
We are pleased to supply you with the latest edition of Client Alert, which contains information on a number of important developments up to and including 22 April 2024.
Reactivating old debts: new guidelines for government agencies – In response to the ATO’s recent actions on old tax debts, the Commonwealth Ombudsman/ACT Ombudsman and the Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman have issued new guidelines to improve how Australians are notified about debts they owe to the government.
Serious Financial Crime Taskforce targets false invoicing – The ATO and Australian Federal Police have executed search warrants at properties in various Sydney suburbs in relation to a billion-dollar money laundering investigation.
ATO’s use of small business benchmarks – The ATO uses small business benchmarks along with other risk indicators to select businesses for further compliance activities. New benchmarks are now available.
FBT: alternatives to employee declarations – From 1 April 2024, employers will have the option to rely on existing or other alternative records (besides prescriptive declaration formats) for certain classes of fringe benefits.
More information: super on paid parental leave – “Paid parental leave is not a welfare payment – it is a workplace entitlement just like annual and sick leave”, Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth has said.
Changes proposed for annual super performance test – The government has released a consultation paper on changes to the fund performance test to improve its sophistication while still ensuring the test holds trustees to account for delivering the best outcomes.
R & D Grants – Clients undertaking Research & Development projects should contact the office as there may be government grants available.
Confused about Aged Care? – Please contact Guests as we are able to advise and liaise with Aged Care Specialists.
Single Touch Payroll, it’s time to get ready – From 1 July 2018, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to use Single Touch Payroll enabled software to report your tax and super information to the ATO. Please contact us if you need help.
Audit Insurance – Whilst historically, Tax Audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Increasingly the ATO are turning their attention to both small to medium businesses and individuals.
Audit Insurance protects you to a degree from the unexpected costs incurred in responding to an audit, reimbursing you for related professional fees and associated with these costs.
Should you wish to discuss Audit Insurance further please contact our office or your Insurance Broker.
Acquisition of property in trusts – If you are contemplating purchasing a property in a trust, please contact your Partner at Guests for advice prior to acquisition.
Feel free to contact our office anytime by phone or email – to discuss any of the points raised in this Client Alert that may affect you.
Guests Pty Ltd – 234 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North, Vic., 3161
(03) 9509 7033
info@guests.com.au

We are pleased to supply you with the latest edition of Client Alert, which contains information on a number of important developments up to and including 20 March 2024.
Revised stage 3 tax cuts now law – The new rates will apply from 1 July 2024, so it’s a good time to understand how these changes will affect you.
Refresher on deductibility of self-education expenses – Generally, work-related self-education expenses are tax-deductible if they enhance skills and knowledge, or lead to an income increase, related to your current income-producing work.
ATO scrutinising novated leases – The ATO will once again be running a data matching program on novated leases, covering the 2023–2024 to 2025–2026 income years.
Paying super on expanded government paid parental leave – The Treasurer has announced that the Federal Government will pay superannuation on paid parental leave from 1 July 2025.
Small Business Superannuation Clearing House and SMSF bank account validation – To safeguard retirement savings held in SMSFs from fraud and misconduct, the ATO is rolling out new security features and alerts.
R & D Grants – Clients undertaking Research & Development projects should contact the office as there may be government grants available.
Confused about Aged Care? – Please contact Guests as we are able to advise and liaise with Aged Care Specialists.
Single Touch Payroll, it’s time to get ready – From 1 July 2018, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to use Single Touch Payroll enabled software to report your tax and super information to the ATO. Please contact us if you need help.
Audit Insurance – Whilst historically, Tax Audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Increasingly the ATO are turning their attention to both small to medium businesses and individuals.
Audit Insurance protects you to a degree from the unexpected costs incurred in responding to an audit, reimbursing you for related professional fees and associated with these costs.
Should you wish to discuss Audit Insurance further please contact our office or your Insurance Broker.
Acquisition of property in trusts – If you are contemplating purchasing a property in a trust, please contact your Partner at Guests for advice prior to acquisition.
Holidays
The office will be closed on the following days:
Tuesday 23rd April – Jewish Holiday
Wednesday 24th April – Jewish Holiday
Thursday 25th April – ANZAC Day
Friday 26th April – Staff Holiday
Monday 29th April – Jewish Holiday
Tuesday 30th April – Jewish Holiday
Feel free to contact our office anytime by phone or email – to discuss any of the points raised in this Client Alert that may affect you.
Guests Pty Ltd – 234 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North, Vic., 3161
(03) 9509 7033
info@guests.com.au

