Tax & payroll
ATO obligations across income tax, GST, FBT, payroll tax (state-by-state), Single Touch Payroll Phase 2, Payday Super, CARF crypto reporting, and tax practitioner regulation.
50
Obligations
19
Regulators
20
Recent enforcement
Regulators
Obligations (50)
- criticalCWLTHcurrentLodge an annual SMSF audit before lodging the SMSF Annual Return
Self-managed super funds must be audited by an ASIC-registered auditor each year.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentLodge Business Activity Statements at assigned frequency
GST-registered entities must lodge a BAS monthly, quarterly or annually as the ATO assigns.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentMake trustee resolutions for trust distributions by 30 June
Discretionary trust trustees must validly resolve to distribute trust income before the end of the FY.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentComply with SIS Act trustee covenants
Super fund trustees owe statutory covenants of care, skill, diligence, best financial interests, and prudent investment.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentWithhold PAYG from employee and contractor payments
Employers must withhold tax from wages, certain contractor payments + report via STP / BAS.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentPay superannuation on every payday (Payday Super)
From 1 July 2026, super must reach the employee's fund within 7 business days of each payday.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentStronger Member Outcomes — APRA SPS 515
RSE licensees must annually assess member-outcomes performance + take action.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentMaintain SMSF compliance with the sole purpose test (s 62)
SMSFs must be maintained for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentPay company PAYG/GST/SG or face Director Penalty Notice (DPN)
Directors personally liable for unpaid company PAYG, GST + SG via DPN regime.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentAustralian Business Number (ABN) application
Entities carrying on an enterprise in Australia need an ABN — without one, payers must withhold 47% PAYG from your payments. How to apply and who's eligible.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentAnnual YFYS performance test (MySuper + Choice)
APRA annual performance test for MySuper products + (from 2024) Trustee Directed Products.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentTASA Code Determinations from 1 August 2024
Tax practitioner code reformed via Code Determinations — false + misleading statements + supervision + breach reporting.
- criticalCWLTHcurrentComply with the TASA Code of Professional Conduct
Tax practitioners must observe honesty, competence, confidentiality, PI insurance, and (from 2025) expanded breach reporting.
- highCWLTHcurrentReport under Single Touch Payroll Phase 2
Disaggregated payroll reporting to the ATO via STP-enabled software.
- highCWLTHcurrentLodge an FBT return and pay FBT by 21 May
Employers who provided fringe benefits in the FBT year (1 April – 31 March) must lodge by 21 May.
- highNSWcurrentPay NSW payroll tax when threshold met
NSW: 5.45% on Australian wages above the $1.2 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highQLDcurrentPay Queensland payroll tax when threshold met
QLD: 4.75% on Australian wages above the $1.3 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highACTcurrentPay ACT payroll tax when threshold met
ACT: 6.75% on Australian wages above the $1.75 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highCWLTHcurrentRegister for GST when GST turnover meets the threshold
Register within 21 days when GST turnover reaches $75K (or $150K for NFPs, or any amount for ride-share/taxis).
- highVICcurrentPay Victorian payroll tax when threshold met
VIC: 4.85% on Australian wages above the $1 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highSAcurrentPay South Australian payroll tax when threshold met
SA: 4.95% on Australian wages above the $1.5 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highNTcurrentPay Northern Territory payroll tax when threshold met
NT: 5.5% on Australian wages above the $2.5 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highNSWcurrentPay NSW transfer duty on residential property acquisitions
Variable transfer duty rates; foreign purchaser additional duty 9%.
- highCWLTHcurrentMaintain transfer pricing documentation (Subdivision 815-D)
Multinational groups must keep contemporaneous transfer pricing documentation per Subdivision 815-D ITAA 1997.
- highVICcurrentPay Victorian land tax (including absentee owner surcharge)
VIC land tax applies on aggregated taxable value above $50K (general) / $25K (trust); absentee owner +4% surcharge.
- highTAScurrentPay Tasmanian payroll tax when threshold met
TAS: 4% / 6.1% on Australian wages above the $1.25 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highNSWcurrentPay NSW land tax
NSW land tax applies on aggregated unimproved land value above $1.075M general threshold (2026).
