Business Alert at 9:00am With CVA – Truck Drivers Travel Allowance Claims

Clear Vision • June 18, 2019

Truck Drivers and their employers may need to look more closely at how travel allowances are being recorded. The ATO have inflicted penalties to Truck Drivers for being reckless with the expenses they’ve claimed without sufficient proof.

Our advice is to be vigilant with your log book or work diary to ensure you have records of overnight travel, allowances you’ve received and expenses you’ve incurred. You can’t be too detailed, the more information you have, the better off you are.

By not taking due care, you could leave yourself open for scrutiny & in turn penalties. For the 2019 income year, the meal allowance stands at $24.70 for breakfast, $28.15 for lunch and $48.60 for dinner. It’s important to know that these amounts can not be combined e.g. if you skip lunch, you can’t add the lunch allowance to dinner.

Also if you start the work day from home at 4:00am, you can’t claim the breakfast allowance, it is expected you will eat breakfast before you leave your home. Travel allowance is exactly that, you need to be away. If you start work at 4:00am and don’t get home until 12 noon the next day, you can claim lunch, dinner and breakfast – nothing more.

What’s important is how you record information and the records you can show; eftpos receipts, credit card statements, logbooks, travel diaries, letters from your employer stating how long you are away for and how much allowance you’ve been given – all of these will prove you are not reckless and that your claims are relevant.

If you’re not sure about anything, give us a call. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

By Caroline Gillies March 26, 2026
More data doesn’t mean better decisions. Many business owners are drowning in numbers but starving for direction, tracking everything and understanding nothing. The result? Decisions based on gut feel, cash flow surprises, and growth that looks good on paper but doesn’t actually strengthen the business. Vanity metrics can be misleading. Total revenue, website traffic, or social media likes might feel positive, but they don’t always reflect real performance or profitability.  Real KPIs tell a different story. They give you clarity, control, and confidence in your decisions. While every business is different and the right KPIs will vary, here are some examples of powerful KPIs businesses often track: • Profit Margin – Are you actually making money? • Cash Flow – Do you have enough cash to operate and grow? • Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) – What does it cost to win a new customer? • Debtor Days – How quickly are you getting paid? • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) – How much is each customer worth over time? If you’re not tracking the right numbers for your business, you’re essentially flying blind. Because success isn’t about more data—it’s about the right data.
By Caroline Gillies March 1, 2026
From 1 July 2026, the Federal Government will introduce one of the most significant changes to superannuation administration in recent years: “Payday Super.” These reforms fundamentally shift how and when employers meet their Superannuation Guarantee (SG) obligations. What’s Changing? Under the new rules, SG contributions must be paid at the same time as salary and wages and received by the employee’s super fund within seven business days of payday. This replaces the current quarterly payment system. The changes apply to all eligible employees, including those captured under the expanded definition of “employee,” and extend to salary sacrifice amounts and other qualifying earnings (QE). Employers will calculate SG at the legislated 12% rate on QE, which includes ordinary time earnings and relevant additional payments. Contributions remain subject to the Maximum Contribution Base, limiting employer liability to approximately $30,000 per employee per financial year. Employers will also be required to report QE and SG liabilities through Single Touch Payroll (STP), enabling the ATO to monitor compliance more closely and identify underpayments earlier. Operational Impact for Employers The shift to payday reporting and payment means payroll systems must be updated to calculate, process, and remit super contributions each pay cycle. Businesses will need to ensure their software can manage QE calculations and facilitate timely electronic payments to super funds. Cash flow management will also require attention, particularly for small businesses accustomed to quarterly payments. Super will become a real-time obligation rather than a periodic liability. Importantly, failure to meet the new deadlines will trigger the revised Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC), including penalties and interest. While late contributions and SGC amounts remain tax deductible, interest and penalties do not. Employers currently using the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House must transition to alternative payment solutions before its closure on 30 June 2026. Preparing Now Although implementation begins in 2026, early preparation is essential. Reviewing payroll systems, assessing cash flow impact, and updating internal processes will help ensure a smooth transition and minimise compliance risk. Payday Super represents a move toward greater transparency and timeliness, but it also demands proactive planning from employers. If you would like assistance preparing your business for Payday Super, our team at Clear Vision Accountancy Group is here to help. Please contact us on 4688 2500 to discuss how we can support your transition and ensure you remain compliant. We drew inspiration for this article from the ATO
By Caroline Gillies December 11, 2025
The ATO is cracking down on people who claim too many tax deductions for properties that they use both personally and as rentals — especially holiday homes. A new draft ruling says that if you use a property for both personal use and renting it out, you must split (apportion) the expenses in a fair and reasonable way. You can only claim deductions for the portion of time or space used to earn rental income. If the ATO thinks your property is really a holiday home — for example, you block out peak times for your own use and only rent it occasionally — they can classify it as a “leisure facility.” If that happens, you cannot claim big expenses like mortgage interest, council rates, land tax or maintenance. You’ll only be allowed to claim small costs like cleaning, advertising and platform/agent fees. The ATO says many owners of holiday homes have been claiming too much by showing “rental losses” every year. They are now looking more closely at cases where the owner keeps the property unavailable for rent during busy periods.  How do I stay off the ATO naughty list? If you mix personal use with rental use, be careful. Only claim the rental part of your expenses, or the ATO may deny most of your deductions.