Articles

In this article, we explore some issues relevant to 2020/21 FBT compliance for cars. The reference in this article to cars is intended to cover only passenger vehicles, not utes, vans etc. which may attract an FBT exemption in circumstances where (amongst other things) the only private travel is home/work travel, and/or other private travel […]

Question What are the requirements to be able to claim GST credits on a credit card surcharge that is not shown on the tax invoice? This typically arises when making payments to suppliers using credit card via their on-line portal. Answer The ATO’s view on credit card surcharges is set out in GSTR 2014/2. Generally, […]

Question We wish to confirm whether benefits to staff consisting of remote area housing assistance in the form of employee rent reimbursements/payment are reportable fringe benefits? Answer The reportable fringe benefits regime does not apply to all fringe benefits an employer may provide to employees. Certain benefits (called ‘excluded benefits’) are not required to be […]

Due to the economic impact of COVID-19 many local councils (along with the state and federal government) are providing grants to assist with the economic recovery. In particular local councils such as Melbourne City Council, City of Sydney and Brisbane City Council are providing grants to stimulate business and businesses in their locality. A question […]

Question We are recruiting seasonal workers for fruit picking employment from other states. These seasonal workers must / or may need to be in quarantine for a period on arrival and on their return home from their employment as a result of COVID-19. If we, as their employer reimburse them for all quarantine expenses, here […]

In August 2018, an independent review of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission legislation was handed down and included 30 recommendations relating to objects, functions and powers; regulatory framework; red tape reduction; and additional amendments (click here to see review findings). The Government’s response to these recommendations was released in March 2020, with the Government […]

The end of the FBT year draws near!  Each year, there are new developments to keep in mind when preparing your organisation’s FBT return – and this year we have even more to cover! At TaxEd, we understand you’re busy and it can be tough to stay on top of all the latest tax FBT […]

What happens if an employee has not (and cannot) provide an employer with adequate and current substantiation of salary-packaged expense reimbursements? Are there problems for both the employer and the employee? Consider this. Mary commences employment with a PBI in 2017 and elects to enter into a salary sacrifice arrangement to access her PBI exemption […]

What are the proposed details of the JobMaker Scheme? Can your organisation utilize the Scheme? Is a particular prospective employee within the ambit of the Scheme?   The JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme that was announced as part of the 2020-21 Federal Budget (‘Scheme’) is designed to improve the prospect of young individuals getting employment in […]

For certain not-for-profit (‘NFP’) employers, there is, in addition to the standard $30,000 or $17,000 FBT exemption or rebate cap a further grossed-up cap of $5,000 for salary packaged meal entertainment. It is common in many NFP sectors (e.g. healthcare, PBI’s etc) for employers to allow salary packaging of meal entertainment up to the $5,000 […]