Recovering from a natural disaster: what you need to know about tax

As Australia experiences another summer of unpredictable weather patterns, it’s essential to be prepared for the unexpected – natural disasters like fires, floods, earthquakes and cyclones can turn your world upside down. While you’re focused on rebuilding and recovery, tax may be the last thing on your mind, but understanding the implications of assistance payments and insurance payouts can help you make informed decisions.

When you receive an insurance payout after a disaster, whether it’s taxable depends on the type of asset involved:

• Your home: If the insurance payout is for your main residence, it’s generally not taxable.
• Personal assets: Payouts for personal items like household goods, furniture and private vehicles are generally not taxable.
• Rental properties and income-producing assets: If the insurance payout relates to a property used to produce income, it may have tax implications. For instance, if part of your home was used for a business, such as a home office, the insurance payout might affect your capital gains tax (CGT) calculations.
• High-value personal assets and collectables: Special rules apply to personal assets over $10,000 and collectables over $500. If the payout exceeds the original cost, it might be taxable.
• Business assets: For business owners, insurance payouts for damaged or destroyed business assets (like equipment or inventory) are usually taxable and need to be reported as income.

If you’re planning to repair or rebuild your home, or if you decide to sell your property after a disaster, here’s what you need to know:

• Main residence CGT exemption: If you rebuild your home, move back in as soon as practicable and live there for at least three months before selling, the property can remain exempt from CGT. This exemption also applies if you sell the land without rebuilding, provided the destroyed property was your main residence before the disaster.
• Engaging contractors: It’s important to ensure that any builders or contractors you hire are licensed and genuine. Check their Australian Business Number (ABN) and request written quotes and contracts to protect your rights.

The Australian and state and territory governments offer various disaster assistance payments, such as the Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA), which provide temporary income support to those affected by disasters. These payments are generally not taxable, but it’s important to understand the relevant eligibility criteria and application processes, and check with the specific agency providing the assistance or with your tax professional to confirm the tax status of any payments you receive.

Changes coming for buy now pay later services

If you’re one of the millions of Australians who use buy now pay later (BNPL) services, important changes are coming that will give you stronger consumer protections from 10 June 2025. BNPL services will soon be regulated more like traditional credit products such as credit cards. Previously, BNPL services weren’t regulated under the National Consumer Credit Act, leaving a gap in consumer protection. But, under new laws passed in late 2024, all BNPL providers will need to hold an Australian credit licence and comply with consumer protection requirements.

This means your BNPL provider will need to:

• hold a credit licence or have applied for one by 10 June 2025;
• be a member of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA);
• follow responsible lending practices; and
• meet other consumer protection requirements.

The new framework recognises that BNPL services are generally lower-risk than traditional credit products. Most BNPL arrangements will be regulated as “low cost credit contracts”, with modified requirements that balance consumer protection with the unique features of BNPL services.

From 10 June 2025, you can verify if your BNPL provider is properly licensed using the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC’s) Professional Registers Search.

These reforms aim to strike a balance between protecting consumers and maintaining the innovation and competition that BNPL services bring to the credit market. Stay informed about these changes to make the most of your BNPL services while keeping your finances healthy.

ATO launches its small business focus areas for 2025

Understanding the ATO’s focus areas for 2025 is essential to ensuring your business remains compliant and successful. The ATO has outlined specific areas of concern to help you avoid common pitfalls and manage your tax obligations effectively.

Business income is not personal income

It’s important to understand that your business’s money and assets are not your personal funds. This distinction is vital for maintaining accurate financial records and avoiding penalties. The ATO is particularly vigilant about businesses using company funds for personal expenses without proper documentation. Familiarise yourself with Division 7A rules to prevent common errors, such as failing to declare interest on loans or not meeting repayment deadlines.

Deductions and concessions

Claiming deductions and concessions accurately is another key focus. The ATO sees frequent errors in the application of small business CGT concessions and non-commercial business losses. Ensure you’re eligible for any concessions you claim and that all criteria are met. Misreporting can lead to amended assessments, repayments and potential penalties.

Operating within the system

The ATO is committed to ensuring all businesses operate within the legal tax framework. Risky behaviours such as not declaring all income, over-claiming expenses or using business funds for personal gain are under scrutiny. Poor record-keeping and cash flow management can also attract attention. The ATO encourages businesses to develop strong compliance habits from the outset to avoid these pitfalls.

If the ATO identifies issues within your business, they may contact you or your tax professional for clarification. Depending on the severity, this could involve pre-issue contacts, direct communication or moving your business to more frequent reporting periods. In cases of deliberate noncompliance, firmer actions such as audits, penalties and even legal sanctions may be applied.

ATO warns about GST refund fraud: check your arrangements

The ATO-led Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT) has issued a warning to businesses against trying to cheat the tax and super system by committing GST fraud. While seeking ways to optimise your tax position is legitimate, it’s important to steer clear of arrangements that could lead you into fraudulent territory. The recent warning highlights the dangers of related-party structuring arrangements that exploit GST rules, noting that getting caught can result in significant penalties.

The schemes of concern involve complex arrangements between related parties, creating artificial transactions to claim high-value GST refunds. This can include false invoicing, misaligned GST accounting methods and duplicating GST credit claims for non-existent transactions.

