2024 Training Topics

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Taxation and Payroll Training
Fringe Benefits Tax Training
Three Hour Payroll Update

2024 Taxation & Payroll Training

  1. THE PAY AS YOU GO (PAYG) WITHHOLDING SYSTEM
    1. Registering for PAYG Withholding
      1. ATO releases guidance in line with recent High Court cases for determining if a worker is an employee or independent contractor
      2. Non-compliant payments to employees and contractors not deductible
    2. Information a new employee must give their employer
      1. Who needs to provide their tax file number (TFN) and other information
      2. Information required from employee
      3. How does the employee provide the information to their new employer?
      4. Paper forms used only in limited circumstances
      5. Is the employer required to send the employee information to the Tax Office?
      6. How does the employee view or changing existing employment details
    3. Applying to the ATO to reduce the amount of withholding – PAYG Withholding Variation
      1. Processing time
      2. How to lodge
      3. Start date of variation
      4. Finishing date of variation
    4. Paying Salary and Wages
      1. At which time is salary and wage income taxable?
    5. General Rates of Income Tax (Incorporating Medicare Levy)
      1. Tax rates and thresholds – Australian resident for tax purposes
      2. Medicare Levy
    6. Foreign Employees/Non-residents
      1. Increased work rights for student visa holders extended
      2. Penalties for employing an illegal worker
      3. ATO guidance on residency tests for individuals
      4. Tax rates for foreign employees working in Australia
      5. Horticultural Workers
      6. Treatment of Expats – Inbound and Outbound
    7. Issues for specific workers
      1. Study and training loan repayment thresholds and rates 2023/24
      2. Performing Artists
      3. Actors, Variety Artists, and other Entertainers
      4. Volunteers and Respite Workers Paid by Non-profit Organisations
      5. Honorariums
    8. Tax Treatment of Specific Payments
      1. Additional withholding when financial year contains extra pay day
      2. Taxing Annual Leave & Long Service Leave (for continuing employment)
      3. Taxing Bonuses, Commissions & Back Payments (Marginal Rate Calculation)
      4. Grossing up a net amount
      5. Adjusting for Repayment of Overpaid Amounts
      6. Withholding Tax from Allowances
      7. Car expense rates for motor vehicle allowance on a cents per kilometre basis
      8. Daily Travel Allowance 2023/24 – Ruling TD 2023/3
      9. Treatment of reimbursements
      10. Treatment of Workplace Giving amounts
      11. Taxation of Return-to-Work Payments
      12. The Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Scheme
      13. Treatment of Child Support Deductions
      14. Treatment of pay with purchased leave
    9. Other instruments under which workers are paid
      1. Labour Hire arrangement
      2. Voluntary Agreement
      3. Paying a supplier who does not quote an ABN
      4. Non-Cash Benefits (that are not FBT items)
      5. Which withholding takes priority?
  2. SINGLE TOUCH PAYROLL (STP) & OTHER REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
    1. Interacting with the ATO online
      1. Accessing ATO online services
    2. Options for accessing ATO services online
      1. Online services for business
      2. Standard Business Reporting (SBR)
      3. Individuals and sole traders use myGov to lodge forms with ATO
      4. Australian Business Number
    3. Single touch payroll (STP)
      1. How payments are reported through STP
      2. Exemptions
      3. Deferrals
      4. End-of-year finalisation through STP
      5. Correcting information reported through STP
      6. Changing payroll solutions during a financial year
      7. Trouble shooting STP problems
    4. Requirements under STP 2
      1. Transitioning from STP Phase 1 to STP Phase 2 reporting
      2. STP phase 2 – Reporting employment conditions
      3. Disaggregation of gross – Summary
      4. Effect on allocation of Paid Leave
      5. Effect on allocating Allowances
      6. Effect on allocating Salary sacrifice amounts
      7. Effect on allocating Overtime
      8. What can still be included allocated as Gross?
      9. To what extent does the salary need to be reported in separate STP categories
      10. Quick reference guide to categories for STP 2
    5. Income Statements
      1. Payment Summaries only required in limited situations
    6. Reporting PAYG Withholding on the BAS/IAS
      1. PAYGW prefill for activity statements
      2. Time Frame for Payments of PAYG withholding to the ATO
      3. Small and Medium Withholders
      4. Large Withholders
      5. Transferring amounts to the PAYG withheld section on the BAS/IAS
      6. Penalties for Late Lodgement, Late Payment and Non-payment
    7. Government Support and Boost measures
      1. Australian Apprentice Incentive System
      2. Regional Apprenticeships Boost
      3. Future Targeted Support for Apprenticeships
      4. Australian Skills Guarantee – implementation
      5. Wage subsidies and incentive payments for employers – “Restart Subsidy” and “Kickstart payments”
      6. Small business skills and training boost
      7. Small business technology investment boost now law
    8. Modernising Business Registers and Director Identification Numbers
      1. Director identification number
    9. Taxable Payments Reporting System
      1. Affected Industries
      2. How does it work
      3. Who Needs to Report?
      4. Businesses not required to report
      5. Payments that need to be reported
      6. Payments that are not reportable
      7. The Taxable Payments Annual Report
      8. Specific information for Effected industries and services
    10. Taxable Payments for Reporting of Government Grants & Payments
    11. Workplace Gender Equality Reporting
      1. Relevant employers
      2. Reporting
    12. Payment Times Reporting Scheme
    13. Notifiable Breaches Scheme – Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
    14. Treatment of Employee Share Schemes (ESS)
      1. Reporting obligations eased
      2. Reporting to employees – ESS Statement
      3. ESS in a Start-up Company from 1 July 2015
      4. Reporting to the ATO – ESS Annual Report
      5. Employee Share Schemes Calculator
      6. Types of schemes
      7. Tax-deferred schemes taxing point
  3. THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS SYSTEM (FAIR WORK)
    1. Coverage
    2. Modern Awards
      1. Modern Awards do not apply to employees earning over the high-income threshold
      2. List of Modern Awards
      3. Changes to awards
      4. Pay guides to modern awards
      5. What is contained in a Modern Award
      6. Annualised Salary Clauses
      7. Pay and Condition Calculators and Tools (PACT)
      8. Award Finder
    3. Status of Agreements and Contracts
