Illegal super schemes

Australian taxpayers should be aware that some promoters claim to offer early access to super savings by transferring a person’s super into a self-managed super fund. These schemes are illegal and heavy penalties will apply to those who participate in such schemes. Generally, individuals cannot access their super until they retire or meet a condition…

Quarterly GST reporting

Businesses with a GST turnover of less than $20 million who have not been asked by the ATO to report their GST on a monthly basis can report and pay their GST quarterly. Businesses who report and pay their GST quarterly have three reporting options: 1. Calculate and report GST quarterly This option allows businesses…

Succession planning for SMSF trustees

A responsibility that does not immediately spring to mind when managing a self-managed super fund is working out what will happen if a member becomes incapacitated and unable to perform their trustee duties. Succession planning for an SMSF can become quite complicated if not managed on an ongoing basis. It not only requires having a…

Avoiding CGT in your SMSF

It may be beneficial for trustees who buy and sell assets through their self-managed super fund to start a transition to retirement pension to escape the burden of capital gains tax. Capital gains are profits that an SMSF makes on the sale of an asset. Capital gains tax (CGT) is a tax on the profits…

No tax penalty when restructuring your business

Federal Parliament recently passed legislation that will allow small businesses to change the legal structure of their enterprise without incurring a capital gains tax (CGT) liability. Instead, the CGT liability can be deferred until eventual disposal. The legislation, ‘Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Restructure Roll-over) Bill 2016′, will apply from July 2016. It provides an…

Cutting down to the essentials

Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are an attractive option for those who want more control over their retirement savings. However, trustees who have run a fund for as long as SMSFs have been in existence (around 20 years) are likely to have accumulated a lot of paperwork, especially if they engaged in various super strategies throughout…

Contributing a lump sum into super

Australians can make two types of contributions each year; concessional contributions, which are taxed at 15 per cent, and non-concessional contributions, which are not taxed. There is a limit of $35,000 for concessional contributions and $180,000 for non-concessional contributions. However, individuals do have the option of using the three-year bring forward rule that allows taxpayers…

Renting out a room can incur CGT

A large number of Australians who rent out a room in their home, whether it be via Airbnb or another avenue, are unaware that the practice can incur capital gains tax (CGT). Many assume CGT is not on the cards because profit made from the family home (or ‘primary residence’) is usually tax-free. However, those…