Daily Archives: October 22, 2017

Keris Pty Ltd (Trustee) v DCT – Security deposit notice for estimated ‘future’ GST held to be valid even though the subdivision had not gone ahead, the sales had not occurred and the margin scheme might affect the amount of GST

The Full Federal Court has dismissed a taxpayer company’s appeal (from [2015] FCA 1381) and held that the Commissioner’s notice to the company to give security for an unpaid GST liability was constitutional and valid. In September 2014, the Commissioner gave a notice under s255-105 of Sch 1 to the TAA to the taxpayer requiring it to give…

BEPS Action 5 implementation sees governments rapidly dismantling harmful tax incentives worldwide: OECD

16/10/2017 – Governments have dismantled, or are in the process of amending, nearly 100 preferential tax regimes as part of the OECD/G20 BEPS standards to improve the international tax framework, according to a progress report released today. The report provides details on the outcome of peer reviews undertaken of 164 preferential tax regimes identified amongst the…

TD 2017/21 and TD 2017/22 – Foreign equity distributions to corporate partners and corporate beneficiaries for the purposes of establishing a 10% ‘participation interest’ under Subdiv 768-A

On Wed 18.10.2017, the Commissioner issued 2 Taxation Determinations on the application of the foreign equity distribution rules in Subdiv 768-A of the ITAA 1997 where the recipient is a corporate partner in a partnership or a corporate beneficiary of a trust. Under Subdiv 768-A, a foreign equity distribution is treated as NANE income if the…

TR 2017/D8 – Tax treatment of long-term construction contracts – Accruals basis or estimated profits basis (AASB 15) – IT 2450 and related determinations replaced

The Commissioner issued draft Ruling TR 2017/D8 on Wed 18.10.2017. It  explains the methods taxpayers can use to return income derived, and recognise expenses incurred, in long-term construction projects (ie those straddling 2 or more income years). The ATO describes TR 2017/D8 as a “refresh” of the former ruling on this matter, IT 2450. The Draft…

TR 2017/D7 – Lower 27.5% corporate tax rate: draft ruling on the ‘carrying on business’ requirement, which largely ignores the distinction between ‘passive investment’ and active business activities (2016-17 only – if sub-80% passive amendments pass)

On Wed 18.10.2017, the Commissioner issued draft ruling: TR 2017/D7 on whether a company is ‘carrying on a business’ for the purpose of the staged reduction of company tax rates, which is to be found in s23AA of the Income Tax Rates Act 1986. That section specifies which companies are to be taxed at the…

Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan Base Rate Entities) Bill 2017 – small turnover companies can now maintain the higher 30% tax and franking credit rate if 80% or more of their income is ‘passive income’ as defined in s23AB of the Rates Act

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan Base Rate Entities) Bill 2017 was introduced in the House of Reps on Wednesday 18 October 2017. This Bill is designed to substitute a ‘bright line’ test for companies that are to be taxed at the lower 27.5%, instead of the ‘carrying on business’ test that has applied since the…

GST: meaning of ‘incidental valuable metal goods’ – Minister determines when dealers can still be entitled to an Input Tax Credits for acquisitions from unregistered persons under the revised Div 66

Minister O’Dwyer made the GST determination:  A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) (Incidental Valuable Metal Goods) Determination 2017 (No 1) on Monday 16 Oct 2017 and it was registered on the Federal Register of Legislation on Wed 18.10.2017. The Determination specifies a class of goods that are ‘incidental valuable metal goods’ for the purposes…