2022/23 October Federal Budget Update
Author na1616mewedewd
On 25 October 2022, Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down an updated 2022/23 Federal Budget with following summary updates.
FBT exemption on electric cars
From 1 July
2022, the measure will exempt battery, hydrogen fuel cell and plug-in hybrid electric cars from fringe benefits tax and import tariffs if they have a first retail price below the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient cars. The car must not have been held or used before 1 July 2022. Employers will need to include exempt electric car fringe benefits in an employee’s reportable fringe benefits amount.
COVID-19 business grants are non-assessable non-exempt
The following state and territory COVID-19 grant programs are non-assessable non-exempt for income tax.
- Victoria Business Costs Assistance Program Four – Construction
- Victoria Licenced Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 – July Extension
- Victoria Licenced Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 – Top Up Payments
- Victoria Business Costs Assistance Program (Round Two Top Up, Round Three, Round Four, Round Five)
- Victoria Impacted Public Events Support Program Round Two
- Victoria Live Performance Support Program (Presenters) Round Two
- Victoria Live Performance Support Program (Suppliers) Round Two
- Victoria Commercial Landlord Hardship Fund 3
- Australian Capital Territory HOMEFRONT 3
- Australian Capital Territory Small Business Hardship Scheme
Changes to unlegislated taxation and superannuation measures introduced by previous government
Certain tax and super measures that were announced but not legislated by the previous Government will not be proceeded, including:
- The previous Government announced it would change the annual audit requirement to a three-yearly requirement for SMSFs with a history of good record-keeping and compliance.
- The 2018/19 Budget proposed introducing a limit of $10,000 for cash payments made to businesses for goods and services.
Certain tax and superannuation measures will be deferred to allow more time for policies to be legislated and implemented including:
- Introducing a sharing economy reporting regime for transactions relating to the supply of ride sourcing and short-term accommodation from 1 July 2022 will be deferred to 1 July 2023.
- Other reportable transactions including asset sharing, food delivery and tasking-based services will be deferred from 1 July 2023 to 1 July 2024.
- Relaxing residency requirements for SMSFs, from 1 July 2022 to the income year commencing on or after the date of Royal Assent of the enabling legislation. The previous Government announced that it would relax residency requirements for SMSFs by extending the ‘central control and management test’ safe harbour from two years to five years and removing the ‘active member test’. This measure is intended to allow SMSF members to continue to contribute to their superannuation fund whilst temporarily overseas.
Expanding the eligibility for downsizer contributions
The minimum eligibility age for the downsizer contribution will be reduced from 60 to 55 years from the start of the first quarter after Royal Assent of the enabling legislation. The downsizer contribution allows people to make a one-off post-tax contribution to their superannuation of up to $300,000 per person from the proceeds of selling their home.
The Government has also announced further measures to reduce the financial impact on pensioners looking to downsize their homes as:
- Extending the assets test exemption for principal home sale proceeds from 12 months to 24 months for income support recipients.
- Changing the income test to apply only the lower deeming rate (0.25%) to principal home sale proceeds when calculating deemed income for 24 months after the sale of the principal home.
Boosting Paid Parental Leave
Reforms will be introduced from 1 July 2023 so that either parent is able to claim the payment and birth parents and non-birth parents are allowed to receive the payment if they meet the eligibility criteria.
From 1 July 2024, the scheme will be expanded by two additional weeks a year until it reaches a full 26 weeks from 1 July 2026. Both parents will be able to share the leave entitlement, with a proportion maintained on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis. Sole parents will be able to access the full 26 weeks.
Digital currencies are not taxed as foreign currency
The Government will introduce legislation to confirm that digital currencies such as Bitcoin will continue to be excluded from the Australian income tax treatment of foreign currency. This maintains the current tax treatment of digital currencies where they are held as an investment. This measure removes uncertainty following the decision of the Government of El Salvador to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender and will be backdated to income years that include 1 July 2021.
The exclusion does not apply to digital currencies issued by, or under the authority of, a government agency, which continue to be taxed as foreign currency.
Reverse self-assessment of the effective life of intangible assets
The previous Government announced it would allow taxpayers to self-assess the tax effective lives of eligible intangible depreciating assets, such as patents, registered designs, copyrights and inhouse software.
This measure will not be proceeded.