      1. Enterprise Agreements
      2. Sunsetting of zombie agreements (Collective agreements made prior to 1 January 2010)
    4. Bargaining
      1. Bargaining disputes
      2. Cooperative workplaces bargaining stream
      3. Initiating bargaining – single enterprise agreements
      4. Removing barriers to the Single Interest Bargaining Stream
      5. Supported Bargaining Stream
      6. Fair Work update agreement variation forms
      7. Common Law Contracts
      8. Need help drafting an employment contract?
      9. Ban on pay secrecy clauses and discussing pay at work
      10. New rules for labour hire workers (closing loopholes legislation)
      11. Criminalising intentional wage underpayments
      12. Workplace delegates’ rights
      13. Right of entry
      14. Compulsory conciliation conferences in protected action ballot matters
      15. Remaining industrial relations reforms still to be debated and not passed as at print date
    5. National Minimum Wage (NMW)
      1. Other issues with NMW
    6. National Employment Standards (NES)
      1. The NES cannot be excluded by agreement
      2. Which entitlements are addressed under the NES?
    7. Maximum Weekly Hours
    8. Requests for Flexible Working Arrangements
      1. Eligibility for flexible working arrangements
      2. Flexible work requests strengthened
      3. Can Australian employers force employees to stop working from home?
    9. Offers and requests to convert from casual to permanent employment
      1. Employer offering Casual Employment
      2. Employees requesting Casual Conversion
      3. Making and responding to offers and requests
      4. Who is a casual employee?
      5. No double dipping
    10. Parental Leave and Related Entitlements
      1. Eligibility
      2. Effect of the Government Paid Parental Leave Scheme
      3. Notice requirements for unpaid parental leave
      4. Taking Unpaid Parental Leave – For children born or adopted on or after 1 July 2023
      5. Other issues for Parental leave
      6. Requesting extended unpaid parental leave
      7. Unpaid parental leave’s impact on accruals, service and public holidays
    11. Annual Leave
      1. Entitlement to annual leave
      2. Accrual of annual leave
      3. Taking annual leave
      4. Payment for annual leave
    12. Personal Leave — Includes Sick Leave, Carer’s Leave, and Compassionate Leave
      1. Entitlement and accrual of paid personal/carer’s leave
      2. Taking personal/carer’s leave
      3. Long periods of sick leave
      4. Unpaid carer’s leave
      5. The Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee for casual workers
      6. Compassionate leave
      7. Use of personal leave in natural disaster or emergency
    13. Paid Family and domestic violence leave
      1. 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave
    14. Community Service Leave
      1. Voluntary Emergency Management Activity
      2. Jury Duty
      3. Notice and evidence for community service leave
    15. Long Service Leave
      1. Where the ‘ordinary time rate of pay’ is not fixed, it will be determined by calculating the greatest of:
      2. Employee serves in more than one State
      3. Long Service Leave and transfer of business
      4. Portable Long Service Leave Schemes
      5. What is ‘domestic or other pressing necessity’
    16. Public Holidays 2024
      1. Local public holidays
      2. Rostering and payment for Public Holidays
      3. Public holidays and leave entitlements
      4. Requesting and refusing to work on public holidays
      5. Public holiday interstate
    17. Information Statements to be distributed to employees where applicable
    18. Worker Records
      1. What records must employers keep?
      2. Pay Statements
      3. Contravention of Record-Keeping and Pay Slip Obligations
      4. How long should records be kept
    19. Other Fair Work issues
      1. Calculating casual penalty rates
      2. Aged care worker COVID-19 leave payment grants
      3. Disability Workforce COVID 19 Leave Grant
      4. What deductions may be made from an employee’s pay?
      5. Prohibiting workplace sexual harassment
      6. Applying for orders to stop bullying and sexual harassment at work
      7. Anti-discrimination measures increase
      8. Enforceable undertakings by Fair Work
      9. Compliance notices
      10. State Wage theft laws
      11. Accessorial Liability – Your Responsibilities under the Fair Work Act
      12. Workplace laws for franchisors and holding companies
      13. Transfer of business – When businesses change owners
      14. Unpaid leave
      15. Unpaid work
      16. Ceremonial leave
      17. Holiday shutdowns
      18. Employer Advisory Service
      19. Workplace Advice Service
      20. Reversal of onus of proof
      21. Contact Fair Work Commission
      22. Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman
      23. Fair Work downloadable and interactive templates and guides
  4. WHEN EMPLOYMENT ENDS
    1. Notice of Termination and Redundancy Pay
      1. Notice of termination or payment in lieu of notice
      2. Dismissal and notice
      3. Resignation and notice
      4. Leave during notice period (applies to resignation, dismissal & redundancy)
      5. Redundancy Pay
    2. Unfair dismissal
      1. What is an unfair dismissal?
      2. Unlawful Dismissal
      3. The Fair Dismissal Code for Small Business
      4. Small Business Fair Dismissal Code Checklist
    3. Ending employment – other issues
      1. Terminating an Employee During Probation – recent cases mean employers need to consider their reasoning
      2. Is leave loading payable on termination?
      3. When does the final pay have to be made to the employee?
      4. Terminating a person on personal (sick) leave or workers compensation
      5. Managing performance-based termination
      6. Termination due to serious misconduct
      7. Abandonment of Employment
    4. Reporting payments through STP for terminating employee
    5. Annual Leave on termination
      1. Amounts included in annual leave paid on termination (including redundancy and resignation)
      2. Tax treatment of annual leave on termination
      3. Treatment of annual leave on resignation, retirement or performance-based dismissal
      4. Annual Leave for Genuine Redundancy, Invalidity and ATO Approved Early Retirement
    6. Taxing Long Service Leave on termination
      1. Treatment of long service leave when an employee resigns, retires or is dismissed as a result of performance
      2. Long Service Leave for Genuine Redundancy, Invalidity and ATO Approved Early Retirement
      3. No additional withholding for study and training loans on termination
    7. Genuine Redundancy and tax-free amounts
      1. Reporting tax-free amounts at Lump sum D through STP
      2. When is a termination a Genuine Redundancy and therefore eligible for the tax-free treatment at lump sum D (TR 2009/2)?
