Imported services and GST

Under the new law introduced on 1 July 2017, Australian GST registered businesses that import services or digital products for business purposes do not have to pay GST. These businesses will need to supply their Australian business number (ABN) and a statement that they are registered for GST to the supplier at the time of…

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Ride sourcing – Claiming car expenses

Those who participate in ride-sourcing (i.e., Uber, GoCatch) as a driver can access a number of tax deductions come tax time. You may be able to claim expenses such as: – Parking fees – Road tolls – Mobile phone costs – Fees or commissions charged the facilitator – Other expenses – to the extent that…

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Sharing economy and tax

The ATO is reminding those who work in the sharing economy to be aware of their tax obligations. The sharing economy connects buyers (users) and sellers (providers) through a facilitator who usually operates an app or a website. Some popular examples include Airbnb, Stayz, Uber, Deliveroo, Airtasker and so on. Different rules apply, depending on…

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Single Touch Payroll for streamlined reporting

From 1 July 2018, employers with 20 or more employees will report payments to the Australian Taxation Office at the same time as they pay their employees, using the Single Touch Payroll reporting system. This reporting system will keep track of payments such as: Salary and wages Super contributions Deductions, e.g. workplace giving Pay as…

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Claiming the small business income tax offset

The small business income tax offset can help reduce the tax small businesses pay on business income by up to $1,000. This offset is available from the 2015-16 income year onwards. Small businesses with an aggregated turnover less than $5 million can access the concession from the 2016-17 income year. Business income derived by another…

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Have you received personal services income?

Personal services income (PSI) is income mainly produced from your personal skills or efforts. There are special tax rules that apply if your income is classified as PSI. Almost any trade, industry or profession can receive PSI. The most common are financial professionals, IT consultants, engineers, construction workers and medical practitioners. PSI does not affect…

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Tax penalty remissions

The Australian Taxation Office distributes penalties to ensure individuals are not making misleading or false statements regarding income, business and wealth matters. Studies indicate there is over $5.5 billion lost every year through tax avoidance in Australia, a massive amount of money. One of the reasons these penalties exist is to ensure taxpayers take more…

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Fuel tax credits – rate change

On 1 August 2017, fuel tax credit rates increased. Some of these rates also changed on 1 July 2017, due to a change in the road user charge and an annual increase to excise duty rates on biofuels. Fuel tax credit rates change regularly – they are indexed twice a year, in February and August,…

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