While some business owners may unknowingly get involved in these practices, believing them to be legitimate tax strategies, the reality is that these arrangements are fraudulent. The SFCT is actively working to identify and prosecute those involved in such schemes.

The ATO has issued several reminders to help businesses avoid involvement in fraudulent activities:

• Registering for an Australian Business Number (ABN) and applying for GST refunds when you’re ineligible is fraud.
• The ATO does not offer loans or administer COVID disaster payments.
• If you’re not operating a business, you don’t need an ABN or to lodge a business activity statement (BAS).
• Backdating business registrations to apply for refunds is a red flag.
• False declarations can affect eligibility for other government payments.
• Sharing your myGov credentials can lead to identity theft.

If you suspect you’ve unintentionally become involved in a GST fraud scheme, it’s vital to act swiftly. The ATO encourages voluntary disclosures, which can lead to reduced penalties. Corrective actions include revising activity statements, cancelling fraudulent ABN registrations and setting up repayment arrangements.

How tax works in Australia’s superannuation system

Australia’s super system plays a vital role in ensuring financial security for individuals in retirement. However, how superannuation is taxed can appear complex.

In Australia, superannuation is taxed at three main points: contributions, investment earnings and withdrawals. This structure is known as a TTE (taxed, taxed, exempt) system: contributions to the superannuation fund are taxed and the investment earnings within the fund are also taxed, but withdrawals made during retirement are generally exempt from tax. That is, in Australia’s system:

• Contributions, including those made by employers under the super guarantee (SG) and voluntary concessional contributions, are taxed at a concessional rate of 15%. This is lower than the rates that apply to most other forms of income, providing a tax advantage.
• Earnings generated from fund investments during the accumulation phase are also taxed at a flat rate of 15%. This is beneficial because it’s lower than the tax rates that typically apply to investment income earned outside of superannuation.
• Withdrawals made during retirement are generally tax-free. This is intended to enhance the appeal of building super savings over your working life, ensuring you have a tax-effective income stream in retirement.

Australia’s approach to taxing superannuation is somewhat unique compared to many other countries, which often use an EET (exempt, exempt, taxed) model: contributions to the retirement fund are exempt from tax and the earnings within the fund are also exempt, but withdrawals made during retirement are taxed.

Taxing only at the point of withdrawal, as in an EET system, means individuals don’t need to worry about tax on contributions or on investment earnings within their super fund during their working life, but must pay the tax once they retire and access their savings.

The Australian model was designed to generate government revenue sooner, with the concessional tax rates on superannuation contributions and earnings intended to encourage people to save consistently throughout their working life. The steady flow of tax revenue from contributions and earnings helps provide a more predictable and stable source of funding for government budgets over time. Australia’s TTE system also offers benefits from immediate tax concessions on your super contributions, which can reduce your current taxable income and provide immediate financial relief.

The tax-free status of withdrawals in retirement makes Australian super an attractive savings vehicle and simplifies financial planning in retirement. This can make it easier for retirees to manage their finances without worrying about tax liabilities on their retirement income.

Super legacy pensions: regulations offer window to exit

For legacy lifetime, life expectancy and market-linked superannuation income stream products that generally commenced prior to 20 September 2007, the shackles have finally been released but care is still required.

Regulations that came into effect on 7 December 2024 allow thousands of self managed super fund (SMSF) members to exit legacy income streams at any stage until 7 December 2029.

Before the introduction of the amending regulations, these legacy products – also known as non-commutable products – couldn’t be converted to a lump sum, effectively trapping pensioners in their SMSF.

Legacy products were originally introduced to offer retirees a guaranteed income for life or for a set term. This was good in some ways, but very restrictive strategically as the products could not respond to changing individual circumstances, market conditions and other legislative reforms.

During the five-year grace period that the amending regulations offer, retirees can exit these income streams without the previous heavy penalties and with the options of fully withdrawing their funds or moving them into a new income stream or an accumulation account.

There is further good news: the new reserve rules last indefinitely – not just for five years. However, it may be prudent to not to jump in yet if a person’s legacy pension was established for social security purposes. A new legislative instrument will ensure these pensions receive the proper treatment under the social security law.

If a person has already made some reserve allocations in 2024–2025 under the “old” rules, both the old and new rules will actually apply this year depending on when they made the allocation. But it’s important not to assume everything allocated in 2024–2025 is covered under the new rules!

Note also that SMSF members with a legacy pension may need to give the amending regulations consideration ahead of the proposed Division 296 rules from 1 July 2025. This is because Division 296 may count certain reserve allocations as part of the member’s superannuation earnings under the proposed additional 15% tax for super account balances above $3 million.

Do you rent out your holiday home?

If you own a holiday home you might rent it out at times when you’re not using it yourself. Remember, you should seek professional advice if you have any concerns.

If your holiday home is rented out, the rental income you receive is taxable. You can claim expenses for the property to the extent they’re incurred in earning that rental income.

Your expenses will have to be apportioned if:

• your property is genuinely available for rent for only part of the year;
• you used the property yourself for part of the year;
• only part of your property is used to earn rent; or
• you charge less than market rent to family or friends to use the property.

Expenses that relate solely to the renting of your property don’t have to be apportioned.