We are pleased to supply you with the latest edition of Client Alert, which contains information on a number of important developments up to and including 25 January 2024.
Proposed changes to stage 3 tax cuts announced – New proposed tax rates have been flagged to come into place from 1 July 2024.
ATO areas of focus on businesses for the coming year – The ATO has highlighted three focus areas: taking steps to address cyber security and increased protection of personal data, addressing the growth in the collectable debt book and improving overall tax performance.
Employees versus contractors: new rules – Following two prominent High Court decisions which dealt with the distinction between employees and independent contractors, the ATO has provided guidance to businesses in the form of a new taxation ruling.
ATO’s continued focus on illegal early release of super – As in previous years, the greatest area of concern for the ATO in the area of SMSFs continues to be taxpayers illegally accessing their super before meeting a condition of release.
R & D Grants – Clients undertaking Research & Development projects should contact the office as there may be government grants available.
Confused about Aged Care? – Please contact Guests as we are able to advise and liaise with Aged Care Specialists.
Single Touch Payroll, it’s time to get ready – From 1 July 2018, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to use Single Touch Payroll enabled software to report your tax and super information to the ATO. Please contact us if you need help.
Audit Insurance – Whilst historically, Tax Audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Increasingly the ATO are turning their attention to both small to medium businesses and individuals.
Audit Insurance protects you to a degree from the unexpected costs incurred in responding to an audit, reimbursing you for related professional fees and associated with these costs.
Should you wish to discuss Audit Insurance further please contact our office or your Insurance Broker.
Acquisition of property in trusts – If you are contemplating purchasing a property in a trust, please contact your Partner at Guests for advice prior to acquisition.
Feel free to contact our office anytime by phone or email – to discuss any of the points raised in this Client Alert that may affect you.

We are pleased to supply you with the latest edition of Client Alert, which contains information on a number of important developments up to and including 29 November 2023.
The next edition will be published in February 2024. We wish you all the best for the festive season and new year.
ASIC’s new alert list offers guidance on suspicious investment “opportunities” – The latest list aims to help consumers identify whether entities they’re considering investing with could be fraudulent, running a scam or unlicensed.
ATO pauses “debts on hold” awareness campaign – The ATO has apologised for any “unnecessary distress” caused to taxpayers with its recent awareness campaign around tax debts that were previously put on hold.
Simplified payroll reporting and STP Phase 2: employers take note – STP Phase 2 doesn’t change which payments employers need to report directly to the ATO, but it does change how those amounts need to be reported.
$20,000 instant asset write-off for small business: beware timing – Legislation is currently before Parliament that proposes to raise the instant asset write-off amount for small business assets acquired from 1 July 2023.
JobKeeper assessment: Treasury report released – The report records lessons learned from the design and implementation of JobKeeper, with a view to informing future policy responses.
R & D Grants – Clients undertaking Research & Development projects should contact the office as there may be government grants available.
Confused about Aged Care? – Please contact Guests as we are able to advise and liaise with Aged Care Specialists.
Single Touch Payroll, it’s time to get ready – From 1 July 2018, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to use Single Touch Payroll enabled software to report your tax and super information to the ATO. Please contact us if you need help.
Audit Insurance – Whilst historically, Tax Audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Increasingly the ATO are turning their attention to both small to medium businesses and individuals.
Audit Insurance protects you to a degree from the unexpected costs incurred in responding to an audit, reimbursing you for related professional fees and associated with these costs.
Should you wish to discuss Audit Insurance further please contact our office or your Insurance Broker.
Acquisition of property in trusts – If you are contemplating purchasing a property in a trust, please contact your Partner at Guests for advice prior to acquisition.
Client-agent linking –The ATO has introduced new Client-to-agent linking requirements.
From 13 November 2023, all types of entities with an ABN (excluding sole traders) need to use the new ‘agent nomination feature’ in ‘Online services for business’ when they:
Existing clients currently linked to Guests will not be affected unless linking a new entity.
OFFICE HOURS
Our office will be closed from Friday, 22nd December 2023 and will re-open at 9.00am on Monday, 8th January 2024.
Contacts for Partners: –
Andrew Goldberger Mobile No. 0419 155 373
Mory Kalkopf Mobile No. 0405 642 458
Abraham Paluch Mobile No. 0418 542 606
Feel free to contact our office anytime by phone or email – to discuss any of the points raised in this Client Alert that may affect you.
Guests Pty Ltd – 234 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North, Vic., 3161
(03) 9509 7033
info@guests.com.au

We are pleased to supply you with the latest edition of Client Alert, which contains information on a number of important developments up to and including 27 October 2023.
Upcoming changes for pension and income support recipients – A permanent enhancement to the pensioner work bonus has been announced, along with a doubling of the employment income nil rate period to reduce barriers for income support recipients taking up work.
Sharing economy reporting regime for platform operators – Transactions for supplying taxi travel/ride sourcing and short-term accommodation now must be reported to the ATO under the sharing economy reporting regime.
ATO shifting to firmer debt collection activity – The ATO has flagged a return to firmer debt collection actions after seeing a trend of profitable businesses that have the capacity to pay their tax debts but are actively choosing not to do so.
Tax exempt organisations required to lodge returns with the ATO: a reminder – Some organisations that used to have the option of self-assessing their income tax exemption status will soon be required to submit an annual self-review report to the ATO.
Proposed mechanisms for payday super – In an effort to reduce wage theft and prevent losses in retirement income for many Australians, the government is seeking to legislate the payday super measure proposed in the 2023–2024 Federal Budget.
R & D Grants – Clients undertaking Research & Development projects should contact the office as there may be government grants available.
Confused about Aged Care? – Please contact Guests as we are able to advise and liaise with Aged Care Specialists.
Single Touch Payroll, it’s time to get ready – From 1 July 2018, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to use Single Touch Payroll enabled software to report your tax and super information to the ATO. Please contact us if you need help.
Audit Insurance – Whilst historically, Tax Audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Increasingly the ATO are turning their attention to both small to medium businesses and individuals.
Audit Insurance protects you to a degree from the unexpected costs incurred in responding to an audit, reimbursing you for related professional fees and associated with these costs.
Should you wish to discuss Audit Insurance further please contact our office or your Insurance Broker.
Acquisition of property in trusts – If you are contemplating purchasing a property in a trust, please contact your Partner at Guests for advice prior to acquisition.
Holidays
The office will be closed on the following day:
Feel free to contact our office anytime by phone or email – to discuss any of the points raised in this Client Alert that may affect you.
Guests Pty Ltd – 234 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North, Vic., 3161
(03) 9509 7033
info@guests.com.au

