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Superannuation guarantee amnesty introduced
The Government has introduced legislation to complement the superannuation guarantee ('SG') integrity package already before Parliament by introducing a one‑off, twelve-month amnesty for historical underpayment of SG.... (Read More...)
24 July
2018
Increased scrutiny of home office claims
Last year, 6.7 million taxpayers claimed a record $7.9 billion in deductions for ‘other work-related expenses’, which includes home office expenses.
17 Oct
2018
Fast-tracking tax cuts for small and medium businesses
The Government has fast-tracked the already legislated tax cuts to small and medium businesses by bringing them forward five years.
26 Nov
2018
Company loans to shareholders under review
The Government has released a consultation paper outlining proposed reforms to ‘simplify’ the loan agreements that are generally required when a shareholder (or their associate) borrows funds (or receives a payment) from a related company.
24 Jan
2019
Division 293 assessments
The ATO has been issuing ‘Additional tax on concessional contributions (Division 293) assessments’ with respect to liabilities relating to the 2018 income year.
14 Feb
2019
Changes to the small business instant asset write-off
On 29 January 2019, the Prime Minister announced that legislation will be introduced to:
26 March
2019
Personal income tax
The Government has proposed the following changes to the personal income tax rates:
4 April
2019
Tax cuts become law
The Government has announced that more than 10 million Australians will receive immediate tax relief following the passage of legislation through the Parliament, which increases the top threshold for the 19% tax rate from $41,000 to $45,000 and increases the low income tax offset from $645 to $700 in 2022/23.
16 August
2019
16 Sept
2019
“Outrageous” deductions rejected
The ATO has published some of the most unusual claims that they disallowed last financial year.
Nearly 700,000 taxpayers claimed almost $2 billion of ‘other’ expenses, but the ATO's systematic review of claims had found, and disallowed, some very unusual expenses, including:
09 Oct
2019
$30,000 instant asset write-off
The ATO is reminding businesses that are looking to expand or improve their business and thinking of buying new or second-hand assets, that medium sized businesses with a turnover up to $50 million (but at least $10 million) are eligible for the instant asset write-off.
21 Nov
2019
Super guarantee opt-out for high income earners now law.
From 1 January 2020, eligible individuals with multiple employers can apply to opt out of receiving super guarantee ('SG') from some of their employers, to help them avoid unintentionally going over the concessional contributions cap.
11 Dec
2019
PAYG and deductions for payments to workers
The ATO has reminded business taxpayers they can no longer claim deductions for certain payments to workers if they have not met their PAYG withholding obligations from 1 July 2019.
12 Feb
2020
Lifestyle assets continue to be an ATO audit target
The ATO has revealed it will request a further five years’ worth of policy information from over 30 insurance companies about taxpayers who own marine vessels, thoroughbred horses, fine art, high-value motor vehicles and aircraft.
28 Feb
2020
How can I find the right investment?
We find ourselves in a very interesting situation. Interest rates are at record lows and inconsistent market pricing have resulted in a potential asset price bubble. In this environment you may be asking yourself, “where should I be investing my money right now?”
Whilst it is a relatively straight forward question, the answer is decidedly more difficult.
13 Mar
2020
Making sense of it all by Ali Roshan - The Coronavirus and Investors
The coronavirus has scared some investors which can affect economies and businesses. The recent coronavirus outbreak has shut down airports, frozen trade, and led to the rapid construction of new hospitals in China.
17 Mar
2020
Special Edition: COV-19
knp Solutions has prepared a special edition newsletter outlining:
- Australian Government’s economic response to COV-19 & how this could relate to your business
- knp client meetings
- COV-19 symptoms & information for workplaces
23 Mar
2020
Special Announcement
As you are probably aware, many workplaces have been forced to work from home given the impact of COVID-19.
knp is well placed as we are 100% cloud-based and all staff have reliable computers with internet access. As such, we are confident we will still be able to produce high quality work in a secure environment.
24 Mar
2020
knp COVID-19 Relief packages/stimulus (Federal Government, State Government & ATO)
COVID-19 has invoked an unprecedented response from the Federal Government, Victorian State Government & the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The focus of these packages is on supporting businesses & individuals who will face a decline in income over the coming months. knp has identified five different strategies to assist business and individuals in these difficult times;
16 April
2020
Estate planning from a tax perspective – by Mei Wu
Making sense of it all by Ali Roshan – Dealing with the personal financial aspect of the Coronavirus
The rapidly evolving COVID-19 crisis is continuing to create severe political, social and economic uncertainty.
1 May
2020
JobKeeper Update – by Mei Wu
Making sense of it all with Ali Roshan – Transparency within Super Funds
25 May
2020
Your Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) and Investment Properties during COVID-19 – by Victoria Kogan
22 June
2020
Budget, cashflow and tax planning by Mei Wu
Join Mei Wu in this video edition on the importance of preparing budget, cashflow and tax planning.
We will look at why every client should consider and the benefits of having them in place.
15 June
2020
Cashflow Takes Corona’s Crown! – by Norman Same
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted our lives in ways we could not have imagined.
Federal and State Governments introduced several very expensive programs to both business and consumers in a short time frame, to curb major economic fallout. Some economists have already predicted that this may not be enough, and it could take many years to repay the enormous debt incurred.
10 July
2020
Claiming Home Office Expenses in Your 2020 Tax Return – Holly Laidlaw
In response to the demand for workers to work from home, for the 2019/2020 Tax Year there have been some changes to the options available to taxpayer’s wanting to claim expenses related to them working from home. There are three options available to taxpayers, we have detailed each of these below.