On the other hand, no deduction can be claimed for expenses that relate solely to periods when the property isn’t genuinely available for rent, is used for a private purpose or relates to the part of the property that isn’t rented out. For example, the cost of cleaning your holiday home after you, your family or friends have used the property for a holiday or a repair for damage you caused while staying there wouldn’t be deductible expenses because they relate to your private use.

Expenses may be deductible for periods when the property isn’t rented out, but only if the property is genuinely available for rent.

Is your business BAS-ready?

Now is a great time to make sure your business is ready to meet upcoming business activity statement (BAS) due dates. The BAS applies if you run a business that’s registered for GST. You’ll need to report and pay using a monthly or quarterly BAS, and may report and pay GST annually, depending on your business turnover and other circumstances.

When you register for an Australian business number (ABN) and GST, the ATO will automatically send you a BAS when it’s time to lodge. This will help you report and pay your business’s GST, pay as you go (PAYG) instalments, PAYG withholding tax and other taxes and credits.

You can lodge your own BAS online using ATO Online Services (which may make you eligible for extra time to lodge), or directly from some business and accounting software. Payment is generally due by the same date as lodgment. Alternatively, you can have your registered tax agent or BAS agent lodge and handle payments on your behalf, which can also mean you get extra time to lodge.

To make your BAS as stress-free as possible, it’s important to:

• keep records of all sales, fees, expenses, wages and other business costs;
• keep appropriate records, such as stocktake records and logbooks to substantiate motor vehicle claims;
• reconcile sales with bank statements;
• use the correct GST accounting method; and
• keep all your tax invoices and other GST records for five years.

Finally, remember that you (or your agent) always need to lodge a BAS by its due date, even if your business has nothing to report for the period. You can lodge a “nil” BAS online or by phoning the ATO’s automated reporting service.

ATO data-matching: “lifestyle” assets and your business

The ATO has announced or extended a number of data-matching programs recently, including the lifestyle asset data-matching program. Data will be acquired from insurance providers for 2023–2024 to 2025–2026 for specified classes of asset where the asset value is equal to or exceeds nominated thresholds.

The assets and thresholds covered are:

• caravans/motorhomes: $65,000;
• motor vehicles including cars, trucks and motorcycles: $65,000;
• thoroughbred horses: $65,000;
• fine art: $100,000 per item;
• marine vessels: $100,000; and
• aircraft: $150,000.

Some of the tax risks relevant to businesses that the ATO is keen to address are the:

• omission or incorrect reporting of income and/or capital gain;
• incorrect claiming of GST credits;
• omitted or incorrect reporting of FBT; and
• use of assets by self-managed super funds (SMSFs) in breach of the law.

The ATO estimates that between 650,000 and 800,000 policy records will be obtained each year, with 250,000 to 350,000 matched records relating to individuals.

Superannuation on paid parental leave from 1 July 2025

In March 2024, the government announced its intention to commence paying superannuation on government paid parental leave (PPL) payments from 1 July 2025. The related law has now been passed.

New parents eligible for the PPL scheme with children born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025 will receive the paid parental leave superannuation contribution (PPLSC). This will be paid as a lump sum superannuation payment following the end of each financial year when the parents received PPL.

Recipients of PPL won’t be required to make a claim –the ATO will calculate the PPLSC based on information from Services Australia about their payments, and the contribution will be automatically deposited into their nominated superannuation fund.

The PPL scheme has also been legislated to expand over time. From 1 July 2024, eligible individuals and families receive two additional weeks of leave, amounting to 22 weeks in total. This increases to 24 weeks from 1 July 2025, and to 26 weeks from 1 July 2026. By 2026, a total of four weeks will be reserved for each parent on a “use it or lose it” basis, to encourage the sharing of care responsibilities. In addition, the number of PPL weeks a family can utilise at the same time increases to four weeks from 1 July 2025, up from the current two weeks.

Salary sacrifice and your super

Salary sacrificing to make additional contributions to your super fund can help grow your super balance for a better financial position at retirement. Before making an arrangement, you should explore the potential benefits and your financial goals to ensure it’s the right fit for your circumstances.

Salary sacrificing is an agreement with your employer for you to receive less income before tax in return for benefits of a similar value paid for by your employer. Depending on the industry you work in, benefits could include car or mortgage payments; tools or protective clothing; or super contributions.

Most employers offer salary sacrifice to super for their employees, meaning you could choose to have part of your pre-tax income paid into your super fund in addition to your super guarantee (SG) entitlement (11.5% for 2024–2025). Super contributions made by salary sacrifice are concessional contributions, taxed at 15% instead of at your marginal income tax rate.

Potential benefits

• Your employer will set up and automatically send the contributions to your super fund.
• Regular additional payments, especially if you start early, will accelerate the growth of your super balance and make a big difference at retirement.
• Lower taxable income may help you pay less tax, stay in a lower tax bracket, reduce the Medicare Levy or qualify you for certain concessions.
• Up to $50,000 of salary sacrifice contributions are eligible to be accessed through the First Home Super Saver Scheme.
• Salary sacrificing to super will not reduce the amount of SG contributions your employer provides.

