The Federal Treasurer, Dr Jim Chalmers, handed down the 2023–24 Federal Budget at 7:30 pm (AEST) on 9 May 2023.

The Budget forecasts the underlying cash balance to be in surplus by $4.2 billion in 2022–23, the first surplus since 2007–08, followed by a forecast deficit of $13.9 billion in 2023–24.A range of measures provide cost-of-living relief to individuals such as increased and expanded JobSeeker payments and better access to affordable housing. No changes were announced to the Stage 3 personal income tax cuts legislated to commence in 2023–24.As part of the measures introduced for small business, a temporary $20,000 threshold for the small business instant asset write-off will apply for one year, following the end of the temporary full expensing rules.Several tax measures of the former Coalition government have also been amended or dropped, including the patent box tax incentive measures.The tax, superannuation and social security highlights are set out below.

Businesses

• The instant asset write-off threshold for small businesses applying the simplified depreciation rules will be $20,000 for the 2023–24 income year.
• An additional 20% deduction will be available for small and medium business expenditure supporting electrification and energy efficiency.
• FBT exemption for eligible plug-in hybrid electric cars will end from 1 April 2025.
• An increased capital works deduction rate and reduced withholding on managed investment trust (MIT) payments will apply to new build-to-rent projects.
• The clean building managed investment trust (MIT) withholding tax concession will be extended from 1 July 2025 to eligible data centres and warehouses, where construction commences after 7:30 pm (AEST) on 9 May 2023.
• The start date of a measure to prevent franked distributions funded by certain capital raisings announced in the 2016–17 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook has been postponed from 19 December 2016 to 15 September 2022.
• The patent box regime announced in the Coalition government’s 2021–22 Budget, and expanded in the 2022–23 Budget, will not proceed.
• Patent box measures not to proceed.

Individuals

• Income support payment base rates will be increased by $40 per fortnight.
• The minimum age for which older people qualify for the higher JobSeeker Payment rate will be reduced from 60 to 55 years.
• The workforce participation incentive measures to support pensioners who want to work without impacting their pension payments will be extended for another 6 months to 31 December 2023.
• Eligibility for Parenting Payment (Single) will be extended to support single principal carers with a youngest child under 14 years of age.
• The maximum rates of the Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) allowances will be increased by 15% to help address rental affordability challenges for CRA recipients.
• CPI indexed Medicare levy low-income threshold amounts for singles, families, and seniors and pensioners for the 2022–23 year announced.
• Eligible lump sum payments in arrears will be exempt from the Medicare levy from 1 July 2024.

Multinationals

• Australia will implement key aspects of the Pillar Two solution of the OECD/G20 BEPS Project, meaning certain large multinationals will be subject to a 15% minimum tax in the jurisdictions in which they operate.
• The scope of the general anti-avoidance rules in Part IVA of ITAA 1936 will be expanded from 1 July 2024.
• Changes will be made to petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT), including the introduction of a cap on deductible expenditure at 90% of assessable income for projects that produce liquefied natural gas from 1 July 2023.

Superannuation

• Superannuation earnings tax concessions will be reduced for individuals with total superannuation balances in excess of $3 million from 1 July 2025.
• Employers will be required to pay their employees’ superannuation guarantee entitlements at the same time as they pay their salary and wages from 1 July 2026.
• The non-arm’s length income (NALI) provisions will be amended to provide greater certainty to taxpayers.

Tax Administration

• Funding will be provided to the ATO over 4 years to lower the tax-related administrative burden for small and medium businesses, cut paperwork and reduce time small businesses spend doing taxes.
• Reduction in GDP adjustment factor for pay as you go and GST instalments.
• Additional funding will be provided to address the growth of businesses’ tax and superannuation liabilities, and a temporary lodgement penalty amnesty program will be provided to small businesses.

GST and other Indirect Taxes

• Funding for GST compliance will be extended for a further 4 years to address emerging risks to GST revenue.
• Tobacco excise and excise-equivalent customs duty will be increased by 5% per year for 3 years from 1 September 2023, in addition to ordinary indexation.

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Source: Hall Chadwick