Mandating cash acceptance The Government recently announced that it was delivering on its commitment “to mandate cash acceptance for essential purchases by finalising regulations that require fuel and grocery retailers to accept cash from 1 January 2026.” The changes mean that, from 1 January 2026, most food and grocery retailers must accept cash for in-person … Read more
Alternative providers to the SBSCH Employers should start preparing for the permanent closure of the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (‘SBSCH’) on 1 July 2026. By acting now to find an alternative service, employers will: have an established process in place to pay super guarantee (‘SG’) for the March and June quarters (if they currently … Read more
Employees incorrectly treated as independent contractors The ATO is warning businesses that if they incorrectly treat an employee as an independent contractor, then they risk receiving penalties and charges, including: PAYG withholding penalty for failing to deduct tax from worker payments and send it to the ATO; Super guarantee charge (‘SGC’), which is more than … Read more
ATO to include tax ‘debts on hold’ in taxpayer account balances From August 2025, the ATO is progressively including ‘debts on hold’ in relevant taxpayer ATO account balances. Editor: A ‘debt on hold’ is an outstanding tax debt where the ATO has previously paused debt collection actions. Tax debts will generally be placed on hold … Read more
Paid parental leave changes have now commenced As from 1 July 2025, the amount of Paid Parental Leave available to families increased to 24 weeks, and the amount of Paid Parental Leave that parents can take off at the same time has also increased from two weeks to four weeks. Superannuation will now also be … Read more
Changes to car thresholds from 1 July The car limit for the 2026 income year is $69,674.This is the highest value that a taxpayer can use to calculate depreciation on a car where they use the car for work or business purposes and they first use or lease the car in the 2026 income year. … Read more
Download our 2022/23 Individual Tax Return Checklist for business
‘Wild’ tax deduction attempts The ATO recently revealed some of the ‘wild’ work related expense tax claims people have tried to “put past” the ATO, including the following: A mechanic tried to claim an air fryer, microwave, two vacuum cleaners, a TV, gaming console and gaming accessories as work-related. The claim was denied as these … Read more
How to manage business day-to-day transactions The ATO has the following tips for small business owners “that can make your tax life easier”: They should keep an eye on upcoming expenses, and regularly update their books and reconcile their accounts. They should set aside the GST they collect (e.g., by transferring it into another bank … Read more
ATO’s new focus for small business The ATO is currently focusing on the following ‘specific risk areas’, where it is concerned “small businesses are getting it wrong”: Contractors omitting income — with a focus on data matching to ensure all income is reported. Quarterly to monthly BAS reporting for GST purposes — The ATO will … Read more
