Recent News
Superannuation Cap – Part 2
CGT relief There are transitional provisions to provide Capital Gains Tax relief. You are able to reset the cost base of assets reallocated from the retirement phase to the accumulation phase prior to 1 July 2017. This relief is available for providers in respect of...
Serving Court Documents – You can run but you can’t hide
One fundamental first step at the beginning of any application is to prove to the court that your application has been brought to the attention of the party or parties. This is commonly known as service. Personal Service In family law applications, the court...
Australian courts ordering the return of a child to an overseas jurisdictions
In the recent decision of Hsing & Song [2016] FamCA 986 , the family court again illustrated its willingness in appropriate circumstances to order a child to be returned to an overseas jurisdiction, in this case China. In the case, the court satisfied itself on...
Superannuation Cap
In the 2016/17 Budget it was announced that from 1 July 2017 the total amount of superannuation that can be transferred into a tax-free pension phase account will be capped at $1.6 million. The cap will be indexed in $100,000 increments in line with the consumer price...
My Will, my way…. Unfortunately, not always
Do you have a wayward beneficiary? Has your child removed themselves from your family and refuses to have a relationship with you? How can you stop this person making a claim on your Estate? Unfortunately, you cannot avoid Estate litigation, even if you feel you have...
Enduring Power of Attorney – what is it and why do I need one
When considering your Estate planning, you need to consider your circumstances whilst you are still alive. What happens if you lose capacity? Who will help pay the bills and make decisions for you? A Power of Attorney is a legal document appointing someone to act for...
The silent abuse of Elders
Elder abuse is an increasing problem in our society, often hard to identify and with many ways it can be inflicted on vulnerable older people. It is important to identify the signs of abuse early and understand the available legal rights. Elder abuse occurs where...
Stop Clowning Around
The current creepy clown craze now terrifying communities in Australia poses risks, not only for the public at large, but also the offenders, where their actions may lead to criminal charges ranging from assault to more seriously manslaughter or even murder. A person...
The role of the Jury in our Court
The High Court in the recent Gerard Baden-Clay decision restoring the verdict of murder reminds us of the fundamental function of the jury to determine the issues of fact. Given the role of the jury trial in our criminal justice system and as representatives of the...
Deceased Estates Tax
When a person dies their tax obligations do not die with them. It is usually necessary to lodge a tax return for the financial year in which they died. However, if the deceased was not required to lodge a tax return before their death there may be no need to lodge a...
Changes to the 2016 return you should be aware of.
Tax time is now in full swing with many of you visiting your accounting offices in hope of a decent bonus from a tax return, but there have been many changes in what we can claim and also how. E-Tax is now dead. Long live E-Tax. Its predecessor, MyGov, has now...
Dealing with Div 7A
Division 7A is a part of the tax law that is designed to discourage shareholders accessing money from their private companies, other than by way of those private companies paying them dividends. Division 7A does this by treating certain payments and loans made by the...
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