The Federal Government handed down the Federal Budget on 12 May 2026, with some of the biggest changes to the tax system in years. Some of the main proposed changes include: Delivering a new Working Australians Tax Offset ('WATO') to provide a permanent annual $250...
The ATO has released updated guidance to clarify how it assesses rental property income and expenses, to reflect changes in the way investors rent out their properties. This is particularly important for clients whose rental property also doubles as a holiday home. If a rental property that...
The Government recently passed legislation making changes to the foreign resident capital gains withholding laws (among other changes). Foreign resident capital gains withholding is relevant for all vendors selling certain taxable real property (e.g., Australian land). Even Australian residents can be caught by these laws because, if...
Taxpayers who have work done on their rental property should consider the following factors in determining claims for expenses. Repairs and general maintenance are expenses for work done to remedy or prevent defects, damage or deterioration from using the property to earn income. These expenses can...
The main residence exemption needs to be considered in a variety of situations when a taxpayer sells a property they have lived in. The ATO hopes that the following tips will help in this regard: Taxpayers should consider if they have started earning income from their...
The ATO will be taking a close look this 'tax time' at the following common errors made by taxpayers: Work related expenses: Taxpayers using the 'revised fixed rate method' of calculating a working from home deduction must have comprehensive records to substantiate their claims, including records...
Taxpayers should remember that they can only claim deductions for holiday home expenses to the extent they are incurred for the purpose of gaining or producing rental income. They need to consider the following in determining whether the deductions they wish to claim are valid rental...
The ATO is reminding taxpayers that have a residential rental property, to take care when making claims for ‘second-hand depreciating assets’ used in their properties. In most cases, these are items that existed in the taxpayer's property when they purchased it, or were in their private...
Almost one‑third of people made mistakes when claiming their interest deductions. This information will help you get your claims right in your tax return. Remember the following three key points: The property must be rented, or genuinely available for rent at the time you incur the...
In 2019/20, over 1.8 million Australians owned rental properties and claimed $38 billion in deductions, so the ATO is reminding property investors to beware of common tax traps that can delay refunds or lead to an audit costing taxpayers time and money. The most common mistake...