      3. Other important points about genuine redundancy
      4. Tax treatment of amounts paid under a genuine redundancy
      5. Redundancy examples
    8. Approved early retirement schemes
    9. Employment Termination Payments (ETPS)
      1. ETPs and Single Touch Payroll (STP)
    10. Treatment of an ETP
      1. Calculating taxable and tax-free components for employees who commence employment before 1 July 1983
      2. Tax to be withheld from the taxable component of an ETP
      3. The Whole of income cap
      4. Whole of income cap examples
    11. ETP examples
    12. Other issues – taxing termination pay
    13. Invalidity Payments
      1. Treatment of annual leave and long service leave on invalidity
      2. Invalidity ETPs
    14. Lump Sum Payments on Death of an Employee
      1. Other important information in relation to payments after death of an employee
      2. Employment Separation Certificates only required if using STP phase 1
  5. THE SUPERANNUATION GUARANTEE
    1. TFN & Superannuation Funds
    2. Minimum Level of Superannuation Guarantee Contributions
      1. Which rate will apply?
      2. SG percentage increase– impact on salaried/packaged employees
      3. Salaried employees – Determining the superannuation guarantee portion of an all-inclusive amount
    3. Deadlines for Superannuation Contributions
      1. Superannuation Guarantee (Employer Contributions) Deadlines
      2. Salary sacrifice employer contributions (Employer Contributions)
      3. Voluntary employee super contributions (contributions withheld from net salary – (Employee Contributions)
      4. Paying superannuation in advance
      5. End of year allocations of superannuation contributions
      6. The Superannuation Guarantee Charge – Penalty for Overdue Superannuation Guarantee Contributions
    4. Allocating and paying contributions
      1. Allocating contributions through STP
      2. Choice of fund
      3. Stapled super
      4. Employers are required to make contributions using SuperStream
    5. Superannuation Guarantee liability for Specific Workers / Payments
      1. Payments for which Superannuation does not have to be paid
      2. Treatment of Certain Workers
      3. What payroll is counted for Superannuation guarantee purposes (Ordinary Time Earnings OTE at stated in SGR 2009/2)
      4. SG and Leave Loading
      5. Sleepover Allowance and Superannuation Guarantee
    6. Superannuation Caps
      1. Maximum Quarterly Contribution Base
      2. Concessional contributions cap (for SG & salary sacrifice)
      3. Tax rates applied to superannuation (withheld by the superannuation fund not the employer) within and in excess of the caps
