CURRENCY:

This issue of Client Alert takes into account developments up to and including 19 August 2022.

Keeping you informed about the Federal Budget

We expect to see formal confirmation from Treasury soon about when the new Australian Government will hand down its Federal Budget for 2022–2023. Tuesday 25 October is likely for this Labor Budget.

The Client Alert team will, as usual, work to bring you a special Budget Extra edition that outlines the key announcements to assist you in dealing with your clients’ queries. You can expect to receive it by the morning after the Budget is handed down.

Beware of payment redirection scams

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has warned small and micro businesses to be alert for payment redirection scams. These scams have caused some of the highest losses to businesses in 2021 to the tune of $13.4 million. This figure is likely much higher as, according to research, a third of scam victims do not report their loss. These scams typically involve scammers impersonating legitimate businesses or their employees and redirecting upcoming payments to a fraudulent bank account.

In some cases, this may involve the actual hacking of legitimate business email accounts to send scam emails. Other methods fraudsters use to carry out payment redirection scams include intercepting legitimate invoices and amending bank details before releasing the email to the unsuspecting business customer, and registering email addresses that are very similar to ones from a legitimate business.

According to the most recent scams activity report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), redirection scams came only second to investment scams in terms of financial losses at $227 million in 2021. This figure includes data from both individuals and businesses. Research also indicates that a third of scam victims do not make any reports, so the true cost of these scams is likely to be much higher.

However, just looking at the business population, payment redirection scams take the top spot as the type of scam that caused the highest losses. Small businesses had the highest median loss ($3,812 per business) and overall lost a total of $3.5 million. ACCC data also points to false billing scams, which includes payment redirection reports, as a concern.

Overall, for the 2021 income year, 3,624 reports were received by the ACCC Scamwatch program from businesses. Of the total $13.4 million lost by businesses, $7 million can be attributed to micro (0 to 4 staff) and small (5 to 19 staff) businesses.

The most common contact method reported to ACCC for scams was phone or text message, and bank transfers continued to be the most common payment method for scams.

Small businesses should take immediate action if they have inadvertently fallen prey to a scam by contacting their financial institution to see if anything can be done to recover the money, and then reporting the scam to either Scamwatch or the Australian Cyber Security Centre. Financial institutions may be able to find out where the money was sent and block scam accounts. ASIC notes that businesses should also be aware of falling victim to a follow-up scam which may offer to recover your lost money for a fee (ie money recovery scams).

Money recovery scammers will usually target victims of previous scams with the promise of recovering lost money for an up-front payment and/or retrieving detailed personal information. They often contact previous victims uninvited and pose as trusted organisations such as a law firm, the fraud taskforce or a government agency. Some more sophisticated scams will have official-looking websites with fake testimonials.

Once the previous victims are convinced of the follow-up scam’s authenticity, the scammers will ask them to fill out false paperwork or provide identity documents, as well as make a payment. In some cases they may also request remote access to computers and smartphones. Another tactic that these money recovery scammers may use is to make contact and attempt to convince a target that they have unknowingly been involved in a scam and are entitled to compensation or a settlement refund.

Source: https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/news-items/asic-warns-small-businesses-to-be-vigilant-about-payment-redirection-scams/

www.accc.gov.au/media-release/payment-redirection-scams-cost-australian-businesses-227-million-last-year

www.scamwatch.gov.au/news-alerts/payment-redirection-scams-cost-australian-businesses-227-million-last-year

TPAR due soon: is your business ready?

The taxable payments annual report (TPAR) is a report that is required to be lodged every year by businesses that have made payments to contractors for building and construction services, cleaning services, courier services, road freight services, IT services and security, investigation or surveillance services. This information is used by the ATO in data analytics to identify non-compliance with a range of tax obligations and used to pre-fill data to assist contractors to lodge correctly the first time. The TPAR for 2021–2022 is due by 28 August 2022.

Contactors or subcontractors, in the context of TPAR, also include consultants and independent contractors, who can operate in a variety of structures such as sole traders (individuals), companies, partnerships or trusts. Where the contractor has issued a business an invoice that includes both labour and materials, the total amount will need to be included in the business’s report.

