The Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets commenced on 1 July 2023: are you across your new reporting obligations?

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The Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets records certain actions relating to interests in land, water, entities, businesses and other assets in Australia from 1 July 2023. Practical Law has published a new checklist to ensure that foreign investors are across their...

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Artificial intelligence (AI)

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Practical Law Commercial have released a brand new resource, Practical note, Artificial intelligence and copyright. AI has become an increasingly widespread and indispensable technology used in businesses, industry and homes.

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Updates to The Laws of Australia

Content updates

The following Subtitles are now updated and available on Westlaw: 



Civil Procedure 5.3 “Discovery and Interrogatories”; Civil Procedure 5.8 “Equity Proceedings”; Criminal Law Principles 9.4 “Extradition and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters”; Criminal Procedure 11.3 “Bail”...

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How do I recover lost or forgotten client record passwords?

If you have lost or forgotten a client record password, please contact support for assistance.

How do I lodge the Work-Related Expenses Schedule?

To lodge the Work Related Expenses Schedule (D1 to D5), click on the ‘Other’ tab and then mark the 'Lodge Work-Related Expenses Schedule' checkbox.

Please note, the ATO has restricted the maximum character length of the schedule to 30 characters, starting from 2019 tax return.

How do I create a BAS/IAS form for other periods/ annual GST/ monthly period?

After a certain period, you will not be able to lodge BAS forms for a previous year using that year’s module (i.e. GA, GB, GI and GR forms). To lodge a previous year’s BAS form, create the form in a year that has PLS Activity Statement menu.

  1. Change the year period in the top right-hand corner of Assistant. Starting from 2014 and onwards will have the PLS Activity Statement.
  2. Select the client.
  3. Click on the down arrow next to the 'New' button and select 'PLS Activity Statement' and then the Activity Statement form required. 
  4. Enter the reporting period (located on the top right-hand corner of the form).
  5. Enter the ABN branch number, if required
  6. Go to 'Tools > Load values from PLS'. This will force the software to prefill the form for the reporting period.

Please note, the ATO has removed 1H from the electronic BAS form. They have advised tax agents will need to lodge the form on the tax agent portal to report for the GST instalments

How do I create a BAS form or an IAS form for a client?

You must have a client record present before you can create an Activity Statement or other forms for the client.

  1. Click on the down arrow next to the 'New' button.
  2. Select 'PLS Activity Statement'
  3. Select the desired form.

Error: 'Index is out of date' is shown when trying to open a return or ledger

If this occurs when you are trying to open Ledger:

  1. Close the Ledger.
  2. Select 'Tools > Repair ledger files'.
  3. Try to re-open the Ledger.

If this occurs when you are trying to open a tax form:

  1. Close Software Assistant.
  2. Open 'Verify and backup data' via the Windows Start Menu
  3. Tick only the first three boxes.
  4. Click 'Proceed'.
  5. Re-open Software Assistant.

Error: ‘The client with the same TFN has been detected’ is shown when signing returns for lodgment

There are two or more records created with the same client’s TFN. The records have to be merged or deleted.

To delete a redundant client record:

  1. Untick the 'Active' checkbox on left-hand-side navigator.
  2. Click on TFN column header to sort clients by TFN.
  3. Locate client by TFN and find below another client record with the same TFN.
  4. Delete the redundant client by selecting the client record and then selecting 'File | Delete client'.

To merge client records A and B:

  1. Export client A record to the file by right-clicking on the client’s record and selecting 'Export client to file (with docs)' menu.
  2. Delete client A's record by selecting 'File | Delete client'.
  3. Right-click on client B's record and select 'Change client code to…'
  4. Change client B's code to client A's code.
  5. Import client A from the export file by selecting 'File | Import data | Import exported clients'.
  6. Mark the records you wish to import (merge) in to client A (ex B).
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