Here we go, Treasury releases Division 7A consultation

Here we go, Treasury releases Division 7A consultation

As we have previously reported, the Government announced in the 2017 Budget that amendments would be made to Division 7A incorporating recommendations from the 2014 Board of Taxation’s final report on the ‘Post Implementation Review of Division 7A of Part III of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936’ (the earlier report).

MD Commercial: transfers to “bare” trustees failed to qualify for an exemption from Victorian stamp duty

MD Commercial: transfers to “bare” trustees failed to qualify for an exemption from Victorian stamp duty

The Victorian Supreme Court in the decision of MD Commercial Pty Ltd & AJ Commercial Pty Ltd v Commissioner of State Revenue [2018] VSC 560 confirmed that certain transfers of land to trustees were not exempt from duty under section 35 of the Duties Act 2000.

Victorian Supreme Court strikes a blow to payroll tax clampdown against the healthcare industry: The Optical Superstore Case

Victorian Supreme Court strikes a blow to payroll tax clampdown against the healthcare industry: The Optical Superstore Case

Lately, revenue authorities have focused heavily on investigating medical, dental, optometry and other allied health clinics.

CGT Discount Denied for Employee Share Scheme interest holder

CGT Discount Denied for Employee Share Scheme interest holder

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has denied a taxpayer a capital gains tax (CGT) discount on a gain on the disposal of shares she acquired as part of an employee share scheme (ESS).

Sladen Snippet - Fox v FC of T: A cautionary tale on Employee Share Schemes

Sladen Snippet - Fox v FC of T: A cautionary tale on Employee Share Schemes

A taxpayer has been found liable for a tax bill of $106,058 in relation to shares they acquired as part of an employee share scheme (ESS) with their previous employer, NewSat Limited, a now insolvent company with a share value of nil. 

Changes in the wind: increased tightening of taxpayers’ eligibility to CGT small business concessions

Changes in the wind: increased tightening of taxpayers’ eligibility to CGT small business concessions

The application of the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions in Division 152 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (CGT Concessions) is an area of interest for the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Corporate tax residency – tax ruling highlights the need for foreign companies to manage residency risk

Corporate tax residency – tax ruling highlights the need for foreign companies to manage residency risk

Foreign companies that may be controlled by an Australian entity should review their key decision-making procedures following the newly issued Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Taxation Ruling, TR 2018/5 (TR 2018/5) which gives guidance on when the ATO could find a foreign company’s central management and control (CMC) is located in Australia.

CGT marriage breakdown rollover does not apply to entities controlled by former spouses

CGT marriage breakdown rollover does not apply to entities controlled by former spouses

In Ellison v Sandini Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 44, the Full Federal Court overturned decision which allowed Mr Sandini (the Taxpayer) to benefit from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) marriage breakdown rollover for the transfer of shares to an entity controlled by his former spouse, pursuant to a Family Court Order (FCO).

Sladen Snippet - What is “market value” for the purpose of the MNAV test

Sladen Snippet - What is “market value” for the purpose of the MNAV test

In Commissioner of Taxation v Miley, the Federal Court overturned decision of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) concerning the share valuation method for the purposes of the maximum net asset value (MNAV) test in s 152-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

Sladen Snippet - ATO to disclose overdue tax debts to credit agencies

Sladen Snippet - ATO to disclose overdue tax debts to credit agencies

In the 2016-2017 Economic and Fiscal Outlook (http://www.budget.gov.au/2016-17/content/myefo/download/09-Appendix-A-Revenue.pdf), the Government announced that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) would be allowed to report to credit reporting agencies the tax debt information of entities that don’t effectively engage with the ATO to manage those tax debts.

Sladen Snippet - Differential streaming of franked dividends and franking credits case granted special leave

Sladen Snippet - Differential streaming of franked dividends and franking credits case granted special leave

On 23 October 2017, the Commissioner was granted special leave to appeal to the High Court against the Full Federal Court’s decision from earlier this year in Thomas v Commissioner of Taxation 2017 FCAFC 57.

Case illustrates primacy of Part IVC in challenging assessments

Case illustrates primacy of Part IVC in challenging assessments

The strength of the Commissioner of Taxation’s (Commissioner) hand in raising taxation assessments, and the difficulties taxpayers face in challenging a taxation assessment other than under Part IVC of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Administration Act) has again been illustrated in the Federal Court decision of Chhua v Commissioner of Taxation [2017] FCA 1127 (Chhua).

ATO provides a “safe harbour” for fixed trusts

ATO provides a “safe harbour” for fixed trusts

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) published the final version of the Practical Compliance Guidelines (PCG) 2016/16, which provides guidance in relation to what will be considered by the Commissioner when exercising his discretion to treat an interest in the income or capital of a trust as being a fixed entitlement and by extension whether a trust is a fixed trust for the purposes of the tax law.

GST on the sale of residential property – a lesson from the Sebel Manly Beach Hotel

GST on the sale of residential property – a lesson from the Sebel Manly Beach Hotel

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) recently held in the case of MSAUS v FC of T that Division 135 of the Good and Services Tax (GST) Act did not apply to impose an increasing adjustment [an amount of GST on an otherwise GST-free transaction] to the sale of leased residential apartments

Sladen Snippet - ATO guidance on liability of a legal personal representative of a deceased person

Sladen Snippet - ATO guidance on liability of a legal personal representative of a deceased person

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released for public comment draft Practical Compliance Guideline (PCG) 2017/D12, which gives guidance to the legal personal representative (LPR) of a deceased person as to circumstances where the LPR may be personally liable for the deceased’s tax liability.