Points to consider

• Less take-home pay may be challenging if you have a tight budget or immediate financial needs like a mortgage.
• If you aren’t using the funds to purchase your first home, you generally won’t be able to access any of the money added to your super fund until you reach 65 or you retire after age 60, so you will need enough funds outside of super to cope with emergencies or other shorter-term financial issues.
• The amount of “concessional” contributions you can add to your super each year is capped ($30,000 for 2024–2025): if you go above the cap, contributions will be taxed at your marginal tax rate (less a 15% tax offset). Concessional contributions include SG and salary sacrifice contributions, as well as contributions you claim a tax deduction for.
• You won’t be able to claim a tax deduction on salary sacrificed super contributions, as you won’t have paid income tax on them.
• If you earn under $45,000 a year, salary sacrificing into super might not be as beneficial due to your lower income tax rate.

Exploring compassionate early release of super

Superannuation is designed to provide for your retirement, but there are limited circumstances where you can access your super early on compassionate grounds. These provisions are in place to help meet urgent expenses for you or your dependants when other options have been exhausted.

The ATO oversees applications for the compassionate release of superannuation. It’s important to understand the specific situations that may qualify and the process involved.

Compassionate grounds cover a range of circumstances, including:

• preventing foreclosure or forced sale of your home;
• medical treatment for you or your dependants;
• medical transport for you or your dependants;
• modifying your home or vehicle to accommodate special needs arising from severe disability;
• palliative care for terminal illness; and
• death, funeral or burial expenses for your dependants.

Generally, applications need to be for unpaid expenses – you can’t claim for costs you’ve already covered. The amount released from your super must be a single lump sum, not exceeding what’s reasonably required.

Before applying to the ATO, it’s crucial to contact your super fund. The fund can confirm if it’ll release your super early on compassionate grounds, check if you have sufficient funds (including for tax withholding), advise on any fees and explain potential impacts on your insurance.

Remember, accessing your super early should be a last resort. It’s your future financial security at stake. However, when faced with genuine hardship, it’s reassuring to know that this option exists to help through difficult times.

Do you rent out your holiday home?

If you own a holiday home you might rent it out at times when you’re not using it yourself. Remember, you should seek professional advice if you have any concerns.

If your holiday home is rented out, the rental income you receive is taxable. You can claim expenses for the property to the extent they’re incurred in earning that rental income.

Your expenses will have to be apportioned if:

• your property is genuinely available for rent for only part of the year;
• you used the property yourself for part of the year;
• only part of your property is used to earn rent; or
• you charge less than market rent to family or friends to use the property.

Expenses that relate solely to the renting of your property don’t have to be apportioned.

On the other hand, no deduction can be claimed for expenses that relate solely to periods when the property isn’t genuinely available for rent, is used for a private purpose or relates to the part of the property that isn’t rented out. For example, the cost of cleaning your holiday home after you, your family or friends have used the property for a holiday or a repair for damage you caused while staying there wouldn’t be deductible expenses because they relate to your private use.

Expenses may be deductible for periods when the property isn’t rented out, but only if the property is genuinely available for rent.

Is your business BAS-ready?

Now is a great time to make sure your business is ready to meet upcoming business activity statement (BAS) due dates. The BAS applies if you run a business that’s registered for GST. You’ll need to report and pay using a monthly or quarterly BAS, and may report and pay GST annually, depending on your business turnover and other circumstances.

When you register for an Australian business number (ABN) and GST, the ATO will automatically send you a BAS when it’s time to lodge. This will help you report and pay your business’s GST, pay as you go (PAYG) instalments, PAYG withholding tax and other taxes and credits.

You can lodge your own BAS online using ATO Online Services (which may make you eligible for extra time to lodge), or directly from some business and accounting software. Payment is generally due by the same date as lodgment. Alternatively, you can have your registered tax agent or BAS agent lodge and handle payments on your behalf, which can also mean you get extra time to lodge.

To make your BAS as stress-free as possible, it’s important to:

• keep records of all sales, fees, expenses, wages and other business costs;
• keep appropriate records, such as stock take records and logbooks to substantiate motor vehicle claims;
• reconcile sales with bank statements;
• use the correct GST accounting method; and
• keep all your tax invoices and other GST records for five years.

Finally, remember that you (or your agent) always need to lodge a BAS by its due date, even if your business has nothing to report for the period. You can lodge a “nil” BAS online or by phoning the ATO’s automated reporting service.

ATO data-matching: “lifestyle” assets and your business

The ATO has announced or extended a number of data-matching programs recently, including the lifestyle asset data-matching program. Data will be acquired from insurance providers for 2023–2024 to 2025–2026 for specified classes of asset where the asset value is equal to or exceeds nominated thresholds.

The assets and thresholds covered are:

• caravans/motorhomes: $65,000;
• motor vehicles including cars, trucks and motorcycles: $65,000;
• thoroughbred horses: $65,000;
• fine art: $100,000 per item;
• marine vessels: $100,000; and
• aircraft: $150,000.

Some of the tax risks relevant to businesses that the ATO is keen to address are the:

• omission or incorrect reporting of income and/or capital gain;
• incorrect claiming of GST credits;
• omitted or incorrect reporting of FBT; and
• use of assets by self-managed super funds (SMSFs) in breach of the law.

The ATO estimates that between 650,000 and 800,000 policy records will be obtained each year, with 250,000 to 350,000 matched records relating to individuals.

