Topic Overview

Day 1 – Covers key highlights from the IPA Tax Agent Guide for the year ended 30 June 2025 which has been updated for all recent legislative amendments, cases and ATO rulings to comprehensively provide you with an indispensable practical and technical resource in preparing 2025 returns and advising your clients.

In particular, the Guide reviews the following key developments that have arisen over the past year:

  • The ATO's finalised ruing on tax related expenses which allows individuals taxpayers to claim a tax deduction for the cost of setting up an initial investment plan but only where a range of stringent conditions are met;
  • The increase in the cents per hour rate used to calculate deductions for home office expenses to $0.70 per hour under the fixed rate method as set out in an extensive checklist accompanying the Guide;
  • The ATO’s list of common errors made in respect of incorrectly claimed rental property deductions, and the ATO’s crackdown on holiday homes and other accommodation which is only leased for part of a year by individuals;
  • The application of the temporary instant asset write-off of an asset costing less than $20,000 which was first used or installed ready for use for the year ended 30 June 2025; and
  • Details of all legislative amendments impacting income tax returns for the year ended 30 June 2025 including, amongst others, changes to foreign resident capital gains withholding, the Medicare levy exemption, HELP debt repayments and the time periods for requesting amended assessments.

The Guide will also provide you with checklists which can be applied in preparing tax returns for individuals, companies, partnerships and trusts, and set out a technical and practical summary of every item on the individual tax return form.

Day 2- Analyses key tax developments which have emerged over the current year and equips you with the knowledge and strategies to protect your clients and maximise tax planning opportunities.

The key topics covered include the following:

  • The ATO’s guidance on when it will apply the general anti-avoidance provisions of Part IVA to individuals who derive personal services income via a company or trust and a checklist of action steps to implement to reduce any risk of Part IVA applying to such clients;
  • A summary of the current ATO view on unpaid present entitlements owed by trusts to associated private companies following the recent landmark Full Federal Court decision in Bendel’s case, and the key issue you need to consider in quarantining your clients from any risk of Division 7A or section 100A applying to such trust distributions;
  • The ATO’s recently finalised ruling as to when a resident beneficiary receives a trust distribution from a non-resident trust which will be fully assessed under section 99B and the practical measures which must be implemented to apply the limited exemptions available;
  • The ATO’s finalised ruling as to when a worker will be an employee for PAYG withholding and superannuation guarantee purposes including commentary on all the circumstances when super must be made in respect of worker who is not otherwise an employee for PAYG purposes; and
  • An overview of the proposed payday super reforms under which superannuation guarantee payments must be remitted by all businesses at the same time as salary or wages on each payday and received by the employee’s superannuation fund within 7 calendar days effective from 1 July 2026.