Month: May 2026

Smart tax and super planning before EOFY

Tax time is just around the corner, so now is the time to make sure you’re prepared for 30 June.

Each year, the ATO highlights its areas of focus. Taking a few minutes now to review these can help you avoid issues when lodging your return.

Work-related deductions under scrutiny

This year, the ATO is focusing on work-related deductions and income that’s not declared on tax returns.

If you are claiming work-related expenses, ensure they meet the ATO’s three golden rules:ⁱ

1. The expense must be directly related to earning your income

2. You must not have been reimbursed

3. You must have records to support your claim, such as receipts or a logbook

For working from home expenses, you can use either the actual cost method or the fixed rate method.

Instant asset write-off

The instant asset write-off remains an important tax concession for Australian small businesses in the 2025–2026 financial year. Eligible businesses with an aggregated turnover of less than $10 million can immediately deduct the business portion of eligible assets costing less than $20,000, instead of depreciating them over several years. The asset must be first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.ⁱⁱ

Don’t overlook income

The ATO is also paying close attention to undeclared income. This includes:ⁱⁱⁱ

• Cash payments

• Interest income

• Rental income

• Earnings from crypto assets

For those with a side hustle, check whether it may be considered a business. All business income, regardless of amount, is assessable and must be declared.^iv

If you intend to claim deductions for business expenses related to your side hustle, ensure they are directly connected to earning that income and are supported by receipts.

Time for a portfolio review

Recent market volatility makes this a good time to review your investment strategy.

Checking your capital gains or losses before 30 June allows you to take action where appropriate.

For example, you may consider realising capital losses to offset gains from assets such as shares, property or crypto.

Tax timing strategies

If you have regular deductible expenses, such as investment loan interest or annual costs, it may be useful for some to prepaying them before 30 June to claim a deduction for this financial year.

You may also consider the timing of income expected before 30 June. Deferring income until after the end of the financial year may help reduce your tax liability.

Tax rates are also changing for lower income earners. From 1 July 2026, the rate for income between $18,201 and $45,000 will reduce from 16 per cent to 15 per cent, with a further reduction to 14 per cent the following year.

Super contribution strategies

The end of the financial year is an ideal time to review your super contributions.

If you plan to contribute before 30 June, check when your employer will make their contributions. The introduction of Payday Super means some employers are contributing earlier, which may affect your contribution caps.

For SMSF members, make sure that:

• All contributions are received by the fund’s bank account by 30 June

• Minimum pension payments are made

• Asset valuations are up to date

• Fund records are current

Be alert for tax time misinformation

The ATO is warning taxpayers to be cautious about the growing wave of tax “tips”, shortcuts and refund claims circulating online.

Content from social media, “finfluencers” and even artificial intelligence tools can sound convincing, but it is not always accurate or relevant to Australian tax law. Acting on this kind of advice can lead to incorrect claims, delays in processing returns and, in some cases, penalties.

Larger refunds, easy deductions or so-called “loopholes” should always be checked against trusted sources.

Ultimately, you are responsible for the accuracy of everything included in your tax return, regardless of where the advice came from.

Taking a few extra minutes to verify information before you lodge can help you avoid costly mistakes and keep your return on the right side of the rules.

Please get in touch if you need any help preparing for the end of the financial year.

Source: https://www.ato.gov.au

Tax Alert June 2026

Prepare your business for tax changes and Payday Super

Recent updates from the ATO highlight a mix of proposed tax changes and compliance priorities, with new draft legislation under consideration and practical guidance released ahead of the Payday Super changes starting 1 July 2026.

Check eligibility for tech booster deduction

Small businesses are being encouraged to review their eligibility for the government’s proposed Technology Investment Boost, although the legislation is yet to be passed.ⁱ

Under the original proposal, eligible businesses could claim a bonus tax deduction of up to $2,000 for technology spending. This applies to investments exceeding $4,000 in areas such as digital systems, e-commerce platforms, cyber security and online marketing tools.

Businesses with annual turnover of up to $10 million may qualify, with eligible expenditure incurred between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2027.

