A recent case before the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) has clarified how strict the rules are when it comes to trust distributions and tax. 

The case involved the Goldenville Family Trust (GFT), which had distributed income in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial years. The trustee attempted to allocate some of this income, including to a beneficiary who lived overseas, with the goal of reducing the overall tax paid. 

At Hansens, we spend a lot of time supporting our clients with their dealings with the ATO. But sometimes, we find ourselves on the receiving end too. 

On 27 August, the ATO issued us a letter for our June BAS. The strange part? The BAS was due and paid on 25 August. We received the letter on 28 August, three days after everything had already been finalised. 

So what’s going on? 

​The Productivity Commission (PC) has been tasked by the Australian Government to conduct an inquiry into creating a more dynamic and resilient economy. The PC was asked to identify priority reforms and develop actionable recommendations.

​Back in March this year the Government announced its intention to ban non-compete clauses for low and middle-income employees and consult on the use of non-compete clauses for those on higher incomes. The Government has indicated that the reforms in this area will take effect from 2027. This didn’t come as a complete surprise as the Competition Review had already published an issues paper on the topic and the PC had also issued a report indicating that limiting the use of unreasonable restraint of trade clauses would have a material impact on wages for workers.

In support of young Australians and in response to the rising cost of living, the Australian Government has passed legislation to reduce student loan debt by 20% and change the way that loan repayments are determined. This should help students significantly more than the advice from outside of Parliament - cut down on the smashed avo.

​On 1 July 2025 the superannuation guarantee rate increased to 12% which is the final stage of a series of previously legislated increases. Employers currently need to make superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions for their employees by 28 days after the end of each quarter (28 October, 28 January, 28 April and 28 July). There is an extra day’s allowance when these dates fall on a public holiday.

At Hansens, we’ve always believed in staying ahead of the curve when it comes to running an efficient business. In fact, we were one of the first accounting firms to rethink how we operated internally, investing in technology and streamlining processes long before it became the norm.

​But technology doesn’t stand still. Just as we embraced change years ago, the landscape today, including AI, automation, and cloud solutions, is evolving at a pace that can make even the most efficient operations feel outdated quickly. Recently, we found ourselves asking: are we truly operating in the most efficient and evolved way possible?