designed to support other measures designed to counter the black economy. There is no revenue impact associated with it.

The limit will apply from 1 July 2019. The Government will consult further as part of the implementation process.

Reportable payments system extended: security providers, road freight transport and computer design

The Government will extend the taxable payments reporting system (TPRS) to the following industries:

• security providers and investigation services;
• road freight transport; and
• computer system design and related services.

This will extend the TPRS requirements already applying to the building and construction industry. The TPRS requirements will also be extended, from 1 July 2018, to the cleaning and courier industries under measures contained in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Black Economy Taskforce Measures No 1) Bill 2018.

The reporting requirements will apply from 1 July 2019, with the first annual report required in August 2020.

SUPERANNUATION

SMSF member limit to increase from four to six

The Budget confirmed that the maximum number of allowable members in new and existing self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) and small APRA funds will be expanded from four to six members from 1 July 2019. This measure was originally flagged on 27 April 2018 by the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Kelly O’Dwyer.

The proposed increase to the maximum number of SMSF members seeks to provide greater flexibility for large families to jointly manage retirement savings. Given the growth in the sector to date, Ms O’Dwyer said the measure will ensure SMSFs remain compelling retirement savings vehicle. The Government is expected to ask the ATO to work with industry on the design and implementation of this measure. It is not expected to have a revenue impact.

Extra SMSF members to provide flexibility

Currently, s 17A(1)(a) of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993(SIS Act) requires an SMSF to have fewer than five members. In addition, each member must be a trustee of the fund (or a director of the corporate trustee). This seeks to ensure that all members are fully involved and equally responsible for fund decisions and investments.

The Government’s proposal to allow up to six SMSF members may assist those with larger families to implement intergenerational solutions for managing long-term, capital intensive investments, such as commercial property and business real property. For example, allowing an extra two members provides an opportunity to improve a fund’s cash flow by using the contributions of the younger members to make pension payments to the members in retirement phase, without needing to sell a long-term investment.

As each member must be a trustee of the fund, a decision to add extra members should not be taken lightly as it can add complexity to the fund’s management and investment strategy. A change to the membership of an SMSF will alter the trustee arrangements which can impact who controls the fund in the event of a dispute. This is especially relevant in the event of the death of a member, as the surviving trustees have considerable discretion as to the payment of the deceased’s super benefits (subject to any binding death benefit nomination).

Labor’s dividend imputation policy

Allowing up to six SMSF members may assist some SMSFs to implement strategies to guard against Labor’s proposal to end cash refunds of excess franking credits from 1 July 2019. SMSFs in tax-exempt pension phase are expected to feel the brunt of Labor’s proposal, although an exemption was subsequently announced for SMSFs with at least one Government pensioner or allowance recipient before 28 March 2018.

To avoid wasting non-refundable franking credits, Labor’s proposal would create an incentive for SMSFs in pension phase to add additional accumulation phase members (eg adult children) who could effectively make some use of the excess franking credits within the fund. That is, the excess franking credits would be used to absorb some of the 15% contributions tax in relation to the accumulation members. For example, the proposal to increase the maximum number of SMSF members from four to six would enable a typical two-member fund in pension phase to admit up to four adult children as members. If those adult children are making concessional contributions up to the maximum of $25,000 per year, the fund could use the excess franking credits to offset up to $15,000 (four x $25,000 x 15%) in contributions tax each year for the adult children.

This strategy would essentially replicate, to the extent possible, the position of large APRA funds under Labor’s policy. APRA funds typically have more contributing members and diverse income sources (beyond franked dividends) that can usually fully absorb the franking credits.

As already noted, a decision to add additional members to an SMSF may add complexity to the management and control of the fund. This would require professional advice for the specific circumstances of the fund and its members.

Superannuation work test exemption for contributions by recent retirees

The Government will introduce an exemption from the work test for voluntary superannuation contributions by individuals aged 65–74 with superannuation balances below $300,000 in the first year that they do not meet the work test requirements.

Currently, the work test in reg 7.04 of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994(SIS Regulations) restricts the ability to make voluntary superannuation contributions for those aged 65–74 to individuals who self-report as working a minimum of 40 hours in any 30-day period in the financial year. The measure will give recent retirees additional flexibilities to get their financial affairs in order in transition to retirement. It will apply from 1 July 2019.

SMSF audit cycle of three years for funds with good compliance history

The annual audit requirement for SMSFs will be extend to a three-yearly cycle for funds with a history of good record-keeping and compliance.

The measure will apply to SMSF trustees that have a history of three consecutive years of clear audit reports and that have lodged the fund’s annual returns in a timely manner.

This measure will start on 1 July 2019. The Government said it will undertake consultation to ensure a smooth implementation.

Super fees to be capped at 3% for small accounts, exit fees banned

Passive fees charged by superannuation funds will be capped at 3% for small accounts with balances below $6,000, while exit fees will be banned for all superannuation accounts from 1 July 2019. These measures form part of the Government’s Protecting Your Super Package.

The Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Kelly O’Dwyer, said there were around 9.5 million super account with a balance less than $6,000 in 2015–2016. To avoid these small accounts from being eroded, the Government will cap the administration and investment fees at 3% annually, Ms O’Dwyer said.

The Government will also ban exit fees on all superannuation accounts. Exit fees of around $37 million were charged to members in 2015–2016 to simply close an account with a super fund. The proposed ban on exit fees will also benefit members looking to rollover their super accounts to a different fund, or who hold multiple accounts and see exit fees as a barrier to consolidating accounts.

 

With nearly two million low and inactive accounts belonging to women, the Minister said these measures will help to protect the hard-earned super savings of women from undue erosion. These changes will take effect from 1 July 2019.

Superannuation insurance opt-in rule for younger and low-balance members

The Government will change the insurance arrangements for certain cohorts of superannuation members from 1 July 2019. Under the proposed changes, insurance within superannuation will move from a default framework to be offered on an opt-in basis for:

• members with low balances of less than $6,000;
• members under the age of 25 years; and
• members with inactive accounts that have not received a contribution in 13 months.

These changes seek to protect the retirement savings of young people and those with low balances by ensuring their superannuation is not unnecessarily eroded by premiums on insurance policies they do not need or are not aware of. The Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Kelly O’Dwyer, said around 5 million individuals will have the opportunity to save an estimated $3 billion in insurance premiums by choosing to opt-in to this cover, rather than paying for it by default.

The changes also seek to reduce the incidence of duplicated cover so that individuals are not paying for multiple insurance policies, which they may not be able to claim on in any event. Importantly, these changes will not prevent anyone who wants insurance from being able to obtain it. That is, low balance, young, and inactive members will still be able to opt in to insurance cover within super.

In addition, the Government said it will consult publicly on ways in which the current policy settings could be improved to better balance the priorities of retirement savings and insurance cover within super.

The changes will take effect on 1 July 2019. Affected superannuants will have a period of 14 months to decide whether they will opt-in to their existing cover or allow it to switch off.

Please contact our office for more information.

Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this article. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also, changes in legislation may occur quickly. We, therefore, recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas. This article is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.

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by McPhail & Partners

Tax news, views and clues May 2018

ATO closely examines work-related car expenses

The ATO is concerned about taxpayers making mistakes or deliberately lodging false claims for work-related car expenses, and has announced it will be closely examining claims for these expenses in 2018 tax returns. Last year, around 3.75 million people made a work-related car expense claim, totalling about $8.8 billion.

The best way for to avoid mistakes is to make sure you follow “the three golden rules”, only making a car claim if:

• you paid for the expense yourself and you weren’t reimbursed;
• it’s directly related to earning your income – in other words, your employer required you to make the trips as part of your job; and
• you have a record to support your claim.

TIP:We can help you avoid mistakes and understand what you’re entitled to claim this tax time. Contact us about your tax return today.

Data matching finds taxpayers with unnamed Swiss bank accounts

More than 100 Australians have been identified as “high risk” and will be subject to ATO investigation because they have links to Swiss banking relationship managers who are alleged to have actively promoted and facilitated tax evasion schemes.

The ATO constantly receives intelligence from a range of local and international sources which it cross-matches against existing intelligence holdings through its “smarter data” technology.

Australians who may have undeclared offshore income are encouraged to contact the ATO with that information – if penalties or interest apply, the amounts will generally be reduced (by up to 80%) if you make this kind of voluntary disclosure.

TIP:It’s important for Australia tax residents to declare all of their worldwide income to the ATO. Australia has many international tax agreements that work to avoid double taxation for people who are resident in Australia but make income from offshore sources.

CGT main residence exemption to disappear for non-residents

A person’s Australian tax residency status may be about to assume a whole new meaning. Currently, both residents and non-residents qualify for a full or partial exemption from capital gains tax (CGT) when they sell a property that is their home (main residence). But if a Bill that is currently before Parliament is passed, that will change, and any individual who is a non-resident for tax purposes at the time they sign a contract to sell their home – for example, if they have moved overseas before signing the sale contract – will no longer qualify for the full or partial main residence exemption, regardless of how long the home was actually their main residence when they were an Australian tax resident.

TIP:If you’re considering selling your home and moving or travelling overseas, talk to us to find out how this could affect your Australian tax residency and CGT costs.

Residential rental property travel expense deduction changes

Recent changes to Australian tax law mean that individuals, self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) and “private” trusts and partnerships can longer claim tax deductions for non-business travel costs related to their residential rental properties. Such costs also cannot form part of the cost base or reduced cost base of a CGT asset.

The ATO has issued guidance to make it clear that tax deductions are only permitted for taxpayers who incur this kind of travel expense as a necessary part of
carrying on a business such as property investing, or providing retirement living, aged care, student accommodation or property management services.

TIP:The ATO will consider a range of factors, such as number of properties leased, time and expertise needed for their maintenance, and taxpayer record-keeping, when deciding if someone carries on a business that requires travel expenditure related to their residential properties.

