YBM

📌 Trust tax changes: some welcome relief, but planning is still essential

The Federal Government has announced further changes to its proposed 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts, following concerns raised by small business and industry groups.

Under the revised proposal, discretionary trusts that exist at 1 July 2028 will be able to elect to make fixed percentage distributions to pre-nominated beneficiaries. Trusts using this option can avoid the new minimum tax without having to restructure.

There are some important limitations. Once nominated, beneficiaries generally can't be changed except in limited circumstances, such as death or family breakdown. Breaching the election could also have significant tax consequences.

The Government has also confirmed further exemptions, including: ✔️ Discretionary testamentary trusts
✔️ Distributions to registered charities and deductible gift recipients
✔️ Certain distributions to other tax-exempt organisations, including sporting clubs, subject to a cap still to be determined

For businesses where restructuring remains the better option, state stamp duty costs remain a concern despite proposed Commonwealth CGT and income tax rollover relief.
The legislation is still in draft form, with consultation open until 18 September 2026, so further changes remain possible.

⛽ Are you claiming all the fuel tax credits your business is entitled to?

If your business uses fuel for vehicles, machinery, farming, construction, transport or other eligible activities, fuel tax credits could help offset some of those costs.

In our latest blog, YBM's Emma Greenhill explains who may be eligible, how fuel tax credits work, what records you need and how to claim them through your BAS.

➡️ Read Emma's guide to Fuel Tax Credits:
What Are Fuel Tax Credits and How Do You Claim Them?
Link in the comments

From 1 October 2026, businesses will no longer be able to add a surcharge to Visa, Mastercard or eftpos transactions. But there's an important catch for business owners: the cost of accepting card payments isn't disappearing.

If you currently pass merchant fees on to customers, it's time to start thinking about what you'll do instead.

💳 Absorb the fees and accept a hit to your margin?
💰 Adjust your pricing to recover the cost?
🏦 Review your payment provider and merchant fees?
💵 Encourage other payment methods?
🚫 Or stop accepting credit cards altogether?

Some Australian businesses are already choosing to remove card payment options ahead of the changes.

There isn't one answer that will suit every business. What's important is understanding how much card processing is actually costing you and planning now, rather than waiting until October.

If you earn income as a contractor, don't assume the ATO only knows about the income you declare.

Each year, businesses in industries including building and construction, cleaning, courier and road freight, IT and security services report contractor payments through their Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR).

This year, around $21 billion in TPAR data is expected to flow into the tax records of approximately 700,000 sole traders and individuals in business. The ATO expects more than $1 billion in contractor payments could go undeclared.

Our tax tip? Make sure your records tell the same story.

✅ Declare all contractor income - not just what's pre-filled
✅ Keep accurate records and reconcile payments received
✅ Don't assume cash jobs or other income is excluded
✅ Check your information carefully before lodging

Much of the TPAR information isn't available until after the 28 August reporting deadline, so lodging too early can mean important information hasn't appeared yet.

If you're unsure whether all your business income has been correctly accounted for, talk to the YBM team before lodging.

Two categories. One very proud YBM team!

We’re excited to share that YBM has been named a finalist in two categories at the 2026 Business Orange Awards:

🏆 Excellence in Medium Business
🏆 Employer of Choice (21 Employees & Over)

Being recognised for the strength of our business is something we’re incredibly proud of – but being recognised again as an Employer of Choice makes this one particularly special.

Our people are at the heart of YBM. We’ve worked hard to create a workplace where our team can grow, develop their careers, support each other and enjoy being part of what we’re building together.

To be recognised for both the business we’ve built and the workplace behind it is a great honour.

A huge thank you to our entire YBM team - these finalist spots belong to all of you. 💙

Now we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for awards night! 🤞

Looking for your next career move? Join an Employer of Choice.

YBM is looking for an enthusiastic, organised and proactive Administration Professional to join our team.

And just to be clear – this isn't a receptionist role.

You'll be right at the heart of our practice, working closely with our accountants and directors and helping us deliver a great experience for our business and individual clients.

Your days will be varied - from communicating with clients and progressing ATO enquiries to supporting accounting and income tax work, assisting our directors and keeping client matters moving.

We're looking for someone who:
✅ Enjoys working with people and building client relationships
✅ Is organised, curious and happy to use their initiative
✅ Can work autonomously and figure things out
✅ Is confident communicating with clients, directors and the ATO
✅ Knows Xero - or is keen to learn
✅ Wants to grow and become a valued part of the practice

We're also proud to have been named Employer of Choice (21 Employees & Over) at the Business NSW - Western NSW Business Awards, and a finalist in the Orange Business Awards, recognition of the workplace and team we've worked hard to build.

If you're looking for an admin role with variety, responsibility and room to grow, we'd love to hear from you.

➡️ Apply now and come work with Team YBM.

This September, some of the YBM team is stepping out together to support Lifeline Central West and help raise awareness of su***de prevention.

On 10 September - World Su***de Prevention Day - our team will walk 9km through Orange as part of the Out of the Shadows Walk.

We’ll be raising funds to support Lifeline Central West and the important work they do in our community.

💙 If you’d like to support Team YBM, you can donate via our fundraising page. Link in the comments.
***dePreventionDay

ASIC has launched a toolkit to help small business directors understand their responsibilities.

Being a company director involves more than running the day-to-day business – it comes with legal responsibilities and ongoing obligations.

ASIC's Small Business Director Essentials is a practical online resource designed to help small business directors understand what's expected of them at each stage of running a company.

It includes guidance on:
✅ Becoming a company director
✅ Understanding and managing your director obligations
✅ What to do if your company experiences financial difficulty
✅ Planning, setting up, running and closing a company
✅ Free online learning modules for directors

It’s a useful resource whether you're a new director or have been running a company for years - particularly as your responsibilities can change as your business evolves.

If you're looking beyond compliance to the bigger picture, YBM's Board of Advice service can help you strengthen decision-making, stay accountable and keep your business strategy moving forward. Talk to our team to find out more.

➡️Explore ASIC's Small Business Director Essentials through the link in the comments.