No more Budget repair levy

The Budget repair levy (2% of the part of your taxable income over $180,000) no longer applies in 2018. This means that the top marginal rate for 2018 (including the 2% Medicare levy) is 47%, as opposed to 49% in 2017. The FBT rate is also 47% for the 2018 FBT year.

Deduct work-related expenses

People overclaiming deductions for work-related expenses like vehicles, travel, internet and mobile phones and self-education are on the ATO’s hitlist this year. There are three main rules when it comes to work-related claims:

  • You can only claim a deduction for money you have actually spent (and that your employer hasn’t reimbursed).
  • The expense must be directly related to earning your work income.
  • You must have a record to prove the expense.

Deductions are not allowed for private expenses (eg travel from home to work that’s not required to transport bulky equipment) or reimbursed expenses (eg for the cost of meals, accommodation and travel). And although you don’t need to include records like receipts with your tax return, the ATO can deny your claim – and penalties may apply – if you can’t produce the evidence when asked.

Tip: The ATO now uses real-time data to compare deductions across similar occupations and income brackets, so it can quickly identify higher-than-expected or unusual claims.

Superannuation contributions and changes

There have been a number of fundamental changes to the superannuation landscape for the 2018 income tax year, including changes to the caps for concessional contributions (now $25,000 for all taxpayers) and non-concessional contributions ($100,000, or $300,000 under the three-year bring forward rule) and the introduction of the general transfer balance cap and total super balance threshold (each currently $1.6 million).

Also from 2018, both employees and self-employed individuals can claim a tax deduction annually (maximum $25,000) for personal superannuation contributions, provided the superannuation fund has physically received the contribution by 30 June 2018 and the individual provides their superannuation fund with a “notice of intention to claim” document.