Government to increase civil penalties for white-collar crime

In response to recent Senate Economics References Committee and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Enforcement Review Taskforce reports, the Federal Government has agreed to increase the civil penalties for corporate and financial misconduct (white-collar crime), for both individuals and bodies corporate. ASIC infringement notices will also be expanded to cover a broader range of financial services and managed investments infringements.

The new maximum civil penalties will be set at:

• for individuals, the greater of 5,000 penalty units (currently $1.05 million) or three times the value of the benefits obtained or losses avoided; and
• for corporations, the greater of 50,000 penalty units (currently $10.5 million) or three times the value of the benefits obtained or losses avoided, or 10% of annual turnover in the 12 months before the misconduct, up to a total of one million penalty units ($210 million).

Businesses, get ready: GST on
low value goods

From 1 July 2018, GST will be imposed on the supply low value goods from outside of Australia to Australian consumers. Businesses need to be ready for this change.

TIP:Businesses must register for Australian GST once their annual turnover reaches $75,000, but registering is optional for businesses with lower turnover. The low value goods changes will apply from 1 July 2018 for all businesses registered for GST, whether their registration was required or they chose to register.

Under the low value goods regime, businesses that sell goods valued at A$1,000 or less to an Australian consumer (who is not registered for GST) will be liable to pay GST on those sales. GST will also apply where the business delivers or facilitates delivery of the goods into Australia.

TIP:If your business will be affected, now is the time to make sure your systems are ready to collect GST on low value sales, that your online terms and conditions are up to date, and that your website meets Australian consumer law requirements for displaying prices.

Business-to-business (B2B) sales, where a business sells low value goods to a recipient business that is registered for GST, are excluded from the regime.

TIP:The New Zealand Government has also recently proposed to levy GST on goods valued under the country’s current threshold of NZ$400.

Financial Complaints Authority takes shape

Minister for Revenue and Financial Services Kelly O’Dwyer has announced the authorisation of the new financial dispute resolution scheme, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which will start accepting complaints from 1 November 2018. AFCA is intended to be a “one-stop shop”, having the expertise to deal with all financial disputes, including superannuation and small business lending disputes, with higher monetary limits and compensation caps.

All Australian financial services (AFS) licensees, Australian credit licensees, superannuation trustees and other financial firms legally required to join AFCA will need to do so by 21 September 2018.

Banking Royal Commission wraps up evidence on financial advice

The Banking Royal Commission has wrapped up its two weeks of hearings focused on financial advice.

The hearings have included gruelling evidence of misconduct in financial services entities’ provision of financial advice, occurring in the context of fees being charged for no service, platform fees, inappropriate advice, improper conduct and the disciplinary regime.

The Royal Commission has adjourned until 21 May 2018, when it will begin its third round of hearings with a focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Commission’s final report is due by 1 February 2019.

ATO assessments issued for excess super pension balances

The ATO has started issuing excess transfer balance (ETB) tax assessments to self managed super fund (SMSF) members, or their agents, who had previously received an ETB determination and rectified the excess. These ETB tax assessments are sent to SMSF members (or their professionals), and not to the fund. It’s then up to the member to decide how to cover the ETB liability for exceeding their $1.6 million pension transfer balance cap.

The ATO warns that SMSF members may receive an ETB assessment even if they didn’t receive an ETB determination. If they rectified the excess before they were assessed for a determination, they are still liable for the ETB tax. However, SMSF members who were covered by the transitional rules for excesses not exceeding $100,000 and rectified in full by 31 December 2017, will not receive an ETB tax assessment.

Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this article. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also, changes in legislation may occur quickly. We, therefore, recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas. This article is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.

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by McPhail & Partners

Tax news, views and clues April 2018

ATO embarking on e-Audits

The ATO has recently published information about the “e-Audit” technology it uses as part of its tax compliance activities. These audits involve the ATO performing computer tests on a taxpayer’s own electronic records to verify that the data is accurate and complete and that the taxpayer has complied with relevant tax laws.

If a taxpayer is selected by the ATO for an audit or review, the ATO will take a copy of the relevant records (eg data held in the taxpayer’s accounting or payroll systems) in order to perform the tests. Although the ATO has broad powers to access taxpayers’ records, the ATO takes a cooperative approach and will work with the taxpayer and their advisers.

The ATO may also use an assessment tool to rate a taxpayer's system risks in relation to correct reporting of tax and super obligations. This can have benefits for the taxpayer because the ATO will provide them with a final report that highlights any particular compliance risks for their business and includes recommendations for addressing these issues.

Court finds pay-as-you-go amounts “withheld” from salary payments

The Federal Court has ruled that pay-as-you-go (PAYG) amounts were “withheld” from a taxpayer's salary payments so that she was entitled to a tax credit, despite the amounts never being remitted or notified to the ATO by her employers.

This case illustrates the importance of records and documentation in tax matters. The Court examined evidence such as the taxpayer’s offer of employment, payslips, bank statements and payment summaries, which suggested that the salary payments she received were “net pay” amounts (and not “gross”).

The Court noted that where an employer has not remitted PAYG withholding amounts to the ATO, this will raise questions about whether amounts were really withheld. However, adequate documentation can – as in this case – be used to prove that PAYG has in fact been withheld by an employer, even if the employer has subsequently failed to remit this to the ATO.