    7. Superannuation & Salary Sacrifice
      1. Salary sacrificed superannuation contributions are employer contributions
      2. How does salary sacrifice work?
      3. Methods of Salary Sacrifice in Payroll and treatment for STP reporting
      4. A salary sacrifice arrangement must be ‘effective’. How is this achieved?
      5. What salary is the superannuation guarantee based on when an employee salary sacrifices to a superannuation fund?
      6. Superannuation contributions made under an ineffective salary sacrifice agreement are subject to FBT
      7. The effect of Salary Sacrifice on other entitlements
      8. How much can be salary sacrificed?
      9. Employees can salary sacrifice to save for first home
      10. Employees can claim deductions for personal super contributions – The equivalent of salary sacrificing to super
    8. Reportable Employer Superannuation Contributions (RESC)
      1. Reportable superannuation contributions
      2. Superannuation contributions which are not reportable
      3. Other RESC Factors
    9. Other Superannuation Information
      1. Non-residents can access their superannuation early
      2. Splitting of superannuation contributions
      3. Tax offset for super contributions on behalf of spouse
      4. Superannuation co-contribution for low-income earners
      5. Super guarantee employer obligations course
      6. Status of Superannuation Fund Expenses Paid by the Employer
  6. FRINGE BENEFITS TAX (FBT)
    1. Liability to FBT
      1. Fringe Benefits Tax Year & Assessment of Liability
      2. Calculating FBT in Summary
      3. What the impact of tax bracket changes on the provision of fringe benefits?
    2. Classifying Fringe Benefits, Grossing-Up Fringe Benefits & Calculating of the FBT Payable
      1. Gross-up rates for 2023/24
      2. Summary of current FBT year
      3. GST inclusive value is used
      4. Employee cash/expense contribution to fringe benefit
    3. Record Keeping
      1. Record Keeping Exemption for Small Business (turnover less than $50 million)
      2. Declarations
      3. Reducing the compliance burden of record keeping
    4. Specific Treatment of Cars & Related Fringe Benefits
      1. Working out if a car benefit is provided and the taxable value of the car fringe benefit
      2. The Statutory Formula Method
      3. The Operating Cost Method
      4. Simplified approach to car fringe benefits for employers with fleet cars
      5. Novated Leases
      6. Salary sacrificing a motor vehicle – The Options
      7. FBT Exempt Motor Vehicles (not including zero & low emission vehicles)
      8. Zero and Low Emission vehicles (ZLEV) benefit exemption
      9. Salary Sacrificing an Electric Scooter or Electric Bike
      10. Road Tolls
      11. Car Parking
      12. Expense payments
      13. Other benefits (“Residual” benefits)
      14. Meals & Board
      15. Housing
      16. Property and Goods
      17. Airline Transport
      18. Loans/Debt Waiver
      19. Entertainment Expenses
      20. Travel expenses
      21. Benefits provided by a Third-party
    5. Living-away-from-home allowance (LAFHA)
      1. LAFHA eligibility
      2. LAFHA Benefits an eligible employee can receive
      3. Substantiation of expenses
      4. LAFHA is an exempt benefit only for the first 12 months
      5. Fly-in fly-out/drive-in drive-out workers complete declaration
    6. Exemptions, Reductions & Concessions
      1. Benefits to which FBT does not apply
      2. Minor benefits
      3. Remote Area housing
      4. Concessions for employees posted overseas
      5. Relocation Exemptions
      6. Work-related items
    7. ‘In-house’ fringe benefits
      1. Certain payments to employee entitlement funds
      2. Long service awards
      3. Taxi travel/ ride share exemption
      4. Costs for retraining/reskilling redundant employees
      5. Other exemptions
      6. Reducing liability by applying the ‘Otherwise Deductible’ Rule
      7. Employees’ Clothing/Uniforms
    8. Salary Sacrifice
      1. Important notes about salary sacrifice
      2. Salary Sacrifice Scenarios
    9. Employers who are FBT exempt & rebatable employers
      1. Organisations entitled to full FBT exemption
      2. Organisations entitled to a FBT exemption up to the grossed-up capping value of $30,000
      3. Organisations entitled to a FBT exemption up to the grossed-up capping value of $17,000
      4. Employers who are entitled to an FBT rebate of up to $30,000 grossed-up
      5. Benefits excluded (wholly or partly) from FBT capping measures
    10. Reportable Fringe Benefits
      1. Recordkeeping for reportable fringe benefits
      2. Treatment of reportable fringe benefits by exempt and rebatable employers
      3. Fringe benefits exempt from reporting requirement
      4. No reporting required for pooled or shared vehicles
      5. Which employees will have a reportable fringe benefit amount?
      6. Calculating the Reportable Fringe Benefit Amount
      7. Use GST inclusive value but only gross-up at the lower rate
      8. Where is the Reportable Fringe Benefit Amount (RFBA) reported?
      9. Reportable Fringe Benefits – The Effect on Employees
    11. The Fringe Benefits Tax Return
      1. Lodgement
      2. Completing the Fringe Benefits Tax Return
      3. Paying FBT
      4. Fringe Benefits Tax and the BAS
  7. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
    1. COVID 19 (Corona Virus) and Workcover
      1. Entitlement to Workcover
      2. Websites for specific information
    2. Workcover National Harmonisation Plan
    3. Cross Border Arrangements
      1. The ‘State of Connection’
      2. Supporting documentation
      3. Temporary work interstate for the same employer
      4. Practical Examples
    4. Defining Workers, Employees, and Contractors
      1. New South Wales
      2. Victoria
      3. Queensland
      4. South Australia
      5. Northern Territory
      6. Australian Capital Territory
      7. Tasmania
      8. Western Australia
    5. What remuneration is declared for premium purposes?
      1. Yes if subject to FBT or shown on income statement.
      2. Not to be included in the Workers’ Compensation declaration if it is considered to be a reimbursement for specific expenditure incurred as part of their employment. Otherwise, it should be included.
    6. Other Issues
      1. Payments to Entities other than individuals
      2. Impact of the GST
      3. Accrual of leave entitlements for workers’ compensation recipients
  8. PAYROLL TAX
    1. Exemptions and Rebates
      1. General Exemptions for all States
      2. New South Wales
      3. Victoria
      4. Tasmania
      5. South Australia
      6. Queensland
      7. Northern Territory
      8. Western Australia
      9. Australian Capital Territory
    2. Where is Payroll Tax Payable
      1. Where services are performed entirely in one jurisdiction
      2. Where services are performed in more than one Australian jurisdiction and/or partly outside all Australian jurisdictions
