A painful day at the office
An illustration of the severe tax and duty risks that arise when wills purport to deal with assets held through companies and trusts.
By Amanda Tully - 1 min read
Wilfully blind
Trust structures can derail estate plans. This scenario shows why lawyers must check deeds, vesting dates and foreign person clauses before drafting a will.
By Amanda Tully - 1 min read
Pepsi: maximum taste, no royalty
In ruling against the ATO, the High Court stressed a few key points that hint at how diverted profits and royalty withholding tax should be…
By Hugh Paynter, Ryan Leslie, Toby Eggleston and Naison Seery - 2 min read
Stung by the (lack of) evidence
Old trust, missing records, big tax risk—how an old house can trigger a modern-day headache for estate planners. By MICHAELA SCHMIDT
By Michaela Schmidt - 1 min read
Sharing the load
Wills, land, shares and capital gains tax: what could go wrong? Plenty. These scenarios show how two sets of eyes are always best.
By Jim Main - 1 min read
A pricey change of trustees
Section 54 of the Duties Act 1997 can trip any tax lawyer up and can lead to a number of different tax stings for your…
By Amanda Tully - 6 min read
Stamp of approval
Section 274 of the Duties Act 1997 can be unwieldy when trusts, companies and super funds complicate the way it applies.
By Michaela Schmidt - 1 min read
Not all perils are in the river
After a death, murky issues – like life insurance, residency and capital gains tax – can reveal themselves in surprising and costly ways.
By Jim Main - 1 min read
Important reforms regarding tax practitioners and promoter penalties
Recent tax reforms drastically increase penalties and broadens the scope of what is considered promoting tax exploitation.
By Angelina Lagana, Simon Mifsud, Craig Boyle and Codey Swadling - 2 min read
The Pepsi case: did the Federal Court bottle it?
In its first application of nascent tax laws, the Court considers what constitutes a contractual right and the new diverted profits tax.
By Hugh Paynter, Ryan Leslie and Graeme Cooper - 2 min read
Cancelling shares and landholder duty
When a couple in business together separates, things get messy and tax stings can fly under the radar in the ensuing familial chaos.
By Amanda Tully - 2 min read