The Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board (APESB) has advised that it will delay the commencement date of APES 230 Financial Planning Services from 1 July 2013 to 1 July 2014 to allow stakeholders additional time to implement APES 230 once it is issued. The proposed new standard will apply to all members of Australia’s…
Reuters reports that growing anger at aggressive tax avoidance by big business has prompted ethical investors to consider shunning shares in companies that don’t pay their fair share of tax. As governments struggle to balance massive budget deficits caused by the financial crisis, reports that a number of big companies pay minimal taxes in some…
The Minister for Home Affairs has gazetted a notice specifying that the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement entered into force for Australia on 1 January 2013. Bills introducing new rules of origin for goods that are imported into Australia from Malaysia to give effect to the Agreement – the Customs Amendment (Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation and Other…
The AASB on Tue 22.1.2013, registered Australian Accounting Standard AASB 2012-9 to withdraw Australian Interpretation 1039 Substantive Enactment of Major Tax Bills in Australia for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2013, with early application permitted. According to the Board, Australian Interpretation 1039 is withdrawn on the basis that an Australian Interpretation is not necessary.…
The CPI indexation factor, which is used for FBT purposes concerning remote area benefits (under ss 60 and 60AA of the FBTAA), for the December quarter 2012 increased 0.2 from the September 2012 quarter to 102.0. Inflation for the year to 31 December 2012 was running at 2.2%. The most significant price rises for the quarter were for domestic holiday travel…
In a decision handed down on 14 November 2012, but only just released, the ACT Civil & Administrative Tribunal increased the level of penalty tax payable by a taxpayer to 50% pursuant to s 31(2) of the Taxation Administration Act 1999 (ACT), but then decided to remit the penalty to 25% pursuant to s 37 of the TAA. The…
The NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal has refused a taxpayer’s claim for the principal place of residence land tax exemption for the 2011 land tax year. The Tribunal heard that the taxpayer had spent Christmas day in 2010 at the subject property and that he had moved some of his belongings to this property whilst his…
The NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal has affirmed the Commissioner’s decision to assess to duty a “custodian trust deed” and to refuse the taxpayer’s claim for the “apparent purchaser” exemption under s 55 of the Duties Act 1997 (NSW). The background facts are complex but essentially involved the acquisition by a superannuation fund (trustees and members being…
The NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal has refused a taxpayer’s application to be excluded from a payroll tax group under s 79 of the Payroll Tax Act 2007 (NSW). In June 2011, the Commissioner issued payroll tax assessments to the taxpayer for the 2008 to 2010 tax years following his decision to group the taxpayer with 4 other companies.…
The NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal has affirmed the Commissioner’s decision to group a taxpayer with another company for payroll tax purposes for the 2008 and 2009 years under s 71(3) of the Payroll Tax Act 2007 (NSW). Both companies operated road freight transport businesses. The taxpayer’s directors were R and D (mother and son) with R…