Your 9 point checklist for paying less tax this year (and why this checklist will be useless to you in a few weeks’ time)

Time is running out.

If you want to take a few simple preventative measures to minimise or defer how much tax you will pay for this Financial Year, you need to do two things:

  1. Read the following 9 point checklist, then
  2. Call or email us as soon as possible so we can make a time to sit do with you to assess which of these preventative measures can be done for you in your circumstances.

Depending on your situation, this tax planning process could save you many thousands of dollars. That’s cash in your bank account, rather than the Tax Office’s.

After all, why pay one more dollar in tax than you have to?

I’m sure you have better uses for your money, such as investing in your future or just investing in the here and now and rewarding yourself with a little ‘lifestyle indulgence’.

Now … to the checklist. Tick each item you think is relevant to you:

❑ Review debtors Your income tax is payable on any invoices you’ve issued, even if you haven’t been paid. Don’t pay tax on any invoice you know won’t ever get paid. Review the list of those who owe you money and write off those ‘bad debts’ now.

❑ Review your stock levels The value of your closing stock directly affects your business profit, the higher your stock value the higher your profit and tax. Review and identify any obsolete or old stock and scrap it or re-value it to its correct value. Individual items of stock can be valued at cost, market value, or replacement value.

❑ Review your business assets Write off any obsolete asset and claim its remaining book value now. There are also new ways assets can be depreciated, called pooling, that will increase the depreciation expense. This isn’t suitable for all business, but it is worthwhile reviewing.

❑ Defer income — A simple tip that can defer a lot of tax for you If your cashflow allows, you may consider deferring some of your invoices until July. If the income was not invoiced this financial year, it can’t be taxed this financial year. Before taking this option we recommend having a budget to manage these months income and expenses. We can help you with that.

❑ Review your invoices issued If you have invoiced someone in advance for services you will provide in the next financial year, then you may not have earned that income in this tax year. That income may belong in the year you provide the service. Again, this is something we can work out with you when we meet for tax planning.

❑ Pay the June quarter superannuation Superannuation if paid on time is deductible when paid. Since you have to pay the 9.5% superannuation by 28 July, bring it forward a month and pay it now and claim the deduction now. Why wait a whole year to reduce your tax?

❑ Using all of your superannuation cap If maximising your superannuation is part of your retirement plan, then don’t forget to contribute as much as you can into your super fund. We can guide you as to how much you can contribute. It’s a missed opportunity not to do this each year.

❑ Employee bonuses Bonuses to employees are deductible when the business has committed to paying them and it is not subject to any discretion. So finalise and sign off on the bonuses to be paid and reduce this year’s tax.

❑ Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Minimising your capital gains tax is often about timing. Ensure the asset has been owned for at least 12 months. If you already have a capital gain, are there any investments making a loss you can sell? Do you qualify for any capital gain rollover relief concessions? (Again, we can guide you here.) CGT is a whole topic on its own, and the potential savings are so great, it is definitely an area in which you should seek our guidance.

If you ticked any of the above items, then we need to talk. And soon.

Call us now on 3421 3421 (Brisbane) or 5474 8955 (Sunshine Coast) or email Rob, Sam, Peter or Myself to make a time to meet and discuss your tax planning options.

A 9-point checklist for paying less tax (providing you act quickly)

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Time is running out.

If you want to take a few simple preventative measures to minimise or defer how much tax you will pay for this Financial Year, you need to do two things:

  1. Read the following 9 point checklist, then
  2. Call or email us as soon as possible so we can make a time to sit do with you to assess which of these preventative measures can be done for you in your circumstances.

Depending on your situation, this tax planning process could save you many thousands of dollars. That’s cash in your bank account, rather than the Tax Office’s.

After all, why pay one more dollar in tax than you have to?

I’m sure you have better uses for your money, such as investing in your future or just investing in the here and now and rewarding yourself with a little ‘lifestyle indulgence’.

Now … to the checklist. Tick each item you think is relevant to you:

Review debtorsYour income tax is payable on any invoices you’ve issued, even if you haven’t been paid. Don’t pay tax on any invoice you know won’t ever get paid. Review the list of those who owe you money and write off those ‘bad debts’ now.

Review your stock levelsThe value of your closing stock directly affects your business profit, the higher your stock value the higher your profit and tax. Review and identify any obsolete or old stock and scrap it or re-value it to its correct value. Individual items of stock can be valued at cost, market value, or replacement value.

Review your business assetsWrite off any obsolete asset and claim its remaining book value now. There are also new ways assets can be depreciated, called pooling, that will increase the depreciation expense. This isn’t suitable for all business, but it is worthwhile reviewing.

Defer income — A simple tip that can defer a lot of tax for you. If your cashflow allows, you may consider deferring some of your invoices until July. If the income was not invoiced this financial year, it can’t be taxed this financial year. Before taking this option we recommend having a budget to manage these months income and expenses. We can help you with that.