Superannuation on paid parental leave from 1 July 2025

In March 2024, the government announced its intention to commence paying superannuation on government paid parental leave (PPL) payments from 1 July 2025. The related law has now been passed.

New parents eligible for the PPL scheme with children born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025 will receive the paid parental leave superannuation contribution (PPLSC). This will be paid as a lump sum superannuation payment following the end of each financial year when the parents received PPL.

Recipients of PPL won’t be required to make a claim –the ATO will calculate the PPLSC based on information from Services Australia about their payments, and the contribution will be automatically deposited into their nominated superannuation fund.

The PPL scheme has also been legislated to expand over time. From 1 July 2024, eligible individuals and families receive two additional weeks of leave, amounting to 22 weeks in total. This increases to 24 weeks from 1 July 2025, and to 26 weeks from 1 July 2026. By 2026, a total of four weeks will be reserved for each parent on a “use it or lose it” basis, to encourage the sharing of care responsibilities. In addition, the number of PPL weeks a family can utilise at the same time increases to four weeks from 1 July 2025, up from the current two weeks.

Salary sacrifice and your super

Salary sacrificing to make additional contributions to your super fund can help grow your super balance for a better financial position at retirement. Before making an arrangement, you should explore the potential benefits and your financial goals to ensure it’s the right fit for your circumstances.

Salary sacrificing is an agreement with your employer for you to receive less income before tax in return for benefits of a similar value paid for by your employer. Depending on the industry you work in, benefits could include car or mortgage payments; tools or protective clothing; or super contributions.

Most employers offer salary sacrifice to super for their employees, meaning you could choose to have part of your pre-tax income paid into your super fund in addition to your super guarantee (SG) entitlement (11.5% for 2024–2025). Super contributions made by salary sacrifice are concessional contributions, taxed at 15% instead of at your marginal income tax rate.

Potential benefits

• Your employer will set up and automatically send the contributions to your super fund.
• Regular additional payments, especially if you start early, will accelerate the growth of your super balance and make a big difference at retirement.
• Lower taxable income may help you pay less tax, stay in a lower tax bracket, reduce the Medicare Levy or qualify you for certain concessions.
• Up to $50,000 of salary sacrifice contributions are eligible to be accessed through the First Home Super Saver Scheme.
• Salary sacrificing to super will not reduce the amount of SG contributions your employer provides.

Points to consider

• Less take-home pay may be challenging if you have a tight budget or immediate financial needs like a mortgage.
• If you aren’t using the funds to purchase your first home, you generally won’t be able to access any of the money added to your super fund until you reach 65 or you retire after age 60, so you will need enough funds outside of super to cope with emergencies or other shorter-term financial issues.
• The amount of “concessional” contributions you can add to your super each year is capped ($30,000 for 2024–2025): if you go above the cap, contributions will be taxed at your marginal tax rate (less a 15% tax offset). Concessional contributions include SG and salary sacrifice contributions, as well as contributions you claim a tax deduction for.
• You won’t be able to claim a tax deduction on salary sacrificed super contributions, as you won’t have paid income tax on them.
• If you earn under $45,000 a year, salary sacrificing into super might not be as beneficial due to your lower income tax rate.

Exploring compassionate early release of super

Superannuation is designed to provide for your retirement, but there are limited circumstances where you can access your super early on compassionate grounds. These provisions are in place to help meet urgent expenses for you or your dependants when other options have been exhausted.

The ATO oversees applications for the compassionate release of superannuation. It’s important to understand the specific situations that may qualify and the process involved.

Compassionate grounds cover a range of circumstances, including:

• preventing foreclosure or forced sale of your home;
• medical treatment for you or your dependants;
• medical transport for you or your dependants;
• modifying your home or vehicle to accommodate special needs arising from severe disability;
• palliative care for terminal illness; and
• death, funeral or burial expenses for your dependants.

Generally, applications need to be for unpaid expenses – you can’t claim for costs you’ve already covered. The amount released from your super must be a single lump sum, not exceeding what’s reasonably required.

Before applying to the ATO, it’s crucial to contact your super fund. The fund can confirm if it’ll release your super early on compassionate grounds, check if you have sufficient funds (including for tax withholding), advise on any fees and explain potential impacts on your insurance.

Remember, accessing your super early should be a last resort. It’s your future financial security at stake. However, when faced with genuine hardship, it’s reassuring to know that this option exists to help through difficult times.

Tax consequences of sharing your home

Homeowners can share their homes in a range of ways – you might have an agreement to rent out a room, offer short stays through a platform like Airbnb, accept money from a friend who sometimes needs a bed, or receive board payments from family members. Some of these situations will affect your assessable income and what expenses you can claim at tax time.

Whether you rent out your whole home or just a room or granny flat, when it comes to lodging your tax return you’ll need to declare the rent you receive as income. Rent and associated amounts (such as bond money or booking cancellation fees) are assessable income no matter the arrangement length, from a single-night booking to an ongoing rental agreement.

You can claim immediate deductions for some expenses related to rental income, while other deductions need to be claimed over time. It’s important to note that rental expenses can only be claimed when your home is rented out or genuinely available for rent. If you only rent out part of your home, only expenses related to that part are deductible.

Where family members or friends who stay in your home pay board and lodging to cover their food and accommodation, this is generally considered a “domestic arrangement” rather than a rental one, so the payments don’t need to be declared as assessable income. Because of this, you also can’t claim tax deductions for expenses related to having the friend or family member staying in your home.

