The government will significantly expand accelerated depreciation for small businesses. It will do this by allowing small businesses with aggregate annual turnover of less than $2 million to immediately deduct assets they start to use or install ready for use, provided the asset costs less than $20,000 (currently, an immediate write-off is generally available for assets costing less than $1,000). This will apply for assets acquired and installed ready for use between 7.30pm (AEST) 12 May 2015 and 30 June 2017.
Assets valued at $20,000 or more (which cannot be immediately deducted) can continue to be placed in the small business simplified depreciation pool (‘the pool’) and depreciated at 15% in the first income year and 30% each income year thereafter. The pool can also be immediately deducted if the balance is less than $20,000 over this period (including existing pools).
The government will also suspend the current ‘lock out’ laws for the simplified depreciation rules until 30 June 2017. Currently, these ‘lock out’ rules prevent small businesses from re-entering the simplified depreciation regime for five years, if they opt out.
From 1 July 2017, the thresholds for the immediate depreciation of assets and the value of the pool will revert back to existing arrangements (which are currently based on a ‘less than $1,000’ threshold).
- Overtime Meal Allowance Amounts
- Cents per km deduction rate for motor vehicle expenses
- The 'sharing economy' in the ATO's sights
- Tax time is prime time for scams
- ATO warns about iTunes scammers
- ATO reminder about 30 June SuperStream deadline
- New Simpler BAS on the way
- ATO's continuing focus on trust property developers
- SMSFs and Collectables – last opportunity to comply!
- Contractor payments data matching program