Discretionary trusts, often referred to as family trusts, have been a popular structure for Australian families and businesses for many decades. They are commonly used to operate family businesses, hold investments and assist with succession planning. Their flexibility, together with asset protection and estate planning benefits, has made them an attractive option for many
Investing for your child’s future is a powerful way to give them a financial head start. But as BDHL Advisory Principal Tas Demos explains in his recent conversation with Grady Wulff on Future Funded Bubs, the way those investments are structured can make a significant difference. For parents building an investment portfolio for their
The ATO has issued a Draft Taxation Determination TD 2026/D1 which looks at how inherited family homes are treated for CGT purposes. Some industry commentators have dubbed it a “death tax by stealth”, but it is a bit more complex than this. The draft guidance focuses on a specific aspect of the rules around
“Succession planning, and the tax risks associated with it, is our number one focus in 2025. In recent years we’ve observed an increase in reorganisations that appear to be connected to succession planning.” ATO Private Wealth Deputy Commissioner Louise Clarke The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) thinks that wealthy babyboomer Australians, particularly those with successful
The last few years have been a rollercoaster ride of instability. 2025 holds hope, but not a guarantee, of greater stability and certainty. We explore some of the key changes and challenges. An election Welcome to political advertising slipping into your social media, voicemail, and television viewing - most likely with messages from the
The cost of living has eased over the past year but consumers are still under pressure. For business, planning is the key to managing Christmas volatility. The countdown to Christmas is on and we’re in the midst of a headlong rush to maximise any remaining opportunities before the Christmas lull. Busy period or not,
If you are aged 55 years or older, the downsizer contribution rules enable you to contribute up to $300,000 from the proceeds of the sale of your home to your superannuation fund (eligibility criteria applies). In 2023-24, over 57% of people making a ‘downsizer’ contribution to super were women. And, the average value of
Ok, not that Succession series. Each month we’ll bring you a new perspective on transferring property. Be it estate planning, managing an inheritance, or the various forms of business succession. This article, we look at the tax consequences of inheriting property. Beyond the difficult task of dividing up your assets and determining who should
You login to your myGov account to find that your activity statements for the last 12 months have been amended and GST credits of $100k issued. But it wasn’t you. And you certainly didn’t get a $100k refund in your bank account. What happens now? In what is rapidly becoming the most common tax
The Tax Commissioner has successfully argued that more than $1.6m deposited in a couple’s bank account was assessable income, not a gift or a loan from friends. The case of Rusanova and Commissioner of Taxation is enough for a telemovie. The plot features an Australian resident Russian couple ‘gifted’ over $1.6m in unexplained bank
