Key Changes- 2025/26

Key Changes for Individuals

Resident tax rates 2025–26

Taxable income Tax on this income
0 – $18,200 Nil
$18,201 – $45,000 16c for each $1 over $18,200
$45,001 – $135,000 $4,288 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000
$135,001 – $190,000 $31,288 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000
$190,001 and over $51,638 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000

The above rates do not include the Medicare levy of 2%.

 

Cents per kilometre rate change

From 1 July 2025, the cents per kilometre rate is 88c for work-related car expenses.

A new guideline is available to help clients to work out the cost of electricity when charging an electric vehicle (EV) from home. Clients can use the EV home charging rate of 4.2c per kilometre.

 

Medicare levy surcharge thresholds

From 1 July 2025 the Medicare Levy Surcharge thresholds have increased.

Medicare levy surcharge thresholds
Threshold          Base tier          Tier 1          Tier 2         Tier 3
Single threshold

  $101,000 or less

      $101,001-$118,000

       $118,001-$158,000

        $158,001 or more

Family threshold

  $202,000 or less

      $202,001-$236,000

       $236,001-$316,000

        $316,001 or more

Medicare levy surcharge

            0%

                      1%

                   1.25%

                  1.5%

The family income threshold is increased by $1,500 for each MLS dependent child after the first child.

 

Interest on ATO Tax Debt No Longer Tax-Deductible

From 1 July 2025, interest charged by the ATO on unpaid tax (including General Interest Charge (GIC) and Shortfall Interest Charge (SIC)) is no longer deductible for all taxpayers. This increases the real cost of carrying tax debt and makes timely lodgement and payment even more important.

 

Superannuation and Payroll Changes

The superannuation guarantee contribution rate increases to 12 % from 1 July 2025, impacting employer obligations.

Future changes related to PayDay Super (to start July 2026) will modernise super reporting and payments for employers, aiming to align super contributions with employee pay cycles.

 

GST and Reporting Requirements

Monthly GST Reporting:
Certain small businesses with a history of non-compliance may be moved from quarterly to monthly GST reporting from 1 April 2025 to improve compliance outcomes.

Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) digital requirement:
From 2025–26, TPARs must be lodged through a supported digital channel rather than paper.

 

Superannuation Transfer Balance Cap Increase

From 1 July 2025, the general transfer balance cap increases from $1.9 million to $2 million (indexation), allowing greater concession space for clients in retirement phase strategies.

 

Expanded ATO Compliance and Funding

The Federal Government has allocated nearly $1 billion in additional funding to expand ATO compliance programs from 1 July 2025, targeting:

  • Tax Avoidance Taskforce

  • Shadow Economy Compliance

  • Personal Income Tax Compliance

  • Tax Integrity Programs

These initiatives will heighten scrutiny around tax avoidance, under-reporting, and compliance across business sizes.

Foreign Resident Withholding and Data-Matching

From 1 January 2025 the foreign resident capital gains withholding (FRCGW) rate increased to 15% and the threshold was removed. It applies to all individual and non-individual vendors (property sellers) selling or disposing of certain taxable real property.

Australian residents selling property need a clearance certificate to avoid having an amount withheld from the sale price.

Types of property include:

  • your home
  • vacant land, buildings, residential and commercial property
  • mining, quarrying or prospecting rights where they are situated in Australia
  • a lease over real property in Australia
  • indirect Australian real property (IARP) interests, where the holder has a right to occupy land or buildings on land.

The 15% withholding rate applies to the market value of all property contracts signed on or after 1 January 2025, unless the vendor (property seller):

  • is an Australian resident for tax purposes and provides their clearance certificate to the purchaser
  • is a foreign resident who is eligible to reduce the amount withheld by supplying the purchaser with a variation notice.

If you are an Australian resident and you didn’t obtain a clearance certificate, you can claim the amount that was withheld in your tax return.

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