Month: September 2010

Our office received a call from the Australian Financial Review for comment on the ATO looking into non compliance of FBT reporting.

Our office is seeing no decline in employees looking to take advantage of Salary Packaging a motor vehicle under a Fully Maintained Novated Lease agreement.

The reality is that the average PAYG Tax Payer is more informed today than they were, even 5 years ago. They understand that if they earn less than $180,000 per year, that, in many cases, they can make a genuine tax saving, if they set up their Novated Lease Agrement using the “Employee Contibution Method”. This method removes the need to pay FBT, by paying some of the costs from “Post Tax Income”. Not only do they save money, but it also romoves the onus on the employer to return FBT.

The ATO in our opinion is only looking at the reduction in FBT returns, as they believe that they are not receiving the correct revenue.

The most likely answer however is that there is a lack of education of employers. The employer, as he has not FBT liability, is not submitting an FBT return. The reality is, he should be.

As Roger Timms from Taxpayers Australia said, “it would be a quantum leap to conclude that a decline in returns was solely due to non-compliance”.

Phillip Gruppelaar

Interesting comments from Rob Oakeshott on Salary Packaging and Fully Maintained Novated Leasing prior to his decision to support Labour.

His comment that “It is wrong to encourage people to drive high numbers of kilometres, by giving them F.B.T Tax savings”, is quiet misguided.

Mr Oakeshott has always supported a “greener” Australia, but surely he needs to think things through before making such comments.

Of the many things he hasn’t considered, just look at these two. People who travel in excess on 40,000 kms per year in their motor vehicles don’t do it voluntarily.

Typically these drivers are called “Middle” Australia. The people who, through share economics, are forced, to live distances between work and home in excess of 50 kms each way. The travel time in peak hours is never less than 1 hour.

Due to ongoing inaction from various State and Federal Government’s, public transport in these areas are grossly inadequate to handle their plight.

Consider this! Drive from home to an area around the station – 10 minutes, park and walk to station – 10 minutes, allow sufficient time to ensure train is caught – 5 minutes, Train ride – 1 hour, wait for connection – 5 minutes, bus or train to closest point to work – 10 minutes, walk to work – 10 minutes. Total time 1 hour 50 minutes at best.

Mr Oakeshott’s answer don’t take 2 hours a day for work travel takes 4 hours.

Then the party he has chosen to support (Labour) want to impose a policy to improve the CO2 emmissions from motor vehicles.

Motor Vehicle Manufacturers around the world fully recognise the need for a “greener” world and are making genuine endevours to improve CO2 emmissions.

By removing incentives to buy new motor vehicles , Mr Oakeshott is working against his own policies of a greener Australia.

Maybe Mr Oakeshott should attempt to commute from the NSW Central Coast to Sydney for a few weeks, if he didn’t change his views I would be particually suprised.

Phillip Gruppelaar

General Manager