      3. Employment in another country
      4. Services performed offshore
      5. Wages paid in a foreign currency
      6. Registration Requirements
      7. Cancellation of registration
    3. Records
    4. Payroll Tax & GST
      1. GST component of taxable wages is excluded for payroll tax purposes
    5. Grouping of Employers
      1. Common employees
      2. Controlling interest
      3. Commonly controlled businesses
      4. Related under corporations law
    6. Monthly Returns and Annual Adjustments
    7. Thresholds & Rates
      1. Reductions and thresholds (Wages exempt from payroll tax)
      2. Formulas used to calculate exemption threshold and payroll tax payable
    8. Payments to Contractors – All jurisdictions except WA
      1. Relevant/Service contracts are taxable
      2. Exclusions/Exemptions
      3. South Australia – Relevant Contracts Decision Tool
    9. Payments to Contractors – Western Australia
    10. What are Wages for payroll tax purposes
  9. GOODS & SERVICES TAX (GST)
    1. The GST Base
    2. Registration
      1. Who is required to register?
      2. What is Annual Turnover (for GST purposes)?
      3. When to Register
      4. How to register for GST
      5. Consequences for entities who fail to register when required
      6. Should entities with a low turnover choose to register?
      7. Taxi drivers must register regardless of turnover
      8. Special rule for Charities/Non-Profit Organisations
      9. Registration for overseas businesses
      10. Cancelling GST registration
    3. How does the GST work?
      1. When can you claim GST credits?
      2. Time limits for claiming GST credits
      3. When can’t businesses claim GST credits?
      4. GST credits and income tax deductions
      5. Special rules for claiming GST Credits
      6. Acquisitions through agents for non-residents
      7. GST refunds as a result of capital items purchased
      8. GST refunds as a result of an error on previous BAS
    4. Attribution Rules
      1. Accounting for GST on a cash basis
      2. Accounting for GST on a non-cash basis
      3. Attribution rule for lay-by sales
      4. Attribution rule for security deposits
      5. Attribution rule for sale of land under a standard land contract
      6. Attribution rule for gift vouchers
      7. Other special attribution rules
    5. Tax Invoices
      1. What is a valid tax invoice?
      2. What if a document does not contain all of the required information?
      3. What if you claimed a GST credit without having a valid tax invoice?
      4. How does the ATO deal with missing or invalid tax invoices?
      5. Situations where a tax invoice may not be required
    6. Making Adjustments
      1. What are adjustments?
      2. When do you make an adjustment?
      3. Information requirements on adjustment notes
      4. Adjustments can be reconciled on the BAS in one of two ways
    7. Supplies which are GST-free
      1. More information
    8. Supplies which are input taxed
      1. Financial supplies
      2. Residential Premises
      3. Other Input Taxed Activities
    9. Simplified Accounting
      1. Simplified accounting methods for food retailers
    10. GST cross-border transactions – Imports
      1. How to determine whether the sale or purchase of a product or service is connected with Australia
      2. Australian businesses
      3. Non-resident businesses
      4. GST treatment of online accommodation bookings
      5. Imports which are not taxable for GST purposes
    11. Other Issues
      1. GST and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
      2. Treatment of Goods on Consignment
      3. Pricing Requirements
      4. Lease Arrangements
      5. Hire Purchase
      6. Motor Vehicles
      7. Status of Government Fees
      8. Gambling
      9. Second-hand Goods
      10. GST Groups
      11. Prizes
      12. Mutual Bodies
      13. Accounting for GST for Income Tax Purposes
      14. Treatment of Property
      15. Commercial Property
      16. Residential property
      17. Insurance
      18. Reimbursements & Disbursements
      19. Issues for Charitable and Non-profit Organisations
  10. REPORTING GST ON THE BUSINESS ACTIVITY STATEMENT (BAS)
    1. Instalment Activity Statement (IAS)
    2. Business Activity Statement (BAS)
      1. Due Dates
      2. Lodgement and Payment
      3. Methods of lodging
      4. Concluding Tax Periods
      5. Individuals must be registered to provide BAS Services
      6. What are BAS services?
      7. BAS and Tax Agents need to complete Annual Declaration with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB)
    3. Accounting for GST
      1. Accounts method
      2. Interactive GST Calculation Sheet (to be completed online)
    4. BAS Reporting Options for GST (Not including Annual Reporting)
      1. Option 1 – Full reporting method – Pay GST Quarterly & Report Quarterly (Monthly for large payers)
      2. Option 2 – Simpler BAS reporting method — Pay and report GST Monthly, Quarterly or Annually
      3. Option 3 – GST instalments method – Pay ATO GST instalment Quarterly & Report Annually
    5. Other BAS Issues
      1. Nothing to Report or not Trading
      2. Correcting GST Errors on the BAS
      3. BAS information for GST groups
      4. BAS information for GST Branches
      5. The Fuel Tax Credit Scheme
      6. Wine equalisation tax
    6. Reporting PAYG Instalments on the BAS/IAS
      1. What are PAYG instalments?
      2. Reporting Options
      3. Some taxpayers excluded from paying PAYG instalments
      4. Voluntary entry into PAYG instalments
      5. PAYG instalments calculator

2024 FRINGE BENEFITS TAX TRAINING

  1. INTRODUCTION
    1. FBT Software Access
    2. What is a Fringe Benefit?
      1. What is Fringe Benefits Tax?
      2. The FBT Year
      3. When is a FBT Return Required?
      4. What is the Impact of Tax Bracket Changes and Rate Changes on the Provision of Fringe Benefits?
    3. Who is an Employee for FBT Purposes?
      1. It is Important to Classify Payees Correctly for FBT Purposes
      2. Employee or Contractor
      3. The Benefit Must be Provided in Respect of Employment
      4. Benefits Provided by a Third-Party
      5. Benefits Provided to a Shareholder Who is Also an Employee – Division 7A
    4. A Benefit Can be Provided in Many Forms
    5. Entity Types for FBT Purposes
      1. Not-for-Profits – Enhancing the Transparency of Income Tax Exemptions
      2. Notice for Charities at Risk of Losing Registration and Therefore Losing Concessional Tax Treatment
    6. FBT and Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2
      1. How to Report RFBA Through STP
      2. STP and Salary Sacrifice Amounts
    7. Interacting with the ATO Online
      1. Accessing ATO Online Services
      2. Options for Accessing ATO Services Online
  2. CALCULATING AND PAYING FBT
    1. In Summary
      1. Who is Liable?
    2. How the FBT Amount is Determined
      1. Grossing Up Fringe Benefits
      2. Changes in Gross-Up Rates
      3. Gross Up Rates for 2024 and Future Years
      4. Why Have Two Gross Up Rates?
      5. Which Gross-Up Rate is Used for the Various FBT Categories?
      6. Example – Taxable Employer Provides Benefits to 3 Staff Members
    3. Reducing FBT Liability
      1. Replace Fringe Benefits with Cash Salary
      2. Provide Benefits that are Exempt from FBT
      3. Provide Tax Deductible Benefits (The Otherwise Deductible Rule)
      4. Use Employee Contributions
    4. Record Keeping
      1. Record Keeping Exemption for Small Business
      2. Reducing the Compliance Burden of FBT Record Keeping – Applies from 1 April 2024
      3. Applying the Reduction in Record Keeping Measure to the ‘Travel Diary’ Record Keeping Requirement
      4. Declarations
  3. TYPES OF FRINGE BENEFITS
    1. Car fringe benefit
    2. Debt waiver fringe benefit
    3. Loan fringe benefit
    4. Expense payment fringe benefit
    5. Housing fringe benefit
    6. Living-away-from-home allowance fringe benefit
    7. Airline transport fringe benefit
    8. Board fringe benefit
    9. Entertainment
    10. Tax-exempt body entertainment fringe benefit
    11. Car parking fringe benefit
    12. Property fringe benefit
    13. Residual fringe benefit
  4. CAR FRINGE BENEFITS
    1. Summary of Working Out if a Car Benefit is Provided and the Taxable Value of the Car Fringe Benefit
      1. Car Valuation Method Doesn’t Have to be Formally Elected
      2. Signage on a Vehicle Does Not Change FBT Implication
    2. Valuing a Car Using the Statutory Formula Method
      1. Determining the Base Value of the Car (A)
      2. Statutory Percentage (B)
      3. Determining the Number of Days Available for Private Use (C)
      4. Determining the Employee Contribution (E)
      5. Taxable Value of New Demonstrator Motor Vehicles and Used Car Stock of Motor Vehicle Dealers Available for Private Use of Employees
      6. Checklist for Using the Statutory Formula
    3. Valuing a Car Using the Operating Cost Method
      1. Total Operating Costs
      2. Calculation
      3. Record Keeping for the Operating Cost Method
      4. When is it Private Use – When is it Business Use? –TR 2021/1 Income Tax: When are Deductions Allowed for Employees’ Transport Expenses?