Review your invoices issued. If you have invoiced someone in advance for services you will provide in the next financial year, then you may not have earned that income in this tax year. That income may belong in the year you provide the service. Again, this is something we can work out with you when we meet for tax planning.

Pay the June quarter superannuationSuperannuation if paid on time is deductible when paid. Since you have to pay the 9.5% superannuation by 28 July, bring it forward a month and pay it now and claim the deduction now. Why wait a whole year to reduce your tax?

Using all of your superannuation cap. If maximising your superannuation is part of your retirement plan, then don’t forget to contribute as much as you can into your super fund. We can guide you as to how much you can contribute. It’s a missed opportunity not to do this each year.

Employee bonuses. Bonuses to employees are deductible when the business has committed to paying them and it is not subject to any discretion. So finalise and sign off on the bonuses to be paid and reduce this year’s tax.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Minimising your capital gains tax is often about timing. Ensure the asset has been owned for at least 12 months. If you already have a capital gain, are there any investments making a loss you can sell? Do you qualify for any capital gain rollover relief concessions? (Again, we can guide you here.) CGT is a whole topic on its own, and the potential savings are so great, it is definitely an area in which you should seek our guidance.

If you ticked any of the above items, then we need to talk. And soon.

Call Rob, Sam, Peter or myself or email us to make a time to meet and discuss your tax planning options.

 

John Siemon

Partner

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For An Obligation Free Discussion

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Changes to Superannuation Rules – $1.6 million transfer balance cap

In this ever-changing financial environment, it seems that service charges are forever on the rise – which leads to the age-old question, “How do I inform the owners?”.

In truth, it’s a little more involved than simply informing the owners. While the question might best be answered by a solicitor, the position of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is that the best practice for advising owners about updated fees calls for the most direct approach.

That means personal notification—rather than having the news buried in a general issue newsletter—where it might easily go unnoticed.

How you can notify and renegotiate

Owners would be required to respond one way or the other (either negatively or positively), a non-response cannot be taken as acceptance. There must be a clear provision for the owner’s signature and a date, so that a manager has proof that the appropriate person was notified and accepted the updated fees for the new owner agreement.

One possibility is to make an announcement on the monthly statement sent to the owner, advising him or her about the inclusion of a new addendum on the statement, which calls for their immediate attention.

It should be remembered that under the Property Occupations Act, any units which still operate under the old PAMDA 20a Form, must move to the latest version of Form 6 in cases where changes are made to owner agreements—including increases to owner agreement fees.

The Office of Fair Trading and its Judiciary

As you read through the Property Occupations Act (POA) and its regulations, you will occasionally see the term ‘Maximum Penalty’, which may apply to non-compliance or breaches of the Act. Terminology used by the Office of Fair Trading implies that a wide range of actions can potentially be taken when dealing with breaches of the POA, and that the maximum penalty will not necessarily be sought.

OFT Compliance officers identify three separate categories of offenses: those of carelessness, those of recklessness, and those of dishonesty.

  • ‘Careless’ offenses include administrative oversights which have little or no financial impact, and which have already been rectified.
  • ‘Reckless’ offenses are considered to be more serious, because these do carry a financial impact, and must therefore be corrected at the very earliest opportunity.
  • ‘Dishonest’ offenses are self-explanatory, and must be reported immediately to the OFT, as they require immediate rectification.

Where to learn more about updating owner agreement fees?

As part of the continuing education of licensees, the OFT will be conducting informative seminars in locations all along the east coast. These seminars will provide excellent educational opportunities for managers new to the industry, and will also serve as great refresher courses for veterans.

The OFT provides education on an ongoing basis through its Web-site and YouTube channel.

 

Changes to super contribution limits: How it will affect you

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It’s that time again.

With the 2016 Federal Budget came several shake-ups, in particular the changes to contribution limits. With many other changes announced in the budget now passed by Parliament, you can have more certainty when it comes to planning your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF). Especially regarding the SMSF contributions you might wish to make to your fund.

The Government is lowering both the concessional (pre-tax) and non-concessional (after-tax) contribution limits as of 1 July 2017.

Knowing this—and with tax time fast approaching—it’d be wise to start getting your financial ducks in a row.

SMSF contribution limits

One of the original proposed measures which received a lot of comment and caused concern, was the $500,000 lifetime non-concessional contributions (after-tax contributions) limit. This proposed measure was dropped and replaced with a $100,000 annual limit on after-tax contributions.

Pre-tax contributions will be limited to $25,000 for all taxpayers, beginning on 1 July 2017. Below is a summary of the changes for both concessional and non-concessional SMSF contributions.

