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Key budget takeaways for agents, accountants

Business

A rundown of the main points, focusing on what matters to the tax profession.

By Miranda Brownlee 6 minute read

The Budget has delivered some small relief measures for individuals and small business and also boosted funding for a tougher compliance crackdown of tax evaders.

Small business 

  • A temporary increase in the instant asset write-off threshold to $20,000 for one year from 1 July 2023.
  • An amendment to the tax law to set the GDP adjustment factor for pay as you go  (PAYG) and GST installments at 6 per cent for the 2023–24 income year.
  • No renewal of the loss carry back tax offset and the SME technology investment boost.

Funding boost for compliance programs 

  • $90 million in funding to the ATO and $1.2 million to Treasury to extend the Personal Income Tax Compliance Program for two years from 1 July 2025 and expand its scope from 1 July 2023.
  • A four-year extension of the GST compliance program which will see the ATO provided with $588.8 million to conduct a range of activities to promote GST compliance. The extended funding will assist the ATO to develop more sophisticated analytical tools to combat emerging risks to the GST system.
  • Expanding the scope of the general anti-avoidance rules for income tax. Part IVA will be expanded to include schemes that reduce tax paid in Australia by accessing a lower withholding tax rate on income paid to foreign residents and schemes that achieve an Australian income tax benefit, even where the dominant purpose was to reduce foreign income tax.
  • Additional funding to facilitate ATO engagement with taxpayers with high-value debts over $100,000 and aged debts older than two years. This will apply to taxpayers that are either public and multinational groups with an aggregated turnover of greater than $10 million, or privately owned groups or individuals controlling over $5 million of net wealth.

Superannuation

  • Treasury has reduced the severity of the factor-based approach for SMSFs under the non-arm's length income (NALI) provisions. Under the new proposal, income will be taxable at twice the level of the general expense where there is a breach, instead of five times as previously proposed. 
  • Fund income taxable as NALI will also exclude contributions.
  • Revenue estimates for the $3 million threshold tax for super remain around $2.3 billion, suggesting that the government will proceed with its plan to tax unrealised gains. 
  • Confirmation of move to payday super.

Multinationals

  • The government will implement a 15 per cent global minimum tax for large multinational enterprises to help prevent a “race to the bottom” on corporate tax rates, and protect Australia’s corporate tax base. 
  • The global minimum tax rules would allow Australia to apply a top up tax on a resident multinational parent or subsidiary company where the group’s income is taxed below 15 per cent overseas.
  • The government will also look to apply a 15 per cent domestic minimum tax applying to income years starting on or after 1 January 2024. 
  • Amendments to the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) in response to Treasury’s Review of the PRRT Gas Transfer Pricing (GTP) arrangements.

Medicare levy changes 

  • An exemption from the Medicare levy for eligible lump sum payments in arrears for low-income taxpayers. 
  • An increase in the Medicare levy low-income thresholds for singles, families and seniors and pensioners from 1 July 2022.

 
 

 

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