- highCWLTHcurrentMySuper authorisation for default super products
Default super contributions can only flow to APRA-authorised MySuper products.
- highCWLTHcurrentApply for a Tax File Number for new entities and partnerships
Companies, trusts and partnerships need a TFN to file tax returns and claim TFN exemptions.
- highCWLTHcurrentThin capitalisation rules (Div 820 ITAA 1997)
Limits debt deductions for thinly-capitalised entities, reformed from 1 July 2023.
- highQLDcurrentPay Queensland land tax
QLD land tax applies on aggregated land value above $600K (individuals) / $350K (companies + trusts).
- highWAcurrentPay Western Australian payroll tax when threshold met
WA: 5.5% on Australian wages above the $1 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27).
- highCWLTHcurrentProcess super contributions and rollovers via SuperStream
All super contributions and rollovers must be sent using the SuperStream data and payment standards.
- highCWLTHcurrentMaintain TPB registration (tax/BAS agents)
Tax agents and BAS agents must be registered with the TPB and comply with the Code of Professional Conduct.
- highCWLTHcurrentRegister R&D activities for the R&D Tax Incentive
Companies must register R&D activities with AusIndustry within 10 months of the end of the income year.
- highVICcurrentPay Victorian stamp duty on residential property
Variable rates by purchase price; foreign purchaser surcharge 8%. PPR concession available.
- highCWLTHcurrentLodge Country-by-Country Report (CbC) for significant global entities
Multinationals with global income >EUR 750M must lodge CbC Report annually.
- highCWLTHcurrentWine Equalisation Tax (WET) for producers + wholesalers
WET at 29% on wine wholesale value; rebate scheme up to $350K per producer.
- highCWLTHcurrentComply with SPS 530 (Investment Governance) for APRA-regulated super funds
RSE licensees must have a documented investment governance framework.
- highCWLTHcurrentPetroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT)
40% PRRT on offshore + onshore (Bass Strait only) petroleum project profits.
- highAll statescurrentState mining royalties
Royalty payable on mining production per state Mining Acts.
- highCWLTHcurrentCrypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) — implementation 2026-2027
AU adopts the OECD CARF for crypto reporting; reporting expected from 2027, first international exchange ~2028 (per Dec 2025 MYEFO).
- highQLDcurrentPay QLD transfer duty on residential property
QLD transfer duty progressive; foreign acquirer additional duty 8% (from 1 July 2024).
- highCWLTHupcomingCrypto Asset Secondary Service Provider (CASSPr) licensing reforms
Treasury consultation 2024 on bespoke crypto licensing — separate from AFSL.
- highCWLTHupcomingCrypto Asset Platform licensing (Treasury reforms 2024-2025)
Treasury scoping CASP regime for digital asset platforms.
- highCWLTHupcomingStablecoin payments licensing — Treasury reforms (in scoping)
Treasury reforms scoping payment stablecoin licensing under PSP regime.
- mediumCWLTHcurrentTrack eligibility for the electric car FBT exemption
Eligible electric vehicles under the LCT threshold provided to employees are FBT-exempt.
- mediumCWLTHcurrentPay Luxury Car Tax (LCT) on vehicles above threshold
LCT at 33% on the GST-inclusive value of luxury cars above LCT threshold.
- mediumCWLTHcurrente-Invoicing PEPPOL network (Cwlth gov mandated)
Commonwealth agencies must accept Peppol e-invoices; private sector encouraged.
- mediumCWLTHcurrentElectric Cars FBT Exemption (Cwlth)
Eligible zero/low-emission cars FBT-exempt under car limits (until 2025 for PHEVs).
Recent enforcement
- austraclicence action2026AUSTRAC orders Cryptolink’s crypto ATMs offline
AUSTRAC has suspended Cryptolink Pty Ltd’s registration amid ongoing concerns about its compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) obligations.
- asiccriminal2026Brendan Gunn sentenced in connection with suspected international cryptocurrency scam
Former finance director Brendan Gunn has been sentenced in the Local Court of NSW for dealing with over $180,000 when it was reasonable to suspect that those funds were proceeds of crime.
