The government has released a raft of draft legislation with the intention of reducing FBT record-keeping compliance costs for employers. The measure was originally announced by the previous government in the 2020 Budget but never implemented. In brief, it proposed to give the ATO the power to allow employers to rely on existing corporate records to finalise their FBT returns rather than employee declarations and other prescribed records. Our business accountants in Melbourne further detail the proposed changes below.
Currently, where an employer is required to lodge an FBT return, they must keep and preserve all records for the fringe benefits they provide for 5 years from the date that the records are prepared or obtained, or from the completion of the transaction. During this period, the ATO may request any of these records for compliance purposes.
To reduce this potential duplication and simplify record-keeping compliance, the draft legislation proposes to give the ATO the power to make legislative instruments to determine the kinds of adequate alternative records which may be kept and retained by employers in lieu of statutory evidentiary documents for specified fringe benefits. The government has also released Draft Determinations which outline what adequate alternative records for travel diaries and relocation transport looks like.
In general, the minimum amount of information alternative records will need to contain for travel diaries consists of the following:
The minimum amount of information that will be required to be contained in adequate alternative records for relocation transport includes:
For other fringe benefit types, the legislative instruments to be made by the Commissioner will give employers the ability to identify the kinds of alternative documents and records that could be used. It will contain information on the years of tax, the classes of persons, the classes of statutory evidentiary documents applying to the relevant fringe benefit, and the kinds of alternative documents that may be used. However, the Commissioner is unlikely to specify alternative record-keeping options for all available fringe benefits or all situations where fringe benefits may be provided.
For example, it is anticipated that for records that are exhaustively defined within the legislation, such as log books and odometer records, employers will continue to meet their record-keeping obligations under the current requirements. If you’re unsure about your requirements, consulting with bookkeepers in Melbourne is highly recommended.
The Albanese government has been ramping up its legislative output, with many more proposed measures on the horizon. This means that once Parliament resumes, there may be a raft of incoming tax changes which may affect your business. Contact Alexander Bright to stay up-to-date and benefit from our bookkeeping services and business accounting services in Melbourne.
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