Take care, though: if you have an arrangement with friends or family where you intend to make a profit, or that’s otherwise generally consistent with an ordinary commercial tenancy agreement, simply calling the payments “board and lodging” isn’t enough to avoid the tax implications of receiving rental income. It’s best to seek professional advice if you’re not sure how the ATO might view your particular situation.

Unlocking value: subdividing your family home’s land

Many retirees find themselves cash-poor but asset-rich. For those living on larger properties, subdividing and selling unused land can be a potential retirement strategy to generate funds for income-producing assets. While this approach may suit some circumstances, it’s crucial to understand the capital gains tax (CGT) implications and downsizer contribution limitations.

When you subdivide a block of land, each new block receives a separate title and is treated as a distinct asset for tax purposes. Selling a subdivided block triggers CGT.

Typically, selling a main residence is entirely exempt from CGT if it hasn’t been used for income-producing purposes, but this exemption may not apply to subdivided blocks.

The CGT main residence exemption requires that the capital gain relates to your “dwelling”, which includes your home and up to two hectares of adjacent land used primarily for private or domestic purposes. This two-hectare limit includes the land beneath your home. Consequently, if you subdivide and sell a block of vacant land on a new title, it’s no longer considered part of your dwelling and doesn’t qualify for the CGT main residence exemption.

Eligibility to contribute any sale proceeds to superannuation as a “downsizer contribution” requires the contribution to be equal to part or all of sale proceeds from the sale of a dwelling.

Before proceeding with any subdivision plans, it’s crucial to seek expert advice to ensure you’re making informed decisions that align with your retirement goals and comply with current tax regulations.

Employee overpayments: what to do

Once the end of financial year workload abates and payroll staff have time to have a closer look at what occurred in the previous income year, it’s not unusual for unintended overpayments to employees to come to light. If this happens for your business, it’s important to follow ATO guidance and consider all parties’ rights and obligations when deciding what to do next.

Critically, the first step is to confirm whether the business will seek to recover the overpayment. This should be decided by business management in consultation with human resources, not by payroll staff. If no recovery will be sought then the original payment processing remains as is. Keep a clear record of the decision not to recover the overpaid amount.

If the business will seek recovery, you need to consider whether the overpayment relates to a previous income year, the current income year or both. Remember to communicate clearly with the employee about any adjustments made to their Single Touch Payroll (STP) record as part of recovering overpayments.

For an income year that’s been finalised, the business will need to seek repayment of the gross overpaid amount directly from the employee. The STP record must be amended to reduce the gross by the amount of the overpayment. No tax adjustment should be made.

When the employee later lodges their tax return, the overpayment will no longer be taxable because it’s no longer shown in STP, so they should get back any tax previously withheld on it.

Where an overpayment affects a current income year, the process is to reduce the gross and the tax in STP by the original overpayment. The business then only needs to recover the net amount from the employee.

If the business paid superannuation on the original overpayment, the overpaid super can be used to offset future obligations for the same employee for up to 12 months.

Payday super: policy design released

As part of the 2023–2024 Federal Budget, the government proposed a “payday super” reform. A newly released government fact sheet sets out some key elements of the policy.

From 1 July 2026, instead of the current requirement to pay quarterly, superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions will need to be made on “payday”. This is the date an employer makes an ordinary time earnings (OTE) payment to an employee. When OTE is paid, there’ll be a new seven-calendar-day “due date” for the payment to arrive into an employee’s superannuation fund. Some limited exceptions will apply for small or irregular payments outside the usual pay cycle, and contributions for newly commencing employees.

The SG charge framework will be updated for the payday super environment, including larger penalties for employers who repeatedly do the wrong thing.

Contributions will automatically count towards the earliest possibly payday not yet assessed for SG charge and which still has an outstanding shortfall so employers no longer need to make an election or choose the period for which each late contribution should count.

Other changes include the following:

• The deadline for super funds to allocate or return contributions will reduce from 20 business days to three days.
• Employer reporting in Single Touch Payroll (STP) will include employees’ OTE and total super liability, ensuring correct identification of the SG.
• The ATO’s Small Business Superannuation Clearing House will be retired on 1 July 2026. The ATO will support small businesses in transitioning to suitable payroll software solutions.
• Revised choice of fund rules will apply to make it easier for employees to nominate their super fund when starting a new job.
• Advertising of super products during onboarding will be limited to MySuper products passing the most recent performance test, to protect employees from poor outcomes.

“Super saver” scheme now more flexible for first home buyers

In welcome news for first home buyers, the government has made changes to the operation of the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) to improve its flexibility for users.

The FHSSS allows you to withdraw certain voluntary superannuation contributions from your fund (plus associated earnings) to assist with purchasing or constructing your first home. There are detailed rules governing the amounts you can withdraw, but essentially the scheme enables you to withdraw up to $50,000 of eligible voluntary contributions (plus an earnings amount). Eligible voluntary contributions are those made since 1 July 2017, up to $15,000 per year and capped at $50,000. Saving for a home via the FHSSS can have tax benefits, either as part of a salary-sacrifice arrangement or by using personal deductible contributions.

