Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave – Commenced 1 February 2023

Caroline Gillies • February 3, 2023

Employees of non-small businesses (those with greater than 15 staff) employers can now access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period.


Employees of small businesses (those with less than 15 staff) will have access to the leave from 1 August 2023. Until this date, employees still have access to unpaid domestic violence leave.


Under the new provisions, family and domestic violence means violent, threatening or other abusive behaviour by an employee’s close relative, a current or former intimate partner, or a member of their household that both:


• seeks to coerce or control the employee

• causes them harm or fear.

A close relative is:

• an employee's

• spouse or former spouse

• de facto partner or former de facto partner

• child

• parent

• grandparent

• grandchild

• sibling


- a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of an employee’s current or former spouse or de fact partner, or

- a person related to the employee according to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander kinship rules.


Payment for leave

Full-time and part-time employees can take paid family and domestic violence leave at their full pay rate for the hours they would have worked if they weren't on leave.


Casual employees will be paid at their full pay rate for the hours they were rostered to work in the period they took leave.


For further information visit: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/
 

We drew inspiration for this article from Clifford Gouldson Lawyers

Don’t be on the ATO’s naughty list in 2026

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.

ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) Closure

By Caroline Gillies • October 17, 2025
From 1 October 2025, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) officially closed the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) to new users. Thanks to the efficiencies of Xero, this change does not impact Xero clients, as Xero includes its own built-in auto-super functionality. This means employers can make superannuation payments directly through Xero—without needing to access the ATO’s separate clearing house service. Key Dates and Details No new users: From 1 October 2025, the SBSCH stopped accepting new registrations. Full closure: The SBSCH will be fully decommissioned on 1 July 2026. Existing users: Businesses currently using the SBSCH can continue until 30 June 2026 but are encouraged to transition to an alternative solution before this date. At Clear Vision Accountancy Group, we highly recommend Xero as an efficient, streamlined, and ATO-compliant payroll and superannuation solution. If you’d like to discuss transitioning your business to Xero, call our team today on (07) 4688 2500 — we’re happy to help.

What Records to Keep for Your Rental Property

By Caroline Gillies • August 3, 2025
If you own a rental property or holiday home, keeping the right records is key to maximising your tax deductions and staying ATO-compliant. This week, we’re highlighting what the ATO expects you to keep when it comes to residential rental properties. Here’s a quick checklist of the documents you should hold onto: Purchase & Sale Documents – Contracts, settlement statements, and legal documents. Loan & Ownership Records – Loan statements, refinancing documents, land tax assessments. Rental Income – If you don’t have a rental statement you will need to document all rental income received, including bond money retained, insurance payouts, and any other reimbursements. Expenses & Repairs – Keep receipts and invoices for expenses like advertising for tenants, property agent fees, council rates, strata levies, repairs, maintenance, insurance, and interest on loans. Depreciation & Capital Works – Receipts for assets over $300, depreciation reports, and capital improvement records. Before and after photos of any capital works. Holiday Home Use – If your property is rented out part-time, you’ll need evidence of when it was genuinely available for rent (e.g. booking requests, advertising, availability calendars). How long to keep records: You’ll need to keep most records for at least 5 years after lodging your tax return, or longer if claiming capital works or carrying forward losses. Keeping detailed records ensures you claim everything you're entitled to—and makes things much easier in the event of an ATO audit.  Need help getting your documentation in order? Reach out to our team at Clear Vision Accountancy Group—we’re here to help. To read a more detailed list of items you need to keep for your rental property visit: Records for rental properties and holiday homes | Australian Taxation Office