Tax & Structuring

SCENARIO: I run a small business that requires me to travel quite a lot, particularly to country areas where I will often stay overnight. To save on accommodation costs, I have purchased a caravan. I have a business logo on the side of the caravan that is on display when I attend town shows and [...]

Early last month, the ATO issued a reminder about auditors. If you have an SMSF, you need to appoint an approved SMSF auditor for each income year, no later than 45 days before you need to lodge your SMSF annual return (SAR). Your SMSF's audit must be finalised before you lodge, as you'll need some information from the audit [...]

Sometimes promoters of schemes target self-managed super funds (SMSFs). Schemes can include tax avoidance arrangements that inappropriately channel money or assets into your SMSF so you pay less tax. They may also include arrangements promoting the illegal early release of benefits from your fund for personal use. To assist you with identifying schemes that may [...]

There is no specific provision in the income tax legislation that allows a deduction for self-education expenses. Rather the expenditure falls for consideration under the general deductibility provision of the Tax Act. In broad terms, this allows for, but also limits, deductible expenses to those incurred in the course of earning assessable income. This requires [...]

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SMSF trustees with limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) are now feeling the impact of 10 interest rate rises since May 2022 in one hit, from July 2023. SMSF trustees relying on the ATO’s safe harbor terms to ensure that an LRBA remains, at all times, at arm’s length will face an increase in monthly repayments [...]