November 2019 - Chartered Accountants, Taxation & Business advice Ashburton

When do you need an ABN?

Posted on November 1, 2019December 20, 2019 by Glance Consultants

An Australian business number (ABN) is a unique 11-digit number that the Australian Business Register issues to all businesses, identifying your business to the community and government whilst also making it easier to keep track of business transactions for tax purposes.

While it is compulsory for businesses with a GST turnover of $75,000 or more to have an ABN and to be registered for GST, businesses with a GST turnover of less than $75,000 can still apply for an ABN and may choose to register for GST. You are entitled to an ABN if you are aligned with the following entitlement criteria.

Carrying on or starting an enterprise in Australia:

An enterprise includes activities done in the form of a business, as well as acting as the trustee of a super fund, operating a charity and renting or leasing property. Features of business include:

Significant commercial activity, involving commercial sales of products or services and is of a reasonable size and scale.
Intention to make a profit from the activity as demonstrated by a business plan and a set rate of pay.
The activity is repeated, systematic, organised and carried on in a business-like way with records being kept.
The activity is carried on in a similar way to that of other businesses in the same or similar industry.
The entity has relevant knowledge or skill.
The entity has the appropriate insurance, such as public liability and WorkCover.

Making supplies connected with Australia’s indirect tax zone:

Even if your business or organisation is located outside Australia, you may be entitled to an ABN if you are carrying on an enterprise in Australia or involves making supplies connected with Australia’s indirect tax zone.

A Corporations Act company:

Companies registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) are entitled to an ABN.

Returning to Work after Accessing your Super

Posted on November 1, 2019December 20, 2019 by Glance Consultants

Retirement isn’t necessarily a permanent thing as even the best-laid plans can collapse when circumstances change. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has found the most common reasons retirees return to employment are financial necessity and boredom. But what does this mean when you have already dipped into your superannuation funds?

Individuals are able to access their super once they have reached their preservation age and retired, ceased an employment arrangement after age 60, or turned 65. Depending on your circumstances, there are rules regarding how you can return to work after retirement.

For those who genuinely retired with no intention of ever returning to work but found that circumstances required them to, you can return provided that you work on a casual basis up to 10 hours per week. By meeting this requirement, you can still access your super whilst working, however, additional contributions made to your account after you met the definition of retirement will be preserved until you meet another condition of release.

In the event you access your super after an employment arrangement comes to an end once reaching age 60, you are able to work in a new position as soon as you like, provided the first arrangement ended. Subsequent contributions made after your employment arrangement came to an end will be inaccessible, however, you will have access to the benefits that became available as a result of your first employment arrangement coming to an end.

When you turn 65, you don’t have to be retired or satisfy any special conditions to get full access to your super savings. This means you can continue working or return to work if you have previously retired, provided you complete the work test requirements before going back. If you return to work and earn more than $450 a month, your employer will be required to make superannuation contributions at the current rate of 9.5% until you reach age 75 where you can still work but receive no further super contributions, either voluntary or from your employer.

As returning to work and continuing to receive super is circumstantial, individuals considering their options should consult their accountant or financial advisor for information specific to their situation.

Are you meeting the Active Asset Test?

Posted on November 1, 2019November 1, 2019 by Glance Consultants

To qualify for small business CGT concessions, an asset must meet the conditions of the Active Asset Test to apply. An asset is considered active when you own it and it is used or held ready for use in relation to a business. You can also have an intangible active asset if it is inherently connected with a business you carry on.

An active asset of yours has been held for a certain amount of time, based on how long you have owned the asset and the test period to meet the requirements of the Active Asset Test. The test period begins when you acquired the asset, and ends at the earlier of

the CGT event, or;
when the business ceased, if the business in question ceased in the 12 months before the CGT event.

Assets owned for over 15 years need to have been held for at least 7.5 years within the test period and assets owned for 15 years or less need to have been held for at least half of the test period to satisfy requirements.

When the assets are shares or trusts, passing this basic active asset test is not enough to qualify for CGT concessions. In addition, the asset will need to pass a further test, called the 90% test, to determine whether it is to be counted as an active asset or not. The test is satisfied if CGT concession stakeholders in the company or trust in which the shares or interest are held have a total small business percentage in the entity claiming the concession of at least 90%.

The periods in which the asset is active does not have to be continuous, however, they must total the minimum periods specified. An asset does not need to be active just before the CGT event.

Month: November 2019