While not yet law, reviewing planned or recent technology spending may help businesses act quickly if the measure is enacted.

Standard $1,000 deduction proposal

Another proposed measure is the introduction of a standard $1,000 deduction for work-related expenses, with draft legislation released for consultation.

If implemented from 1 July 2026, the deduction would be available to taxpayers earning employment income. Taxpayers with work-related expenses below $1,000 could claim the standard deduction without detailed receipts.

Importantly, existing rules will remain available for those with higher expenses, or for individuals earning only business or investment income.

The proposed deduction would sit alongside other claims, meaning taxpayers could still separately deduct investment expenses, charitable donations, and union or professional association fees.

Preparing for Payday Super

With Payday Super due to get underway on 1 July 2026, the ATO has released checklists and guidance to help employers prepare.ⁱⁱ

The new regime will require super contributions to be paid at the same time as wages, rather than quarterly. To support the transition, the ATO has published resources covering:

• Key pre-implementation tasks

• Managing pay runs across the June–July transition period

• Single Touch Payroll reporting requirements

• Ongoing compliance under the new system

Employers are encouraged to review payroll systems, processes and cash flow implications now to ensure a smooth transition.

GST reporting thresholds in focus

The ATO is also reminding growing businesses to review their GST reporting obligations as turnover increases.ⁱⁱⁱ

Businesses that reach $10 million in GST turnover must move from Simpler BAS to full BAS reporting and adopt a non-cash (accrual) accounting method for GST.

Once turnover reaches $20 million, GST reporting must shift from quarterly to monthly lodgment.

The ATO says it’s noticed some businesses are failing to update reporting methods after crossing these thresholds and they will contact businesses directly.

Fuel tax credit rate changes

Taxpayers claiming fuel tax credits should ensure they are applying the correct rates following changes from 1 April 2026 to temporarily reduce fuel excise by 60.9 per cent.^iv

As fuel tax credits are based on the excise duty payable on fuel, there will be different rates that apply before and after that date.

In addition, the heavy vehicle road user charge has been reduced to zero for the period 1 April to 30 June 2026.

Digital lodgment for partnerships

The ATO continues to expand digital reporting requirements, with all partnerships now required to lodge Statements of Distribution (SODs) electronically.^v

This applies regardless of the size of the partnership. Lodgment can be completed through standard business reporting-enabled software or via a registered tax agent.

The digital data enables the ATO to cross-check that partners are accurately reporting their share of income in their individual tax returns.

Strengthening business security

Finally, the ATO is encouraging businesses to review access to their online accounts as part of good governance and fraud prevention.^vi

Business owners should:

• Regularly review authorised users in the Relationship Authorisation Manager

• Remove access for staff who have left or changed roles

• Check permissions for sensitive functions within ATO Online Services for Business and the Australian Business Register.

Keeping access controls up to date is a simple but effective way to reduce the risk of unauthorised activity.

Source: www.ato.gov.au

Finding your flow in thirds the 3-3-3 productivity hack

If your workday and list of things to do often feels unrelenting, you are not alone. For years, hustle culture glorified long hours, constant motion, and sacrificing rest to prove commitment. It promised success, but left many busy professionals drained, distracted, and stuck in a cycle of busyness without progress.

Structured focus offers a smarter alternative. Instead of working harder, break your day into manageable blocks, and get more done without the chaos. It’s simple, practical, and surprisingly effective for those who need to reclaim control over their time.

Why hustle culture is out and thirds are in

Hustle culture teaches that long hours equal achievement and that success comes only through constant activity. Back-to-back meetings, late-night emails, and glorified exhaustion are all symptoms of this mindset. While it may create the illusion of productivity, the reality is often stress, fatigue, and diminishing returns. The resulting lack of productivity is the opposite of what hustle culture was trying to achieve.

Structured focus provides a more appealing alternative to the ‘nose to the grindstone’ approach and one of the easiest methods to employ is known as ‘3-3-3′.

The 3-3-3 method divides your day into thirds for focused work, shorter tasks, and maintenance activities, prioritises quality over quantity and focus over frenzy. It allows high-value work, smaller responsibilities, and upkeep to coexist without competing for attention.

