John Morgan, Author at Tax Technical

Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No 2) Bill 2018 – various amendments to the requirements for venture capital tax concessions – Early Stage VCLP and ‘Early Stage Innovation Companies’ & Committee Report

The Government introduced the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No 2) Bill 2018 into the House of Reps this Thur 8.2.2018 to implement the this previously announced measure (and one other, which I will not be covering). This Bill was referred to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee, on 15 February 2018, for report by 15 March…

March 25, 2018Tax Month - February 2018By John Morgan

KPMG’s report on the ‘black economy’ – 10 steps for the ATO to collect missing revenue

On Tuesday 22 March 2018, KPMG released its report: ‘Shining a light on the black economy’, describing it as the last of the major tax bases that can yield significant government revenue. KPMG estimates the ‘black economy’ at $32b and the revenue lost as about $5b (GST, PAYG on wages and income tax on business). Last…

March 25, 2018Tax Month - March 2018By John Morgan

Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2017 – Senate Economics Legislation Committee Report: pass it, review its operation later (and still no ‘bounty’)

On 22 March 2018 the Senate Economics Legislation Committee delivered its report on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2017. Despite a diversity of views, the Committee cited a consensus that the Bill was a step forward and should be passed [Recommendation 3, para 3.93]. But also said that a review of the…

March 25, 2018Tax Month - March 2018By John Morgan

Senate Economics Legislation Committee’s Report on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2017 – Content of the bill (a useful summary)

The Senate – Economics Legislation Committee Committee’s Report – Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2017 [TT Tax Month article: Exposure Draft of Bill; Introduction of Bill; Committee’s Report] Chapter 2 – Content of the Bill (extract) – a useful summary Harmonising whistleblower regimes 2.1 The current protections in the Corporations Act 2001 (the Corporations Act) cover a current…

March 25, 2018Tax ArticlesBy John Morgan

Treasury Laws Amendment (Income Tax Consolidation Integrity) Bill 2018 – proposing 6 measures: the ‘deductible liabilities measure’; the ‘deferred tax liabilities measure’; the ‘securitised assets measure’; the ‘churning measure’; the ‘TOFA measure’ and the ‘value shifting measure’

On 15 February 2018, the Government introduced the Treasury Laws Amendment (Income Tax Consolidation Integrity) Bill 2018 into the House of Representatives, it passed the Lower House, without amendment, on 28 February 2018 and passed all stages on 22 March 2018. There are around 12,000 tax consolidated groups in Australia, including the majority of the largest businesses.…

March 25, 2018Tax Month - March 2018By John Morgan

Coventry v CofT – DFAT employee’s overseas earnings exempt from Australian tax, under s23AG, because diplomatic immunity was not ‘the only’ reason for no Pakistani tax (and draft DIS)

On 12 January 2018, the AAT has decided that a DFAT employee’s earnings while working in Pakistan were exempt under s 23AG of the ITAA 1936. This was because there was a Development Agreement, that gave the earnings exemption from Pakistani tax. I will explain why. Section 23AG(1) exempts, from Australian tax, any foreign earnings derived by…

March 23, 2018Tax Month - February 2018By John Morgan

EU proposing to ‘go it alone’, in taxing ‘digital’ services, whilst waiting for OECD/G20 multi-lateral initiatives to tax these services

On 21.3.18, the European Commission proposed new rules to tax digital business activities – ‘going it alone’, ahead of any consensus from the OECD/G20. In response to this, the Australian Treasurer was reported as saying: ‘that Australia, like other G20 nations, might go it alone with measures to tax digital economy companies, like Uber, because…

March 23, 2018Tax Month - March 2018By John Morgan

DCT v Rennie Produce (Aust) Pty Ltd (in liq) – ATO s355-10 (old s264) notice to produce documents ‘trumps’ liquidator’s “Harman obligation” not to use documents produced, under other proceedings, for another purpose

On 20 March 2018, the Full Federal Court has held that the “Harman obligation” did not excuse a liquidator from complying with an ATO notice “to produce documents”, under under s 353-10, Sch 1 TAA (which superseded the old s264 of the ITAA36). Failure to comply with such a notice, if not constrained by law, is an offence.…

March 22, 2018Tax Month - March 2018By John Morgan

Product Ruling PR 2018/4 – Perpetual WealthFocus Fund; on electing into the ‘Attribution Managed Investment Trust (AMIT) regime – ‘single unit’ structure respected for CGT purposes

On 21.3.2018, the ATO issued a product ruling and an addendum to a 2015 product ruling, for the Perpetual WealthFocus Investment Advantage Fund. This was prompted by the Fund electing into the Attribution Managed Investment Trust (AMIT) regime from the 2017-18 income year under Part 3-25 of the ITAA97 (Divisions 275 & 276). The fund…

March 22, 2018Tax Month - March 2018By John Morgan

Promoter of ‘tax exploitation’ R&D tax schemes ordered to pay $4.25m in civil penalties and give undertakings

On 21 March 2018, the ATO website advised that the Federal Court had ordered a Queensland company to pay a $4.25 million penalty to the Commissioner of Taxation for its promotion of tax exploitation schemes. These are the civil penalties provisions for prevention of ‘tax exploitation schemes’ in Div 290 of the TAA1 (and in particular…

March 22, 2018Tax Month - March 2018By John Morgan

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