“Transition to retirement” pensions to become simpler

In welcome news for superannuation members, the government has announced plans to simplify the payment of transition to retirement income streams (TRISs) so that they will always be permitted to automatically revert to a dependant upon the death of the original pensioner. This is designed to address a trap in the current legislation that is causing some administrative difficulties for funds when a TRIS recipient passes away.

TIP: With greater certainty about the payment of TRISs on death, now is a good time for superannuation members to review their estate plans.

ATO releases latest small business benchmarks

The ATO has released its latest small business benchmarks, providing over 100 different industries with average cost of sales and average total expenses.

These benchmarks can not only assist businesses with tax compliance (eg by prompting them to double-check their records if their expenses are outside the benchmark range for their industry), but also provide useful information to help businesses judge their performance against others in the industry.

TIP: You can access the benchmarks online or by using the ATO app. Contact our office if you wish to discuss how your business compares against industry benchmarks.

Capital gains tax withholding: updated information for trustees

The foreign resident capital gains tax (CGT) withholding regime requires purchasers of Australian property to withhold an amount from the purchase price (for remission to the ATO) if the vendor is a foreign resident. This regime is designed to assist the ATO in collecting CGT payable by foreign residents.

If the vendor is an Australian resident, they must provide an ATO-issued clearance certificate to the purchaser on or before the day of settlement to ensure no withholding occurs. The ATO has released some guidance for trusts and superannuation funds about specific information they must provide when applying to the ATO for a clearance certificate. Contact our office for further assistance.

Goods and services tax on low-value imported goods

From 1 July 2018, goods and services tax (GST) will apply to some offshore supplies of goods valued at $1,000 or less that are purchased by consumers and brought into Australia. The new rules are designed to create a more “level playing field” for local retailers.

The ATO has released a ruling covering GST registration issues for suppliers and other technical aspects of the new legislation. Notably, the existing rules about GST on imports valued above $1,000 are unchanged.

Superannuation rates and thresholds for 2018–2019

We summarise some of the key superannuation rates and thresholds for the upcoming financial year:

Contributions

Concessional contributions cap	$25,000
Non-concessional contributions cap	$100,000*
CGT cap amount	$1,480,000
Super guarantee percentage	9.5%
Maximum contribution base (per quarter)	$54,030

* 300,000 for a “bring forward” arrangement

Government co-contributions

Lower income threshold	$37,697
Higher income threshold	$52,697

Superannuation payments

Lump sum low rate cap	$205,000
Untaxed plan cap	$1,480,000
ETP cap amount	$205,000
Genuine redundancy and early retirement payments – tax-free amounts:
·       base amount	$10,399
·       service amount	$5,200

Pension cap

General transfer balance cap	$1,600,000
Defined benefit income cap	$100,000
“Total superannuation balance” threshold	$1,600,000

Super guarantee: ATO compliance approach to non-payment

The ATO has released a fact sheet explaining its compliance approach to employers who fail to meet their superannuation guarantee (SG) obligations.

Broadly, employers are required to make SG contributions of 9.5% of an employee’s ordinary time earnings (provided they have paid the employee at least $450 in a calendar month). Payments are due quarterly. Employers are also liable to make contributions for certain contractors.

The ATO confirms that its compliance approach towards a particular employer will depend on that employer’s compliance history and other circumstances. The ATO will take firm action against any employer who repeatedly fails to pay the correct amount of SG or who does not cooperate with the ATO (eg by failing to provide information or attempting to mislead or obstruct the ATO).

Single Touch Payroll reporting: ATO urges employers to get ready

The ATO is urging employers with 20 or more employees to start preparing now for the Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting regime, which will be mandatory from 1 July 2018.

This reporting change for employers means they will report payments such as salaries, wages, allowances, PAYG withholding and superannuation contributions information to the ATO directly from their payroll solution at the same time they pay their employees. STP reporting starts on 1 July 2018 for employers with 20 or more employees, and is slated to apply from 1 July 2019 for those with 19 or fewer employees.

TIP: Businesses should do a headcount of employees as at 1 April 2018 to check if they have 20 or more. There are rules about which employees to include in the headcount. Contact our office for assistance.

Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this article. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also changes in legislation may occur quickly. We therefore recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas. This article is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.

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by McPhail & Partners

Tax news, views and clues March 2018

Bill to implement housing affordability CGT changes

As part of the 2017–2018 Budget, the Federal Government announced a range of reforms intended to reduce pressure on housing affordability. Legislation has now been introduced into Parliament that proposes to:

• remove the entitlement to the capital gains tax (CGT) main residence exemption for foreign residents; and
• modify the foreign resident CGT regime to clarify that, for the purpose of determining whether an entity’s underlying value is principally derived from taxable Australian real property (TARP), the principal asset test is applied on an “associate inclusive” basis.

The Bill also proposes to amend the tax law to provide an additional discount on CGT for affordable housing. The discount of up to 10% will apply if a CGT event happens to an ownership interest in residential property used to provide affordable housing.