      5. Checklist for Using the Operating Cost Method
    4. Further Car Fringe Benefits Information
      1. Simplified Approach to Valuing Fleet Cars
      2. Comparing Statutory Formula Method with Operating Cost Method
      3. The Tax Office’s Fringe Benefit Tax Car Calculator
      4. Pooled Vehicles
      5. Hire Cars, Taxis and Ride Sharing
      6. What is Not a Car Benefit?
    5. Salary Sacrificing a Motor Vehicle
      1. Salary Sacrificing a Motor Vehicle – The Options
      2. Outcomes Using Both Statutory Formula and Operating Cost Method
      3. Novated Leases
      4. Savings for Employees who Salary Sacrifice a Car by Way of Novated Lease with an Employee Contribution
      5. Potentially Large Tax Savings Available Through an Associate Lease
      6. Notice of a Novated Leases Data-Matching Program 23 February 2024
      7. Salary Sacrifice Calculator for Novated Leases
    6. Electric Car Benefits Exemption for Zero or Low Emission Vehicles (ZLEV)
      1. When Does the Exemption Apply?
      2. List of Application ZLEV Vehicles Under the $89,332 Threshold
      3. Associated Car Expenses
      4. ZLEVS Impact on Reportable Fringe Benefit Amount (RFBA)
      5. The Potential Benefits of Providing a ZLEV
      6. Victorian Electric Car Road User Charge Ruled Invalid by High Court
    7. FBT Exempt Motor Vehicles that are Not Zero or Low Emission Vehicles (ZLEV)
      1. Vehicles that May Qualify for the Work-Related Use Exemption
      2. Eligibility Criteria that Needs to be Met for Exemption to Apply to Either Non-Cars or Cars
      3. Tax Office Guidelines in Relation Private Use of Exempt Vehicle
      4. Treatment Where Eligibility is Not Met
      5. Beware of Situations that May Jeopardise the FBT Exempt Status of a Vehicle
      6. Modified Vehicle Can Qualify
      7. Record Keeping Requirements for FBT Exempt Vehicles
      8. ATO Target Popular Utility Vehicles
      9. Motor Vehicle Registries Data-Matching Program
    8. Applying the ‘Otherwise Deductible’ Rule to Reduce the Taxable Value of a Car
      1. Reducing the Taxable Value of the Car Under the ‘Otherwise Deductible’ Rule Using the Logbook Method
      2. Reducing the Taxable Value of the Car Under the ‘Otherwise Deductible’ Rule Using the Declaration Method
  5. CAR RELATED FRINGE BENEFITS
    1. Road Tolls
      1. Do Any Exemptions Apply to Road Tolls?
      2. Valuation Options for Road Tolls
    2. Car Parking
      1. Determining Whether FBT Applies to the Parking Benefit Provided
      2. Category A – Criteria for a Benefit to be a Car Parking Fringe Benefit
      3. Category B – Criteria for a Benefit to be a Car Parking Expense Payment Fringe Benefit
      4. Situations Exempt from Providing a Car Parking Benefit
      5. Valuing Car Parking Fringe Benefits
      6. Summary of Car Parking Fringe Benefit Valuation Process
      7. Step 1 – Determine the Number of Car Parking Benefits in FBT Year
      8. Step 2 – Calculating the Taxable Value of Each Car Parking Benefit
      9. Need Help with Car Parking Valuation
  6. SPECIFIC TREATMENT OF OTHER FRINGE BENEFITS
    1. Debt Waiver Fringe Benefits
      1. Taxable Value of Debt Waiver Fringe Benefits
      2. Situations Where a Debt Waiver Fringe Benefit Will Not Arise
    2. A Loan Fringe Benefit
      1. Determining Taxable Value of Loan Fringe Benefit Using the Statutory Interest Rate (Benchmark Interest Rate)
      2. Interest Would Have Been Deductible to Employee (Using the Otherwise Deductible Rule)
      3. Declaration for Loans Required in Some Situations
    3. Travel Expenses
    4. Expense Payment Fringe Benefits
      1. Common Expenses Payments Reimbursed or Paid for by Employers
      2. Taxable Value of Expense Payment Fringe Benefit
      3. ATO Update — Employee Work Expenses Guidance
      4. Substantiation Requirements for Expense Payment Fringe Benefits
      5. Common Mistakes Made in Relation to Expense Payment Fringe Benefits
      6. Common Exempt Expense Payment Fringe Benefits
    5. Housing Fringe Benefits
      1. Taxable Value of a Housing Fringe Benefit
      2. Taxable Value of All Other Accommodation Using the Indexation Method
    6. Meals & Board
      1. What is a Board Fringe Benefit?
      2. Taxable Value of Meals and Board
      3. Exemption for Meals Provided by Primary Producers in Remote Areas
    7. Property and Goods
    8. Airline Transport Fringe Benefits (In-house Fringe Benefit)
  7. ENTERTAINMENT EXPENSES
    1. Meal entertainment
      1. Meal entertainment indicators
      2. Is it meal entertainment?
      3. Treatment of specific food and drink
      4. Morning and afternoon teas and light meals
      5. Food or drink provided to employees while on business travel overnight
      6. Food or drink provided to employees at continuing professional development seminars
      7. Group social functions – such as Christmas parties
      8. Food or drink provided to employees at work functions
      9. Door prizes
      10. Cancellation of events
      11. Table – Common entertainment scenarios
    2. Recreation
      1. What is recreation
    3. Valuing entertainment including meal entertainment & recreation
      1. Which valuation method can be used for each type of entertainment?
      2. Actual method – (must be used for salary packaged benefits)
      3. The 50-50 split method
      4. The 12-week register method (rarely used)
      5. Which situation suits which valuation method for taxable entities?
    4. Tax-exempt body entertainment fringe benefit
      1. What is a tax-exempt body entertainment fringe benefit?
      2. FBT implications of tax-exempt bodies providing food and drink
      3. Taxable value of food and drink that is a tax-exempt body entertainment benefit
      4. Which method should a tax-exempt body use to value benefits they’ve chosen to value as meal entertainment?
      5. Timing of income tax exempt entities determining approach to calculating taxable value
      6. Christmas parties for tax-exempt bodies
      7. Where is an income tax exempt body entertainment fringe benefit shown on the FBT return?
    5. Impact of GST and grossing up for entertainment expenses
    6. Corporate sponsorships
  8. OTHER ISSUES
    1. Consumer Loyalty Programs
      1. Flight Rewards
    2. Audit Activity
      1. Tax Office Review of Employer Financial Statements to Identify Undeclared Fringe Benefits
      2. Tax Office Reviewing Income Tax Returns and BAS as Part of Its Compliance Activity
  9. EXEMPTIONS, REDUCTIONS & CONCESSIONS
    1. Minor Benefits
      1. Less than $300 in value
      2. Criteria for determining whether it woold be unreasonable to treat the minor benefit as a fringe benefit
      3. When the minor benefits exemption doesn’t apply
