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GST is applied to tampons but not to incontinence pads. Viagra is exempt from GST but nipple shields for breast feeding mothers are not. Breakfast cereals are GST-free but breakfast bars and drinks are taxable. We explore the political football of GST exemptions. Australia’s goods and service...

From 1 July 2017, new rules came into effect that prevent taxpayers claiming a deduction for expenses they incur travelling to and from their residential investment property. The Government restricted travel deductions to curb “widespread abuse around excessive travel expense claims relating ...

In Australia, around 34 million gift cards are sold each year with an estimated value of $2.5 billion. On average, an estimated $70 million is lost because of expiry dates. Until recently, there was no national regulation for the minimum length of time a gift card should last. In late 2017, N...

Small business is still a vote winner with the Government and Opposition teaming up to accelerate tax cuts for the sector by 5 years impacting on an estimated 3.3 million businesses. Parliament recently passed legislation to accelerate the corporate tax rate reduction for corporate tax entiti...

A recent speech by the ATO’s Assistant Commissioner for Superannuation demonstrates the very practical problems with the new superannuation rules. The $1.6 million transfer balance cap (TBC) that limits the amount you can hold in a superannuation pension requires trustees to be aware of how c...

Legislation that passed Parliament last month will enable primary producers to claim an immediate deduction for fodder storage assets such as silos and hay sheds used to store grain and other animal feed. The deduction is available if the primary producer first uses the asset or has the asset...

The cents per kilometre car expense rate increased from 66 cents to 68 cents per kilometre from 1 July 2018. Employers who use the cents per kilometre rate to pay car allowances for employees should ensure that car allowance rates are up to date. If more than 68 cents per kilometre is paid, e...

As the bilateral trade war between the US and China heats up, we look at what this might mean to Australia caught between its cultural and military ties to the US and its strong economic relationship with China. At the annual United Nations General Assembly President Donald Trump threw fuel o...

For a while now, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has been concerned about tax deductions individuals have been claiming for a whole host of expenses. The latest on their ‘hit list’ are home office expenses. We guide you through what you can and can’t claim if you work from home. Last fin...

The extra income earned by people taking part in car sharing services such as Car Next Door or DriveMyCar has come to the attention of the ATO. The car sharing services work by making private cars publicly available in a similar way to other car hire services – it’s like AirBNB for cars. C...