31 July
2020
Making sense of it all by Ali Roshan - The SMSF Investment Strategy
The start of the Financial Year is an opportune time to review your investment strategy. As a trustee of a self-managed super fund (SMSF), you should review at least annually the investment strategy and document any decisions arising from the review.
6 August
2020
Stage 4 Restrictions "Business as usual (almost)"
As you are probably aware with the recent stage 4 restrictions announced by the Victorian government, many workplaces have been forced to close their workplaces & where possible, work entirely from home.
14 August
2020
WorkSafe regulations - requirement to report COVID cases in the workplace
Effective 29th of July 2020, Worksafe Victoria announced new regulations requiring employers to notify WorkSafe immediately (within 48hrs) of being aware that an employee or contractor has visited the workplace during the infectious period following a positive testing of COVID-19.
27 August
2020
Our People - by Norman Same
All too often I hear business leaders say, “Our people are our most important asset!” The first time I heard this, I was taken aback as I consider, being an accountant, an asset as something valuable owned by a company. Companies or businesses do not own people
10 Sept
2020
Making sense of it all by Ali Roshan - 3 easy strategies to continue building your retirement savings
The Coronavirus Pandemic has caused significant emotional and physical turmoil for many people around the world. A positive that has come out of this crisis is that it has encouraged people to think about their financial goals and objectives.
07 Oct
2020
Special Edition - 2020/21 Federal Budget
The Government has announced that it will bring forward changes to the personal income tax rates that were due to apply from 1 July 2022, so that these changes now apply from 1 July 2020 (i.e., from the 2021 income year). These changes involve:
10 Nov
2020
Tax cuts pass Parliament
The Government announced various tax measures in the 2020 Budget on 6 October 2020, and it was able to secure passage of legislation containing some of the important measures very shortly afterwards, as summarised below.
10 Dec
2020
End of year closure
knp would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support over this very challenging year. Our office will close on Tuesday 22nd December 2020 at 12.30pm and reopen on Monday 18th January 2021. knp wishes you all the best over the festive season.
12 Feb
2021
Stage 4 Restrictions
In line with the stage 4 restrictions announced this afternoon by the Victorian Government our office will be physically closed on the following dates:
17 Feb
2021
New measures applying from 1 January 2021
The Government has provided an update of a number of new measures which came into effect from 1 January 2021, including (among others):
25 Feb
2021
Welcome Snehal
On 1st March 2021, it is with great pleasure that knp Solutions welcomes aboard new director, Snehal Shah. Snehal has merged his practice Ben Kaplan & Associates (BKA), into knp Solutions. He was the Principal for over three years at BKA and is an experienced Chartered Accountant having previously worked at GMK and Deloitte in senior roles.
29 Mar
2021
Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Update – Rebecca Chan
With the end of the 2021 fringe benefits tax (FBT) year upon us, if you, as an employer, provided fringe benefits to your employees or their associates between 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, you may incur FBT and be required to lodge an FBT return. FBT is separate to income tax and is calculated on the taxable value of the fringe benefits provided.
26 April
2021
Employee Share Schemes – Horace Hung
To promote employee motivation and loyalty, employers often use employee share schemes (ESS) to provide employees with free or discounted shares or options. ESS generally fall into two categories – concessional and non-concessional, with different tax treatments depending on the terms of the scheme which are set out in a prospectus. Such terms may include disposal restrictions or circumstances under which those shares or options could be forfeited.
12 May
2021
2021/2022 Federal Budget
As the economy recovers on the back of the Coronavirus, the Federal Government has kept the fiscal tap open with spending this year targeting unemployment, infrastructure and aged care.
We have summarised the key initiatives announced in this year’s Federal Budget under the following categories:
- Individuals
- Business
- Superannuation
21 May
2021
End of Financial Year Superannuation Tax Planning Strategies – Victoria Kogan
Our SMSF specialist, Victoria Kogan, has prepared the following superannuation tax planning strategies ahead of the end of financial year.
Superannuation Caps
27 May
2021
COVID-19 Update – Thursday 27th May
In line with the stage 3 restrictions announced this morning by the Victorian Government our office will be physically closed from Friday 28th May – Thursday 3rd June.
Whilst our office may be physically closed, we will resume working from home. During this time all our contact details remain the same with emails, phones & faxes all operational as usual.
3 June
2021
Mental Wellbeing
While we expected it, the news that Melbourne’s lockdown will be extended for another seven days, impacts in various ways and people may experience a range of emotions and concerns. Lockdown is a difficult time to look after our self-care, but when we add home schooling, job insecurity, welfare of family and friends, it can feel overwhelming.
10 June
2021
2021 Tax Planning Letter
Whilst the last 12 months has been difficult for businesses and individuals to plan, as the 2021 financial year comes to a close, it is still an ideal time to strategize providing you with more certainty.
This certainty provides us with an opportunity to better help our clients manage tax liabilities through tax planning strategies.
Below are our tax planning letters highlighting the year-end planning opportunities and challenges. There is a letter relevant for exclusively individuals, as well as one including the plans for businesses also.
17 June
2021
Managing Data using Cloud Technology – Mei Wu
I am passionate about the ability of technology to simplify - it stores sensitive information efficiently and effectively.
This is an introduction to cloud software available today. You may be subscribed to Microsoft 365 (O365) with access to the general suite of applications ranging from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype.
16 July
2021
The Surprise Tax and the Impact of Data Matching – Genevieve Rajakulendran
The ATO now has more information about taxpayers than ever, due to digital data and a sharing economy.
Consequently, the ATO has recently increased its data matching activity using it as a powerful administrative and law enforcement tool. More amended assessments are being issued and you may receive an unexpected tax bill.
