Governance standards for charities strengthened: Regulations registered

The Government today [Mon 28.6.2021] registered the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Amendment (2021 Measures No 2) Regulations 2021 to amend the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulation 2013 (ACNC Regs) by extending governance standard 3 of the Regs to prohibit certain kinds of summary offences]. Specifically, the instrument adds a new s 45.15(2)(aa) of the…

Appeals update – Commissioner appeals Virgin Australia Airlines case regarding ‘car parking fringe benefits’ and taxpayer appeals Mussalli case regarding deductibility of lump-sum payment to reduce rent

VIRGIN AIRLINES: The Commissioner has filed a notice of appeal to the Full Federal Court against the decision of Griffiths J in Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd v FCT [2021] FCA 523. The Federal Court had held that Virgin Airlines did not provide car parking fringe benefits to its flight and cabin crew at Sydney, Brisbane…

SMSF related-party LRBAs: ATO ‘safe harbour’ interest rate for 2021-22 is 5.10% for property and 7.10% for listed shares

For SMSF related-party limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) used to acquire real property, the ATO’s safe harbour interest rate is expected to be 5.10% for 2021-22 (unchanged from 2020-21). Practical Compliance Guideline PCG 2016/5 sets the safe harbour interest rate each year according to the Reserve Bank Indicator Lending Rates for banks providing standard variable housing…

LCR 2021/D1 – draft Law Companion Ruling on ‘Temporary Full Expensing’ – ‘instant asset write-off’ and ‘accelerated depreciation’ Covid stimulus measures

Late last year (2020), Parliament passed legislation providing for ‘temporary full expensing’ of capital amounts incurred on depreciable assets used, or held ready for use in COVID affected years. Of recent, the Commissioner has issued a form of ‘public ruling’ known as ‘Law Companion Rulings’ to support the introduction of new legislation. The Commissioner has…

Board of Taxation – Review of ‘dual agencey’ R&D Tax Incentive – both Innovation & Science and also ATO

‘Research and Development’ (R&D) tax concessions involve a two step process – first to get the project registered with the Industry Innovation and Science Australia (IISA) as R&D and then to claim the concessions with the ATO, both of which involve separate appeals. The Board of Taxation is investigating the wisdom of this ‘dual-agency’ approach. See…

Problems liaising with ATO Debt – establishing authority to act and access to relevant senior officers

Tax practitioners not already authorised, with the ATO, as a agent for a taxpayer (typically legal practitioners) have 2 particular problems when acting for taxpayers attempting to forestall ATO collection proceedings, which are being addressed by the Law Council of Australia tax committee. See below for an extract of a meeting agenda item relating to…