However, certain payments (such as the following) will not need to be reported in the TPAR:

• payments for materials only;
• payments for incidental labour (ie labour was incidental to the supply of materials);
• unpaid invoices after 30 June each year;
• payments to workers engaged under labour hire or on-fire arrangements;
• PAYG withholding payments;
• payments to foreign residents for work performed in Australia which are subject to PAYG foreign resident withholding (if the payments are not subject to PAYG withholding, they will need to be reported in the TPAR);
• payments to foreign residents for work performed overseas;
• payments to contractors who do not quote an ABN – if an ABN is not provided, the business may be required to withhold an amount from payments and the withheld amount will then need to be reported either on the TPAR or the PAYG payment summary – withholding where ABN not quoted form, not both;
• payments in consolidated groups; and
• payments for private and domestic projects – if you are a homeowner building or renovating your main residence, or a business making payments to contractors for services for private purposes (eg the owner of a cleaning business asking a contractor to clean their main residence).

According to the ATO, around $11 billion a year goes missing in taxes and the TPAR system is just one of the tools used to identify non-compliance and keep things fair for all businesses. In the previous financial year, around $350 billion in payments made to 950,000 contractors was reported through the TPAR. This year, the ATO expects more than 270,000 businesses to complete the report.

TPAR information reported is used by the ATO in data analytics to identify non-compliance with a range of tax obligations, such as lodging income tax returns, reporting the correct amount of income, lodging BASs, being registered for GST when required, and using valid ABNs. This information will also flow through to pre-filling information for sole traders with contracting income, making it easier to lodge correctly the first time. Although businesses will have until 28 August to lodge their TPARs, contractors should ensure that the pre-filled information is complete and finalised before lodging, especially in cases where contracting income from a business or in general has not been reported previously.

Source: www.ato.gov.au/Business/Reports-and-returns/Taxable-payments-annual-report/

www.ato.gov.au/General/Online-services/In-detail/Reported-transactions-in-ATO-online/

www.ato.gov.au/general/gen/removing-tax-deductibility-of-non-compliant-payments/

Tax time focus on rental properties

Rental property income and deduction mistakes continue to be one of the main focus areas for the ATO this tax time. Along with the usual emphasis on including all rental income in the tax return, with all the natural disasters Australians have been experiencing the ATO has issued a reminder that insurance pay-outs may also need to be included. On the expenses side, the ATO warns against including interest related to redraw to purchase a private asset, and immediately deducting the cost of capital works or depreciating assets costing more than $300.

This area of focus for the ATO is no surprise, considering that a recent ATO Random Enquiry Program found that nine out of 10 tax returns that report rental income and deductions contain at least one error.

The ATO warns taxpayers that it receives rental income data from a wide range of sources, including share economy platforms, rental bond authorities of various states, property management software providers and state and territory revenue and land title authorities. This information will then be matched to the information provided by taxpayers on their tax returns, meaning that there is no hiding income from the all-seeing eye of the ATO.

One of the income categories for rental properties that may be important for this year, but that many landlords may not know to include, is insurance payouts. With the La Nina weather event causing flooding along large parts of the country, if you obtained insurance payments in relation to loss of rental income or repairs, that would need to be included.

For those renting out their investment property, their home, or part of their home on a short-term basis on digital sharing platforms such as AirBnB, that income will need to be included, and any expenses will need to be apportioned according to the space rented out. There may also be CGT consequences upon selling the property, so taxpayers will need to be careful.

Joint owners of properties will need to ensure that their income and deductions are in line with the rental property’s ownership interest, which generally depends on legal documents at the time of purchase.

As for expenses, the ATO notes that while some expenses such as rental management fees, council rates, repairs, interest on loans, and insurance premiums can be deducted in the year they are incurred, other expenses, such as borrowing costs, capital works and some depreciating assets can only be claimed over a number of years. Capital works include replacing a roof or a new kitchen or bathroom. Depreciating assets such as dishwashers or ovens valued at over $300 will need to be claimed over their effective life.

