Paying taxes is every business owner’s obligation. Miss a payment and you will get yourself into hot water with the ATO. This is something you do not want to happen. Tax may be deemed as a complicated subject matter because of the responsibilities you need to fulfill. However, it is actually much simpler than you might think. If you are going to do your own research, you will come to realise that there are still ways you can keep your tax bill down.
Pay Superannuation Contributions
It is important for employers to make a payment of superannuation contributions withing 28 days of the end of the quarter. For instance, all June quarter superannuation contributions must be paid by June 30. Doing this can accelerate your tax deduction. You should also keep in mind that the only way a tax deduction will be available is if you have actually paid the contributions, cleared them in the business bank account and the employee’s have received super fund before June 30. It is also necessary to pay any other outstanding amount before year-end.
Pay Bonuses To Your Employees
You have to put a properly executed bonus plan in place if you intend to pay bonuses to your employees. This plan should be executed by June 30 so you will be able to claim the deduction this year. A deduction will be available for employee bonuses if you have incurred the expense before year-end. No deduction will be available if your organisation failed to calculate or authorise the amounts of any bonuses.
Write Off Bad Debts
Insolvency can really hurt a business, but it can be inevitable. If this happens, you can write off a debt for the tax deduction to be available. Bad debts are the ones left unpaid. This is considered to be an allowable deduction so long as it was included as assessable income in a previous or current income year. What you can do is go through your debtors list for you to find out if there are any that you believe cannot make a payment. You need to write off those debts by June 30 so you can claim the deduction this year. You will also have to keep a written record as proof that the debt has been written off.
Pre-Pay Business Expenses
Another way you can get a tax deduction is when you consider pre-paying business expenses. For this deduction, the expenses must cover a period of no more than 12 months. The expenses included in this category are the insurance premiums, internet and telephone services, rent or leasing charges and more.
