TAX ALERT - Vacant Land Tax Bill Passed with Amendments
Lowe Lippmann Chartered Accountants
Introduction
Following a review by the Senate Economics Legislation Committee in August 2019, the Treasury Laws Amendments (2019 Tax Integrity and Other Measures No 1) Bill 2019 was recently passed into law, denying tax deductions claimed for holding costs incurred when owning vacant land in a number of scenarios from 1 July 2019.
The final version of the legislation passed Parliament only after a number of amendments were made.
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 (ie. by transferring it into another bank account within the business to keep it separate from their cash flow). They can also set their PAYG withholding and super aside, so they will have the funds available when payments are due. They should plan ahead and schedule time in their calendar to prepare their business activity statement ( BAS ), and lodge and pay their BAS on time. If you need assistance with any of these issues, please contact our office.
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 move around 3,500 small businesses with a history of non-compliance to monthly reporting from 1 April 2025. Small business boost claims — with a focus on encouraging self-amendments to correct errors and omissions. The ATO will also continue its focus on non-commercial business losses, small business capital gains tax ( CGT ) concessions, business income that is not personal income, incorrect claims for 'small business boosts', GST registration and income of taxi, limousine and ride-sourcing services.
Bill passed for Instant Asset Write-Off of $20,000 for 2024-25 There was no mention of the extension of the instant asset write-off ( IAWO ) within the Federal Budget delivered last Tuesday night, leaving many small business taxpayers frustrated and uncertain. However, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Incentives and Integrity) Bill 2025 has now been passed through the Parliament, and it included the extension of the IAWO threshold of $20,000 for assets first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025. After the Bill has now been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it now simply waits to receive Royal assent.