We are pleased to supply you with the latest edition of Client Alert, which contains information on a number of important developments up to and including 25 September 2023.
ASIC calls on lenders to support customers – ASIC’s recent open letter reminds lenders that they must have suitable arrangements in place to respond to requests for assistance from customers and work cooperatively to find sustainable solutions.
Subscriptions included in digital adoption boost: ATO clarification – New and ongoing subscription costs can also qualify as eligible deductible expenditure if it relates to a business’s digital operations.
Small business litigation funding: improvements recommended – A recent Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO) report has recommended improvements aimed at delivering better access to justice and fairness for small businesses.
SMSF compliance activity escalation – The ATO has ramped up its compliance activity in response to an increasing number of funds that have been identified as not complying with superannuation obligations.
R & D Grants – Clients undertaking Research & Development projects should contact the office as there may be government grants available.
Confused about Aged Care? – Please contact Guests as we are able to advise and liaise with Aged Care Specialists.
Single Touch Payroll, it’s time to get ready – From 1 July 2018, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to use Single Touch Payroll enabled software to report your tax and super information to the ATO. Please contact us if you need help.
Audit Insurance – Whilst historically, Tax Audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Increasingly the ATO are turning their attention to both small to medium businesses and individuals.
Audit Insurance protects you to a degree from the unexpected costs incurred in responding to an audit, reimbursing you for related professional fees and associated with these costs.
Should you wish to discuss Audit Insurance further please contact our office or your Insurance Broker.
Acquisition of property in trusts – If you are contemplating purchasing a property in a trust, please contact your Partner at Guests for advice prior to acquisition.
In addition, you’ll find a Due Diligence Checklist to help with various considerations when acquiring a business.
View, print or download [PDF]: Due Diligence Checklist – Purchasing a Business
Holidays
The office will be closed on the following day:
Tuesday 7th November – Melbourne Cup
Feel free to contact our office anytime by phone or email – to discuss any of the points raised in this Client Alert that may affect you.
Guests Pty Ltd – 234 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North, Vic., 3161
(03) 9509 7033
info@guests.com.au

We are pleased to supply you with the latest edition of Client Alert, which contains information on a number of important developments up to and including 28 August 2023.
Tax time 2023: lodgment period underway – The ATO has given the green light for taxpayers with uncomplicated financial affairs to lodge their returns.
Simplifying individual tax residency: government consultation – Movement may be afoot on the complex issue of individual tax residency in Australia.
ATO crackdown on TPAR lodgments – The ATO has recently issued more than 16,000 penalties for businesses who failed to lodge their TPARs for previous years despite receiving multiple reminders.
Small business bonus deduction: technology investment – Small businesses may be able to get a bonus 20% tax deduction for any business expenses and depreciating assets used to improve their digital operations.
Small business energy incentive – The Federal Government has released plans to introduce an energy incentive to help small and medium businesses electrify and save on their energy bills.
R & D Grants – Clients undertaking Research & Development projects should contact the office as there may be government grants available.
Confused about Aged Care? – Please contact Guests as we are able to advise and liaise with Aged Care Specialists.
Single Touch Payroll, it’s time to get ready – From 1 July 2018, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to use Single Touch Payroll enabled software to report your tax and super information to the ATO. Please contact us if you need help.
Audit Insurance – Whilst historically, Tax Audits were targeted at big business and the wealthy, this has changed. Increasingly the ATO are turning their attention to both small to medium businesses and individuals.
Audit Insurance protects you to a degree from the unexpected costs incurred in responding to an audit, reimbursing you for related professional fees and associated with these costs.
Should you wish to discuss Audit Insurance further please contact our office or your Insurance Broker.
Acquisition of property in trusts – If you are contemplating purchasing a property in a trust, please contact your Partner at Guests for advice prior to acquisition.
Holidays
The office will be closed on the following days:
– Monday 25th September – Jewish Holiday
– Friday 29th September – Grand Final Public Holiday
Feel free to contact our office anytime by phone or email – to discuss any of the points raised in this Client Alert that may affect you.
Guests Pty Ltd – 234 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North, Vic., 3161
(03) 9509 7033
info@guests.com.au