Tax and accounting

GST, deductions and the accounting rules that shape how finance shows up in the books.

18 terms in this topic

Asset register

An asset register is a structured record of the tangible and intangible assets a business owns, controls or leases, tracking each item's location, value, depreciation and disposal in one place.

Read definition

Balance sheet

A balance sheet is a financial statement that shows a business's financial position at a specific date: what it owns (assets), what it owes (liabilities) and the owners' equity.

Read definition

Capital allowances

Capital allowances are the tax deductions you can claim for the decline in value of depreciating assets, such as plant and equipment, that you hold to produce assessable income.

Read definition

Capital gains tax (CGT)

Capital gains tax (CGT) is the income tax you pay on the net profit from selling or disposing of an asset, added to your income rather than charged separately.

Read definition

Depreciation

Depreciation is the fall in an asset's value over time, spread across the years the asset is used so the cost can be claimed as a tax deduction.

Read definition

Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT)

Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) is a business's operating profit before financing costs and tax, showing what core operations earn regardless of debt levels or tax rates.

Read definition

Fixed assets

Fixed assets are the long-term assets a business holds to use in its operations rather than to sell, providing economic benefits for more than one accounting period.

Read definition

Fringe benefits tax (FBT)

Fringe benefits tax (FBT) is a tax employers pay on non-cash benefits given to employees, such as a work car available for private use.

Read definition

Goods and services tax (GST)

Goods and services tax (GST) is a broad-based 10% tax on most goods and services sold in Australia, which registered businesses collect on sales and pay to the ATO.

Read definition

Government grants

Government grants are non-repayable payments from federal, state or local government to eligible businesses, not-for-profits or individuals to fund defined projects or outcomes under set program conditions.

Read definition

Input tax credit

An input tax credit is the GST a registered business can claim back on the price of goods and services it buys for business use.

Read definition

Instant asset write-off

The instant asset write-off is a tax concession that lets eligible businesses deduct the full cost of a depreciating asset in the year of first use, up to a threshold.

Read definition

Off-balance-sheet (OBS)

Off-balance-sheet (OBS) describes assets, liabilities or obligations a business is exposed to but does not record on its balance sheet, such as guarantees and some leases.

Read definition

R&D tax incentive

The R&D tax incentive is a tax offset program, administered by AusIndustry and the ATO, that reduces the net cost of eligible experimental research and development for companies.

Read definition

Salary sacrifice

Salary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to receive less salary in return for benefits paid from pre-tax pay, such as extra super or a novated lease.

Read definition

Tax invoice

A tax invoice is a document issued for a taxable sale, normally by the GST-registered seller, recording the sale and the GST payable so the buyer can claim a credit.

Read definition

Tax-based leasing

Tax-based leasing is an asset finance structure arranged so the lessor keeps tax ownership and claims depreciation, while the lessee uses the asset and deducts lease payments.

Read definition

Temporary full expensing

Temporary full expensing is a time-limited tax concession that let eligible businesses deduct a qualifying asset's full cost in its first year of use instead of over its effective life.

Read definition

Talk to us about tax-effective equipment finance

Compare finance options from 50+ lenders. Subject to lender approval, terms and conditions apply.

Get started