GST Point-in-Time Service Updates

The GST Point-in-Time Service has been updated to include the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No. 4) Act 2019 (Cth) (Act 8 of 2019) and the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Act 2019 (Cth) (Act 10 of 2019).

Act 8 of 2019

Schedules 1 to 6 implement several recommendations contained in the Superannuation Guarantee Cross-Agency Working Group’s report to strengthen compliance with taxation and superannuation guarantee obligations. The package contains amendments to:

• allow the Commissioner in cases where employers fail to comply with their superannuation guarantee obligations, to issue directions to pay unpaid superannuation guarantee and
• undertake superannuation guarantee education courses;
• allow the Commissioner to disclose more information about superannuation guarantee non-compliance to affected employees;
• extend Single Touch Payroll reporting to all employers;
• facilitate more regular reporting by superannuation funds;
• improve the operation of the Commissioner’s collection and compliance measures; and
• streamline employee commencement processes.

Schedule 7 enables the sharing and verification of tax file numbers, which have been obtained in accordance with a Commonwealth law, between the Commissioner and Commonwealth Agencies.

Schedule 8 to this Act makes a number of miscellaneous amendments to the taxation, superannuation and other laws. These amendments are part of the Government’s commitment to the care and maintenance of Treasury portfolio legislation including the taxation and superannuation systems.

Schedule 9 to this Act amends the ITAA 1997 to allow the following entities to be deductible gift recipients under the income tax law:
- Australian Philanthropic Services Limited;
- Foundation 1901 Limited; and
- Sydney Chevra Kadisha.

Schedule 10 to the Act amends the ITAA 1997 to update the list of specifically listed deductible gift recipients to include the Australian Sports Foundation Charitable Fund; the Australian Women Donors Network; the Paul Ramsay Foundation Limited; The Q Foundation Trust; the Smile Like Drake Foundation Limited; and the Victorian Pride Centre Ltd.

Schedule 11 to this Act amends the ITAA 1997 to enable entities that promote Indigenous languages to be endorsed as a deductible gift recipient.

Act 10 of 2019

This Act creates a consolidated whistleblower protection regime for the corporate and financial sectors, and introduces new protections for tax whistleblowers not available under the existing laws.
This Act amends the Corporations Act to strengthen and consolidate whistleblower protections for the corporate and financial sector; and the TAA 1953 to create a whistleblower protection regime for disclosures of information by individuals regarding breaches of the tax laws or misconduct in relation to an entity’s tax affairs.
It also repeals the financial sector whistleblower regimes and clarifies transitional arrangements.

The amendments made by these Acts have been updated in the Point-in-Time GST Service current to 11 March 2019. (NB: Subscription required).

If you are not already a subscriber to this or other Point-in-Time Services then please contact us to find out more or to take a free trial.