Small Business Tax
Below is a range of useful tax rates for small and medium sized businesses that apply for the 2024-25 year including:
- individual marginal tax rates
- company tax rates
- reasonable domestic and overseas travel allowance amounts
- acceptable amounts for goods taken from stock for private use by business owners
- motor vehicle thresholds
- motor vehicle cents per kilometre rate
- concessional and non-concessional superannuation contributions limits
- other superannuation thresholds
- GST thresholds
Resident Individual Tax Rates - 2024-25 year
TAXABLE INCOME
|
TAX ON THIS INCOME
|
$0 – $18,200
|
Nil
|
$18,201 – $45,000
|
16c for each $1 over $18,200
|
$45,001 – $135,000
|
$4,288 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000
|
$135,001 – $190,000
|
$31,288 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000
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Over $190,000
|
$51,638 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000
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Compulsory superannuation rate: 11.5% from 1 July 2024
|
Notes on tax rates
- Taxable income includes capital gains.
- Medicare levy is imposed at the rate of 2% of taxable income is not included.
- Resident individuals are entitled to a refund of imputation credits that exceed the primary tax payable.
- Resident individuals are entitled to the 50% discount on the disposal of assets that are held for at least 12 months.
Reasonable Travel Allowance Claims for Domestic & Overseas Travel
Where an employee, company director, or office holder receives an allowance for travel costs within or outside Australia and the person makes a claim for the costs of accommodation, food, drink and incidental expenses up to certain limits, then the person is not required to keep written evidence (i.e. receipts) of the expenses. These deduction limits are based on the salary of the person and the destination of the trip.
The travel must be for business purposes and the person must be sleeping away from home. Note this concession does not apply to self employed persons, including partners in a partnership.
Click here and then scroll down to access the reasonable travel allowance claims within Australia for 2024/25
Click here and then scroll down to access the reasonable travel allowance claims within Australia for 2023/24
Goods Taken from Stock for Private Use by Business Owners
The ATO each year issues a Determination which outlines the amounts that are acceptable as estimates of the value of goods taken from trading stock for private use by business owners (including their associates) in certain industries who operate as sole traders or in partnership. The relevant amounts need to be included in the assessable income of the individual for the year.
Note that an adjustment for the GST credits claimed in relation to these amounts also needs to be made.
Fringe benefits tax and a different set of valuation rules apply where the business owner is employed through a company or family trust.
Click here and then scroll down to access the acceptable amounts for 2023/24
Click here and then scroll down to access the acceptable amounts for 2022/23
Company Tax Rates
The standard company tax rate is 30%.
From the 2017–18 income year, companies that are base rate entities must apply the lower company tax rates (see below table).
A base rate entity is a company that both:
- has an aggregated turnover less than the aggregated turnover threshold - which is $50 million from the 2018-19 year onwards
- 80% or less of assessable income is base rate entity passive income (e.g. interest, dividends, rent, and net capital gains).
Income Year
|
Applicable Turnover Threshold ($)
|
Company Tax Rate (%)
|
2017-18
|
25 million
|
27.5
|
2018-19
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50 million
|
27.5
|
2019-20
|
50 million
|
27.5
|
2020-21
|
50 million
|
26.0
|
2021-22 and future years
|
50 million
|
25.0
|
Notes
Companies are required to maintain a franking account on a tax paid basis and are not entitled to a refund of imputation credits that exceed the tax payable.
Companies are not entitled to the 50% discount on the disposal of assets that are held for at least 12 months.
PAYG Withholding Calculator
This calculator is provided by the Australian Taxation Office and determines the PAYG Withholding for an employee who is paid either weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
Click here to access the calculator.
Motor Vehicle Thresholds
(i) Cost limit for tax purposes
Since 1980, the depreciation deduction for cars has been limited by a deemed maximum cost price depending on the year in which the car was acquired.
Income Year
|
Depreciation Cost Limit $
|
2017
|
57,466
|
2018
|
57,581
|
2019
|
57,581
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2020
|
57,581
|
2021
|
59,136
|
2022
|
60,733
|
2023
|
64,741
|
2024
|
68,108
|
2025
|
69,674
|
(ii) Luxury car tax (LCT) thresholds
For fuel-efficient vehicles (including electric cars), the threshold is $91,387.
For all other luxury vehicles, the threshold is set at $80,567.
Per Kilometre Motor Vehicle Rates
These rates are used by individuals when making a claim for motor vehicle expenses up to a maximum of 5,000 business kilometres. They are also used by employers when reimbursing employees for business use of their vehicles.
2020/21 Year: 72 cents per kilometre
2021/22 Year: 72 cents per kilometre
2022/23 Year: 78 cents per kilometre
2023/24 Year: 85 cents per kilometre
2024/25 Year: 88 cents per kilometre
Taxation of Complying Superannuation Funds
Superannuation funds are taxed a rate of 15% on taxable income which includes employer contributions and the deductible portion of self employed contributions. Funds are entitled to a one-third discount on the disposal of assets that are held for at least 12 months and are also entitled to a refund of imputation credits that exceed the tax payable.
