Sladen Snippet - Government announces ability to commute market linked and legacy pensions

Sladen Snippet - Government announces ability to commute market linked and legacy pensions

A surprise inclusion in the Federal Government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) could mean good news for recipients of certain non-commutable ‘legacy’ pensions.

International Tax Series Part 7 – CGT main residence exemption for foreign resident beneficiaries of a deceased estate

International Tax Series Part 7 – CGT main residence exemption for foreign resident beneficiaries of a deceased estate

Our international tax series predominantly discusses Federal tax issues relating to non-resident (foreign) beneficiaries or non-resident trustees of a trust. This seventh article of the series focuses on the CGT main residence exemption (CGT MRE) for non-resident beneficiaries of deceased estates.

Payroll Tax Series – Part 5 – Victorian concessional regional rates

Payroll Tax Series – Part 5 – Victorian concessional regional rates

Thousands of businesses across regional Victoria have already taken advantage of the Victorian Government’s regional payroll tax cuts, which have saved businesses more than $31 million in the first financial year it was introduced.

Sladen Snippet - Mere acknowledgement of trust found not to be liable

Sladen Snippet - Mere acknowledgement of trust found not to be liable

In CCSR v Benidorm Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 285, the NSW Court of Appeal found that a ‘declaration of trust’ did not trigger duty on the basis that it merely acknowledged the existence of an existing trust.

Sladen Snippet - Court allows trustee to amend trust deed to exclude foreign beneficiaries to avoid land tax surcharge

Sladen Snippet - Court allows trustee to amend trust deed to exclude foreign beneficiaries to avoid land tax surcharge

Many states now have foreign land tax surcharges that apply to foreign persons including trustee of foreign trusts. As a result many trustees will consider amending their trust deeds to ensure that they don’t inadvertently trigger such surcharges.

Sladen Snippet - Court awarded damages in SMSF Property Development case

Sladen Snippet - Court awarded damages in SMSF Property Development case

While SMSF trustees should be aware of the ATO’s concerns in relation to property development (for example, as outlined in SMSFRB 2020/1), a recent Full Court of the Supreme Court of South Australia has highlighted the commercial risks of such arrangement.

Sladen Snippet - GST on sales of vacant land by sheep grazing business

Sladen Snippet - GST on sales of vacant land by sheep grazing business

For a supply to trigger a GST liability, it needs (amongst other things) to be made in the course of furtherance of an enterprise. A common GST question is whether the sales of vacant lots of land amount to carrying on an ‘enterprise’ and are subject to GST.

Payroll Tax Series – Part 6 - Contractors

Payroll Tax Series – Part 6 - Contractors

Payroll tax captures not only wages paid to employees but also certain payments made to contractors. In this part 6 of our payroll tax series, we look at what is a contractor and what payments to contractors are caught by the payroll tax regime. In part 7 we will examine the exemptions that apply to contractors.

AAT denies deductions for work-related expenses

AAT denies deductions for work-related expenses

AAT denies deductions for work-related expenses: Lambourne v Commissioner of Taxation [2020] AATA 4562

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) recently agreed with the Commissioner in disallowing certain deductions for work-related expenses.

Sladen Snippet - ATO finalises legislative instrument to deal with in-house asset issues for SMSFs offering rent deferrals to related party tenants

Sladen Snippet - ATO finalises legislative instrument to deal with in-house asset issues for SMSFs offering rent deferrals to related party tenants

As previously discussed here, the ATO has now finalised the legislative instrument Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (COVID-19 Rental income deferrals – In-house Asset Exclusion) Determination 2020 (Determination). The Determination does not materially differ from the draft version.

Payroll Tax Series – Part 7 - Contractor Exemptions

Payroll Tax Series – Part 7 - Contractor Exemptions

As follow on from part 6 of our payroll tax series, where we identified when payments to contractors will be caught by the payroll tax system, in this article we consider the various exemptions that can apply to such payments to contactors. Importantly, if any of these exemptions apply, such payments to contractors will not be subject to payroll tax.