In addition, taxpayers should also be aware that if they redraw on a rental property loan for private expenses or to purchase a private asset, the amount of interest relating to the loan for the private expense or asset cannot be claimed as a deduction. There may also be other instances where a deduction in relation to a rental property will be denied, such as when a property is advertised at significantly above reasonable market rate, or where unreasonable restrictions are imposed on potential tenants.

Taxpayers who have sold a property during the 2021–2022 income year will need to be extra cautious, as capital gains is also one of ATO’s focus areas for this year. Those that have rented out a part of their property may only be entitled to a partial main residence exemption, depending on the amount of space rented out.

Source: www.ato.gov.au/Media-centre/Media-releases/Tax-time-focus-on-rental-property-income-and-deductions/

www.ato.gov.au/Tax-professionals/Newsroom/Lodgment-and-payment/Rental-deductions-tips/

SMSF COVID-19 relief measures have now ceased

The ATO has reminded trustees of self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) that COVID-19 relief measures that previously applied for the 2019–2020, 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 income years no longer apply from 1 July 2022. The relief measures covered a wide range of areas, including residency requirements, rental reductions and waivers, rental deferrals, in-house assets, loan repayments, limit recourse borrowing arrangements, and related party transactions. According to the ATO, SMSF trustees are now expected to comply with all their obligations under tax and super laws, and breaches should be disclosed.

Prior to 30 June 2022, individuals who became stranded overseas due to COVID-19 which caused them to be out of Australia for more than two years could rely on the SMSF residency relief. This consisted of the

ATO not taking any compliance action to determine whether a particular SMSF met the residency test, provided there were no other changes in the SMSF’s circumstances or in the circumstances of a member/trustee.

Since this relief no longer applies, members and trustees of SMSFs who spend an extended period of time overseas may now be affected by the “active member” test and “central management and control” test, respectively. This could cause an SMSF to fail to meet some of the residency conditions to be an Australian super fund for tax purposes, which in turn may see the SMSF lose its complying super fund status and associated tax concessions.

One of the other prominent relief measures provided during the COVID pandemic which has now ended relates to rental relief provided to related parties. The ATO had confirmed that no compliance action would be taken against an SMSF and no auditor contraventions needed to be reported for rental reductions and waivers to related parties provided they were on commercial terms, relief was due to COVID, and that the arrangement was property documented.

Specific Taxation Determinations were also registered for the 2019–2020, 2020–2021, and 2021–2022 income years to ensure that rental deferral offered by SMSFs or a related party to a tenant would not cause a loan or investment to be an in-house asset of the fund provided certain conditions were met.

Again, now that the rental relief has ended, if an SMSF provides rental reductions or waivers to related parties, it may give rise to a reportable contravention of the super laws. For example, the arrangement may not comply with the sole purpose test and/or arm’s length requirements and may also contravene the prohibition on providing financial assistance to a member or a member’s relative. In cases where the SMSF or a related party provides a rental deferral, there may now be a real risk that the in-house asset rules may be breached.

Similarly, the relief measures relating to loan repayment relief provided by an SMSF and SMSF LRBA relief will also no longer apply. Therefore, from 1 July 2022, approved SMSF auditors must report contraventions via the auditor/actuary contravention report (ACR), if such a contravention occurs. Before that happens, trustees of SMSFs are encouraged to use the ATO’s voluntary disclosure service to report any identified contraventions and plan to rectify the contravention as soon as possible. The ATO notes that any voluntary disclosures will be taken into account when determining what action it will take in relation to the contravention.

Source: www.ato.gov.au/General/COVID-19/Support-for-self-managed-super-funds/

Thinking of ditching your SMSF?

Are you having doubts about using a self managed superannuation fund (an SMSF) for your retirement? Whatever your age, if recent market conditions, cost or the amount of administration involved are getting to be too much and you would like to wind up the SMSF, there are several steps involved. Even if you are happy with your SMSF, it may be prudent to ensure that there are no impediments to winding up if something unforeseen happens. An exit plan should be in place as a matter of course.

Winding up an SMSF is not a simple process and requires the trustee to understand the terms set out in the trust deed, dispose of the fund’s assets and finalise compliance obligations, among other things. In some complex cases it may be prudent to seek professional advice.

For most SMSFs, the first step in a winding up is to find out what the fund’s trust deed requires in that event. For example, the trust deed may require that all the assets of the fund be sold, or all ownership transferred to members. Both call for different courses of action by the trustee and have different costs related to them.

Trustees are then required to organise a meeting to ensure that all trustees agree with the winding up decision. This should be documented in the form of meeting minutes and a record kept. Each trustee should also sign the winding up agreement to avoid any potential future disputes over the decision.

Whether the SMSF’s trust deed requires the sale or transfer of assets, the ATO notes that liquidity of assets, including the time required to sell them, and capital gains tax and stamp duty implications should be considered by the trustees. In addition, decisions as to how, when, and how much assets should be sold for should be documented.

Once a sale or transfer has gone through, the trustee should document information such as the buyer or transferee, date, amount and how much the asset was valued at.

The next step in winding up the SMSF is to finalise outstanding tax and compliance obligations, including:

• lodging a transfer balance account report (TBAR) upon ceasing a member income stream (pension);
• issuing various PAYG summary, PAYG withholding payment summary and/or PAYG withholding payment summary annual reports; and
• meeting any PAYG instalment, GST, and BAS obligations.

Final invoices and expenses due to assets sales and outstanding tax liabilities will then need to be paid before the calculation and distribution of member benefits. In instances where a member meets a condition of release, their benefits can either be paid out in cash or rolled over into another complying super fund. Where a condition of release is not met, the member benefit must be rolled over into another complying super fund.

Finally, after member benefits have been distributed, the trustee will need to ensure the SMSF has been audited every year since its establishment and complete one final audit. Once that is complete, the final SMSF annual return can be lodged. The ATO will then confirm through a letter that the SMSF has been wound up, proceed to close the SMSF records on its system, and cancel any associated ABNs.

While loss incurring investments causing the SMSF to be unable to meet ongoing administrative costs could be one of the main driving factors in winding up an SMSF, that is by no means the only factor. Even if you are the trustee of a SMSF with top performing investments, an exit plan should still be a priority. This protects against a multitude of factors such as a change in personal circumstances of trustees (eg failing health or permanent incapacity), disputes between trustees, or where all members have left the SMSF (either through rollover or death).

Source: www.ato.gov.au/Super/Self-managed-super-funds/Thinking-about-self-managed-super/

www.ato.gov.au/Super/Self-managed-super-funds/Winding-up/

ATO reminder to small businesses this tax time

Small businesses are again in the ATO’s sights this tax time, with a focus on stamping out deductions not related to business income, overclaiming of expenses, omission of business income and insufficient records to substantiate claims.

The ATO receives external data from a variety of sources, including the taxable payments reporting system for certain industries. This data can be used to data-match information included in tax returns to ensure completeness and accuracy.

Businesses can only claim what they are entitled to, and the claiming method may differ depending on the type of business structure. For example, sole traders need to claim deductions in their individual tax return in the “Business and professional items” schedule, while partnerships, trusts, and companies need to claim deductions in their respective tax returns.

ATO warns against asset wash sales

With COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in the rear-view mirrors of most of the country, the ATO is also beginning to resume ordinary compliance activity levels. One of the many areas it will be paying close attention to this tax time is “asset wash sales”.

Tip: An asset wash sale involves a person or business disposing of assets just before the end of the financial year. After a short period of time, they then reacquire the same or substantially similar assets. The ATO views these transactions as a form of tax avoidance.

Although there may be legitimate reasons for selling and then reacquiring the same or substantially similar assets, a wash sale is different from normal buying and selling as it is usually undertaken for the artificial purpose of generating a tax benefit – such as a capital loss – in the current financial year.

The assets involved in wash sales are not necessarily traditional assets such as shares. Taxpayers could also be disposing of crypto-assets and reacquiring them later as a part of a wash sale. With the price of many crypto-assets at a low ebb, people looking to rid themselves of these assets need to be careful they do not inadvertently attract the attention of the ATO.

To stamp out this behaviour this tax time, the ATO will use analytics to identify wash sales through data from various share registries and crypto-asset exchanges. Where the system identifies a wash sale, the capital loss claimed by the taxpayer in their tax return will be rejected. The Commissioner of Taxation may then make a determination to adjust their tax situation, and compliance action and additional tax, interest and penalties may be applied.