Income tax is not payable by the fund on income and capital gains where pensions are paid to the members.
There is currently a $1.9 million cap (applies for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 years) being the the total amount of superannuation that can be transferred into the retirement phase. The excess over the cap will need to be withdrawn by the member or maintained in an accumulation phase account where earnings are taxed at the rate of 15%.
Superannuation Contributions Work Test
From 1 July 2022, individuals who are aged between 67 to 74 years old are able to make non-concessional and salary sacrificed contributions without meeting the work test, subject to the existing contribution caps (refer below).
However the work test will need to be satisfied for individuals aged between 67 and 74 to claim a deduction for personal concessional contributions. The work test requires an individual to work a minimum of 40 hours in a 30 consecutive day period at any time during the financial year.
Personal concessional or non-concessional contributions can be accepted up to 28 days after the month in which the person reaches the age of 75.
Concessional Superannuation Contribution Limits
The following contribution limits apply for the 2024/25 year:
- A single annual concessional contributions cap of $30,000 (up from $27,500 last year) - both concessional personal and employer contributions are included in this threshold.
- the threshold at which high income earners pay additional contributions tax (Division 293 Tax) of 15% is $250,000 (unchanged).
Carry-Forward "unused" Concessional Super Contributions
From 1 July 2019, individuals can make 'carry-forward' concessional super contributions if they have a total superannuation balance of less than $500,000 at 30 June of the previous year. The unused concessional contributions caps can be used on a rolling basis for five years upon which they will expire.
Example
Assume a person has unused concessional contributions at 30 June 2024 of $50,000. This means the person can make concessional contributions of up to $80,000 in the 2024-25 year without breaching the concessional contributions cap of $30,000 if their super balance across all funds was less than $500,000 at 30 June 2024.
Non-Concessional Superannuation Contribution Limits
From 1 July 2024, the general non-concessional (after-tax) contributions cap increased to $120,000 per year (up from $110,000) and $360,000 under the 3 year bring-forward rule.
The following table outlines the non concessional contribution and the bring forward amounts available from 1 July 2024:
Total superannuation balance
|
Non concessional contribution and bring forward available
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Less than $1.66 million
|
Access to $360,000 cap (over three years)
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$1.66 million to less than $1.78 million
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Access to $240,000 cap (over two years)
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$1.78 million to less than $1.9 million
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Access to $120,000 (no bring-forward period, general non-concessional contributions cap applies)
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$1.9 million or more
|
Nil
|
The total superannuation balance is determined on 30 June of the previous financial year.
Other Superannuation Thresholds for 2024-25 Year
- Super guarantee (SG) rate - From 1 July 2024, increased to 11.5% (from 11%) of ordinary time earnings. The rate will increase to 12% by 1 July 2025.
- Maximum super guarantee contributions base – increased to $65,070 (from $62,270) per quarter. Employers don’t need to provide the minimum super guarantee support for the part of earnings above this limit.
- Capital Gains Small Business contributions cap – increased to $1,780,000 (from $1,705,000). This is a lifetime cap on non-concessional contributions which have been sourced from the retirement or 15-year small business capital gains tax concessions. Note these contributions don't count towards the individual's non-concessional contribution limits above.
- Low rate tax cap – increased to $245,000 (from $235,000). The low rate cap amount is the limit set on the amount of taxable components (taxed and untaxed elements) of a super lump sum that can receive a lower (or nil) rate of tax. It applies to members that have reached their preservation age but are below 60 years.
- Government Super Co-Contribution lower income threshold – increased to $45,400 (from $43,445). This is the threshold above which the maximum co-contribution amount of $500 begins to taper. If your total income is equal to or less than $45,400 in the 2024/25 financial year and you make after-tax contributions of $1,000 to your super fund, you’ll receive the maximum co-contribution of $500.
- Government Super Co-Contribution higher income threshold – increased to $60,400 (from $58,445). This is the threshold above which the co-contribution will not be paid.
- Low-income super tax offset - The offset is 15% of all concessional contributions made to a fund in a financial year, subject to a maximum of $500 and minimum of $10. Certain conditons apply including that the person earns less than $37,000 (of adjusted taxable income) and 10% or more of the person's total income comes from business and/or employment.
GST Thresholds
Item
|
* Threshold
|
Requirement to issue a tax invoice
|
$75
|
No requirement to withhold if supplier does not quote ABN
|
$75
|
Turnover for compulsory registration for GST
|
$75,000 (for any 12 months)
|
Turnover for compulsory registration for GST (non-profit entity)
|
$150,000 (for any 12 months)
|
Annual turnover for compulsory use of non-cash accounting
|
$10,000,000
|
Annual turnover for compulsory monthly electronic BAS lodgement
|
$20,000,000
|
* all amounts are GST exclusive
Important Note: All drivers and owner drivers of taxi travel vehicles must register for GST as a sole trader, (regardless of their turover) unless they are an employee.