News & Resources

This month we look at several important developments and practical compliance issues affecting individuals, businesses, trusts and SMSF trustees. The Government’s proposed 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts could have significant implications for some family groups, particularly where trusts distribute income to companies, although the rules remain subject to consultation and aren’t final yet.
 
We also clear up some common misconceptions regarding deductions for travel expenses and overtime meal expenses in light of the ATO’s new 2026–27 travel and overtime meal allowance rates. With the Commonwealth penalty unit increasing from 1 July 2026, we highlight how this change could increase the cost of late lodgements and other compliance mistakes.
 
Finally, we look at SMSF property valuations and related-party leases, and the importance of having appropriate evidence ready to support market values and arm’s-length rental arrangements during the annual audit.

This month we explore a range of recent tax and superannuation developments that may affect individuals, business owners and trustees. We begin with the High Court's landmark Bendel decision, which provides greater clarity around the tax treatment of unpaid trust distributions that are owed to corporate beneficiaries, while also highlighting the need to consider other anti-avoidance provisions. We then explore the ATO's increasing focus on sharing economy income as expanded data-matching programs make it more important than ever to correctly report earnings from online platforms.
 
Next, we outline the updated 2026–27 business vehicle thresholds, including the latest depreciation limits, GST credit caps and Luxury Car Tax thresholds, to help businesses make more informed purchasing decisions. Finally, we examine the new restrictions on SMSF borrowing arrangements, with changes that are likely to affect trustees looking to acquire property through limited recourse borrowing arrangements and important transitional rules that may apply to existing transactions.

This month we focus on several significant developments affecting employers, investors, business owners and SMSF trustees.
 
While the Federal Budget was only handed down in May, the Government has already announced some changes to key proposals and we take a look at the latest developments. We highlight the commencement of Payday Super from 1 July 2026 and what employers need to do now to ensure they comply with more frequent superannuation payment obligations. We also examine the ATO’s increased scrutiny of personal services income arrangements and the practical steps business owners can take to reduce the risk of anti-avoidance rules applying. We explore the sharp rise in complaints to the Tax Ombudsman, including important developments around tax debt interest and penalty remission. Finally, we provide a practical checklist for SMSF trustees as a new financial year begin.

This month we unpack some of the most controversial proposals from the Federal Budget, including changes to negative gearing, the CGT discount and trust taxation. We examine key proposals and practical issues that can be considered now, even though some of the final details of the changes aren’t yet available. We then turn to the business payments landscape, outlining the Reserve Bank’s ban on card surcharges from 1 October 2026 and the practical actions businesses should take now. We explore the Government’s plan to wind back the current FBT exemption for electric vehicles and how this will play out over the next few years. Finally, our SMSF year-end article highlights the critical compliance steps trustees should turn their minds to before 30 June, including valuations, contributions, pensions and documentation.

This month we cover several practical updates that will matter for businesses and individuals as we head towards the financial year-end. The ATO’s revised EV home-charging rate delivers more generous deductions for work-related car claims and can impact on FBT calculations too. The Federal Government has also released targeted tax relief to help businesses hit by Middle East–driven fuel disruptions, with new flexibility around payment plans, interest remissions and compliance activity. We look at the ATO’s new “verify call” feature, a simple but powerful tool that lets you instantly confirm whether an ATO caller is genuine — a major safeguard as scam activity peaks. Finally, we outline the upcoming increases to superannuation contribution caps from 1 July 2026 and what they mean for optimising concessional and non-concessional contribution strategies.