Not all purchases made by a business will be tax deductible. Those that are must be related to the earning of income, but even then there are some exceptions.
Some costs have a private component, such as motor vehicle expenses, that must be apportioned between business and private use. Other costs [...]

Big businesses like Myer and David Jones are considering new ways of attracting customers after The Commonwealth Bank released information showing a massive turn in the way Australians are doing their shopping.
It is estimated that last year, Australians spent $9.5 billion on online shopping sites, $4.2 billion of this on [...]

The Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis and the Minister for Small Business, Nick Sherry have announced that the Australian Government will contribute $20,000 to a project promoting greater participation of women in Australian trade and business.
With more than 700,000 female business operators in Australia, [...]

As of 1 July 2011, the government’s new flood levy will be put in place and will be used to assist communities to recover from recent natural disasters. The levy will apply for the 2011-12 income year and will be paid by all taxpayers earning over $50,000 who were not affected [...]

The Federal Government’s Carbon Tax Scheme will, provided that legislation is passed, come into effect from 1 July, 2012 and could hurt businesses nation-wide.
Under the scheme, any facility that produces at least 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year will face a levy of $23 per tonne on emissions. Although [...]

On 1 January 2011, the definition of what constitutes a small business changed. Businesses must now have fifteen or less employees – including full time, part time and regular casual employees – to be considered a small business.
Companies no longer regarded as ’small business’ will not be able to rely on [...]

A recent decision in the New South Wales Court of Appeal is a reminder for businesses throughout the country to ensure that bonus provisions in contracts of employment properly reflect the intent of both parties.

It may now be considered breach of contract to not set performance criteria and not assess employee [...]

As of 1 July 2011, businesses which fail to fulfill the Federal Government’s new ‘paid parental leave’ obligations will receive penalties imposed by the Fair Work Ombudsmen.
Businesses should update their payroll systems to make sure they are fulfilling all relevant obligations. These include:

Withholding tax from Parental Leave Pay under the usual PAYG withholding [...]

This tax year the ATO will be targeting employers who fail to pay super for contract workers. Many employers fail to realise that some contractors are considered employees under super guarantee law.
If employers fail to pay their super obligations, they will have to lodge a Super Guarantee Charge Statement. This will pay the [...]

From the end of the 2010/11 financial year, tax return requirements will be streamlined. One signature on the return declaration will cover the entire tax return, as well as all schedules and documents provided as part of the lodgment. Keep in mind that this does not apply if schedules are lodged separately.