Tax and compliance: ATO rulings, reform, and what changing obligations mean for businesses and investors.
Senators pressed the tax office over letters telling small businesses they may not have paid staff super. The ATO says the letters are not assessments, but a real shortfall can still carry heavy penalties.
Products and experiences received for promotion generally need to be declared at market value, the tax office says, as it releases new guidance and a draft ruling on when a side hustle becomes a business.
1 Nov 2026
Dental work accounted for $892 million of early super withdrawals last year. The tax office says it is targeting practitioners and promoters, and one investigation alleges more than $36 million was released on false grounds.
31 Oct 2026
Two days after it was introduced, the bill changing start-up investor tax, the R&D incentive, venture capital limits, PAYG instalments and the FBT treatment of electric cars has passed the House of Representatives.
30 Oct 2026
The Tax Ombudsman received 2,376 complaints in the six months to September, with debt collection, interest charges and director penalty notices leading the list.
29 Oct 2026
The Australian Taxation Office said it would stop taking credit cards because the surcharge ban left it carrying the fees. The sector moved the date by seven months, over a facility most of its members never used.
19 Oct 2026
