income tax

Superannuation

Govt confirms no tax on deceased estate pensions

The Government has clarified taxation on pension streams for deceased estates in draft regulations released yesterday....

Financial planning

Estate planning pitfalls and how to avoid them

Estate planning is more than just writing a Will and certainly isn’t something that should be left until the last minute, writes Anna Hacker....

Superannuation

ATO warns on SMSF tax compliance

ATO assistant commissioner Stuart Forsyth has pointed to the issues still troubling SMSF trustees and warns the ATO will be cracking down on non-arm's length income issue...

Editorial

Westpac signals continuing focus on wealth

Westpac records decline in profit but signals continuing focus on wealth as part of its growth strategy....

Superannuation

Avoiding excess contributions to an SMSF when transferring shares

With the window seemingly coming to a close with in-specie contributions of listed shares into SMSFs, it is a timely reminder to ensure that your contribution strategy is...

Superannuation

Govt increases SMSF levy in MYEFO

The Government has opted for only limited impacts on superannuation in its MYEFO approach, but has increased the SMSF levy....

Superannuation

Documentation key on reversionary pensions

A draft ruling released by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has highlighted the importance of having appropriate documentation in place to ensure a pension is reversi...

Superannuation

ATO backs SPAA assessment

The ATO has backed a SPAA assessment that illegal early release schemes involving SMSFs are declining....

Policy & Regulation

ATO cracks down on tax fraud

Over the 2011-12 financial year, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) successfully prosecuted 2000 individuals and companies for fraud, tax and superannuation offences....

Financial planning

Zero interest related-party loans acceptable, says ATO

The ATO has reconfirmed that interest payments are not an essential feature of a loan, potentially opening the door for zero-interest related party loans to self-managed ...

Superannuation

SMSF trustees need to understand the constraints with respect to related party loans, write DBA Lawyers principals Bryce Figot and Daniel Butler....

Superannuation

Trust beneficiaries face new income tax amendment period

The Australian Taxation Office has confirmed that the income tax amendment period for 'potential' trust beneficiaries is four years....

Superannuation

Alarm sounded on SMSFs' LRB deals

The growing number of self-managed super fund trustees being advised to enter into highly geared limited recourse borrowing arrangements in order to purchase assets for c...