When you want to access these savings to put towards your first home, you must follow a certain process. This firstly involves requesting a determination from the ATO, which will advise you of your maximum FHSSS release amount. You can then request a release of the funds, receive the funds, and then notify the ATO when you’ve signed a contract to purchase or construct your home – which must generally occur within 12 months of requesting a release of funds. You can request a release of the funds either before you sign the contract or within a 14-day timeframe after signing the contract.

Changes taking effect from 15 September 2024 will improve this process. They include:

• expanding the timeframe for requesting a release;
• expanding eligibility for requesting a determination; and
• allowing more flexibility to amend applications.

The changes also provide an opportunity for prior applicants who were unsuccessful to reapply, even if they now own their home. If you applied to access the FHSSS between 1 July 2018 and 14 September 2024 and were unsuccessful, the ATO will assess your eligibility and, if you’re eligible, contact you to confirm whether you want to request a release.

Accessing super from age 60 to 65

From 1 July 2024, the rules for accessing superannuation became somewhat simplified: the preservation age when you can begin to access your benefits is now effectively age 60. However, until you reach age 65, there are still potential restrictions on how you can access your super. You’ll need to “retire” before you can make lump sum withdrawals from your super account or move it into the favourable “retirement phase” when investment earnings within the fund become tax-free. If you’re aged between 60 and 65 and wish to access some of your super, it’s a good time to re-examine the rules.

For anyone born after 30 June 1964, preservation age is age 60.If you are between 60 and 65 years old but haven’t yet retired, you can commence a transition to retirement income stream (TRIS). This allows you to receive a regular income of between 4% and 10% of your pension account balance each year. If you want to access more of your super, or withdraw it as a lump sum, you’ll need to satisfy a further condition of release. This includes reaching age 65, or “retirement”.

Meeting these conditions is also relevant for tax purposes. TRIS payments to a person aged 60 or over are generally tax-free – regardless of whether they are retired or not – but the TRIS itself does not move into the “retirement phase” until a further condition such as retirement (or reaching age 65) is met.

To satisfy the retirement condition, an arrangement under which you were gainfully employed must have come to an end. If you’d already reached age 60 when that position ended, there are no further requirements, and your future work intentions aren’t relevant.

If you hadn’t yet reached aged 60 when the position ended, the trustee of your fund must be reasonably satisfied that you intend never to again become gainfully employed, either on a full-time or a part-time basis. “Part-time” means working for at least 10 hours per week, so you could intend to work for less than 10 hours per week and still meet the “retirement” condition.

Any withdrawal strategy should be carefully planned to ensure you understand the implications of accessing your super. There are many factors to consider, such as the ongoing requirement to withdraw minimum pension amounts each year if you start a pension, implications for your transfer balance account, and interactions with the Age Pension.

Claiming the tax-free threshold: getting it right

If you’re an Australian resident for tax purposes, you don’t have to pay income tax on the first $18,200 you earn each year, from any source. This is called the “tax-free threshold”. If you have more than one job, change employers during the year, have a sole trader side gig or get government payments, it’s important to think about the tax-free threshold and which employer, job or payment you’ll claim it for.

The ATO advises claiming the tax-free threshold once from your “main” payer – typically the job, gig or payment that pays you the most during the year. That payer will not withhold income tax from the first $18,200 they pay you but will withhold tax from payments once your earnings go over the threshold.

At the end of the financial year, the ATO calculates your total income and tax withheld. If not enough tax has been withheld, you can expect a tax bill. If more tax has been withheld than you owe for your total earnings, you can expect a refund.

When starting a new job, your employer should ask you to complete a withholding declaration.

To claim the tax-free threshold, you must be an Australian resident for tax purposes on the declaration and answer “yes” to the question “Do you want to claim the tax-free threshold from this payer?”. Where you answer “no”, tax will be withheld from all income from that payer.

Avoid claiming the threshold from multiple payers simultaneously unless you’re sure you’ll earn less than $18,200 total for the year. Overclaiming might make your take-home pay higher each pay cycle but will likely mean a tax debt later.

When changing jobs you can claim the threshold from your new payer even if you have claimed it from your previous one.

If you add a job or side gig that will provide more income than your existing main payer, you can change your claim at any time using ATO online services, via your myGov account.

If you’re earning income outside of employment (eg as a sole trader) you’ll need to pay tax yourself on that income. Consider setting aside a percentage for tax or using pay as you go (PAYG) instalments each time you are paid.

Withholding for foreign residents: an ATO focus area

Does your business or investment structure make payments such as interest, dividends or royalties to any foreign residents? You may be required to withhold tax from these payments. The ATO is currently focusing on ensuring that taxpayers are aware of these obligations.

If these withholding requirements apply to you, you’ll need to lodge a PAYG annual report or an annual investment income report, and withhold and pay the correct amount of tax.

Figuring out whether an obligation to pay withholding tax arises from a particular payment can be complex. Assuming your structure is resident in Australia, the starting point is that the withholding tax regime generally applies to interest, dividends and royalties derived by foreign residents, unless an exemption applies. This means the withholding tax obligation arises whether you make the payment to the foreign resident, credit it to their account, or deal with the payment on their behalf or at their direction. (Certain payments can also be captured if your structure is not resident but has a permanent establishment in Australia.)

