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The ATO has released new guidance to help clarify the tax treatment of costs and allowances incurred when an employee travels – or spends time living away from home – for work. Certain conditions need to be met to ensure an allowance can be considered a travel allowance: None of the individual absences from the [...]

Many businesses and organisations offer their customers loyalty award-based incentive programs. They are designed to reward customers for purchasing or using a company’s goods and services (or sometimes affiliated businesses). The ATO deems that flight rewards received under consumer loyalty programs are generally not taxable. However, it also notes that FBT may apply where: the [...]

The purpose of a trust is to separate the legal and beneficial ownership of assets. The legal ownership of the asset rests with the trustee. The beneficiaries benefit from the income that flows from the assets. A trust is not a legal entity. It is best described as a legal “relationship” that is controlled by [...]

As you can see by the diagram below, the ‘family group’ is dependent on the choice of the ‘test individual’. Once that person is chosen, the family group includes the person’s spouse, plus any of their children, grandchildren, parents, grand- parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, or nieces. The spouses of any of these people are also [...]

Rental property investors can claim capital works deductions for construction costs for a rental property, however there are limits imposed in relation to the dates such works were completed. The deductions are only available on residential properties if these were built after 17 July 1985. Generally, up to 15 September 1987 the rate is 4% [...]

Recent legislative reforms to the superannuation arena are set to change the retirement savings landscape for many Australians. The Federal Government says the Your Future, Your Super reforms will help ensure superannuation works in the best financial interests of all Australians by removing unnecessary waste, increasing accountability and transparency, and providing more flexibility for families [...]