The ATO has announced a two-month lodgement and payment deferral to taxpayers affected by recent bushfires across the east coast.
ATO acting deputy commissioner Andrew Watson said that people affected by the fires should focus on getting their other affairs in order and not worry about their tax obligations at this time.
“We have applied automatic lodgement and payment deferrals to postcodes impacted by the fires, meaning if you’ve been impacted by the fires you don’t need to contact the ATO or your tax professional — we’ve already done it for you,” Mr Watson said.
The quarterly business activity statement (BAS) that would normally have been due on 11 November or 28 November for businesses using a tax professional will now be due on 28 January 2020.
Monthly BAS lodgers also have an extra two months to lodge and pay, with the ATO automatically extending the due date until 21 January 2020 for the form which would normally have been due on 21 November.
Aside from businesses, individuals in impacted areas who have lodged their 2018–19 income tax returns and have received a bill that would normally be due on 21 November 2019 now have until 21 January 2020 to pay.
The automatic deferrals do not apply to large pay-as-you-go withholders.
The ATO has also reminded employers that they are still required to meet their ongoing super guarantee obligations for their employees.
According to the ATO, the ongoing situation will be monitored to include additional areas and provide further deferrals as needed.
Automatic deferrals have been put in place for the following 16 local government areas impacted by the bushfires:
New South Wales:
- Bellingen
- Clarence Valley
- Coffs Harbour
- Glen Innes
- Severn
- Kempsey
- Inverell
- Mid Coast
- Nambucca
- Port Macquarie-Hastings
- Richmond Valley
- Tenterfield
- Uralla
- Walcha
Queensland:
- Noosa
- Livingstone
Jotham Lian
Jotham Lian is the editor of Accountants Daily, the leading source of breaking news, analysis and insight for Australian accounting professionals.
Before joining the team in 2017, Jotham wrote for a range of national mastheads including the Sydney Morning Herald, and Channel NewsAsia.
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