ATO protocol for legal professional privilege

As a part of the ATO’s extensive information-gathering powers, it can compel taxpayers to furnish or produce certain documents. However, information and documents where the underlying communication is privileged do not have to be provided. Legal professional privilege (LPP) operates as an immunity from any obligation to disclose documents created by these powers.

Recently, the ATO released a protocol which contains its recommended approach for identifying communications covered by LPP and making LPP claims. While it’s voluntary to follow the steps outlined, it’s more likely that the ATO will accept LPP claims without further enquiries if the protocol is followed.

The protocol applies to both legal practitioners and non-legal practitioners and all LPP claims, regardless of the firm or business structure within which the service or engagement is provided.

The protocol itself contains three steps for taxpayers who receive an information-gathering notice and wish to make an LPP claim:

• assessing the full situation and all of the communications involved;
• explaining the basis of the LPP claim; and
• advising the ATO how the LPP claim was approached.

Tip: Legal professional privilege is a highly contested area and whether a document or information is subject to LPP can depend on the facts of your individual case. If you’ve been issued a notice under the ATO’s formal information-gathering powers, we can save you time and help you work out which documents are subject to LPP under the new protocol.

Is this the end for stamp duty in New South Wales?

In the NSW Budget handed down on 21 June 2022, the State Government announced plans to make some transfer duty optional from January 2023. However, the scope of the proposal is quite limited at this stage.

The key features announced are as follows.

• First home buyers purchasing properties for up to $1.5 million on or after 16 January 2023 will be able to choose to pay an annual property tax instead of stamp duty.
• There will be a higher rate of annual property tax for investors than for owner occupiers, with rates indexed annually to wage growth.
• The tax will be based on a financial year, unlike land tax, which is based on a calendar year.
• The existing First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme duty concessions for properties valued up to $800,000 will remain.
• The property tax will only be payable by first home buyers who choose it, and will not apply to subsequent purchasers of a property.

Of course, legislation must first be enacted and the details remain to be seen, including the transitional provisions that will apply.

If the announcements become law, by next January NSW will have the existing transfer duty regime, the existing land tax regime and a new annual property tax all running in parallel.

Current compliance issues in the SMSF space

The self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) space has always been a complex area for trustees, beneficiaries and advisers. In the past few years, the ATO has made many concessions and has put compliance action on hold because of COVID-19. However, for the 2022–2023 year and beyond it’s looking to scale up its compliance program as a reaction to indicators of heightened risk in the sector.

Recent statistics indicate that there are around 600,000 SMSFs, with over 1.1 million members holding an estimated total asset value of $876 billion.

While the ATO’s main compliance focus will always be on any activity that puts retirement savings at risk or inappropriately takes advantage of the concessional tax environment, in the near-term it will focus specifically on illegal early release of super in all forms. This is when individuals access their retirement savings before a condition of release has been met. This type of activity is currently on the rise.

One of the big red flags that the ATO looks out for is when individuals establish their SMSF and initiate a rollover but then fail to lodge a corresponding first annual return. This is a good predictor that an illegal early release has occurred, either as a result of deliberate behaviour or participation in a scheme.

New registrants that do not lodge will now be targeted with a “three strikes and you’re out” compliance campaign. The ATO will first issue a “blue letter” that encourages the SMSF trustees to take immediate action to lodge, offering a pathway for those who need support. If no response is received from the blue letter, the ATO will follow up with an “amber letter” warning trustees of the consequences of failing to lodge their return. Finally, if no response is received from the amber letter, a final warning or “red letter” will be issued advising the trustees that the ATO has commenced the disqualification process and will consider other enforcement action.

The ATO issued its first and second batches of “red letters” to funds in early April and June 2022.

SMSF TBAR to be streamlined

In good news for trustees of self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) and after much community consultation, transfer balance account event-based reporting (TBAR) will soon be streamlined for convenience.

The TBAR allows the ATO to record and track an individual’s balance for both their transfer balance cap and total superannuation balance. That information is not extracted from the SMSF annual return, or any information shared through a rollover. Under the existing framework, an SMSF must report common events that affect a member’s transfer balance account when they happen.