TIP: The main residence exemption means that CGT doesn’t apply for a capital gain or loss that an individual makes from selling their main residence. A CGT discount applies if the dwelling was their main residence for only part of the time they owned it, or they partly used it to produce assessable income.

Changes to small business CGT concessions

Treasury has released draft legislation to make sure that taxpayers will only be able to access the small business CGT concessions for assets that are used (or held ready for use) in the course of a small business or are an interest in a small business.

 

The draft also proposes additional conditions to be satisfied from 1 July 2017 when applying the small business CGT concession for capital gains related to a share in a company or an interest in a trust.

TIP: A range of tax concessions are available for small businesses. Talk to us to find out how your business could benefit.

Bill to change residential property GST arrangements

A Bill has been introduced into Parliament that, when passed, will require purchasers of new residential premises and new subdivisions of potential residential land to pay the goods and services tax (GST) on the purchase directly to the ATO as part of the settlement process from 1 July 2018.

TIP: Under the current law, the supplier of the property (eg the developer) is responsible for paying the GST to the ATO when lodging a business activity statement (BAS). This can happen up to three months after settlement.

The new measure was announced in the 2017–2018 Federal Budget. It is intended to speed up the GST payment process, and to deal with the problem of some developers dissolving their business and setting up a new entity to avoid paying GST (a form of “phoenix” tax avoidance).

Moving to combat the black economy

The Black Economy Taskforce was established in 2017 “to develop an innovative, forward-looking whole-of-government policy response to combat the black economy in Australia, recognising that these issues cannot be tackled by traditional tax enforcement measures alone”. In May 2017 the task force made its initial recommendations, which it based on foreign jurisdiction experiences, consultation with stakeholders and anecdotal evidence it had received.

TIP: The black economy includes people who don’t correctly report and meet their tax obligations and people who operate entirely outside the tax and regulatory system.

The Government accepted a number of the taskforce’s recommendations and has now introduced a Bill into Parliament, proposing to combat the black economy by:

• prohibiting the production, distribution and possession of sales suppression tools, which are typically used to remove or alter transaction information recorded by point-of-sale (POS) systems;
• prohibiting the use of electronic sales suppression tools to incorrectly keep tax records; and
• requiring entities that have an ABN and that provide courier or cleaning services to report to the ATO (from 1 July 2018) information about transactions that involve engaging other entities to undertake those services for them.

Corporate tax avoidance: latest
ATO targets

The ATO has provided an update on its latest focus areas and the compliance projects it is undertaking to reduce corporate tax avoidance. These include:

• investigating possible manipulation of the thin capitalisation rules, including 27 taxpayers’ asset revaluations totalling $78 billion;
• looking into arrangements that move intellectual property assets and rights offshore to multinational entities’ related parties;
• focusing on the treatment of oil and gas industry labour costs associated with high-value asset construction;
• examining the arm’s length conditions operating in pharmaceutical industry arrangements;
• identifying tax professionals and advisers who are promoting unacceptable tax planning; and
• looking at the tax affairs of various major
  e-commerce players.

Social security means testing of lifetime retirement income streams

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has released its proposed means testing rules for pooled lifetime retirement income streams.

The pension standards were amended from 1 July 2017 to allow for more tax-exempt lifetime superannuation income stream products that enable pooling risk to manage longevity risk. Lifetime pensions and annuities that meet these new standards qualify for tax concessions tax treatment.

The DSS proposes to consider the following amounts when assessing such pooled lifetime income streams as part of social security means testing:

• income test: 70% of all income paid from the income stream product; and
• assets test: 70% of the purchase price of the product until the person reaches the age of their life expectancy at the time they made the purchase, and 35% from then on.

TIP: Under the new rules, deferred super income stream products would receive the same asset test assessment as products where payments begin immediately.

ATO now issuing excess transfer balance determinations

The ATO has advised that is now sending out excess transfer balance (ETB) determinations to individuals who have exceeded their superannuation transfer balance cap and not taken steps to remove the excess amount.

TIP: The transfer balance cap, currently set at $1.6 million, is a limit on the total amount of super that can be transferred into retirement phase. You can make multiple transfers as long as the total amount transferred remains below the cap.

Self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) members that had exceeded their transfer balance cap by $100,000 or less on 1 July 2017 had until 31 December 2017 to remove the excess capital from retirement phase. If they didn’t do so, they will now have to remove the excess capital and ETB earnings, and also pay ETB tax.

Windfarm grant was an assessable recoupment

The Full Federal Court has dismissed a taxpayer’s appeal and held that a Commonwealth grant of almost $2.5 million for the establishment of a windfarm was an assessable recoupment (Denmark Community Windfarm Ltd v FCT [2018] FCAFC 11).

In May 2011, the taxpayer was given a renewable energy grant for 50% of the project costs it incurred in constructing two wind turbines. The grant was paid in instalments on the completion of identified project milestones.

The ATO made a private ruling that the grant would be assessable income. The taxpayer argued against the ruling, but the Full Federal Court dismissed the taxpayer’s appeal.

Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this article. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also changes in legislation may occur quickly. We therefore recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas. This article is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.

