Australia

The ATO has opened public consultation on 30 October 2026 for draft Practical Compliance Guideline PS LA 2026/D4, which sets out the Commissioner’s approach to assessing superannuation guarantee (SG) liabilities under the new “Payday Super” regime. The Payday Super measure, legislated to commence from 1 July 2026, requires employers to pay SG contributions at the

Released 30 October 2026, the ATO’s updated “Doing Business in Australia” guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Australian tax implications for foreign entities deriving income from Australian business activities. The guide covers residency rules, permanent establishment (PE) concepts, withholding tax obligations on royalties, interest, and dividends, as well as the application of Australia’s extensive

Published 29 October 2026, the ATO’s guidance on managing disputes with large corporate groups sets out the administrative framework for resolving tax controversies involving significant global entities. The approach emphasizes early engagement, the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques, and the role of the ATO’s dedicated Large Business and International (LB&I) division. The guidance

On 28 October 2026, the ATO published a statistical overview of behavioural penalties imposed for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years. The report categorizes penalties by type (e.g., false or misleading statements, taking a position not reasonably arguable, scheme penalties), taxpayer segment (individuals, small business, large corporates), and tax type. The data reveals a continued

The ATO released an updated Australian Tax Gaps Overview on 28 October 2026, providing a consolidated view of the estimated difference between the tax that would be collected if every taxpayer was fully compliant and the tax actually collected. The overview explains the principles and approaches to measuring gaps, including the top-down and bottom-up methodologies

On 28 October 2026, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) upheld penalties imposed by the ATO on an SMSF trustee who lodged an annual return containing false auditor details. The case reinforces the strict requirement under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SISA) that an SMSF’s annual return must be accompanied by an approved auditor’s report,

On 27 October 2026, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) published comprehensive guidance on the Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive (HPTI), a key measure under the Federal Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda. The incentive provides a refundable tax offset of $2 per kilogram of renewable hydrogen produced between 2027–28 and 2039–40, aimed at accelerating the domestic

Effective 27 October 2026, the ATO has published detailed procedural guidance for multinational enterprises (MNEs) required to publish their Country-by-Country (CBC) reports publicly. This follows the legislative enactment of public CBC reporting for significant global entities with annual global income of AUD 1 billion or more. The guidance specifies the timing, format, and manner of

On 26 October 2026, the Australian Taxation Office released comprehensive guidance on legislative amendments to the limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) framework for self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), which took effect from 10 August 2026. The changes, enacted through the Treasury Laws Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Act 2026, modify the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993

In a 26 October 2026 bulletin, the ATO reminded employers of their fringe benefits tax (FBT) obligations regarding vehicles provided to employees, particularly ahead of the festive season when private usage often increases. The bulletin outlines three key compliance tips: maintaining accurate logbooks to establish the business use percentage, ensuring that any private use is