Today, the Expert Panel for annual wage reviews (Panel) of the Fair Work Commission (Commission) has held that it is appropriate to increase the modern award minimum wages by 3.5 per cent. The national minimum wage (NMW) will now be $719.20 per week (that is, $18.93 per hour). The determinations and order giving effect to the Panel’s decision will come into operation on 1 July 2018.

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 Government has released a bill that provides a “one off” 12 month amnesty to encourage employers to self-correct historical super guarantee non-compliance.

The Government has released a bill to “add back” limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) loans in the calculation of a member’s total superannuation balance (TSB).

The Government has released a bill to extend the application of the non-arm’s length income (NALI) rules to income and capital gains gained or produced under arrangements involving non-arm’s length expenditure. The genesis of this measure was non-commercial limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) loans but the proposed legislation applies to all arrangements where there is non-arm’s length expenditure or costs and also to arrangements where assets are acquired for under market value consideration.

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 Commissioner issued TR 2017/D10 on 13 December 2017 with his “preliminary views” on amending a trust’s vesting date and the income tax consequences of a trust vesting.

In a recent Fair Work Commission decision, the Full Bench held five days’ unpaid leave per annum would be provided to all award-covered employees (including casuals) experiencing family and domestic violence.

The Federal Government has announced further measures to assist in curbing illegal phoenix activity as part of the release of the 2018 Budget on 8 May 2018.

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.

As hoped, the Federal Government’s 2018 Budget did not contain too many changes in relation to superannuation and what changes were announced were generally positive.

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.

The Government has announced a proposal to increase the maximum number of members that a self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) can have from 4 to 6.  

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.

Naming your business or products can be a tricky and time consuming process. You want a name that represents who you are, and what you do but is also catchy and unique. Importantly, that name should also be one which can be protected by registering a trade mark. You can read why trade mark registration is so important here

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.