7 tax-time tips for 2024

Among other things, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will set its sights in 2024 on work-related expenses, which could have an impact on anyone claiming the use of their boat for work or to earn an income.

In the post-COVID period, the ATO is cracking down once more; there will be no leniency, and if you have tax debts you need to pay up or risk some potentially severe consequences.

According to CPA Australia’s head of policy and advocacy, Elinor Kasapidis, the ATO will be scrutinising every detail, from asset deductions to income declarations and tax debts.

“The main message is to make sure you’re getting your tax return right. And if you need help, go and see a tax agent,”  Kasapidis advises.

Here are some of the key things you need to know and do this tax time.

Since the glory days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the instant asset write-off is a shadow of its former self. A much more modest version of the instant asset write-off scheme has been reintroduced, allowing small business owners (with a turnover of less than $10 million) to deduct assets valued at up to $20,000 immediately.

From July 1, 2023, the new instant asset write-off came into effect, meaning any assets bought on or after that date and valued at more than $20,000 will need to be deducted over several years instead of in one go, at a rate of 15 percent depreciation for the first year and 30 percent for each subsequent year.

If you claim a range of deductions for assets and travel, keep detailed records and receipts to back up your claim.

For FY23/24, the ATO has specifically cited “incorrectly claiming work-related expenses” as one of three common errors it will target.

Hence, it is more important than ever to have all your records on hand and in one place, so you can produce them easily if the ATO comes knocking.

On that note, Kasapidis urges businesses that have yet to go digital to transition sooner rather than later.

“Get yourself onto accounting software, keep digital records, make sure you set up your systems right throughout the year so that when it comes to tax time, everything’s in the right place,” she said.

“What you don’t want to be doing is running your business off a spreadsheet or having paper receipts and documents that can disintegrate over time.

“Even just for broader business things like your cash flow management, looking at your debtors, issuing invoices… the improvements and insights that you can gain from going digital are more than just tax related.

"They will really help the business and give you better control.”

According to Kasapidis, too many individuals and business owners are not reporting their income correctly or are not reporting all of their income.

Failing to include all income when lodging is another of the three specific common errors the ATO will carefully check at the close of this financial year.

“Make sure to include cash you’ve received as well as the value of barter or payments-in-kind as income,” she said.

“The ATO has sophisticated data analytics that check every single return and look out for things that are out of the ordinary, and they also have all these other sources of data that they can match to you and your group.

“And if things don’t look right and they find out you haven’t disclosed income, the penalties and interest can be high."

Don’t keep your head in the sand if your business owes the ATO money.

The ATO has ramped up its debt recovery efforts in recent years and is not slowing down anytime soon. So if you have tax debts sitting around, you must work out a plan with the ATO to pay them off.

“It’s important for businesses to stay on top of cash flow and not let their tax debt slide,” Kasapidis said.

“Make sure you pay your tax and employee entitlements including super on time, as there can be serious consequences for non-reporting or non-payment including director penalty notices.”

If you have a trust you need to keep all your affairs in order and make your resolutions by June 30.

“The ATO has a close eye on trusts so if you use one make sure that your resolutions are done by June 30 and that you’re up to date with the rules for distributions,” Kasapidis said.

“In the past, trustees may do it 11 months after the end of the income year, but they’re not allowed to do that anymore.”

According to the ATO, if a trustee makes no beneficiary entitled to trust income as of June 30, the trustee will be assessed on the trust’s taxable income.

The ATO has been on the warpath debunking myths concerning Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).

“Private use of assets is an ongoing issue, and ATO will be looking at that closely,” Kasapidis said.

If your employer allows you to take the company dual-cab home at the weekend, it will be hard to argue that it’s not a fringe benefit.

If you are claiming deductions on a ute bought for your business that you also use privately, you can only claim for the portion of the expenses related to your business.

Similarly, if your company owns a boat and you occasionally lend it to family or friends for their private use, you cannot claim against that portion of private use either.

You will need to work out the portion spent on private use and exclude it from your calculations when filing your tax return.

“Again, the ATO has data matching processes in place, so they’re collecting a lot of information about you, what assets you have and the amount of income that’s coming from those assets,” Kasapidis said.

“They’re looking at debts such as loans that you’ve taken out from the bank for property or for investment purposes, for example. They also check your lifestyle [and] your income, and they match it against your business and use things like benchmarks to determine if you’ve been truthful in your return.”

If you’re unsure about something or wondering if there are certain items you can claim, or whether there’s something you need to declare, talk to your tax agent or accountant.

“Tax can be complex and the end of the [financial] year is a good time to make sure your accounting and tax systems are working correctly,” Kasapidis said.

“Seek advice from a registered tax agent to make sure you’re reporting correctly, maximising your deductions and keeping the right records.”

If you realise you’ve made mistakes or have failed to declare something after lodging your tax return, correct it immediately with the ATO, as the organisation can reduce penalties for voluntary disclosures.