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Main residence exemption for foreign residents: A big tax change for Australians who move overseas

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Significant changes to the Capital Gains Tax Main Residence exemption affecting foreign tax residents (including Australian citizen ex-pats) passed Parliament in December 2019. As a result, Australians who move overseas and decide to keep their home in Australia may have to pay Capital Gains Tax if they sell whilst they are a foreign resident. Taxable gains will be calculated based on the original cost of the property and across the whole period of ownership, even if the owner had lived in the property for a number of years previously.

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Take action NOW to prevent NSW Land Tax Surcharge and Purchaser Duty Surcharge

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All NSW Residential Land owning Discretionary Trusts and other entities need to take action by 31 December 2019.
A discretionary trust which owns ‘residential land’ in New South Wales either directly or via an ownership interest in a company or unit trust may trigger land tax and purchaser duty surcharges. Varying discretionary trust deeds by 31 December 2019 may enable trustees to escape the tax and duty surcharges otherwise applying back to 2016.

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Small business CGT concessions: when do I qualify?

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The small business CGT concessions are a great way for small business owners to transfer wealth into super. There are two essential requirements you must first meet in order to access any of the concessions.

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Deadline of 1 January looming for businesses to introduce whistleblower policy

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All public companies, large proprietary companies and corporate trustees of APRA regulated superannuation entities must have a whistleblower policy from 1 January 2020.

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Concessional Loans for Agribusiness affected by drought

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The Australian Government has announced a Drought Assistance package with the aim of strengthening primary production sectors and supporting rural communities.

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If ASX listed companies like Woolworths have underpaid their staff – are you sure you haven’t too?

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Underpayment of wages revelations are coming thick and fast from the most unlikely sources - the big employers. Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Qantas, Commonwealth Bank, Super Retail Group and Michael Hill Jewellers to name a few.
How can this be happening in the technologically savvy world of 2019? There is no one reason why underpayments occur. In our experience the below are the main risk areas for employers, regardless of business size.

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Australian Government Grants Supporting Best Practice Sustainable Agriculture

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The Australian Government is active in supporting land manager practice change that will deliver more sustainable, productive and profitable food, fibre and forestry business. They are doing so through the Small Farms Small Grants Program, which aims to increase farming, forestry and fishing communities’ awareness, knowledge, skills and capacity to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture.

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Superannuation Guarantee opt out for high income earners

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After a number of false starts the measures announced in the 2018-19 Federal Budget to allow individuals with high incomes to opt out of receiving superannuation guarantee contributions from certain employers has been legislated.

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Not keeping accurate records of timesheets and pay slips could cost you

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Filing out time sheets is boring! No one likes doing it, but not completing them substantively increases the risk for an employer being unable to defend a claim for underpayment of wages and a civil penalty (fine) under the Fair Work Act, 2009 (the Act).

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Salary Sacrifice - Are you receiving your full benefits?

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Salary sacrifice strategies are a great way to boost retirement savings. However, unwelcome loopholes in the law mean that some workers may be getting less than they bargained for. The government is taking action to fix this, in the meantime all salary-sacrificing workers should be across this issue, keeping an eye on their arrangement and ensure they’re not being short-changed.

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