ATO focuses on unusually high work-related expense claims

Know your Work-Related Expenses Work-related claims such as claims for car, travel, self-education and clothing expenses, represent one of the largest categories of claims made in individual tax returns. Around 8.5 million individuals claim work-related expenses on...

Have a similar superannuation balance as your spouse?

By way of background since May 2007 it was common to increase the older person in the relationship superannuation balance at the expense of the younger spouse. Explaining your Spousal Balance Superannuation Let’s generalise and say for example you are born after 1965,...

Beware: Some Employee reimbursements attract SGC

Recently, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’) confirmed the Commissioner’s view that the description of the payment is not decisive when determining the superannuation guarantee (‘SG’) obligations; thus the taxpayer who reimbursed his employee for car expenses...

Enduring Powers of Attorney – what you need to know

An enduring power of attorney is a document that allows you to appoint someone to make personal or financial decisions on your behalf. In contrast to a general power of attorney, the enduring power of attorney remains effective even once you lose capacity (i.e. once...

When do SMSFs require assets to be valued?

The trustee of a Self Managed Superannuation Fund is required to have the assets of the fund valued in the following circumstances. Note, it is not sufficient to value the assets at their cost price it is mandatory that they are valued at their market value.  The...