May 2011

  • Budget changes alter Director's responsibilities

    Posted by Michael O'Brien

    The recent Federal Budget contains a number of new initiatives designed at clamping down on ‘phoenix activity’ while also giving the Australian Taxation Office extra powers to deal with employers’ failure to pay superannuation via an expansion of Director Penalty Notices (DPN). These changes are expected to be passed as part of the budget and will come into effect on 1 July 2011.

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  • Public Acquisition Overlays and Compulsory Acquisitions - What does it all mean?

    Posted by Anton Dunhill
    Many of us would remember the great Australian film The Castle where the hero Darryl Kerrigan successfully took on a big airport corporation trying to compulsorily acquire his land for an extension. At the end of the day, Darryl won the case and the acquisition did not go ahead.
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  • Special Disability Trusts (SDT) – Tax Treatment Issues

    Posted by

    Since 2006, families have been able to establish an SDT to provide for the current and future care and accommodation needs of a family member with severe disability (the "principal beneficiary"). SDTs attract social security means test concessions for the eligible contributors and the principal beneficiary.

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