Source:
We’ve reviewed our advice for the Marshall Islands and continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions. Travelling by boat, especially on open waters between atolls, can be hazardous. Vessels and their operators often do not meet Australian safety standards. Take appropriate precautions before travelling by boat (see ‘Travel’).
Source:
We understand taxpayers across New South Wales and Queensland communities have been impacted by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. We encourage you to continue to lodge your clients’ obligations if you can, however for those clients that have been directly affected in Local Government Areas (LGAs) declared eligible for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRPExternal Link), we will provide additional time where you or your client are unable to lodge for the following obligations:
These measures are in addition to our normal range of support options available should you, your clients or your practice need additional help.
If we have made a provision for your client to lodge late without penalty, there will be an indicator on their account. This can be identified by running an On-Demand Outstanding Lodgment Report for either Income Tax or Activity Statements in Online services for agents, or through your practice management software.
Details for running On-Demand reports in Online services for agents and practitioner lodgment service (PLS) – enabled software are available on our website.
Source:
Statements of distribution (SODs) must be lodged for all partnerships. Accurate and timely completion of these enables us to data match and assess if partners have returned their partnership income correctly. Incomplete or incorrect statements may result in partners being unnecessarily subjected to compliance activities.
Our recent analysis and compliance activities have identified basic errors tax practitioners make with SODs. To avoid these mistakes, make sure you’ve gathered the necessary lodgment information before preparing SODs, and complete all required information for each partner in the SOD labels, including:
SOD data helps us cross-check and assure that partners are correctly reporting their income in their income tax returns. This is even more important with our increased focus on compliance with Practical Compliance Guideline PCG 2021/4 Allocation of Professional firm profits – ATO compliance approach. It also helps us target our compliance actions more accurately.
We strongly recommend digital lodgment of SODs. For partnerships of up to 160 partners, you can already lodge digitally through your lodgment software (Practitioner lodgment service and Standard Business Reporting-enabled software). From 1 July, you’ll be able to digitally lodge 2024–25 and future returns for all partnerships, including those with more than 160 partners. We’ll provide more information on this change closer to that date.
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Stealing with Force – Jaycar Moonah
Tuesday, 25 March 2025 – 9:27 pm.
Approximately 5:20pm today police attended a reported Robbery at the Jaycar store in Moonah. A 19 year old man and a 19 year old woman are in custody assisting police with their enquiries.
Police allege that the pair entered the store and stole property, and that physical force was used when staff approached them. A witness then assisted and the 19 year old man is alleged to have threatened that he had a knife, although is not believed he had possession of one at the time. There were no injuries sustained by any person.
Police located the man and woman leaving the area and were safely taken into custody without incident. The stolen property was also located nearby.
Sergeant Eaves said “Tasmania Police are thankful there was a safe and quick resolution to this incident. Shop stealing remains a focus area for police and we will continue to target those offending.”
Police have spoken to witnesses in the immediate area as well as obtaining CCTV footage. Investigations are continuing. Police are aware that further members of the public may have witnessed the incident and anybody able to provide further information is asked to contact police on 131 444.
Information can also be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency
The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future, and investing in the transport infrastructure that South Australians need.
The 2025-2026 Federal Budget delivers funding for three new projects including:
The HPVN will deliver upgrades between the South Eastern Freeway and Sturt Highway such as the duplication of the Swanport Bridge and Murray Bridge Township Bypass in Monarto.
The project will provide the necessary infrastructure to enable higher productivity vehicles to bypass Adelaide resulting in fewer trips with reduced vehicle carbon emissions, increased freight efficiency and improved safety for all road users.
Removal of the Curtis Road Level Crossing in Munno Para in northern Adelaide will eliminate the need for road traffic to interact with the Gawler passenger rail line.
The project will improve safety and support the significant housing development in the region, improving residents’ access to employment, education and recreational services by reducing road and rail network conflicts. The project will also improve travel times within the northern growth area of Adelaide.
The Main South Road upgrade – Myponga to Yankalilla will deliver critical safety improvement works along Main South Road between Myponga and Yankalilla, including:
Its completion will create a safer environment for all road users in the area.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King:
“In this Budget, the Albanese Government is investing in infrastructure in South Australia – in the projects that are needed to make our roads safer, our freight networks more resilient and our transport links better serve communities.
“Our Government is committed to working with the Malinauskas Labor Government are get these projects done.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Boothby Louise Miller-Frost:
“I have been advocating for appropriate and safer traffic solutions for years, in fact since before I was elected. The Liberals, including the previous Member for Boothby, made a complete mess of it, cancelling Globelink and proposing an unsafe inadequate alternative.
“Through the investment in this Budget, and these critical new projects, Labor is building South Australia’s future.”
Source:
As part of the 2025-26 Federal Budget, the Government announced from 1 July 2026 they will deliver new tax cuts to every Australian taxpayer. The new tax cuts aim to provide more cost-of-living relief and return bracket creep. This measure is not yet law.