The benefits of working in thirds

Dividing your day into thirds offers several key advantages. It reduces stress by providing clear boundaries between different types of work, improves productivity by dedicating time to high-value tasks, and encourages sustainable performance over the long term. Working in thirds also gives a sense of control, transforming productivity from a stressful race into a deliberate, satisfying practice.

Making the 3-3-3 method work for you

Implementing the 3-3-3 method is simple but you do need a plan. It’s important that you stick to your plan. Don’t let extra tasks sneak in and steer you off course. Three tasks shouldn’t turn in seven. If you finish your three tasks early, take a break, go for a walk or make a cup of tea and think about what you accomplished. If you start adding more tasks, you could begin to feel overwhelmed, which may eventually lead to burnout.

Consistency is key. Practicing this approach day after day turns structured focus into a habit. Adjust the timing to suit your personal rhythm, but keeping the principle of thirds ensures your workday stays organised, productive, and balanced.

Working in thirds transforms the workday from stressful chaos into a structured, rewarding practice. For busy professionals, it is a game changer – a simple, practical way to work with focus, clarity, and calm accomplishment.

Federal Budget 2026-27 Analysis

Reform and resilience in uncertain times

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has framed the 2026 Federal Budget as “the most important and ambitious budget in decades”.

“This Budget is about getting us through the global oil shock and taking pressure off Australians while building a stronger economy, better tax system, a more sustainable budget and lifting living standards,” the Treasurer told Parliament.

With an overarching theme of ‘reform and resilience’, the Federal Government is aiming to shore up investor confidence at a time when the global economy teeters thanks to war in the Middle East and the disruption of global oil supplies. Despite the challenges, Treasury says Australia’s economy continues to grow faster than every major advanced economy.

For households and wage earners, the Budget delivers a mix of targeted cost-of-living relief and significant structural reform, particularly in tax and housing.

The big picture

At the headline level, the Budget forecasts an underlying cash deficit of $31.5 billion in 2026–27, an improvement of $2.8 billion on the mid‑year update, despite slower global growth and higher oil prices.

Economic growth is forecast to slow from 2.25 per cent this financial year to 1.75 per cent in 2026–27, reflecting weaker international conditions, before gradually strengthening over the medium term. Inflation is expected to rise temporarily in the June quarter to around 5 per cent driven largely by fuel and transport costs linked to the war‑driven global oil shock. Despite this near-term pressure, the Government continues to project a return to a balanced budget in the mid-2030s followed by modest surpluses.

The Treasurer maintains that budget repair is being driven primarily by savings and spending restraint, rather than broad-based tax increases.

From a policy perspective, the Budget rests on five pillars: managing the global oil shock; easing cost‑of‑living pressures; lifting productivity; reforming the tax system; and strengthening national resilience. Each has direct implications for household finances, superannuation, investment structures and long‑term planning.

The Treasurer has made clear that a major goal is to “rebalance the tax system” so that wage earners are not treated substantially differently from those who earn income through assets and investments.

While some measures will take years to flow through, the direction is to prioritise the national security, energy supply, productivity and care sectors, while accepting political risk, to strengthen the economy over the medium to long term.

Cost-of-living

The Government has been careful to structure cost-of-living measures so that they don’t meaningfully add to inflation. The most prominent initiative is the Working Australians Tax Offset, providing a $250 offset for more than 13 million employees from the 2027–28 income year.

In addition, workers will be able to claim a $1,000 instant tax deduction for work-related expenses from 2026–27, without the need to keep receipts.

Income tax thresholds will also be adjusted. From 1 July 2026, the 16 per cent tax rate, applying to income between $18,201 and $45,000, will be reduced to 15 per cent before falling further to 14 per cent from 1 July 2027.

The government will increase Medicare Levy low-income thresholds by 2.9 per cent from the 2025–26 income year, a change expected to benefit more than one million lower-income Australians who will remain exempt from the Levy or pay a reduced rate.

