Legal Insights
New regulations for Boarding School Accommodation
From 28 June 2021, school boarding premises will need to be registered with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), and meet certain minimum standards.
All DGRs to be registered charities
The Commonwealth Treasury has released exposure draft legislation amending the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) (ITAA).
Defective clause in trust deed triggers duty surcharge
State and federal tax provisions often result in different tax outcomes for trustees depending on what type of trust is involved.
Harwood Andrews recognised in Doyles Guide as a Leading Family & Divorce Law Firm & Lawyers in Regional Victoria, 2021
We are very proud to have been recognised as leading Family & Divorce law practice and two of our Lawyers Lisa Hunt, Principal (Preeminent) and Linton Drever, Counsel (Recommended).
Changes to Land transfer (Stamp) duty in Victoria from 25 November 2020
The Victorian State Budget for the 2020-21 year has a focus on “people” and economic stimulus in order to assist the economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
The budget focused on promoting investment into housing and planning, rebuilding the state and its economy.
Government Introduces New DGR Category for Community Sheds
Following a previous announcement in the 2019-20 Budget, the Federal Government has recently introduced a new category of deductible gift recipient (DGR) to enable community sheds (such as Men’s Sheds and Women’s Sheds) to access the DGR concession.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place – Tech company CEO slammed for standing with the bullies
The Federal Court has awarded a payout of more than $5.2 million to a sacked senior manager of a publicly listed tech company, including a penalty of $7,000 payable personally by the company’s CEO.
ASIC commences landmark proceedings against RI Advice Group Pty Ltd for inadequate cyber security
Following multiple cyber-attacks to financial service adviser RI Advice Group Pty Ltd (RI), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission commenced proceedings against RI alleging contravention of its obligations under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act) for failure to have adequate cyber security systems as an Australian Financial Services licence holder.
Massaging the books leads to penalty for accounting firm
The Federal Circuit Court has ordered a small Ballarat massage parlour, its accountant and officers of the employing company to pay penalties totalling $19,100 for contraventions of the Fair Work Act 2009 and Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2010 over a 7 month period ending in July 2017.
Succession Planning for the family farm webinar
Succession planning in relation to the family farm can be a difficult exercise. Comprehensive planning and the careful structuring of ownership can alleviate many problems that might otherwise arise.
Introducing Bruce Law
Harwood Andrews is pleased to announce the transition of its Albury practice to Bruce Law on 30 September 2020.
Charity & Not-for-Profit Webinar
Harwood Andrews was very pleased to host the Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC), The Hon Dr. Gary Johns as our keynote speaker for our Charity & Not-for-Profit event, this year held as a live webinar.
High Court decides the meaning of “day” for personal/carer’s leave
In a significant victory for Australian employers, Cadbury manufacturer Mondelez Australia Pty Ltd and Federal IR Minister Christian Porter have won their High Court challenge to previous rulings about the meaning of the word “day” in the context of the Fair Work Act entitlement to personal/carer’s leave.
What is a false and misleading claim? ACCC’s appeal on “flushable” wipes
The case of ACCC v Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd [2020] FCAFC 107 (ACCC v Kimberly-Clark) is a reminder that companies must be aware of their obligations under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) when making claims about their products.
Sony ordered to pay $3.5 million for misrepresenting consumer rights
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has continued its rampage on the online marketplace industry in ACCC v Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe Ltd [2020] FCA 787, as it continues to vigilantly protect Australian consumers that purchase items online.
Permanent Director Identification Numbers
For some time, the Government has been concerned about Australia’s inability to deal with phoenix activity, which creates an unfair advantage for companies which engage in wrongful activity and costs the economy billions of dollars each year.
COVID-19 Company Admin Update
Further to our article here where we wrote about the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) guidance regarding annual general meetings and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasurer has released the Corporations (Coronavirus Economic Response) Determination (No 1) 2020 (Cth) (Determination), which commences on 6 May 2020 and will be automatically repealed on 5 September 2020.
ASIC v King – Are you an “officer” of a company?
In this case, the High Court reiterated that a person can be deemed to be an “officer” of a company even if that person does not hold a position as a named ‘Director’ or ‘Secretary’.
COVID-19 charity support
On 6 May 2020, the government announced here that they will incentivise charities to provide increased support in response to the COVID-19 situation, after studies revealed that the effects of COVID-19 had already seen a decrease in charitable giving, which was only likely to further decrease in 2021.