Increase in Commonwealth penalty unit
The Commonwealth penalty unit will be increased from $222 to $275, from 1 January 2023. The amount will be indexed every three years in line with the CPI with the next indexation occurring on 1 July 2023.
ATO Compliance Programs
The Government has announced it will extend the following ATO compliance programs:
- Personal Income Taxation Compliance Program
The Government will provide funding to the ATO to extend its Personal Income Taxation Compliance Program for two years from 1 July 2023. This extension will enable the ATO to continue to deliver a combination of proactive, preventative and corrective activities in key areas of non-compliance, including overclaiming deductions and incorrect reporting of income. - Shadow Economy Program
The Government will extend the existing ATO Shadow Economy Program for a further three years from 1 July 2023. The extension of the Shadow Economy Program will enable the ATO to continue a strong and co-ordinated response to target shadow economy activity, protect revenue and level the playing field for those businesses that are following the rules. - Tax Avoidance Taskforce
The Government has boosted funding for the ATO Tax Avoidance Taskforce by around $200 million per year over four years from 1 July 2022, in addition to extending this Taskforce for a further year from 1 July 2025. The boosting and extension of the Tax Avoidance Taskforce will support the ATO to pursue new priority areas of observed business tax risks, complementing the ongoing focus on multinational enterprises and large public and private businesses.
Multinational Tax Integrity Package
The Government has announced the following changes in relation to its Multinational Tax Integrity Package:
- From 1 July 2023 the following changes will be made in relation to Thin capitalisation rules:
The safe harbour and worldwide gearing tests will be replaced with earnings based tests to limit debt deductions in line with an entity’s profits. The changes will apply to multinational entities operating in Australia and any inward or outward investor. Financial entities will continue to be subject to the existing thin capitalisation rules.
- The Government will introduce rules to prevent significant global entities from claiming tax deductions for payments made to related parties in relation to intangibles held in ‘low-or no-tax’ jurisdictions from 1 July 2023.
- The Government will require large multinationals to release tax information to public on a country-by-country basis and a statement on their approach to taxation and Australian public companies to disclose information on the number of subsidiaries and their country of tax domicile; and tenderers for Australian Government contracts worth more than $200,000 to disclose their country of tax domicile.
The information provided in this update is general in nature and if you have any queries of require further information or assistance with the above, please contact our office.
Crawford News
ATO will accept credit cards until 30 June 2027 Despite Reserve Banks credit card surcharge terms, ATO will continue to accept credit card payments for tax obligations until 30 June 2027. After 30 June 2027, taxpayers who wish to use credit cards to pay ATO will have to use third-party payment providers. Early Release of Super Schemes The ATO is concerned that some health practitioners and third-party facilitators are using predatory practices to get individuals to inappropriately access their super. Red flags include practitioners or third parties advertising early access to super for cosmetic or dental procedures on social media, or asking for myGov sign-in details so they can apply for you. Other common red flags include: practitioners conducting telehealth appointments, rather than in-person examinations for ‘compassionate release of super’; recommending more expensive treatments when cheaper options may be available; encouraging the use of super to pay for treatment, rather than other payment options, such as a payment plan; requiring the use of a specific provider to prepare the second ‘compassionate release of super’ medical report, or a specific third party to submit the application; requiring upfront payment for treatments and withholding information about the ongoing costs of the treatment; and charging fees to assist with preparing or submitting a ‘compassionate release of super’ application without being a tax agent. Work cars: Are employers overlooking private use? The ATO is calling on employers to check how their employees use work cars, as FBT may apply where a car is used or made available for private use by an employee or their family members or associates. Private use can include: school pick-ups or drop-offs personal trip garaging the car at or near the employee's home taking the car on weekend recreational trips. 2026 Budget Announcements Common rental property deduction errors The ATO has recently published the three most common rental property deduction errors it sees. Not apportioning interest expenses correctly Broadly, rental property owners can only claim deductions for interest they pay on a loan used to: buy the rental property; buy a depreciating asset for the property pay for deductible expenses that arise from renting out the property finance renovations and extensions to the rental property Interest on any part of the loan used for private purposes is not deductible. Where the loan is refinanced or redrawn to pay private expenses, such as school fees or a holiday, a deduction cannot be claimed for the interest on that portion. Incorrect claims of repairs vs capital works The ATO continues to see errors in claims for repairs, maintenance and capital works expenses. Generally speaking: repairs, such as fixing wear and tear, or damage to a property that occurred while renting it out, can be claimed as a deduction in the year they occur; improvements, such as renovating or replacing an entire structure, are capital expenses which can be claimed over time (generally 40 years); and adding or replacing something that’s not part of the structure is a depreciating asset and the cost is generally claimed over the asset's effective life. Separating private use of a property The ATO is also seeing rental expenses not being apportioned for any private use. Generally speaking, if a rental property owner: only uses part of the property to earn rent, they must apportion the expenses based on the area of the property rented; rents out the entire property, but for only part of the year, they must apportion the expenses based on the number of days it was rented or held to produce rental income; or charges below market rates of rent, and the expenses incurred are more than the amount of rent received, the ATO expects them to apportion the expenses by limiting them to the amount of rent derived from the property. Where the rental property owner uses the property as a holiday home, they cannot claim ownership and use expenses, such as interest, rates and repairs, unless they 'used or held it for use mainly for producing rental income'. The information provided in this Newsletter is general in nature and if you have any queries or require further information or assistance with the above, please contact our office.
