The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far reaching impact on our clients, referrers and staff, their families and communities. We remain committed to helping ensure the health and safety of all people in our broader networks.

The Australian Government has recently issued its response to a legislation review undertaken by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) titled ‘Strengthening for Purpose:

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a significant impact across Australia. At Sladen Legal we remain acutely aware of the impact this is having, and may continue to have for the foreseeable future, for our clients. We are taking a position of ‘business as usual’ with our offices still being attended, whilst keeping abreast of the evolving direction from various authorities.

As announced in 2019/20 budget, the Government has released draft legislation and draft regulations to extend the work test start date to age 67 and to allow the use of bring forward contributions for persons aged 65 and 66.

A look at Blockchain technology and how it is changing the legal landscape of everyday business.

As we previously reported here, in the decision of Thawley J in Greig v Commissioner of Taxation [2018] FCA 1084 the taxpayer was unsuccessful in arguing the loss on selling shares was deductible on the basis he was in the business of dealing in shares. The taxpayer appealed this decision.

When most people think of self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) they mostly think of a vehicle to provide retirement benefits and their concessional tax treatment. In contrast, the asset protection benefit provided by SMSFs is often not considered.

After being in limbo for a number of years, the bill to introduce the super guarantee amnesty has now passed both houses of parliament and awaits Royal Assent.

Sladen Legal is delighted to announce that Principal, Phil Broderick has been recognised by the SMSF Association by being presented with the SMSF Specialist Advisor (SSA) Top Achiever 2019 Award.

The clampdown by revenue authorities on investigating medical, dental, optometry and other allied clinics is anticipated to continue, with the High Court refusing to grant special leave to appeal the Victorian Court of Appeal’s decision in the Optical Superstore case.

The ATO has released a draft legislative instrument and explanatory statement that would permit a holding trustee/bare trustee to borrow under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA).

The recent AAT decision of The Trustee for the Whitby Trust and Commissioner of Taxation
[2019] AATA 5637 signifies the dire tax implications of family trusts failing to observe documentary formalities.

The rules for testing whether a trust can utilise a prior year tax loss are complex.

This article provides tips and traps around accessing land transfer duty exemptions for the transfer of Victorian real estate from a trust to a beneficiary.

Funding buy-sell agreements via insurance policies is a favoured option. Advisers should consider the merits of holding these policies via trust structures.

Careful consideration of the identity of the appointor of a trust, and the scope of their powers, is essential in succession planning.

Regulation 13.22C unit trusts are an important structuring option for self-managed superannuation fund investments. However, is the administrative burden worth it?

While consistent with recent ATO views, TD 2019/D6 and TD 2019/D7 provide minimal clarification on the taxation of Australian discretionary trusts distributing capital gains to foreign beneficiaries.

Writers and journalists who are looking to reproduce or adapt existing content in their own work should read up on the risks of using copyright-protected content without permission.

The State Revenue Office (SRO) have announced that its current “practical approach” in relation to whether trustees of discretionary trusts trigger the foreign duty surcharge will cease from 1 March 2020.