Money

Tax

Tax time: top work-related expenses ATO's eyeing

Australians claim about $23 billion in tax deductions for work-related expenses each year.

Higher-than-expected tax deductions relating to cars, travel, clothing, internet and mobile phones, and self-education expenses are among the top claims the tax man will be keeping a close eye on this tax time.

The one thing most investors get wrong

Remember: An investment's tax benefits are the cream on the cake.

There is anecdotal evidence that regulatory measures and budget proposals are having an effect on the housing market, which is a sad reflection on the mentality of the average property investor.

The science of money

Data is the new currency.

The Centrelink debt demands are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how data is used in your financial life.

Entire ATO website down

Labor's Andrew Leigh says public servants can't be blamed for ATO failures.

The Tax Office ruled out a census-style "denial of service" attack as the reason for the loss of its entire website, saying the massive failure was due to hardware problems "not being caused by any external factors".

End the age of entitlement - for seniors

Home owners are arguably equipped with greater spending power – and hence choice – in older age.

Australia's tax system has become skewed towards a growing and apparently untouchable group of 'taxed nots' - they are older Australians who pay roughly $1 billion per year less tax than younger Australians in the same circumstances, according to a new Grattan Institute report.