    2. Reducing liability by applying the ‘otherwise deductible’ rule
    3. “In-house” Fringe Benefits
      1. Determining the taxable value of an in-house property fringe benefit
      2. Determining the taxable value of an in-house residual fringe benefit
      3. Reducing taxable value of in-house fringe benefit
      4. No in-house fringe benefit concession for salary sacrificed items
    4. Remote area exemptions and concesions
      1. Boundaries for remote area benefits
      2. Remote area exemptions
      3. Remote area concessions
      4. Designated remote areas by state
    5. Concessions for employees posted overseas
      1. Holiday transport – overseas employment
      2. Education of children – overseas employees
    6. Living-away-from-home allowance (LAFHA)
      1. LAFHA eligibility
      2. Practical guidelines for determining whether an employee is living away from home
      3. Difference between a LAFHA and a travelling allowance
      4. LAFHA benefits
      5. Substantiation of LAFHA expenses
      6. LAFHA is an exempt benefit only for the first 12 months
      7. Fly-in fly-out/drive-in drive-out workers complete declaration
      8. The total of LAFHA benefits must be included on FBT return even when the value is reduced to nil
    7. Relocation Exemptions
      1. Summary of Relocation Benefits
      2. Relocation – Transport
      3. Temporary Accommodation at Former Location
      4. Temporary Accommodation at New Location
      5. Removals and Storage of Household Effects
      6. Sale or Acquisition of Dwelling
      7. Engagement of a Relocation Consoltant
      8. Connection or Reconnection of Certain Utilities
      9. Relocation – Where Transport by Employee’s Car
      10. Relocation – Meals
    8. Work-Related Items
      1. Limitations on Exemption
      2. What is ‘Primarily for Use in the Employee’s Employment’?
      3. Replacing Work Related Items or Providing Similar Items
      4. Exemption for Portable Electronic Devices Extends to Internet Download Charges Where the Item is for
        Business Use
    9. Costs for Retraining/Reskilling Redundant Employees
    10. Long Service Awards
    11. Car Parking Exemption for Small Business
    12. Approved Worker Entitlement Funds
    13. Employees Clothing/Uniforms
      1. Protective Clothing
      2. Occupation Specific Clothing
      3. Compolsory Uniform/Wardrobe
      4. Non-Compolsory Uniform/Wardrobe
      5. Taxi / Ride Sharing Travel Expenses Exemption
      6. Travel for Compassionate Reasons
      7. Emergency Assistance (Including COVID-19 Emergency Assistance)
      8. Other Exemptions
  10. EXEMPT AND REBATABLE ENTITIES
    1. Religious Institutions
      1. Scope of Exemption for Religious Institutions
      2. Administrative Issues for Religious Institutions
    2. Public Benevolent Institutions (PBI) & Health Promotion Charities
      1. What is a Public Benevolent Institution?
      2. What is a Health Promotion Charity?
      3. Endorsement Arrangements for PBIs and HPCs
      4. Scope of Exemption for PBIs and HPCs
    3. Public/Non-Profit Hospitals and Public Ambulance Services
      1. Scope of Exemption for Public/Non-Profit Hospitals and Public Ambulance Services
    4. Not-for-Profit (NFP) Organisations – Rebatable Employers
      1. Which Organisations are Rebatable?
      2. Scope of Rebate for Non-Profit Organisations
      3. What is the Difference Between the FBT Rebate and FBT Exemption?
      4. The Rebate Reduces the Effective FBT Rate
      5. Formula to Calculate Rebate & FBT Payable
    5. PBI, HPC and Rebatable Employer’s Calculator
    6. Benefits Excluded (Wholly or Partly) from FBT Capping Measures
      1. Car Parking
      2. Meal Entertainment & Entertainment Facility Leasing Expenses
  11. SALARY SACRIFICE
    1. Employer considerations in relation to salary sacrificing
      1. Employer under no obligation to offer salary sacrifice
      2. No limit on salary sacrifice
      3. The arrangement is cost neutral
    2. The process of salary sacrifice
      1. How does salary sacrifice work?
      2. A salary sacrifice arrangement must be ‘effective’. How is this achieved?
      3. Documented evidence requirements
      4. The effect of salary sacrifice on other entitlements
      5. No access to sacrificed salary
      6. Salary packaging can reduce employer’s superannuation guarantee liability
      7. What benefits can be salary sacrificed?
      8. Important points
    3. Clauses to include in all salary sacrifice agreements
    4. Salary sacrifice scenarios
      1. Salary sacrificing through an employer eligible for concessions
  12. REPORTABLE FRINGE BENEFITS
    1. Fringe benefits exempt from reporting requirement
      1. No reporting required for pooled or shared vehicles
    2. Which employees will have a reportable fringe benefit amount?
      1. Employees who receive fringe benefits with a taxable value of over $2,000
      2. Treatment of reportable fringe benefits for part-year employees
      3. Calcolating the reportable fringe benefit amount
      4. Use GST inclusive value used but only gross up at the lower rate
      5. Where is the reportable fringe benefit figure shown?
    3. Reportable fringe benefits – the effect on employees
    4. Reporting fringe benefits for payroll tax and workcover purposes
      1. Treatment of fringe benefits for payroll tax purposes
      2. Treatment of fringe benefits for workcover purposes
  13. THE FBT RETURN AND FBT SECTION OF BAS
    1. Lodging FBT return and paying FBT
      1. When to lodge
      2. When to pay
    2. Completing the FBT return
      1. Additional information about completion of FBT return for PBI’s, health promotion charity, public/non-profit hospital, public ambulance service
      2. Additional information about completion of FBT return for rebatable employers
      3. When a mistake is made – requesting an amended assessment
    3. Fringe benefits tax and the BAS
      1. Lodgement & payment dates for BAS
      2. Completing the FBT instalment section
      3. Transferring amounts from the FBT instalment section to the summary section
  14. EASYFBT SOFTWARE
    1. EasyFBT 2024 Express Edition
      1. Getting Started
      2. Setting Up an Entity
      3. Setting Up Employees
      4. Entering Benefits
      5. Loan Fringe Benefits
      6. Meal Entertainment Fringe Benefits
      7. Living Away from Home Fringe Benefits
      8. Entering Benefit Information Using Workpaper Import Templates
    2. Retrieving Information About Fringe Benefits from the Software
    3. Generating the FBT Return
      1. The FBT Return – Calculation Pages

JANUARY 2024 THREE HOUR PAYROLL UPDATE

  1. THE PAYG WITHHOLDING SYSTEM
