Save
Foreign income tipped to be on ATO's compliance radar
Undisclosed offshore income is likely to be high on the ATO’s radar at tax time this year, along with unsubstantiated claims for home offices, according to one national accounting network.
Foreign income tipped to be on ATO's compliance radar
Undisclosed offshore income is likely to be high on the ATO’s radar at tax time this year, along with unsubstantiated claims for home offices, according to one national accounting network.

The amnesty period provided by the ATO, where individuals were able to come forward and declare international tax liabilities at reduced penalties, ended around a year ago, the director of communications at H&R Block, Mark Chapman, told nestegg.com.au.
“We suspect the ATO probably had intelligence which it gathered from overseas jurisdictions, which it will be able to match with people who didn’t make a disclosure [during that period],” said Mr Chapman.
“The ATO’s amnesty a year or so ago was quite generous in its terms, so if people didn’t choose to take part in the amnesty, the tax office usually comes down on them a bit harder.”
There has also been a lot of public attention in this area, he said, so the ATO will want to maintain community confidence in the tax system by looking into offshore avoidance and evasion.

The main issues with claims for home offices, Mr Chapman said, is confusion around what they can and can’t claim and not holding sufficient records to justify the amount they’re actually claiming.
“It’s really worthwhile first of all going through your records to make sure you can substantiate everything that you’re trying to claim, and also talking to your accountant, just to make sure that you’re actually eligible to make the claim in the first case,” he said.
“Home office is another area which the Tax Office will focus on, because I think some of the claims in that space have gone up in recent years.”

Tax saving
Navigating tax laws for capital gains in 2023
The landscape of Australian tax laws surrounding capital gains is ever-changing, with 2023 being no exception. Read more

Tax saving
What you need to know about the tax implications of crypto
One million Aussies are now invested in crypto, but many have not thought about how these investments will affect them at tax time. Read more

Tax saving
Welfare overhaul could give recipients a leg-up
Australia’s Centrelink recipients who’ve been doing it tough are in for a potentially easier time if the federal government pursues ambitious reforms that could provide sturdier safety nets. Read more

Tax saving
Students should think twice before tapping into their super
Former students might want to think carefully before they look to take advantage of the federal government’s biggest first home buyer incentive. Read more

Tax saving
Advocates call for an end to tax cuts
Social services sector advocates have warned that further tax cuts may make solving Australia’s biggest challenges much harder. Read more

Tax saving
ATO and AUSTRAC may gain new phone-tapping powers
A proposed update to electronic surveillance legislation could see the ATO armed with new powers that would allow the agency to bug phones and intercept online communications. Read more

Tax saving
Over 2m Aussies asked the TPB for help during the last year
As the economy recovers, Australia’s tax regulator says it’s planning to put unregistered practitioners under the microscope. Read more

Tax saving
Will you pay higher taxes due to bracket creep?
Bracket creep will see Australians paying more tax on average, unless further cuts are introduced in the future. Read more

Tax saving
Navigating tax laws for capital gains in 2023
The landscape of Australian tax laws surrounding capital gains is ever-changing, with 2023 being no exception. Read more

Tax saving
What you need to know about the tax implications of crypto
One million Aussies are now invested in crypto, but many have not thought about how these investments will affect them at tax time. Read more

Tax saving
Welfare overhaul could give recipients a leg-up
Australia’s Centrelink recipients who’ve been doing it tough are in for a potentially easier time if the federal government pursues ambitious reforms that could provide sturdier safety nets. Read more

Tax saving
Students should think twice before tapping into their super
Former students might want to think carefully before they look to take advantage of the federal government’s biggest first home buyer incentive. Read more

Tax saving
Advocates call for an end to tax cuts
Social services sector advocates have warned that further tax cuts may make solving Australia’s biggest challenges much harder. Read more

Tax saving
ATO and AUSTRAC may gain new phone-tapping powers
A proposed update to electronic surveillance legislation could see the ATO armed with new powers that would allow the agency to bug phones and intercept online communications. Read more

Tax saving
Over 2m Aussies asked the TPB for help during the last year
As the economy recovers, Australia’s tax regulator says it’s planning to put unregistered practitioners under the microscope. Read more

Tax saving
Will you pay higher taxes due to bracket creep?
Bracket creep will see Australians paying more tax on average, unless further cuts are introduced in the future. Read more