From 1 April 2022, parties to family law property settlement proceedings can apply to the Family Law Court registries to obtain details of their former partner's superannuation information held by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The aim is to ... Read more

"Where there is a Will, there is an inheritance tax" said Silvio Berlusconi, erstwhile Italian prime minister. So it is no surprise that Italy, along with many of its European neighbours, has both a gift tax and an inheritance tax. Read more

With the end of financial year 2022 just around the corner, there are some key updates that you should be aware of for this tax season. After some two years of leniency, the ATO is ramping up its debt collection activities. Read more

Many trustees and members of not only SMSFs, but also public offer superannuation funds, are interested in the payment of death benefits if they or their spouse were to die. During many conversations with couples, the question, 'but what if we were ... Read more

One of the supposed benefits of a discretionary trust is that it protects the assets of the key beneficiary(s) of the trust from attack by creditors. Read more

The Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a two-part payment to assist with the cost of raising children. Read more

Every March 31, the fringe benefits tax (FBT) year ends. With the ever-increasing budget deficits as a result of COVID-19, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will be reviewing whether all employers who should be paying FBT, are paying it and that ... Read more

Capacity can be an emotionally charged topic, especially in relation to dementia or Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative conditions. This paper discusses how a Will might be challenged on the basis of mental capacity and why this is such an important ... Read more

Many people generously leave gifts to charities in their Wills to support the community or important causes. Unfortunately, these gifts sometimes run into issues when the charities named in the Will amalgamate with other charities, are wound up, or ... Read more

Expenses associated with the running of an individual's home are usually private and domestic and nature. However, deductions for 'home office expenses' may be available under section 8-1 and Div 40 of the Income Tax assessment Act 1997 ... Read more