Under the Government’s new tax cuts:
• From 1 July 2026, the 16 per cent rate will be reduced to 15 per cent.
• From 1 July 2027, the 15 per cent rate will be reduced further to 14 per cent.
These tax cuts are in addition to the first round of tax cuts that were announced by The Hon Anthony Albanese MP on 25 January 2024External Link.
For more information see:
Source:
On 16 February 2025, the Government announced that it will impose a temporary ban on foreign purchases of established dwellings for at least 2 years and crack down on land banking.
From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027, foreign persons, including temporary residents and foreign-owned companies, cannot apply to buy an established dwelling in Australia unless an exception applies. These limited exceptions will include investments that significantly increase housing supply or support the availability of housing supply, and for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
Other existing exceptions remain in place, such as for purchases by:
A review will be undertaken to determine if the ban should be extended beyond 31 March 2027.
We will enforce the ban through enhanced screening of foreign investment proposals relating to residential properties.
We will carry out a full audit of current foreign investment approvals for vacant residential land development.
We will also take a tougher stance on compliance of foreign investment approvals for vacant residential land development. This will help ensure that foreign investors who have bought or want to buy vacant residential land meet development conditions.
For more information see:
Source:
The government handed down the 2025-26 Budget on 25 March 2025, with several changes to tax and superannuation laws (see budget.gov.auExternal Link).
|
Measure name |
Proposed start date |
Developments |
|---|---|---|
|
Amendments to Existing Measures: Extending the clean building managed investment trust withholding tax concession |
1 October 2025 or the ‘first day of the 1st quarter after Royal Assent’, whichever is the later |
TBC |
|
Amendments to Existing Measures: Foreign resident capital gains tax changes |
1 October 2025 or the ‘first day of the 1st quarter after Royal Assent’, whichever is the later |
TBC |
|
Amendments to Existing Measures: Managed Investment Trusts |
13 March 2025 |
TBC |
|
Personal Income Tax – new tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer |
1 July 2026 |
TBC |
|
Illicit Tobacco Compliance and Enforcement Package – direct and targeted enforcement to counter profits from illicit tobacco |
1 July 2025 |
N/A |
|
Personal Income Tax – increasing the Medicare levy low-income thresholds |
1 July 2025 |
TBC |
|
Restricting Foreign Ownership of Housing |
1 April 2025 |
N/A |
|
Strengthening Tax Integrity: Extension and expansion to the Personal Income Tax Compliance Program |
1 July 2025 |
N/A |
|
Strengthening Tax Integrity: Extension and expansion to the Shadow Economy Compliance Program |
1 July 2025 |
N/A |
|
Strengthening Tax Integrity: Extension and expansion to the Tax Avoidance Taskforce |
1 July 2025 |
N/A |
|
Strengthening Tax Integrity: Extension to the Tax Integrity Program |
1 July 2026 |
N/A |
|
Supporting Philanthropy |
Various |
TBC |
|
Supporting the Hospitality Sector and Alcohol Producers |
Various |
TBC |
The government handed down the 2024–25 MYEFO on 18 December 2024, with several changes to tax and superannuation laws (see budget.gov.auExternal Link).
Source:
Australia is facing enormous pressures on our collective mental health and wellbeing. But the 2025-26 Federal Budget does very little to address this, with mental health left behind in this pre-election budget pitch.
The Budget includes some piecemeal mental health investments, including $46 million to continue digital mental health services, but falls far too short of the systemic reform needed.
As outlined in Mental Health Australia’s Pre-Budget Submission, we need urgent action to address immediate service and workforce gaps, together with longer-term commitments to both prevent mental ill-health and create a world-class system of mental health supports. It is extremely disappointing to see no action in this Budget on these key urgent recommendations.
There are welcome measures in this Budget to improve affordable access to primary health care, however, we need further changes to ensure access to supports beyond the GP office.
Mental Health Australia welcomes measures in this Budget to provide cost of living relief, and continues to call on the Government to work with the mental health sector to introduce specific measures to improve equity and affordability of access to mental health supports.
Further detail can be found in the Summary below.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information after a stolen motor vehicle and dangerous driving incident in Katherine this morning.
Around 1:40am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a white Toyota Hilux Utility driving dangerously throughout Katherine.
It is alleged that there were seven occupants inside the vehicle and two riding in the tray at the time, with the vehicle swerving toward St John Ambulance on two occasions.
At around 3:30am, police successfully deployed a tyre deflation device along the Stuart Highway and the stolen vehicle came to a stop near the Katherine Bridge.
Two youths aged 11 and 14 respectively were arrested at the scene and several remaining youths were seen jumping off the bridge and into the Katherine River to evade apprehension.
An immediate search was commenced with the assistance of a NT Emergency Services vessel.
A 15-year-old female alleged offender was located nearby on the Victoria Highway with a suspected broken arm.
She was conveyed to Katherine District Hospital for treatment.
The remaining 7 youths, aged between 12 and 16, have now been located and are assisting police with enquiries.
Investigations remain ongoing.
Police urge anyone who has information about this incident to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25081469.
Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.