ATO focus on PAYG instalments variations The ATO is writing to taxpayers who have varied their PAYG instalments to nil over multiple years, reminding them that the general interest charge may apply where their instalments have been significantly understated. Where varied instalments are less than 85% of the total tax payable, the ATO may impose GIC on the difference and, depending on the circumstances, penalties may also be applied. Taxpayers are advised to maintain appropriate records to support their variation decisions, and review variations where circumstances change. FBT changes for salary sacrificed work-related benefits From 1 April 2027, employers will no longer be able to use the ‘otherwise deductible rule’ to reduce the taxable value of an expense payment fringe benefit provided to an employee where the expense is: work-related; covered by the new $1,000 standard deduction; and provided under a salary sacrifice arrangement. This includes where an employer pays for, or reimburses, work-related expenses, such as home office expenses, home phone or internet expenses, or self-education expenses. However, the otherwise deductible rule can continue to apply where the expense is: not covered by the standard deduction; or covered by the standard deduction but the benefit is not provided under a salary sacrifice arrangement. Further, from 1 April 2027, certain work-related items will no longer qualify for the FBT exemption where they are provided under a salary sacrifice arrangement. These include: portable electronic devices; computer software; protective clothing; and briefcases and tools of trade. Eligible work-related items may still qualify for the exemption where they are not provided under a salary sacrifice arrangement. Further, under the changes, employers may be able to provide an employee with more than one eligible work-related item in an FBT year, even where the items have the same or substantially identical function, and continue to receive the exemption where the items: are mainly used for work purposes; and are not provided under a salary sacrifice arrangement. This repeals the general 'one-item' restriction applying to this work-related item exemption from 1 April 2027. Cents per kilometre method Motor Vehicle claims There are several misconceptions that commonly lead to incorrect claims under the cents per kilometre method for claiming deductions for car expenses. Common errors include: Claiming travel between home and work, which is generally private and non-deductible; Automatically claiming 5,000 kilometres without the appropriate records (for example, being unable to show how the business kilometres were worked out); Claiming car expenses for a vehicle provided under a novated lease through a salary sacrifice arrangement; Separately claiming the decline in value of a car and other expenses when using the cents per kilometre method; and Using both the cents per kilometre and logbook methods for different periods during the same year. Loss carry back rules have returned The re-introduced loss carry back measure has also now become law, applying to income years starting on or after 1 July 2026. Where eligible, companies will broadly be able to carry back a tax loss (revenue in nature) and apply it against tax paid in either, or both, of the previous two income years, basically giving rise to a tax refund for the loss year. ATO extends data-matching programs The ATO is continuing its visa data-matching program, acquiring data from the Department of Home Affairs from the 2027 to the 2029 income years. Under this program, the data collected may include: address and contact history for visa applicants, sponsors and migration agents; histories of visas granted, including visa subclasses; an individual’s visa status at a point in time; details of migration agents, sponsors and education providers; and international travel movements undertaken by visa holders (arrivals and departures). The ATO is also continuing its passenger movements data-matching program for the same period. Under this program, the data collected by the ATO may include names, dates of birth, arrival and departure dates, passport information and status types (including visa status, residency and citizenship status). The information provided in this Newsletter is general in nature and if you have any queries or require further information or assistance with the above, please contact our office.