Productivity

Productivity comes in for renewed focus, reflecting concern that long-term improvements in living standards can’t be sustained without structural change. The Budget allocates funding aimed at reducing red tape by an estimated $10.2 billion per year, including faster environmental approvals and streamlined foreign investment processes.

Housing construction remains a central productivity priority. New funding for local infrastructure is designed to support up to 65,000 extra homes, alongside measures to fast‑track skilled migrant trades and improve construction capacity.

Investment in transport infrastructure also features prominently, with $8.6 billion committed to nationally significant road and rail projects, improving freight efficiency and workforce mobility particularly across the regions.

Taken together, these measures represent a shift toward capability building. For business owners and investors, the emphasis is on reducing friction, improving labour supply and supporting capital investment that lifts output over time rather than fuelling higher prices.

Tax reform

The most debated element of the Budget is the tax reform package directed at property investors and discretionary trusts.

From 1 July 2027, negative gearing will be limited to new housing, with existing arrangements grandfathered. At the same time, the 50 per cent capital gains tax (CGT) discount will be replaced with cost-base indexation, alongside a new minimum effective tax rate of 30 per cent on capital gains.

The CGT settings for super and self-managed super funds will remain unchanged, which means investors will continue to receive a CGT discount of 33.33 per cent for relevant assets held for over 12 months in super.

The Government argues these changes are essential to address intergenerational inequity and housing affordability, while continuing to support investors who add to new housing supply. Treasury modelling suggests a modest impact on rents over time, with savings redirected toward care services and tax relief for wage earners.

Trusts have also been brought into the Government’s tax reform agenda, with a new minimum 30 per cent tax rate to apply to discretionary trust distributions from 1 July 2028. The measure is aimed at improving integrity and reducing income‑splitting arrangements that allow some taxpayers to pay significantly less tax than wage earners on comparable incomes.

Housing affordability

The Treasurer aims to address housing shortages and affordability, by increasing total investment to $47 billion and supporting an estimated 75,000 additional Australians to achieve home ownership over the next decade through the tax reform package.

The Government claims around 65,000 additional homes will be delivered over 10 years through its support for new developments. A new $2 billion fund has been established to help local governments and state utilities build the infrastructure needed to support new housing.

To free up additional supply, the Government is extending the ban on foreign buyers purchasing established homes until mid-2029.

Aged care and health

Health and aged care receive significant additional funding as demand continues to rise. The Budget commits $25 billion in additional hospital funding over the medium term, alongside incentives to expand bulk billing and reduce strain on emergency departments.

The Government has confirmed further reductions in the cost of medicines, building on earlier PBS reforms, with cheaper scripts and faster access to newly listed drugs funded through additional PBS investment.

Aged care reform focuses on both supply and workforce sustainability. The Government will fund incentives to support construction of an additional 5,000 residential aged care beds per year by 2029.

The NDIS also features prominently, with continued efforts to rein in unsustainable cost growth and strengthen integrity. Measures include tightening eligibility, reducing rorting and redirecting funding towards participants with the highest needs.

Future proofing

The focus on national resilience is a defining characteristic of the Budget. Fuel security is front and centre following the global oil shock, with measures to secure domestic fuel reserves, reserve 20 per cent of gas exports for Australian use and provide concessional finance to logistics and manufacturing firms most exposed to price volatility.

Defence spending also rises sharply, with a record additional $53 billion committed over the coming decade. The focus is on readiness, supply chains and regional security, reflecting growing geopolitical risk in the Indo‑Pacific and beyond.

Looking ahead

The outlook remains uncertain. Treasury acknowledges the risk of further inflation spikes if global energy markets deteriorate, with worst-case scenarios still modelling inflation above 7 per cent and higher unemployment. But the central forecast avoids recession and assumes gradual improvement from late 2027 onward.

If you have any questions about how the 2026 Federal Budget may affect your personal finances, please contact us to discuss.

Information in this article has been sourced from the Budget Speech 2026-27 and Federal Budget Support documents.  

It is important to note that the policies outlined in this article are yet to be passed as legislation and therefore may be subject to change.