There is a prevailing belief that the 2025-2026 Federal Budget was a non-event for the majority of us in the Australian tech sector. But besides being a missed opportunity to move the dial for Australian founders, are there any risks to watch out for in the Budget? Well yes, actually. In our view, one particular… Read more »
Tuesday’s budget is a cautious and responsible response to the cost-of-living pressures facing voters. As noted ahead of budget night, many of the major spending initiatives had already been announced. But, in the only major surprise, there are income tax cuts for all income taxpayers. Even if we need to be patient. The new tax… Read more »
Some of America’s most profitable tech companies have seized on their chance to join US president Donald Trump’s global trade war arguing that laws and taxes in other nations are costing them money. Industry lobby group the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google and Elon Musk’s X, among others,… Read more »
For founders, the day that someone comes to buy their startup can be bittersweet. Whilst many startups and scaleups forge their own independent path by continuing to grow their market share, for others, a successful exit will be a huge validation of what the whole team has built over the years. Given the hard work… Read more »
The Greens party, which received one in every eight primary votes (12.25%) at the last federal election, want a slice of the fortunes of Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, proposing a “big tech tax” as Australia gears up to head to the polls in the coming months. Greens communications spokesperson senator Sarah Hanson-Young… Read more »
Accounting tricks are helping Big Tech firms avoid paying tax on up to 96.6% of their Australian income, according to a new analysis of Australian Taxation Office (ATO) figures that showed Apple was the worst offender when it came to corporate tax minimisation. The tech giant took $9.3 billion from Australian customers during the 2021-22… Read more »
(Note: the following are general observations only and do not constitute tax advice) News this week of Macquarie Bank writing off its $46 million investment into software company Plutora has once again brought to light the devastating impact that denied R&D tax incentive claims can have on a startup. Whilst the exact circumstances of Plutora’s… Read more »
Advocates believe a perfect storm of competition concerns, new fuel efficiency standards and the axing of archaic parallel-import restrictions could provide “achievable change” that boosts the supply of electric vehicles (EVs) and slashes their prices by around $9,000. That’s the amount Australians are overpaying for EVs, former ACCC chair Allan Fels concluded in a recent analysis of price… Read more »
Victoria’s electric vehicle road use tax is dead, killed off by a legal challenge to the High Court of Australia. A majority 4-3 decision by the full bench of the High Court ruled the law was unconstitutional in a decision that could hit state-based consumption taxes more broadly. The High Court ruled that Victoria’s EV… Read more »
As Victorian premier Daniel Andrews heads to the exit door this afternoon after nine years, one mess his successor will need to clean up is the government’s road-user charge for electric and hybrid vehicles, which has been branded unreasonable by state’s Ombudsman Deborah Glass. The government introduced the Zero and Low Emission Vehicles (ZLEV) Act… Read more »
For founders, the day that someone comes to buy their startup can be bittersweet. Whilst many startups and scaleups forge their own independent path by continuing to grow their market share, for others, a successful exit will be a huge validation of what the whole team has built over the years. Given the hard work… Read more »
With the acceleration of blockchain, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have gained significant popularity over the last few years. Like other novel technology, NFTs present their own set of tax issues and complexities to navigate. This article is intended to provide a high-level overview of some of the tax considerations to be aware of when transacting with… Read more »
If you’ve just lodged your FY2019 tax return and left off income from renting out a room for a few nights on Airbnb, you’d better let the Australian Tax Office (ATO) you need to make some amendments quickly. The global online accommodation site has given the ATO the rental income data – and much more… Read more »
The Queensland government has startup grants worth up to $200,000 up for grabs 
Eye Thy with my AI: Australian Radio Network digitises diversity with an artificially generated Asian female presenter 
Square Peg-backed cleaning products startup Zero Co is shutting down 
12 startup festivals and events you need to know about this year 
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