After-tax contributions

The $500,000 lifetime limit has been dropped in favour of a $100,000 annual cap. The rules allow the opportunity to bring forward three years of contributions – making it possible to contribute $300,000 in one year.

For the 2016/17 year, it is still possible to make a contribution of up to $180,000 for one year, or to bring forward three years’ contributions – so you are able to make a contribution of up to $540,000. If you do not use this full limit of $180,000 or $540,000 in the 2016/17 year, then you will be limited to the $100,000 annual, and $300,000 bring-forward caps for future years.

Where the bring-forward of contributions has been triggered before 1 July 2017, transitional contribution caps may apply. If you have a balance of $1.6m or more in your SMSF at 1/7/2017, then you will not be able to make further after-tax contributions.

When approaching the $1.6m cap, care will need to be taken with the bring-forward rules, as these are restricted by the new $1.6 million balance restriction.

Pre-tax contributions

The concessional contributions cap is lowered to $25,000 per year for all taxpayers as of 1 July 2017. Taxpayers who were aged 49 or over on 30 June 2016 can make up to $35,000 in pre-tax contributions in 2016/17. Those aged under 49 on 30 June 2016 can make up to 30,000 in pre-tax contributions in 2016/17.

Some of these changes may require you to adjust your SMSF contributions strategies going forward. This will most likely be the case if you have a superannuation balance of over or close to $1.6 million, or were planning on making contributions to superannuation in the next few years that exceed these new limits.

How we can help you with your SMSF contributions

If you are concerned that the Government’s changes to contributions for superannuation are going to affect you, please feel free to get in touch to arrange a meeting. We’ll discuss your situation in more detail and find a solution that works for you.

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Employer Alert

 

Empolyer Alert 

The end of the financial year is only days away

Employer Alert

As an employer you need to:

  1. Provide PAYG Payment Summaries to your employees by the 14th July 2016.
  2. Please ensure you send the ATO, your PAYG withholding payment summary annual report by the 14th August 2016.
  1. Use the latest tax rates to calculate employee withholding tax from 1st July 2016. While there have been no changes to tax rates for 2016/17, to check the latest rates, go to ato.gov.au/taxtables
  1. Ensure your accounting software payroll rates are updated from the 1st July 2016 and the file is ready for the first pay run of the 2017 year.
  1. All employee Superannuation Guarantee Charges have been met for the 2015/16 financial year. Please note the June Quarter SGC is due by the 28th July 2016.

 

If you have any questions on your EOFY obligations to the ATO, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Using EOFY to strengthen your business

McAdam Siemon Business Accountants Upper Mt Gravatt, Noosa Heads & Maroochydore. Specialising in Accounting, Taxation, Management Rights, SMSF Administration, Business Advisory, Business Valuations , Management Rights specialist accountants

Using EOFY to strengthen your business

(source: Sean O’Meara) 

With the end of the financial year quickly approaching it is critical that small business owners use this time to make a strong plan for the year ahead. It is vital to analyse your business and try to find any opportunities and improvements that can be made, no matter how small they may seem.

The additional administration time required at EOFY can make the lead up to 30 June extremely stressful. So the keep your business goals in check. Here are some strategies that will improve your business to maximise your growth in 2016/2017.

It’s time to review your businesses situation 

You are probably already using reporting throughout the year to track your revenue, gauge your sales trends etc but it is important to take a second look at how your business performed on the whole and compare this to previous years.

“By looking at year-on-year sales and revenue we can see how public holidays or seasonal changes affect the business and enables us to do more accurate forecasting, rostering and budgeting for the year ahead. It also helps us make informed decisions on whether to spend now or later,”

Take advantage on the low interest rates

Interest rates remain low so it could be an opportunity to invest in capital equipment and paying off debts. 

Review business partners and suppliers

Ensure you are getting an excellent price for quality products. New businesses keep coming into the market, so be sure to do your research and renegotiate with your present partners and suppliers.

Your customers are probably reviewing their own strategic plan and making changes for next year so don’t forget to let them know that their business matters to you.

Take a long – term view of your cashflow 

  • How is your cashflow?
  • Is your business seasonal, with peaks and troughs?

Do some advanced planning -review your budget and anticipate what may happen in the year ahead. It may be all that is needed to free up liquid assets and ensure ongoing profitability. This is the best way to ensure you have safeguards in place to keep your business afloat during low times. 

Capitalise on tax breaks 

  • Have you any expenses that can be pre-paid?
  • Think about maximising your superannuation contributions to the relevant caps.
  • Consider investing in areas that will support your business; new equipment and/or technology that will provide your business with greater efficiencies and productivity The Government still has an immediate tax deduction on assets coasting less than $20,000.

Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you would like to discuss anything EOFY’s.

