Tax rates for working holiday makers who are in Australia on a 417 or 462 visa have changed.
From 1 January 2017, employers who employ a working holiday maker in Australia on a 417 or 462 visa:
– Must withhold 15 per cent from every dollar earned up to $37,000 with foreign resident tax rates applying from $37,001.
– Must register with the Australian Tax Office by 31 January 2017 to withhold at the working holiday maker tax rate.
– If you do not register, you will need to withhold at the foreign resident tax rate of 32.5 per cent.
– Penalties may apply if you employ holiday makers but do not register.
For employers who already employ working holiday makers, you will need to issue two payment summaries (with different rates) this year – one for the period to 31 December 2016 and a second for any period from 1 January 2017.
Inactive low-balance accounts (ILBAs) are a new category account that needs to be reported and paid to the ATO. This was introduced in the Treasury Law Amendment (Protect Your Superannuation Package) Bill 2019 that came into effect on 1 July 2019 after first being announced in the 2018-19 Federal Budget.
ILBAs are designed to protect accounts from fee erosion. Where possible, the ATO will proactively consolidate super on behalf of an individual.
A superannuation account is considered an ILBA if the following criteria are met:
No amount has been received by the fund for crediting to that account for an individuals benefit within the last 16 months.
The account balance is less than $6,000.
A prescribed condition of release has not been met.
The account is not a defined benefit account.
There is no insurance on the account.
The account is not held in a self-managed super fund (SMSF) or small Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) fund.
Funds are required to identify ILBAs on 30 June and 31 December each year, then report and pay them to the ATO by the statement date.
31 October in the same year for accounts identified on 30 June.
30 April of the following year for accounts identified on 31 December.
Individuals that have an account that they do not want to be transferred to the ATO as an ILBA, can consolidate super accounts using ATO online services through myGov, contact their super fund for more information or authorise their super fund to provide a written declaration to the ATO.