- asicdisqualification2026ASIC disqualifies Ashod Balanian from managing corporations for maximum five-year period
ASIC has disqualified Ashod Ohan Balanian, of North Ryde, New South Wales, from managing corporations for the maximum period of five years, for his involvement in three failed companies which operated a cryptocurrency fund.
- asiccivil penalty$14.0M2026BPS Financial to pay $14 million in penalties over crypto Qoin Wallet
The Federal Court has found BPS Financial Pty Ltd ( BPS Financial ) must pay $14 million in pecuniary penalties over its promotion and operation of its ‘Qoin Wallet’ crypto product.
- asiccourt order2025NGS blockchain mining companies and unregistered scheme wound up, found operating without a licence
The Federal Court has found that blockchain mining companies NGS Group Limited, NGS Crypto Pty Ltd and NGS Digital Pty Ltd operated a financial services business without an Australian financial services (AFS) licence.
- asiccourt order2025NGS blockchain mining companies and unregistered scheme wound up, found operating without a licence
The Federal Court has found that blockchain mining companies NGS Group Limited, NGS Crypto Pty Ltd and NGS Digital Pty Ltd operated a financial services business without an Australian financial services (AFS) licence.
- asiccourt order2025NGS blockchain mining companies and unregistered scheme wound up, found operating without a licence
The Federal Court has found that blockchain mining companies NGS Group Limited, NGS Crypto Pty Ltd and NGS Digital Pty Ltd operated a financial services business without an Australian financial services (AFS) licence.
- austracinfringement$56K2025AUSTRAC cracks down on Cryptolink for late reporting
AUSTRAC has issued Cryptolink an infringement notice of $56,340 and accepted a court-enforceable undertaking that addresses the company’s AML/CTF deficiencies.
- atoenforcement focus2025ATO STP Phase 2 enforcement (post-transition)
ATO transition + enforcement focus on STP Phase 2 — payroll detail richer + integrated with Services Australia data sharing.
- atoreview2025ATO Large Business + International continuous compliance 2025
ATO LB+I program continued in 2025 across pillar one + two, GST, FBT, TP + Withholding Tax. JIT + JMT activities + Top 1000 reviews ongoing.
- sro-vicadministrative2025SRO Vic Windfall Gains Tax first major objections 2024-2025
First major WGT assessments + objections progressing into 2025; rezoning uplifts >$500K triggering significant tax.
- asiccivil penalty$15.0M2024ASIC v Binance Australia
ASIC alleged Binance Australia Derivatives misclassified 500+ retail clients as wholesale; failed AFSL retail client protections.
- atoadministrative2024ATO multinational tax — large company audits
ATO continued program of large-multinational tax compliance audits; multiple settlements + adjustments running into hundreds of millions.
- atoadministrative2024ATO Cash Economy Compliance Program 2024
ATO renewed focus on cash economy + omitted income detection — hospitality, building, hair + beauty, cleaning.
- sro-vicadministrative2024SRO Vic — Windfall Gains Tax 2024 assessments
WGT first-year assessments + objections progressing through 2024; large rezoning uplifts triggering significant tax.
- atoadministrative2024ATO R&D Tax Incentive integrity reviews 2024
ATO + AusIndustry continued integrity program identifying ineligible R&D claims.
- revenue-nswreview2024Revenue NSW grouping decisions 2024
Revenue NSW issued grouping determinations through 2024 across multi-entity SMB structures.
- qld-osrreview2024QRO payroll tax — medical practices + contractor cases
QRO has aggressively pursued payroll tax against medical + dental practices for contractor arrangements deemed relevant contracts.
- atoinvestigation2024ATO referrals — PwC tax leaks
ATO referrals + investigations following confidential Treasury information leaks to PwC personnel + clients. Multiple Senate hearings + TPB de-registrations.
- tpbregistration action2024TPB + Senate continued response — PwC tax leaks
TPB de-registered multiple PwC personnel through 2024; further confidentiality + breach-reporting legislation passed.