    1. Deferring payment of salary or wages
    2. Definition of employment – Proposed commencement date is the day after the Bill receives Royal Assent
    3. Regulating employee-like workers (working with digital labour platform operators) – Proposed commencement 1 July 2024
    4. Working Holiday Maker updates
    5. Notice of visa data-matching program
    6. Withholding variations for occasional payroll donations to DGRs
    7. Tax considerations associated with engaging talent
  2. SINGLE TOUCH PAYROLL (STP) AND OTHER REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
    1. Salary sacrifice reporting and activity statements
    2. Inactive ABNs reviewed
    3. Officeholder data-matching program
    4. Trading names continue to be displayed on Australian Business Register
    5. More criteria and information for entities subject to the Sharing economy reporting regime (SERR)
  3. THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS SYSTEM (FAIR WORK)
    1. Family and Domestic Violence
    2. Income protection insurance and leave accumulation
    3. High Court has Ruled that Employers Must Ask if They Want Employees to Work Public Holidays before rostering
    4. Changes affecting Information Statements
    5. Award wages less than the National Minimum Wage?
    6. Ceremonial leave
    7. Can Australian employers force employees to stop working from home?
    8. Rules for labour hire workers
    9. Criminalising intentional wage underpayments
    10. Workplace delegates’ rights
    11. Right of entry
    12. Compulsory conciliation conferences in protected action ballot matters
    13. Casual Employment – Proposed commencement date 1 July 2024
    14. Transitioning from multi-enterprise agreements – Proposed commencement date is the day after the Bill receives Royal Assent
    15. Model terms for Enterprise Agreements – Proposed commencement is no later than the day after 12 months post Royal Assent
    16. Sham contracting arrangements – Proposed commencement date is the day after the Bill receives Royal Assent
    17. Withdrawal from amalgamations (union de-merger applications) – Proposed commence is day after Royal Assent
    18. Regulating road transport – Proposed commencement date 1 July 2024
    19. Unfair contracts – Proposed commencement 1 July 2024
    20. Updates to Modern Awards
    21. Do I have to pay my employee when they’re subpoenaed to appear in court?
    22. The Workplace and Mental Health
    23. Can Employers make Employees take the Vaccine?
    24. Overtime – Determining whether additional hours are ‘reasonable’
    25. Fair Work takes over registration of unions, employer associations and business associations
    26. Managing Shutdowns
    27. Sunsetting of zombie agreements (Collective agreements made prior to 1 January 2010)
    28. Fair Work expand Online Lodgment Service
    29. New parental leave section on Fair Work website
    30. Update on Portable Long Service Leave Schemes
    31. NES videos
    32. Fair Work update agreement variation forms
    33. Reminder of implementation dates for previous industrial relations changes
  4. WHEN EMPLOYMENT ENDS
    1. Small business redundancy exemptions limited – now law
    2. Redundancy and redeployment
  5. SUPERANNUATION
    1. Super guarantee: Worker considered employee
    2. Employers required to pay Superannuation each payday from 1 July 2026 – Payday Super – further information released
    3. Improving flexibility of First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme
    4. Australia’s largest superfund fails to address multiple member accounts
    5. Passenger movements data-matching program helps ATO identify employer tax and superannuation breaches
    6. Clearing house troubleshooting
    7. Super compliance statistics from 2022-23
    8. Expanding the use of Single Touch Payroll data for Superannuation purposes
  6. FRINGE BENEFITS TAX
    1. Are you providing benefits to your employees?
    2. Not-for-profits – enhancing the transparency of income tax exemptions
    3. Notice for Charities at risk of losing Registration and therefore losing concessional tax treatment
    4. Draft ruling on deductibility of self-education expenses
    5. Guideline on deductions for additional running expenses incurred while working from home updated
    6. ATO update — employee work expenses guidance
    7. Use of an electric bicycle by an employee
    8. ATO target popular utility vehicles
    9. Impact of rostering on FBT liability for transport costs of FIFO workers
    10. LGBTQI+ rights advocate, Equality Australia unable to access tax concessions available to PBIs
    11. Deduction for work-related self-education expenses denied
    12. When does a parking station qualify as ‘commercial’?
    13. Victorian electric car road user charge ruled invalid by High Court
  7. WORKERS COMPENSATION
    1. Changes to workplace health and safety and workers compensation
    2. What remuneration is declared for premium purposes?
    3. Accrual of leave entitlements for workers’ compensation recipients
  8. PAYROLL TAX
    1. Payments assessable for payroll tax?
    2. Payroll Tax Compliance and STP
    3. Payroll tax on general practice (GP) medical centres – Payroll Tax Amnesty State by State
  9. GST AND ACTIVITY STATEMENT OBLIGATIONS
    1. Draft GST determination: supplies of combination food
    2. Claiming GST credits for employee expense reimbursements
    3. Decision impact statement — GST and sale of residential property
    4. Certain frozen food products not GST-free
    5. Help content creators get their GST right
    6. 2 years’ sentence for obtaining fraudulent GST refunds for fake business
    7. GST: payment of 50% of contract price was not a deposit and therefore was subject to GST
    8. 7-year sentence for GST fraud of over $830,000
    9. No valid notification of entitlement to input tax credits
    10. Wollongong woman jailed for GST fraud
    11. International businesses: get GST right from the start
  10. REPORTING GST ON THE BUSINESS ACTIVITY STATEMENT (BAS)
    1. New GST error correction limits
    2. Correcting fuel tax errors
    3. Tax Agent involved in Multimillion dollar deception
  11. OTHER INFORMATION
    1. ATO reminds businesses to pay on time to avoid having their debts disclosed
    2. Golden rules of Record keeping
    3. All DGR categories will be administered by the ATO as of 1 January 2024
    4. Key focus areas for the ATO
    5. Some sole traders fail to meet tax obligations
    6. Small business instant asset write off and energy incentive
    7. Scams by numbers
    8. Rates and Thresholds 2023/24

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22 March 2024

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