Payday Super and contractors Businesses generally need to pay super where they engage an independent contractor mainly for their labour, personal effort, skills or time. This can apply even if the contractor: has an ABN; invoices the business for their work; or is described as a contractor in a written agreement. It is not mandatory to report payments made to independent contractors through Single Touch Payroll. However, if a business reports them voluntarily, it must meet the STP reporting requirements, including reporting qualifying earnings and super liability information. Where an independent contractor is entitled to super, the contribution must be paid for each payday and reach their super fund within seven business days after payday. Payday Super timeframe Under Payday Super, contributions must be received by an employee’s super fund within seven business days after payday. To keep on track, the ATO recommends that employers: use the new member verification request to verify that an employee’s super fund details are valid and that the fund can accept a contribution before it is made; check with the relevant payroll provider or clearing house that the fund is responding to MVRs; monitor payments, as funds have three business days to allocate or reject a payment; and if a payment is rejected or returned, act quickly to correct any errors and resubmit to the correct fund. For new employees, or where an employee changes their fund, employers generally have 20 business days to make the initial contribution. $21 billion in lost super The ATO is urging individuals to check whether they have lost or unclaimed super, with more than $21 billion waiting to be reunited with its owners. Super can become lost when an account is inactive and the fund cannot contact the member, often following a change of job, address or phone number. In some cases, the balance may be transferred to the ATO to hold until it can be reunited with the individual. The ATO reports that last year, more than $1.1 billion was returned through consolidations and direct payments to eligible individuals. ATO motor vehicle registries data-matching program The ATO acquires motor vehicle registries data from state and territory authorities from the 2026 to the 2030 income years. The information will be matched against ATO records to identify taxpayers who are not meeting their registration, lodgment, reporting, or payment obligations. The data will also be used to support ATO compliance activities through modelling, risk profiling and case selection. The data collected may include identification details for purchasers, sellers and other relevant parties, together with transaction dates and types, sale prices, market values, vehicle garage addresses, intended use, vehicle specifications and registration details. $1,000 deduction for work expenses From 1 July 2026, employees may choose either the standard deduction for work-related expenses of up to $1,000, or a deduction for the actual work-related expenses they incur. You should continue keeping records for deductible work expenses incurred from 1 July 2026. If, at the end of the 2027 income year, you choose to claim actual expenses, you must have the required written evidence for those expenses. The information provided in this Newsletter is general in nature and if you have any queries or require further information or assistance with the above, please contact our office.
Government extends the $20,000 instant asset write-off The Government has recently introduced legislation to extend the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses. If enacted, the changes would set the instant asset write-off threshold at $20,000 for eligible depreciating assets first used, or installed ready for use, for a taxable purposes from 1 July 2026. The changes would also further suspend the 'lock-out rule' until 30 June 2027. Loss carry back rules to be reintroduced The Government has introduced legislation to re-introduce the loss carry back measure for companies from 1 July 2026. If enacted, this will allow most companies to carry back a tax loss and apply it against tax paid in either, or both, of the previous two income years, basically giving rise to a tax refund for the loss year. New restrictions on LRBAs New legislation imposes restrictions on the use of limited recourse borrowing arrangements by SMSFs. LRBAs entered into on or after 10 August 2026 to purchase real property can now only be used to acquire business real property. These changes do not apply if an SMSF: has already entered into an LRBA to finance a real property acquisition before 10 August 2026; or maintains or refinances that LRBA on or after 10 August 2026. 'Business real property' generally means land and buildings used wholly and exclusively in one or more businesses. Division 7A benchmark interest rate The ATO has published a Division 7A benchmark interest rate of 8.77% for the income year ending 30 June 2027, up from 8.37% for the previous income year. The benchmark interest rate is applied when calculating minimum yearly repayments for complying Division 7A loans. ATO scam warning The ATO has received reports of a new email impersonation scam claiming to be from the ATO. The email states that a phone appointment with the ATO has been scheduled and includes appointment details such as the date and time. The email claims that recipients must open an attachment included in the email to securely access relevant services or reschedule the appointment. The attachment contains a link to a legitimate looking myGov sign-in page designed to steal usernames, passwords and other personal information. The ATO has advised recipients not to respond to the email or interact with it in any way. The information provided in this Newsletter is general in nature and if you have any queries or require further information or assistance with the above, please contact our office.
