Public

Category assigned to articles which are accessible to the public without membership.

Member Q&A – GST and the treatment of credit card surcharges

Question Council is introducing a credit card processing fee to recover the cost of merchant fees incurred. We are seeking advice as to the correct GST treatment and confirmation as to which of the two possible options is correct: The fee may be taxable or GST free, depending on the GST treatment of the underlying […]

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Member Q&A: Can the operating cost method be used even if no logbook has been kept?

Question We have had many staff home garage cars due to COVID lockdown and these cars were only driven for maintenance purposes. The ATO has indicated that for the purpose of operating cost method the cars will not be ‘held’ for the purposes of providing fringe benefits during that period. Are we able to choose

Member Q&A: Can the operating cost method be used even if no logbook has been kept? Read More »

Is your entity really a Public Benevolent Institution?

A Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) seeking deductible gift recipient (DGR) status is required to be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) under the charity subtype, PBI prior to seeking DRG endorsement with the ATO. In assessing whether an organisation is a PBI, most Federal, State and Territory regulatory bodies including the ACNC

Is your entity really a Public Benevolent Institution? Read More »

Managing employee relocation costs in a tax effective manner

We have recently completed our annual FBT Roadshow and once again many of the complexities of FBT were revealed through questions raised in the sessions. One common issue centred around employee relocation costs and how best to structure these costs from both the employee and the employer’s perspective. In many cases it seems that the

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GST and grants: Need more guidance? Is there a better way?

From TaxEd’s perspective, we regularly receive questions via our Q&A service asking whether grants paid or received by government entities (including departments and/or councils) and not-for-profits are subject to GST. The majority of these questions agitate on whether there is ‘sufficient nexus’, or whether there is ‘no supply’. In our responses, we regularly refer to

GST and grants: Need more guidance? Is there a better way? Read More »

Car fringe benefits: Can you reduce your FBT liability in 2021?

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

Car fringe benefits: Can you reduce your FBT liability in 2021? Read More »

Member Q&A – Is remote area housing rent assistance a reportable fringe benefit?

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

Member Q&A – Is remote area housing rent assistance a reportable fringe benefit? Read More »

When is a COVID-19 grant from a local government subject to GST?

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

When is a COVID-19 grant from a local government subject to GST? Read More »

This article provides a general summary of the subject covered and cannot be relied upon in relation to any specific instance. It is not intended to be, nor should it be relied upon as, a substitute for professional advice. TaxEd Pty Ltd and any person connected with its production disclaim any liability in connection with any use.