With seven sitting days left in the current financial year, the Tax Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan Base Rate Entities) Bill 2017 (the Bill), that proposes to deny the lower 27.5% corporate tax rate to corporate tax entities with less than $25 million of turnover that derive predominantly (80% or more) passive income has not been debated by the Parliament since 12 February 2018. This Bill, if passed and assented to, will apply from 1 July 2017. That is, for the current income year.

Australia is obligated under Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) regimes to automatically exchange financial account information with foreign jurisdictions.

Sladen Legal recently held an event at the RACV club titled 'Regulatory overreach, more red tape or business as usual?'

On 17 May 2018, the ATO updated its practice statement (PS LA 2008/6) providing for a more robust and comprehensive process before the Commissioner can form an opinion there has been fraud or evasion.  Where the Commissioner forms an opinion there has been fraud or evasion by a taxpayer in a particular income year, he then has an unlimited amendment period in which to raise an amended assessment outside of the usual 2 or 4-year time limits.

A taxpayer has been charged with offences after losing a Victorian Court of Appeal case in which the taxpayer argued that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) could not prove service of a final notice requiring him to lodge four outstanding income tax returns by a specified date.

The recent Federal Court decision of Rowntree v FCT [2018] FCA 182, (Rowntree) dismissing the taxpayer’s appeal, considered whether amounts received by the taxpayer were income rather than loan receipts.

The tax focus of last night’s Budget speech and the associated media coverage was on personal income tax cuts and measures aimed at large companies and the black economy.

The Commissioner of Taxation (Commissioner) has power pursuant to section 255-15(1) of Schedule 1 of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to permit a taxpayer to pay its tax-related liability by instalments in accordance with a payment arrangement. The recent Federal Court decision of Stojic v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation [2018] FCA 483 (Stojic) dismissed an application by the sole director and shareholder of a company to review a decision by the Commissioner to decline to exercise that power illustrates two major points.

As we have previously reported, on 29 March 2018 the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No. 1) Act amending the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (the Act) received Royal Assent.

Sladen Legal Principal, Daniel Smedley, has again been named as one of Australia’s best lawyers in the 11th edition of the Best Lawyers In Australia, for his work in Tax Law. The accolade was announced in the Australian Financial Review on 12 April 2018.

Division 6C was introduced in 1985 to tax public unit trusts like companies unless they restricted their activities to essentially passive investment activities (‘eligible investment business’). Stapled structures arose to allow the combination of trading activities, in a company, with associated non-trading assets in a trust to which Division 6C does not apply.

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).

As widely reported in the media, the debate on the Tax Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan No. 2) Bill 2017 resumes on 8 May 2018 when the Parliament reconvenes for the Budget sittings.

As previously reported in February 2018 (see here), the Commonwealth Government introduced into Parliament legislation that would require purchasers of taxable supplies of new residential premises or new subdivisions of potential residential land to pay either 1/11, or 7% if the margin scheme applies, of the purchase price to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at settlement.

two-tiered company tax rates create compliance and practical issues for trusts that distribute to bucket companies — not just for companies.

The ATO has effectively ruled, from 1 July 2017, that SMSFs can no longer create most types of reserves or have “unexplained increases” in pre-1 July 2017 reserves.

As previously reported in November 2017 (see here), the Treasury Laws Amendment (Housing Tax Integrity) Bill 2017 introduced to the Parliament in October of that year dropped, without notice or explanation, reference to the proposed change to the CGT main residence exemption as that exemption applies to foreign residents.

On 7 February 2018 the Commonwealth Government introduced into Parliament legislation which if enacted will, subject to a transitional rule (discussed further below), require from 1 July 2018 that purchasers of taxable supplies of new residential premises or new subdivisions of potential residential land pay either 1/11, or 7% if the margin scheme applies, of the purchase price to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at settlement (the Legislation). 

On 8 February 2018, the Government released for public consultation exposure draft legislation to implement the announcement in the 2017 Budget regarding integrity improvements to the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions.

The Victorian Court of Appeal recently successfully allowed an appeal from the Supreme Court concerning the GST treatment of a property sale. The decision, in fact both decisions, illustrate the importance of ensuring that the contract of sale correctly sets out whether the price includes or excludes GST and the required due diligence including legal advice needed before signing such contracts.