FBT Issues on ATO Radar
With the date for lodging and paying FBT approaching (21 May), on Wednesday 1st May, the ATO reminded employers that the following mistakes attract the ATO’s attention:
* failing to report car fringe benefits, incorrectly applying exemptions for vehicles or incorrectly claiming reductions for these benefits
* mismatches between the amount reported as an employee contribution on an FBT return compared to the income amounts on an employer’s tax return
* claiming entertainment expenses as a deduction but not correctly reporting them as a fringe benefit, or incorrectly classifying entertainment expenses as sponsorship or advertising
* incorrectly calculating car parking fringe benefits
* not applying FBT to the personal use of an organisation’s assets provided for the personal enjoyment of employees or associates (e.g. spouses) and
* not lodging FBT returns (or lodging them late) to delay or avoid payment of tax.