Aspen Corporate Pty Ltd
Aspen Corporate • 27 March 2020

ATO targets 'lifestyle' assets

The ATO has requested insurance policy information from 30 insurers for lifestyle assets such as yachts, thoroughbred horses, and fine arts.

The review, expected to impact 350,000 taxpayers, reaches from the 2015-16 to 2019-20 financial years, revealing assets that previously may not have been disclosed or underreporting of income. "If a taxpayer is reporting a taxable income of $70,000 to us but we know they own a three million dollar yacht then this is likely to raise some red flags," Deputy Commissioner Deborah Jenkins said.

The ATO is looking for:

  • under-reporting of income and mismatches between lifestyle assets and reported income, 
  • the purchase of assets in a company name but where those assets are used for private purposes (incorrect claims or non-reporting of GST credits, FBT, Division 7A, capital gains tax), and 
  • lifestyle assets purchased by self-managed superannuation funds that might breach the sole purpose test.

The ATO has stated that the data matching will not result in automatic audits but will be reviewed by compliance officers to support the profiling of selected taxpayers.

Credit Cards
by Aspen Corp 13 February 2025
If credit card surcharges are banned in other countries, why not Australia? We look at the surcharge debate and the payment system complexity that has brought us to this point.
by Aspen Corp 13 February 2025
The Government has announced its intention to introduce mandatory standards for large superannuation funds to, amongst other things, deliver timely and compassionate handling of death benefits. Do we have a problem with paying out super when a member dies?
by Rob Lo Presti 12 February 2025
The amount of money that can be transferred to a tax-free retirement account will increase to $2m on 1 July 2025.
by Aspen Corp 12 February 2025
The (ATO) thinks that wealthy babyboomer Australians, particularly those with successful family-controlled businesses, are planning and structuring to dispose of assets in a way in which the tax outcomes might not be in accord with the ATO’s expectations.
by Aspen Corp 11 December 2024
Key changes and challenges for 2025
Basketball shoe
by Aspen Corp 11 December 2024
The Federal Court has denied a sports company’s appeal to claim research & development incentives for the creation of an Australian signature basketball shoe.
More posts
Share by: