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Large and long overdue tax debts to appear on credit rating

Stewart, Tracy & Mylon • Jul 14, 2019

WHAT THE TAX?!! 
Tax debts to appear on credit rating

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will be given increased disclosure capabilities if new legislation introduced into the parliament receives royal assent. Under the new law, the ATO will be able to report to credit reporting bureaus the tax debts of a business who is not effectively engaged in managing its outstanding debts.

As a result, from the date of royal assent, a tax debt that is greater than $100,000 and more than 90 days overdue may appear on a business' credit rating.

The ATO will be required to notify a business in writing when it intends to disclose the debt to credit reporting bureaus. In these instances, the business will have 21 days to ensure the tax debt does not appear against their credit record.

Risk mitigation steps

For businesses with an outstanding tax debt

To avoid current or future tax debts being reported to a client's credit rating, they can pay the outstanding debt before the due date or enter into a payment arrangement. Under a payment arrangement, the client would need to agree to:

•         lodge all outstanding income tax returns and activity statements before commencing the payment arrangement

•         make consistent payments towards the debt over a specified and agreed timeframe, including general interest charge, and

•         continue to lodge and pay all future debts on time and in full.

         Failure to complete all these points may cause the debt to be referred to the credit reporting bureaus, which could reduce borrowing capacity in the future.

  For businesses with large debtors and/or reliance on a particular customer

This new reporting requirement can enhance a business' ability to have greater control over who they extend credit terms to. Cloud-based accounting and third party web services have credit check facilities so users can see if a particular customer should be extended credit.

These types of services are also invaluable for businesses who have a heavy reliance on one customer for a large contract. It may be worthwhile for clients to rethink this strategy when their major customer has a bad credit rating or large secured creditors.

Information sourced using CCH iknow

By Stewart, Tracy & Mylon 01 Apr, 2021
WHAT THE TAX?!! Shortcut to claiming work-from-home deductions in 2021 The ATO has reminded taxpayers about the temporary shortcut method still available to those claiming working from home deductions this year. Taxpayers that opt to use the shortcut can claim a rate of 80 cents per work hour at home for all working from home expenses. The temporary shortcut method can be used by multiple people living under the same roof and, unlike existing methods, does not require a dedicated work area. The shortcut is all-inclusive, meaning taxpayers cannot claim expenses under the shortcut method and then claim for individual expenses such as telephone and internet costs. The alternative existing methods are also available for a taxpayer to either: • claim a rate of 52 cents per work hour at home for the heating, cooling, lighting and cleaning of their dedicated work area and the decline in value of office furniture and furnishings; then calculate the work-related portion of their telephone and internet expenses, computer consumables, stationery and the decline in value of a computer, laptop or similar device, or • claim the actual work-related portion of all running expenses, which needs to be calculated on a reasonable basis. Irrespective of the method used taxpayers cannot claim: • personal expenses that are not directly related to earning income • expenses related to children's education • assets that cost over $300; these claims should be spread out over a number of years, and • occupancy expenses such as rent, mortgage interest, property insurance, land taxes and rates. All claims require the taxpayer to have not been reimbursed for money spent, the expense must be directly related to earning income, and the taxpayer must have kept the necessary records. Information sourced using CCH iknow
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