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by McPhail & Partners

Tax news, views and clues February 2018

ATO guidelines:

Profit allocation within professional firms

The ATO has become aware that its guidelines on Everett assignments and the allocation of profits within professional firms are being misinterpreted for some higher-risk arrangements, including the use of related-party financing and self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs).

The guidelines have been suspended from 14 December 2017 to allow the ATO to consult with stakeholders on replacement guidelines.

Anyone considering new arrangements beginning after the cut-off date should contact the ATO to discuss the arrangement risk profile and the possibility of a private ruling.

Arrangements beginning before the cut-off date that comply with the guidelines and do not exhibit high risk factors shouldn’t require action, but arrangements with high risk factors may be subject to ATO review.

TIP: The ATO encourages anyone who is uncertain about how the law applies to their existing circumstances “to engage with us as soon as possible”.

Housing affordability measures
now law

Legislation has been passed to implement the 2017–2018 Federal Budget housing affordability measures. The following will start on 1 July 2018:

• the First Home Super Saver (FHSS) Scheme, which allows individuals to use specific amounts from their super to buy or construct a first home; and

 

• the option for individuals aged 65+ to make “downsizing” contributions of up to $300,000 to their super from selling a home they have owned for at least 10 years.

TIP: An exemption from meeting the FHSS Scheme “first home” requirement will be available for people suffering financial hardship. “Financial hardship” criteria are likely to include circumstances where someone has limited savings, is currently renting and had a past interest in a home that was in a cheaper real estate market or when the person was in a relationship that has since broken down.

Fringe benefits tax: employees’ private use of vehicles

The ATO has issued guidance for employers on determining an employee’s private use of a vehicle.

Draft Practical Compliance Guideline PCG 2017/D14 should provide more certainty and transparency about the circumstances where the ATO won’t apply compliance resources to investigating whether private vehicle use meets the car-related FBT exemptions.

Eligible employers who rely on this guideline won’t need to keep records to prove that an employee’s private use of a vehicle is minor, infrequent and irregular.

TIP: The guideline includes specific eligibility conditions for employers and their employees’ vehicle use. Talk to us about whether the new guidance applies to your FBT circumstances.

Tax consequences of trust vesting

The ATO has issued a long-awaited ruling on trust vesting, including changing a trust’s vesting date and the CGT and income tax consequences of vesting.

TIP: A trust’s “vesting date” is the day when the beneficiaries’ interests in the trust property become fixed. The trust deed will specify the vesting date and the consequences of that date being reached. Vesting does not, of itself, ordinarily cause the trust to come to an end or cause a new trust to arise. In particular, the underlying trust relationship continues after vesting while the trustee still holds property for the takers.

The key points in the draft ruling are that:

• before vesting, it may be possible to extend the vesting date (by applying to a court or by the trustee exercising a power to nominate a new vesting date);
• it is too late to change the vesting date once it has passed (and the ATO says it is unlikely that a court would agree to do so); and
• continuing to administer a trust in a way that is inconsistent with the vesting terms can have significant CGT and income tax consequences.

Disclosing business tax debt information to credit agencies

The Federal Government has released draft legislation and a draft legislative instrument that, when passed, will authorise the ATO to disclose a business’s tax debt to registered credit reporting bureaus where the business has not effectively engaged with the ATO to manage the debt.

The draft legislation intends to place tax debts on a similar footing as other debts, to encourage timely payment or engagement with the ATO for businesses that want to avoid having their debt information affect their creditworthiness. Disclosure to credit reporting bureaus will only be permitted if the ATO has given the taxpayer at least 21 days’ notice beforehand.

Taxing employee share scheme dividend equivalent payments

The ATO has made a new determination that dividend equivalent payments made under an employee share scheme (ESS) are assessable to an employee as income when they receive the payment for or in connection with services they provide as an employee.

A “dividend equivalent payment” is a cash payment to an employee participant and beneficiary an ESS funded from dividends on which the trustee has been assessed in previous income years because no beneficiary of the trust was entitled to the income at the time.

A trustee that makes a dividend equivalent payment under an ESS must withhold an amount from the payment, even though the trustee is not the employee’s employer.

TIP: The ATO offers a safe harbour from such payments being treated as income under specific circumstances. Get in touch with us to talk about whether your situation makes you eligible.

The new determination applies to dividend equivalent payments paid under the terms and conditions attached to ESS interests granted on or after 1 January 2018.

Superannuation integrity changes

The Government has released a consultation paper and exposure draft legislation to give effect to the following superannuation taxation integrity measures it announced in the 2017–2018 Federal Budget:

• the non-arm’s length income (NALI) rules in s 295-550 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 for related-party superannuation fund transactions will be expanded from 1 July 2018 to also include expenses not incurred that would normally be expected to apply in a commercial arm’s length transaction (eg reduced interest expenses, brokerage, accountancy fees or legal costs); and
• a member’s share of the outstanding balance of a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) will be included in the member’s “total superannuation balance” for new LRBAs entered into on or after 1 July 2018.

