Tax Facts - Activity Statement
Businesses use activity statements to report and pay a number of tax obligations, including GST, pay as you go (PAYG) instalments, PAYG withholding and fringe benefits tax. Non-business individuals who need to pay quarterly PAYG instalments also use activity statements.
Activity statements are personalised to each business or individual to support reporting against identified obligations.
Activity statements for businesses may be due either quarterly or monthly. Generally, businesses can lodge and pay quarterly if annual turnover is less than $20 million, and total annual PAYG withholding is $25,000 or less. Businesses that exceed one or both of those thresholds will have at least some monthly obligations. Non-business individuals are generally required to lodge and pay quarterly.
Businesses or individuals with small obligations may be able to lodge and pay annually. Some taxpayers may receive an instalment notice for GST and/or PAYG instalments, instead of an activity statement.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) web site provides instructions on lodging and paying activity statements. Detailed instructions are provided for each of the different tax obligations:









Tax Facts - General Value Shifting
The General Value Shifting Regime (GVSR) applies to arrangements that shift value between assets, causing discrepancies between the market values and tax values of the assets. Most value shifts happen when parties don't deal at the market value, causing one asset to decrease while the other increases.
Three scenarios are targeted under the GVSR. Exclusions apply to small values in each of the scenarios, as follows:
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Indirect value shifting (exclusion applies if total value shifts under a scheme are less than $150,000)
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Direct value shifts on interests (exclusion applies if total value shifted is equal to or less than $50,000)
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Direct value shifts by creating rights (exclusion applies if the market value of the right granted exceeds the proceeds for the grant by $50,000 or less).
Generally, the GVSR does not apply to normal commercial dealings conducted at market value, or dealings within consolidated groups. There are several other exclusions and safe harbours in the rules.




Tax Facts - Goods and Services Tax
Goods and services tax (GST) is a tax of 10% on most goods, services, and other items sold or consumed in Australia. The general principle is that only the end consumer bears the economic cost of GST. Registered entities bear the liability of collecting GST in the price of sales to their customers, but can offset credits for GST included in the price of business purchases.
Registration
An entity (including an individual) must register for GST if the entity's annual turnover is $75,000 or more ($150,000 for non-profit organisations). An entity may choose to register if the entity's turnover is below the threshold. Related entities may form a GST group and be treated as a single entity for GST. A single entity may register separate branches for GST.
Charging GST
A registered entity is generally required to charge GST on all sales of goods and services in Australia, unless a supply is GST-free or input taxed. The entity must provide its customers with a tax invoice for all taxable sales above a threshold of $82.50 ($75 + GST).
Claiming GST credits
A registered entity can claim an input tax credit for GST included in the price of goods or services purchased for the entity's business. A credit cannot be claimed for:
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Purchases where GST was not included in the price (GST-free acquisitions)
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Purchases used to make input taxed supplies
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Purchases for the entity's private use.
Rules for specific industries and transactions
A range of special rules apply to sales and purchases by entities operating in specific industries, or certain types of transaction entered into by any entity. Details are available here.
Reporting and paying GST
The reporting periods for GST are called tax periods and can be quarterly or monthly. GST is reported and paid on the entity's activity statement for its tax period. Entities with an annual turnover of less than $20 million generally have quarterly tax periods, but can choose to have monthly tax periods. Entities with an annual turnover greater than $20 million are required to have monthly tax periods and lodge their activity statements electronically.
In limited circumstances, entities can choose to report and/or pay GST annually. This may involve quarterly instalments plus an annual GST return to reconcile actual transactions for the year.
The rules for attributing GST payable and input tax credits to tax periods differ according to whether GST is accounted for on a cash or accrual basis. An entity can account for GST on a cash basis if any of the following applies:
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the entity is a small business (or non-business enterprise) with an annual turnover of less than $2 million - this includes the turnover of related entities
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the entity accounts for income tax on a cash basis
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the entity runs a type of enterprise that is permitted to account on a cash basis regardless of turnover - generally a government school, a charity, or a gift deductible entity.