2020-2021 End of Year Business Checklist

Lowe Lippmann Chartered Accountants

Many of our business clients like to review their tax position before the end of the income year and evaluate any strategies that may be available to legitimately reduce their tax. Traditionally, year-end tax planning for small businesses is based around accelerating deductions and deferring income. However, this year, consideration will also need to be given to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Small Business Entities ('SBEs') – i.e., those with an aggregated turnover of less than $10 million – often have greater tax planning opportunities due to certain concessions only applying to them. Further, SBE taxpayers generally have the flexibility of being able to pick the concessions that suit their circumstances. The following are a number of areas that may be considered for all business taxpayers.

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March 2, 2026
$20,000 instant asset write-off extended The Government recently passed legislation to extend the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses by 12 months to 30 June 2026. Taxpayers should note that if their business has an aggregated annual turnover of less than $10 million, they may be able to use the instant asset write-off ( IAWO ) to immediately deduct the business portion of the cost of eligible assets which cost less than $20,000. Eligible assets must basically have been first used (or installed ready for use) between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. The $20,000 limit applies on a per asset basis, so taxpayers can instantly write-off multiple assets. The IAWO can be used for both new and second-hand assets (but some exclusions and limits apply).
February 26, 2026
2026 FBT Year End is Fast Approaching! The end of the Fringe Benefits Tax ( FBT ) year is fast approaching on 31 March 2026, so we take this opportunity to revisit some hot FBT topics for both employers and employees, including: FBT exemption for electric cars Overlooking or misreporting FBT on private use of work vehicles Does FBT apply to your contractors? Reducing the FBT record keeping burden Mismatched claims for entertainment Employee contributions by journal entry in the accounts Not lodging FBT returns FBT housekeeping
February 16, 2026
Division 296 draft legislation introduced to Parliament Last week the revised Division 296 draft legislation was introduced into Parliament, and some technical amendments have been made after the exposure draft consultation phase. We will explain some particular areas of concern and re-consider some questions we had raised in earlier Tax Alerts on this topic. This draft legislation has been progressing at a rapid pace, and it appears the Government wants to get this legislation finalised as soon as possible, with these Division 296 rules set to apply from 1 July 2026.
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