An SMSF may be required to report earlier if a member has exceeded their personal transfer balance cap. For individuals who start their first retirement phase income stream on or after 1 July 2021, their personal transfer balance cap will be $1.7 million.

From 1 July 2023, the TBAR will be streamlined by removing the total super balance threshold and requiring all SMSFs to report 28 days after the end of the quarter in which a reportable event occurred. Some obligations to report earlier will continue.

Under the new streamlined framework, trustees of SMSFs will still be allowed to report transfer account balance events more frequently if they wish. This may be beneficial in instances where members are close to their personal transfer balance cap, and will avoid excess transfer balance determinations.

Tax Time 2022: businesses get ready

As the end of another tax year approaches, the ATO is reminding businesses that it’s time to:

• see if there are tax-deductible items your business needs before 30 June;
• check if there are any concessions your business can access before 30 June;
• think about your recordkeeping habits this past year – should anything be done differently in future?

If your business has employees, the Single Touch Payroll (STP) information for 2021–2022 must be finalised by 14 July. Remember to let your employees know when the information’s finalised, so they can lodge their income tax returns.

Deductions

Increasing your business’s tax deductions will lead to a lower tax bill. For example, you may be able to bring forward expenditure from the next tax year to the current tax year, or to deduct the full cost of a depreciating asset under the temporary full expensing rules. An immediate deduction is also available for start-up costs and certain prepaid expenses.

If your business is in an industry that requires physical contact with customers, you can claim deductions for expenses related to COVID-19 safety. This includes hand sanitiser, sneeze or cough guards, other personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies.

Charitable donations are another good way to increase your deductions. Don’t forget to keep donation receipts!

The ATO has three golden rules for a valid business deduction:

• The expense must have been for business, not private, use.
• If the expense is for a mix of business and private use, only the business portion can be claimed as a deduction.
• You must have records to prove your business incurred the expense.

For example, if you buy a laptop and only use it for your business, you can claim a deduction for the full purchase price. However, if the laptop is used 50% of the time for your business and 50% of the time for private use, only 50% of the purchase price can be claimed as a business deduction.

Recordkeeping

Records explain the tax and super-related transactions conducted by a business. Businesses are legally required to keep records of all transactions relating to their tax and superannuation affairs as they start, run, sell, change or close the business, specifically:

• any documents related to the business’s income and expenses;
• any documents containing details of any election, choice, estimate, determination or calculation made for the business’s tax and super affairs, including how any estimate, determination or calculation was made.

Tip: Make sure you understand what records are needed for your business, and aim to make accurate and complete recordkeeping practices a part of your daily business activities. Talk to us about what records your business needs to keep, for how long, and what we can do to help!

ATO guidance update: debt relief and waivers

Tax-related debts are sometimes ignored by those of us struggling with inflationary pressures and sky-high energy prices. However, this may not be the wisest course of action, since these disregarded debts are likely to continue to accumulate general interest charges.

Generally, the ATO won’t pursue a debt if it’s satisfied that the debt is uneconomic or irrecoverable at law. However, in certain instances, such as where a taxpayer has a significant history of non-compliance or where there are public interest considerations, the ATO may pursue a debt even though it is uneconomical.

A simpler way of dealing with a tax debt, particularly if you’re experiencing hardship, is to apply to the ATO to be released from it.

You can make a formal application and may be released from a tax debt if you’re experiencing “serious hardship”. For the ATO, this means judging that the payment of your tax liability would result in you being left without the means to afford basics such as food, clothing, medical supplies, accommodation or reasonable education.

To decide whether serious hardship exists, the ATO will use an income/outgoings test and an assets/liabilities test.

The income/outgoings test assesses your capacity to meet your tax liabilities from your current income, taking into account your household income and expenditure. The assets/liabilities test looks at what equity or assets you may have access to, as an indication of whether you can pay – for example, your residential property, motor vehicles, life insurance or annuity entitlements, collections, furniture and household goods, or tools of trade.

The ATO will also consider a range of other relevant factors, depending on your particular circumstances.

What might the Federal Government’s proposed electric car discounts mean for taxpayers?

