Newsletter
May 2013 Newsletter
Trusts
• Taxpayers should review trust deeds to determine how trust income is defined. This may have an impact on the trustee’s tax planning.
• Trustees should consider whether a family trust election (FTE) is required to ensure any losses or bad debts incurred by the company will be deductible and to ensure that franking credits will be available to beneficiaries.
• If a trust has an unpaid present entitlement to a corporate beneficiary, consideration should be given to paying out the entitlement by the earlier of the due date for the lodgment of the trust’s income tax return for the year and the actual lodgment date, in order to avoid possible tax implications.
• Avoid retaining income in a trust because the income may be taxed at 46.5%.