Kind regards

The Team at McAdam Siemon

Random ATO Audits 2016

 

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Random ATO Audits  2016

The ATO has decided not to reduce their random audits in 2016. They have now confirmed that random audits will recommence.
The compliance program will be physically audited, targeting 600 individuals and small businesses and focusing on underreporting and tax evasion.

There is good news for some though.

The ATO has contacted 500,000 taxpayers advising that their tax returns will not be subject to further review. This ATO project is aimed at taxpayers with straight – forward affairs and a taxable income of less than $180,000.
The ‘certainty letter’ is an assurance that the ATO will not review the return unless they find evidence of deliberate avoidance or fraud.

What is a ‘certainty letter’?

This year the ATO is sending letters to some taxpayers as part of a trial to confirm their 2014-15 tax return is finalised.

Record Keeping for Tax Purposes

 

 

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Frequently our clients ask us these questions with regards to record keeping for tax purposes.

  • How long should I keep my records
  • Is it acceptable to keep my records in an electronic format, or are paper copies sufficient?
  • Why should you keep records?
  • How do I know what records I should keep?

How long are you required to keep your records? 

Generally speaking, all of your evidence must be kept for five years from the date you lodge your tax return:
i.e. If you lodge your 2015 tax return on 1 December 2015 any records associated with that return (generally) can be destroyed on 2 December 2020.

However: 
·      If you acquire or dispose of an asset (e.g. shares or a rental property, dividend reinvestment statements) – 5 years after it is certain that no capital gains tax event can happen.
·      If you are in a dispute with the ATO – 5 years from the date you lodged your tax return and the dispute is finalised.

The Australian tax system relies on taxpayers self-assessing, so what do you need to keep?

As far as the ATO is concerned, you can store your documents in either format. Remember though…

  •  If you keep paper copies they must be a true and clear reproduction of the original.
  • If you keep your records electronically, we strongly recommend that you keep backup copies – what if your hard drive is corrupted?

Why should you keep records?

  • To provide written evidence of your income and expenses.
  • To help you or your tax agent prepare your tax return.
  • To ensure that you are able to claim all your entitlements.
  • In case the ATO asks you to prove the information you provided in your tax return.

What records should you keep? 

  • Any payments you have received.

  •  Any expenses related to payments you have received.
  • When you have acquired or disposed of an asset (shares or rental property)

  • Any tax deductible gifts, donations and contributions.

You may also need to keep records in some other categories, or for other members of your family – for example, if you receive the family tax benefit.

You may decide not to keep particular records – for example, because you expect to claim for only a small amount of business travel. If it turns out that you travel more than you expected during the year, you may be limited to a smaller claim than if you had kept more records.

If you are unsure about whether to keep or destroy a record please do not hesitate to give one of the team at McAdam Siemon a call.

Kind regards

Rob McAdam, McAdam Siemon Accountants

Rob McAdam

 

How to use the EOFY to strengthen your business

EOFYs blackboard

How to use the EOFY to strengthen your business

Many small business owners fall into the trap of managing business operations in a routine way without looking at their “side mirrors” or “blind spots” where new opportunities might come into view. However, with the End of Financial Year just around the corner, it’s crucial small business owners use this time to take stock and analyse the business to try and find small opportunities or improvements that could be made, and make a strong plan for the year ahead.

It can be hard enough to run a small business at the smoothest of times, but the additional administration burden at EOFY can make the lead up to 30 June an extra busy and stressful time of year for many owner-operators. However, in order to keep your business goals in check, it pays to be aware of the strategies and opportunities that will improve your business and maximize growth over the next 12 months.

Here are six ways that SMEs can use the EOFY to strengthen their business.

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Top 5 simple tax saving strategies

Planning on giving to charity?  Make a donation now and claim the deduction this year. If you donate monthly to charities, think about paying the full year’s worth of donations upfront and take the deduction now.

Operate through a company? If you operate through a company structure and the company has advanced you money during the year or paid expenses on your behalf, then work out whether you are going to repay the loans or put in place a complying loan arrangement. If you already have loan agreements in place from prior years, make sure that you make the minimum repayment (including interest) before June 30.  If the company normally declares a dividend to cover these loan repayments, make sure the dividend is declared and set-off against the loan balance before 30 June.

Are your salary sacrifice agreements still relevant? If you have existing salary sacrifice agreements in place, review them to make sure they are still viable. Also, if your taxable income is over $180,000, don’t forget about the debt tax (see the article, can you plan around the debt tax).

For business, if cash flow allows, now is the time to accelerate deductions by paying for any required repairs, replenishing consumable supplies, trade gifts or donations before 30 June.

Run a business? Don’t forget your super. Your personal or company sponsored contributions need to be received by the fund before 30 June to be deductible this year.   Don’t forget to make sure the paperwork is in place and that you don’t breach your concessional contribution caps.

Please contact the team at McAdam Siemon if you would like further information.