One of the new Federal Government’s policies, announced as part of its election platform, is to make certain electric vehicles exempt from import tariffs, and from the fringe benefits tax (FBT) imposed on electric cars that are provided through work for private use. These exemptions would apply to vehicles valued below the threshold for the luxury car tax for low-emission vehicles.

Under the current statutory formula for valuing car fringe benefits, electric cars are arguably at a disadvantage compared to fossil fuel-consuming cars, but the FBT exemption proposal would tilt the balance very much back in favour of the electric car.

For example, an employee on a salary of $150,000 who salary-packages a $60,000 electric car with annual running costs (including lease payments) of $17,000 net of GST could expect to be around $4,500 better off annually after tax, due to the change in FBT treatment.

The exemption from the 5% import tariff should also make certain electric vehicles cheaper for Australian consumers and businesses.

The government has indicated that the electric car discount policy would be reviewed after three years, taking account of developments in the adoption of electric cars by that time.

Tax benefits for unused “carry forward” concessional superannuation contributions

From 1 July 2019, new rules were introduced that allow eligible people to claim tax deductions for the unused portion of their super concessional contributions caps from prior years. This brings tax deductions into the current financial year that would have otherwise been in excess of the ordinary annual concessional contribution cap.

A concessional contribution is defined as a contribution to a super fund before tax. This type of contribution is taxed at a flat rate of 15% in your fund.

Concessional contributions can come from several sources: from your employer, from pre-tax salary sacrificed contributions you may elect to make through your employer, and from contributions you make personally and claim a tax deduction. The combined total of these contributions counts towards your concessional contribution cap.

The 2022 financial year concessional contribution cap is $27,500, an increase from the previous financial year’s $25,000.

The new rules give allow you to look back on each financial year from 1 July 2018 to calculate the “unused” portion of your concessional contributions cap in each financial year. You can then “carry forward” and, when desired, “catch up” and claim the unused portion in a later financial year, which can achieve a better tax outcome for that financial year, and maximise the amount you’re able to contribute to super.

You can only claim unused super contributions from previous years if your total super balance is less than $500,000 at 30 June in the financial year before the year when you make catch-up contributions, and unused concessional cap amounts can only be carried forward for a maximum of five years.

What are the benefits?

Making a catch-up contribution is an easy way to boost your super balance at a time when you have the financial resources to do so, while offering significant tax benefits. For example:

• Your work patterns and income may fluctuate from year to year. A tax deduction for super contributions may not be needed in a low income year, but may be useful the following financial year if your income is significantly higher.
• Restricted cash flow may prevent you from making super contributions, but you can make catch-up contributions when your situation improves.
• Your usual income may mean there’s no real tax advantage in making super contributions, but if you sell a large capital asset like shares or a rental property, you could have a significant capital gain. You could then make a catch-up super contribution to reduce your taxable income in the year of that sale.

TIP: Concessional superannuation contributions can be a complex area. It’s best to seek professional advice so you can implement the right strategies for your circumstances and maximise your super savings.

Personal super deductions: remember the notice of intent

The end of financial year is fast approaching, and people with excess savings or who have received a bonus since the beginning of the year may want to use the extra cash to grow their super. One of the easiest ways to grow your super and get a tax deduction at the same time is to make a personal superannuation contribution.

If you’re considering making a personal contribution to your super and would like to claim a deduction, it’s important to remember to give the required notice to your super fund before making a claim in your tax return. There have been recent cases of taxpayers
being denied deductions for personal super contributions where they didn’t provide the required notice to a super fund in time.

A deduction for a personal contribution can only be claimed if the income earned came from your salary and wages, a personal business, investments, government pensions or allowances, superannuation, partnership or trust distributions, or a foreign source.

If you’re aged between 67 and 74 years, you must also meet the work test or satisfy the work test exemption criteria to be able to claim a deduction for any personal contributions made. There are also contribution deduction rules for people aged 75 years or older.

The ATO provides a standard form for giving the required notice to super funds. Many super funds also have their own online forms which can be lodged easily. Your fund will then send a written acknowledgment to the ATO indicating that it’s received a valid notice from you. Only then can you claim the deduction in your tax return.