ALERT: Tax treatment of JobKeeper Payments
Broadly, JobKeeper Payments received by an employer are assessable income to the employer.
Likewise, the payments an employer subsequently makes to an employee that are funded (in whole or in part by the JobKeeper Payment) are generally allowable deductions to the employer.
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Special COVID-19 Superannuation Condition of Release Extended
Regulations that extend the time frame of the special condition of release to access $10,000 from superannuation for individuals experiencing financial difficulties due to COVID-19 have been formally registered.
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ALERT: JobKeeper 2.0 - tweaks to the 'Decline in Turnover' Tests
On 21 July 2020, the Government announced that the JobKeeper Payment (‘JKP’) would be extended until 28 March 2021 (i.e., for a further six months beyond its original end date of 27 September 2020).
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NEWS: Superannuation guarantee rate increase update
Recently, arguments both for and against increasing the rate of compulsory superannuation guarantee ('SG') have continued to be tossed around!
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ALERT: Businesses now able to claim JobKeeper for new employees
A legislative instrument was registered on 14 August 2020 amending the JobKeeper rules to allow businesses to claim the subsidy in respect of new employees. The changes apply to JobKeeper fortnights beginning on or after 3 August 2020.
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ALERT: 80 cents per hour 'shortcut' method for home office expenses has been extended
Back in April 2020 the ATO announced that a 'shortcut' method was to be made available to use from 1 March 2020 until 30 June 2020 for individuals claiming home office expenses due to COVID-19. The ATO has recently announced an extension of this shortcut method to also include 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020.
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NEWS: Extension of the JobKeeper Payment
Sadly, many Australian businesses are a long way from trending back to 'normal' as we approach 27 September 2020, the original date that JobKeeper was set to end. Thankfully the government has announced an extension of the JobKeeper Payment, with additional turnover qualifications.
The JobKeeper Payment, which was originally due to run until 27 September 2020, will now continue to be available to eligible businesses (including the self-employed) and not-for-profits until 28 March 2021.
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NEWS: Treasury Laws Amendment (2019 Measures No 3) Bill 2019
Treasury Laws Amendment (2019 Measures No 3) Bill 2019 has passed both Houses of Parliament and is now law.
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ALERT: COVID-19 and Division 7A relief
The ATO has announced some limited relief for private companies that have loans to their shareholders or related parties that are governed by what are referred to as “complying loan agreements”.
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ALERT: Regulations confirm no SG obligation on JobKeeper payments where work is not performed
The federal government has registered the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment (Jobkeeper) Payment Regulations 2020.
These regulations ensure that amounts of salary or wages that do not relate to the performance of work and are only paid to an employee to satisfy the wage condition for getting the JobKeeper payment are prescribed by the Regulations as excluded salary or wages.
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ALERT: Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No 3) Bill 2020
Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No 3) Bill 2020 has passed both Houses of Parliament and is now law.
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ALERT: What’s changing on 1 July?
Interesting Tax changes changing on 1 July 2020:
· Company tax rate reduces to 26% for base rate entities
· $150k instant asset write-off scheduled to reduce back to $1,000 for small business entities and will no longer be available for entities with aggregated annual turnover of $10m or more, although accelerated depreciation rules apply to certain entities until 30 June 2021
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UPDATE: Have casual workers been granted annual leave?
News headlines recently stated that casual workers have won the right to paid leave following a decision in the Federal Court. As usual, the devil is in the detail.
At present, there is no global change granting Australian casual workers paid leave. The case however, highlights the long running problem of determining over time, who is a permanent staff member and entitled to paid leave and other benefits, and who is a casual worker entitled to a casual loading.
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ALERT: The ATO’s JobKeeper audit targets
“…while it is all very well to talk of 'turning points', one can surely only recognise such moments in retrospect.” Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
The JobKeeper subsidy has progressed beyond the rush for eligibility and entered its second phase: compliance. Late last month, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) released guidance highlighting where the regulator will focus its compliance resources.
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UPDATE: ATO reminder about salary packaged super
The ATO has provided employers with a recent reminder that, from 1 January 2020, there has been a legislative change to ensure that when an employee sacrifices pre-tax salary in return for an additional concessional contribution into superannuation, it will not result in a reduction in the 9.5% Superannuation Guarantee (‘SG’) obligation their employer has even though doing so reduced their Ordinary Time Earnings.
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SMSFs may be able to offer rental relief to related party tenants
As a result of the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, some self-managed superannuation funds (‘SMSFs’) which own real property may want to give a tenant – who is a related party – a reduction in rent because the related party tenant has had a collapse in revenue.
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Announcement: Rebranding Project
In addition to our recent relocation we are very excited to unveil a new trading name and brand identity for our business.
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New Small Business Workshops Released (and free until 30/06/2020!)
“Accumulate is a consulting firm located in Perth, Western Australia that provides a range of successful businesses with strategic business advice, accounting and taxation services. Read on to learn about our small business workshops.”
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NEWS: Court confirms ATO's position on foreign income tax offsets
“The ATO has welcomed the decision of the High Court to basically uphold the decision of the Full Federal Court in a case which the ATO won, in relation to foreign income tax offsets ('FITO')…”
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