Yesterday
The ‘massive’ tax exposure your family trust may be missing
Thousands of trusts are headed for a ‘vesting cliff’ that could trigger automatic asset liquidations and large – potentially unanticipated – tax bills
This Month
As the price of lithium tripled, so did this billionaire’s wealth
Mining entrepreneur Nick Wakim has seen his wealth rise to $3 billion in the past year, as he bets big on a lithium project in California.
ATO warns family trusts its amnesty on back taxes won’t last
The discounts on the interest charged for making an incorrect family trust election fall off sharply the longer a trust delays coming forward.
Someone else just wrote Jim Chalmers’ big tax reform plan
Allegra Spender lobbed a $29 billion grenade into the tax debate, arguing Australia is becoming a place where your “parents’ balance sheet matters more than your own ambition”.
Wealth doesn’t protect elderly Australians. It makes them vulnerable
The very qualities that built a fortune – strength, acumen and an iron will – can leave wealthy older Australians dangerously exposed in their later years.
NSW to crack down on trusts minimising tax
Self-reporting allows some trusts to dodge land tax, but NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos says they’re in Revenue NSW’s sights.
Secret Treasury tax report targets trusts
Tightening the tax rules on annual trust distributions could deliver immediate revenue to the government of more than $3 billion a year.
Why $1m is all you need to use this strategy of the uber-wealthy
How to use a testamentary trust to pay less tax, keep assets in the immediate family and ensure the black sheep doesn’t squander it all.
February
This may be how the era of 10-plus property portfolios ends
The “infinite borrowing” hack is hitting a regulatory wall as APRA moves to flush out housing-market vulnerabilities, leaving aggressive investors exposed.
January
How Aussie MPs use private funds to mask millions
Simon Kennedy, David Pocock and Helen Haines are among 22 politicians who disclosed stakes in stocks, super and private companies, in response to AFR Weekend questions.
November 2025
Worried by the ATO’s new trust crackdown? Here’s what you can do
Despite the practice being banned 25 years ago, the Australian Taxation Office says people are misusing the personal services income rules to avoid tax.
ATO targets high earners over use of trusts to evade tax
The ATO has spelled out exactly what it will allow as it launches a compliance campaign targeting white-collar professionals and tradies who use family trusts and other entities to aggressively reduce tax.
ATO warns family trusts to confess to past errors
Families with trusts have a year to declare errors dating back to last century if they want to avoid big interest bills. Tax experts say the ATO is at fault.
The $100m tax trap that could force family businesses into bankruptcy
Family trust compliance has become forensic genealogy, as tax laws threaten to destroy family wealth and small business viability in one fell swoop.
October 2025
Rich Lister’s multimillion-dollar family trust mistake hits court
A simple name error cost this Rich List family $13 million in family trust tax. The court action to fix it could have implications for other family trusts.
How a mistake led to one family’s $13m trust tax bill
A Rich Lister’s multi-million-dollar family trust tax court battle is symptomatic of a wider problem.
Super, trust or company: where to keep your wealth now?
With the impending increase in tax for high-balance super accounts, we consider the pros and cons of different vehicles for holding wealth.
Australia’s ‘most watched’ trust tax case reaches crucial stage
The Melbourne accountant – who is embroiled in a seven-year battle over tax avoidance – had his day in the nation’s highest court.
ATO to crack down on professionals splitting income in family trusts
The Tax Office believes a growing number of lawyers, doctors and accountants may be using trusts in breach of anti-avoidance rules.
September 2025
Former Optus CEO lands top role at Australian Unity
Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigned as Optus chief executive in 2023 after the telco was hit by a cyberattack and a nationwide outage.
