The ART decision in XLZH v FCT looked at whether pre-CGT assets owned by a discretionary trust kept that status under Division 149 and to the extent to which ATO Ruling IT 2430 can be relied upon in applying Division 149.

#CGT, #Division 149, #discretionary trusts, #Tax, #IT 2430

This article is the third in a three-part series setting out practical solutions to common issues in super, tax and estate planning, with a particular focus on the tax impact of payments to beneficiaries.

Part 3 of our series looks at the tax issues which should be considered when paying death benefits in specie, including capital gains tax and the super ‘death tax’.

#superannuation #SMSF #deathtax #deathbenefits #estateplanning #deathbenefitdependant #CGT #inspecie #BDBN

The Federal Court has confirmed that a liability to pay Capital Gains Tax applies to trustees in bankruptcy in respect of capital gains derived in their capacity as trustee.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has issued Taxation Determination TD 2021/2 that contains the ATO view that companies which carry on a business will be unable to benefit from the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions if the relevant asset is mainly used to derive rent (TD 2021/2 was issued as Draft TD 2019/D4 that we discussed here).

The ATO has released a private binding ruling (Ruling) on the deductibility of certain expenses incurred by a self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) trustee in managing the SMSF’s share portfolio.

Restructuring and CGT roll-overs: tips for Advisors Slide Overview

1. Roll-overs Relief 101;

We wrote here on the decision of Thawley J of the Federal Court in Peter Greensill Family Co Pty Ltd (trustee) v FCT (Greensill) where the Commissioner of Taxation was successful in arguing that section 855-10 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) does not disregard a capital gain distributed to a foreign resident beneficiary of an Australian discretionary trust. The taxpayer has appealed that decision to the Full Federal Court.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) position for several years has been a foreign beneficiary distributed a capital gain made by an Australian discretionary trust on an asset that is not taxable Australian property is assessed on the capital gain even though that would not occur if the foreign resident made the gain directly, or through a fixed trust. Some commentators disagree with that view, the Federal Court in a recent case agreed with the ATO position in what may be the first skirmish of a battle through the courts on this issue.

The Federal Court in FCT v Eichmann [2019] FCA 2155 (Eichmann) held that land used for storage was not an active asset for purposes of the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions in Division 152 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997).

This is the sixth in our international tax series.

In this article we recap and summarise previous articles as those articles relate to:

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) sought to address this question through a public determination (first issued in draft as TD 2018/D3) that considered a range of features of an arrangement, that when considered together, were deemed to have resulted in the creation of a new trust over assets formerly held by an original trust.

As previously reporting here, the Government recently resurrected measures to deny the capital gains tax (CGT) main residence exemption to foreign tax residents.

Our international tax series considers tax issues for non-resident beneficiaries of Australian trusts and Australian beneficiaries of non-resident trusts.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) recently released Taxation Determinations TD 2019/D6 and TD 2019/D7 (together the Determinations) that concern Australian discretionary trusts distributing capital gains to foreign beneficiaries.

Our international tax series discusses tax issues relating to non-resident beneficiaries of Australian trusts and resident beneficiaries of foreign trusts.

As reported in our earlier article [link] on Paule v FCT, the Federal Court held that the capital gains tax (CGT) discount did not apply to the sale of shares held by a trust. As expected, the taxpayer has now lodged an appeal to the Full Federal Court.  

Previously we reported here and here, legislation was introduced to the Parliament in October 2017 (then dropped) and again in February 2018 regarding proposed changes to the CGT main residence exemption as that exemption applies to foreign residents.

We have previously written on the ATO releasing guidance on demergers and back-to-back CGT roll-overs. The ATO recently released Draft Taxation Determination TD 2019/D1 concerning demergers although the ATO’s draft views may be illustrative of the Commissioner’s views in the context of back-to-back CGT rollovers.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has determined that land, used to store tools and materials for the purposes of operating a business, constituted an “active asset” for the purposes of the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions.

The taxation of trusts and foreign benefi ciaries is complex. As the world globalises, what was an exception is now “the new black”. Reform is long overdue.