Over the past couple of months, Parliment has been busy passing laws that affect small businesses and the tax world. Here is our summary of some of the recent changes:
FBT exemption for electric vehicles
During its progress through Parliament, the Government agreed to phase out the FBT exemption for plug-in hybrid electric cars. As a result, the exemption for such cars will cease from 1 April 2025 (the start of the 2025–26 FBT), unless the relevant car is made available to the employee before that date.
Tip! Talk to your tax adviser for more information about the FBT exemption for electric and other low emission cars.
Failing to keep correct records
From 12 March 2023, the ATO will be able to issue a “tax-records education direction” if your business has failed to comply with its tax-related record-keeping obligations (subject to certain exceptions). A tax-records education direction will require you to complete an approved tax record-keeping course. This will be an alternative to the existing administrative penalties.
You can nominate an appropriate person within the business to complete the course.
You will have to provide the ATO with evidence that the course was completed.
A tax-records education direction cannot be issued where the failure to keep records does not give rise to an administrative penalty. These include certain FBT statutory evidentiary records and records substantiating certain work and business expenses.
ATO decisions affecting small business
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) can now order that certain decisions of the ATO affecting small business be stayed pending the outcome of the AAT’s review of the decision. The AAT can also vary or revoke such an order.
For example, if your business is challenging an income tax assessment before the AAT, you can apply to the Small Business Taxation Division of the AAT for an order staying, or otherwise affecting, the operation or implementation of the assessment.
This measure applies to businesses with an annual aggregated turnover under $10 million.
Note that the Government has proposed to abolish the AAT and replace it with a new federal administrative review body.