However, a number of exemptions apply. These can be technical in operation, so it’s important to seek advice specific to your circumstances if you make any payments to non-residents.

The ATO is alert to payers who have not withheld and paid amounts (or have withheld and paid incorrect amounts), incorrectly relied on an exemption or treaty relief, or misclassified deductions for interest or royalty payments to an offshore entity.

Small business restructure roll-over: tax relief for genuine business restructures

With the latest statistics showing a significant rise in liquidations and with the ATO’s focused efforts on debt collection, small businesses face significant financial pressures. However, the answer isn’t to evade responsibilities or take shortcuts – business restructuring has to be done properly and in compliance with the relevant laws. The small business restructure roll-over (SBRR) provides a legitimate, structured path for businesses to reorganise their operations, allowing them to better meet these challenges without prejudicing creditors or engaging in unethical practices.

To qualify for the SBRR, each party to the transfer must meet the small business entity definition. A small business entity is defined as an entity with an aggregated turnover of less than $10 million. This includes businesses that operate as a sole trader, partnership, company or trust, provided they meet the turnover threshold. Entities connected with or affiliated with a small business entity also fall under this definition.

The assets being transferred must be active assets, which include CGT assets, trading stock, revenue assets or depreciating assets. Non-active assets, such as loans to shareholders, are not eligible.

The transfer must be part of a genuine restructure of an ongoing business, not an artificial or inappropriately tax-driven scheme, and there must be no change in ultimate economic ownership of the transferred assets.

Opting for the SBRR has several tax implications:

• The transfer does not trigger an income tax liability at the time of the transfer.
• The transferor is deemed to have received an amount equal to the asset’s cost, and the transferee acquires the asset at this cost.
• Potential liabilities like GST or stamp duty must be considered, as they might still apply.
• The roll-over does not protect against the application of anti-avoidance rules, ensuring the transaction is not purely tax-motivated.

For CGT assets, the transferee must wait at least 12 months to claim the CGT discount on any subsequent sale, and pre-CGT assets retain their status. For trading stock, the roll-over cost is based on the transferor’s cost or value at the beginning of the income year. Depreciating assets allow the transferee to continue deducting the decline in value using the transferor’s method and effective life. Revenue assets are transferred without resulting in a profit or loss for the transferor.

Super guarantee a focus area for ATO business debt collection

The ATO has recently confirmed that collection of business debts – including debts relating to superannuation guarantee (SG), pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and GST – is among its key focus areas. This is a timely reminder for all businesses to ensure they’re meeting their obligations.

The most recent ATO statistics show that although 94% of employers are meeting their SG obligations without ATO intervention, the ATO still raised over $1 billion in SG charge liabilities in the 2022–2023 financial year.

To ensure your business doesn’t incur these extra liabilities, you must pay SG contributions for your employees and eligible contractors on time and to the correct funds. Some contracts and awards may require you to pay contributions more regularly than quarterly.

If you make contributions to a commercial “clearing house”, the contribution is considered to be paid when it’s received by the employee’s fund, not by the clearing house. However, if you use the ATO’s Small Business Superannuation Clearing House, the contribution is “paid” when received by that clearing house.

From 1 July 2026, employers will need to pay SG at the same time as salary and wages (commonly known as “payday super”).

If you miss a payment, taking action promptly is essential to accessing the ATO’s support services and minimising your exposure to penalties. You must lodge an SG charge statement with the ATO within one month of the missed quarterly due date. You can ask the ATO for an extension to the lodgement date, but you must do this before the due date.

You’ll also need to pay the SG charge. This charge is more than the amount of contributions you would have paid if you had paid them on time, and it’s not deductible. The charge is paid to the ATO, not your employee’s fund. General interest charge will accrue on any outstanding SG charge, and the ATO may also issue a director penalty notice if it remains unpaid.

New “bring-forward” contribution thresholds for 2024–2025

You may have heard that the annual cap on non-concessional contributions (NCCs) has increased for 2024–2025. This is great news for superannuation members who want to maximise their retirement savings.

NCCs are your own after-tax contributions, meaning they’re distinct and separate from concessional contributions such as compulsory employer contributions made for you, additional salary sacrifice contributions, and personal contributions you’ve made for which you claim a deduction. From 1 July 2024, the annual cap on NCCs increased from $110,000 to $120,000 due to indexation.

This increase means that the maximum amount that can be contributed under a “bring-forward” arrangement has also increased. A “bring-forward” arrangement allows eligible members to contribute up to three years’ worth of NCCs in a shorter timeframe. This may be an attractive contribution strategy for those with an inheritance, a large bonus payment, or proceeds from the sale of an investment.

If you already commenced a bring-forward arrangement in the last year or two, you won’t get the benefit of the increased NCC cap for that arrangement. However, if you’ve been thinking about commencing one of these strategies, now is great time to consider this further.

You must be aged under 75 at some point in the financial year when you commence a bring-forward arrangement, and your total superannuation balance (TSB) as at 30 June of the previous financial year affects your eligibility.

Be aware that the TSB eligibility limits have changed since last year – and they’ve decreased. So, while the NCC cap and the maximum bring-forward cap have increased, the cut-off points when your eligibility reduces or ceases are lower. Be careful about referring to older advice or information (eg online) that is based on the TSB thresholds for 2023–2024.