The measures are designed to ensure that related-party transactions with super funds and LRBAs can’t be used to circumvent the reduced contribution caps that apply from 1 July 2017. The changes should generally not affect LRBAs entered into with unrelated third parties for commercial rates of interest (and other expenses).

Guidance for SMSFs on transfer balance reporting

The ATO has released further guidance on when SMSFs need to report events affecting their members’ transfer balance accounts (by making a transfer balance account report, or TBAR) for the purposes of the $1.6 million pension cap.

From 1 July 2018, SMSFs that have any members with a total superannuation balance of $1 million or more must report events impacting that member’s transfer balance account within 28 days after the end of the quarter in which the event occurs.

SMSFs where all members have total super balances of less than $1 million can choose to report events which impact their members’ transfer balances at the same time that the fund lodges its annual return.

The guidance also covers reporting requirements for retirement phase income streams and commutations (including commutation authorities).

Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this article. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also changes in legislation may occur quickly. We therefore recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas. This article is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.

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by McPhail & Partners

Matt's views and insights into business success

What does it mean to you to be a Director of McPhail & Partners?

The firm has always held a special place in my heart this is where I started my career back in 2003.  Having spent 8.5 years working with a great group of people and forming close relationships with clients I made the decision to move to London in 2011 which I feel helped me grow both personally and professionally.

When the opportunity arose to re-join the firm upon my return to Australia in 2015 I didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation from Brian and Wayne to come “home” and I’m very proud to be able to help lead the business into the future.

McPhail & Partners has been a successful business for over 70 years.  What value can you add to the business?

I think it is important to offer staff and clients the confidence that comes with continuity.  Having spent over 11 years at the firm I understand our culture and our values which I am determined to uphold.  However we also need to grow and adapt as the world around us changes so with the experience I gained overseas I think I bring fresh thinking to the management of our business which can help us to be successful for many more years to come.

For a business to evolve and succeed it needs to be able to move with the times and remain relevant to clients, how will you ensure this continues to happen in the coming years?

It is important that we embrace technology and find new and better ways to collaborate with our clients.  However, we also understand in this digital world that the security around our personal information is critical.

The introduction of our secure online client portal has been a great addition to our firm and it allows us to interact securely and in real time with our clients.  We are looking at further developing this tool and providing more content over the coming year.

What type of work do you enjoy doing and do you have any specific skills that clients may not be aware of?

Personally, I get great enjoyment from assisting and educating clients that are just starting out in business or investing.  Whether it is advising on the most appropriate structure, assisting with establishing their accounting systems or explaining the taxation implications of their decisions, I find it very satisfying to be able to help them get on the right path.

I also enjoy working within the Superannuation space where I am a Limited Authorised Representative of Merit Wealth Pty Ltd.  This allows me to speak with clients about their Superannuation and the appropriateness of using Self-Managed Superannuation Funds.

The world of accounting has changed a lot over the years; what has been the biggest change you have seen and how would you summarise the way in which you can add value to businesses and professionals?

Certainly, the biggest change I have witnessed has been the introduction of Cloud Accounting.  With bank data feeds and the ability of these systems to learn from past transactions, we have seen an increase in the accuracy of the financial data we receive and greater efficiency in completing compliance work.  This allows us as Accountants to move away from a historical or retrospective approach and spend more time with our clients dealing with what is happening here and now.

What immediate changes to do see over the next twelve months?

I think the next 12 months will be relatively quiet in the tax space as the dust settles from the major shake-up to the Superannuation laws that took effect on 1^st July 2017.  I suspect we will see an increase in the ATO’s compliance activities as they look to strengthen the integrity of the system and ensure the industry has applied the new rules correctly.  This was part of the reason we took the initiative to offer the Audit Shield policy to all clients back in October.

From a personal perspective, the biggest change for me and my family will be the arrival of our 2^nd child in June 2018.

McPhail & Partners has built an enviable reputation over the years with many long-standing clients. However, for a business to grow it needs new clients, what types of businesses and professionals can benefit from using your services?

We take great pride in forming long-term relationships with our clients as we assist them through all the stages of their work/business lives. We are always happy to welcome new clients to the firm and we find the best way to attract new clients is via a referral from an existing client or business partner.

Whether it is tax, audit or business advisory services I feel we have the capabilities in our team to help clients from all walks of life regardless of what industry they operate in.

 

 

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by McPhail & Partners

Tax news views and clues December 2017

Consultation paper: combating phoenix activities

The Federal Government has released a consultation paper proposing company and tax law reforms to combat phoenix activities.

Phoenix activities involve stripping assets from a company that’s in debt and transferring them to another company to avoid paying the first company’s liabilities – that is, the new company “rises from the ashes” of the old one.

The government is considering a range of ways to combat this type of activity, including setting up a hotline for phoenix reporting, adding phoenixing to the offences specifically prohibited under the Corporations Act 2001, making directors personally liable for companies’ unpaid GST, and limiting the ability for sole directors to resign unless there is a replacement director or the company is wound up.

New passive income test for lower corporate tax rate

The Federal Government has recently introduced a Bill into Parliament to ensure that companies with more than 80% passive income will not qualify for the reduced company tax rate.

