News

Don't provide BAS services while unregistered

Any person or any business providing BAS services for a fee or other reward must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB).

If you did not lodge an application to renew, you now need to lodge a new registration application. You will only be able to legally provide BAS services after the TPB has considered your application and granted you a new registration.

For more information about applying for a BAS agent registration, visit www.tpb.gov.au and select BAS agents then About registration.

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A new Australian Business Register

On 28 May 2012, the Australian Business Register (ABR) is being upgraded to a new platform. The new platform will:

*    provide improved system stability and a new look and feel for registered BAS agents

*    provide a hyperlink to a new business name registration service that will replace the current state and territory systems (dependent on the passage of legislation through State parliaments)

*   no longer collect or maintain trading names, however, existing trading names will continue to appear in ABN Lookup until mid-2013.

The upgrade will result in the temporary unavailability of goods and services tax (GST) and pay as you go (PAYG) registrations via the ABR. Your clients will be able to do this via the Business Portal.

For more information, refer to Changes to the Australian Business Register.

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Delayed release of Access Manager

In last month's edition of the BAS agent we notified you that Access Manager would soon be the system you use to manage access and permissions in the BAS Agent Portal, Tax Agent Portal and Business Portal.

The release of Access Manager has been delayed and you should continue to use Online Access Manager until further notice.

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Are your clients' activity statements due in April or May?

Most entities will shortly have an obligation to lodge activity statements.

We encourage you to review your clients' activity statement obligations and check they will lodge correctly and on time.

If you think your client may lodge or pay late, it is important you or they contact us early to check if alternate arrangements can be made. Even if they can't pay on time, their activity statement must still be lodged by the due date.

For more information, refer to Lodgment Program 2011-12 - details of the program and select Lodgment due dates.

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Spotlight on GST compliance

We are continuing to increase our focus on businesses that are committing goods and services tax (GST) fraud and avoiding their GST obligations.

This includes conducting more audits, and where appropriate, amending incorrect refund claims and applying penalties.

Detecting and dealing with non-compliance deters others from intentionally not complying and also ensures those who do comply are not disadvantaged.

For more information, including support for small business, refer to Targeting GST compliance.

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The tide is turning on tax dodgers - find out how in the latest edition of Targeting tax crime

The latest edition of Targeting tax crime: a whole-of-government approach, looks at the importance of a healthy tax system during times of economic turmoil.

This edition features finance and business commentator, Ross Greenwood and The Honourable Ray Finkelstein, QC, prominent retired federal court judge. 

Targeting tax crime is now available to read online.

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What's new?

We have selected some of the new and updated documents recently published to our website, which may be of interest to you as BAS agents.

Keydates for registered agents April - June 2012
Keydates for registered agents for April to June.

System maintenance and issues
This page contains scheduled downtime and details of issues currently affecting our online services.

The TAXAGENT magazine - issue 54 - March 2012
The March 2012 issue of the TAXAGENT includes articles on the Tax practitioner action plan 2011-2015, the future lodgment program, reporting suspected tax evasion and more.

ATO warns: scammers are getting increasingly cunning
Michael D'Ascenzo, Commissioner of Taxation has warned the community that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to trick people into giving away their money or personal details, such as their tax file number.

PS LA 3541: GST classification of food and beverage items
A draft practice statement concerning the goods and services tax (GST) classification of food and beverage items has been released. Comments are due by Friday 13 April 2012.

Refund integrity - discretion to retain refunds
On 1 March 2012 the government introduced legislation into Parliament to address the outcome in the Multiflex decision. The changes give the Commissioner the discretion to retain a refund pending integrity checks of the claim. Certain threshold tests must be met before this discretion can be exercised.

Goods and services tax treatment of new residential premises
The government has amended the GST law to ensure that sales by developers of residential premises constructed under certain arrangements, sometimes called development lease arrangements, will be taxable supplies of new residential premises.

Tax crime investigations and results
Find out about tax crime, how we are dealing with it and how you can help.

SME Communicator - March 2012
SME Communicator provides relevant information specific to businesses with an annual turnover between $2 million and $250 million.

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