Under the Bill’s changes to the Income Tax Rates Act 1986, calculations of a business’s “passive income” would include:

• distributions by corporate tax entities (other than non-portfolio dividends);
• franking credits attached to such distributions;
• non-share dividends;
• interest;
• royalties;
• rent;
• gain on qualifying securities;
• net capital gains; and
• amounts included in the assessable income of partners in a partnership or beneficiaries of a trust estate that are referable to another base rate entity passive income amount.

At the time of writing, the Bill is still before the Parliament. When passed, it will apply from the 2017–2018 income year.

The lower company tax rate of 27.5% is available in 2017–2018 for small businesses and corporate base rate entities with turnover of less than $25 million.

tip: You must also “carry on a business” to be eligible for the lower corporate tax rate – read on to find out more about what this means for companies.

ATO guidance: what is “carrying on a business”?

The ATO has issued a draft taxation ruling to explain the factors it will consider when deciding whether a company (incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001) is “carrying on a business”. This is one of the tests companies and small businesses must pass to be eligible for the lower corporate tax rate.

It’s not possible to definitively state whether a company carries on a business, but the draft ruling says that ATO will consider a range of indicating factors. Specifically, a company is likely to be carrying on a business if it:

• is established and maintained to make a profit for its shareholders; and
• invests its assets in gainful activities that have both a purpose and prospect of profit.

tip: Wondering whether you can access the reduced corporate tax rate? Talk to us today to find out more about how the passive income and carrying on a business tests apply to your situation.

Total superannuation balances and pension transfer balance account reports

The concept of a person’s “total superannuation balance” is now being used to determine whether you are eligible for various super concessions, including the $1.6 million balance limit for non-concessional contributions, Federal Government co-contributions, the spouse contributions tax offset, carrying forward unused concessional contributions and self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) segregation.

The ATO has recently agreed to modify the reporting obligation for total superannuation balances, recognising that some funds are not in a position to correctly report their correct accumulation phase value for 30 June 2017.

The ATO has also set out when superannuation providers and life insurance companies must lodge transfer balance account reports. The ATO will use the reports to determine if individuals have exceeded their pension transfer balance cap.

An administrative concession will be provided for self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), allowing later reporting to help the funds transition to event-based transfer balance cap reporting.

tip: Super shouldn’t be a “set and forget” arrangement. It’s important to revisit your strategy and consider it carefully, especially in light of the wide range of super changes announced in this year’s Federal Budget.

Fringe benefits tax: should an Uber be treated as a taxi?

Earlier in 2017, the Federal Court ruled that UberX drivers must be registered for GST, because they supply “taxi travel”. There has been much discussion of this finding since, and the ATO is now examining whether Uber trips should be eligible for the “taxi travel” FBT exemption.

The FBT exemption, introduced in 1995, currently only applies to travel in a vehicle that is state or territory licensed to operate as a taxi. However, with the Federal Court’s decision on GST for Uber, and some recent state and territory moves towards licensing changes, the ATO has decided to review its interpretation of the definition of “taxi” in the FBT law.

tip: Any benefit arising from taxi travel by an employee is exempt from FBT if the travel is a single trip that begins or ends at the employee’s workplace.

In a discussion paper open for comment until late October, the ATO has asked questions such as, “Should the FBT definition of ‘taxi’ be interpreted to include not just vehicles licensed to provide taxi services … [but also] ride-sourcing vehicles and other vehicles for hire?”

tip: Any benefit arising from an employee’s taxi travel is also exempt from FBT if the travel is a result of the employee’s sickness or injury and the journey is between the employee’s workplace, residence and/or another place appropriate because of the sickness or injury.

Tax treatment of long-term construction contracts

In new Draft Taxation Ruling TR 2017/D8, the ATO explains the methods that taxpayers can use to return income derived and recognise expenses incurred in long-term construction projects. A construction project is considered long-term if it straddles two or more income years.

Two methods of accounting are available: the basic approach (essentially the accruals method) and the estimated profits approach.

Once a particular method is chosen, the ATO expects the taxpayer to apply it consistently for the entire contract. The same method should also be applied to all of the taxpayer’s similar contracts.

The draft ruling also deals with several accounting methods that the ATO does not consider acceptable for long-term construction contracts, including the completed contracts method (bringing profits and losses to account when the contract is completed).

Foreign equity distributions to corporate entities

Two recent taxation determinations from the ATO deal with how the foreign equity distribution rules in the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 apply where the distribution recipient is a corporate partner in a partnership or a corporate beneficiary of a trust.

Under the rules, a foreign equity distribution is treated as non-assessable, non-exempt income if the recipient is an Australian corporate tax entity that holds a participation interest of at least 10% in the foreign company making the distribution.

The ATO’s view is that a partnership or trust can hold a direct control interest in a foreign company for the purposes of the rules, so that an Australian corporate tax entity can have an indirect participation interest in the foreign company via the partnership or trust.

Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this article. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also changes in legislation may occur quickly. We therefore recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of the areas. This article is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.

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by McPhail & Partners