S2E16: ATO's War on Family Trusts & The $1 Trillion Tax Grab | The AI Real Estate Investment for 2026
Fri Nov 28 2025
In the final Wealth, Wine & Wisdom episode of 2025, Andy and Jason debrief the year's most outrageous financial events, starting with the ATO's latest move to aggressively redefine income splitting for family trusts and the bombshell news that Australian governments have collected a record trillion dollars in taxes.
They dive into the property market's two conflicting stories: record-breaking sales in Brisbane and the return of luxury real estate versus APRA's new, controversial Debt-to-Income (DTI) limits aimed at restricting investor lending. They also expose the ongoing "Build-to-Rent" scandal, where billions in Australian real estate have been sold to foreign corporations, and the hosts lay out a powerful new investment thesis for 2026: strategically acquiring "picks and shovels" real estate that will be necessary for the coming AI infrastructure revolution.
Episode Highlights
Record Tax Take: Australia's three levels of government collected a "record trillion" dollars in taxes.
The ATO vs. Family Trusts: The hosts blast the ATO for trying to force family trusts to "confess their past errors" and for adjusting their interpretation of income splitting, an attack that could force business owners to pay tax on all business profit under "Personal Services Income" rules.
Tax-Free $16 Million Gain: Discussion on a $25 million record sale in Brisbane where the sellers, if it was their principal place of residence, could have made a tax-free gain of $16 million in just three years.
Overseas Money Continues to Flow: Highlight of a mother who bought an $8 million Sydney house for her daughter who is studying from overseas.
APRA's Investor Crackdown: Criticism of the banking regulator (APRA) for introducing the first-ever Debt-to-Income (DTI) limits on home loans for investors, arguing it is a "socialist policy" that will only worsen the housing supply issue.
Banks Ignore Regulator: Banks are forecast to increase home lending in 2026, effectively ignoring APRA's new limits.
Build-to-Rent Scandal: Exposure of the "Build-to-Rent" scheme, which gives tax breaks to offshore corporations, resulting in $30+ billion of Australian real estate being sold to foreign-owned entities.
The AI Revolution is Not a Bubble: The AI revolution is here to stay and will be more aggressive than the agricultural and industrial revolutions combined. The hosts note that Vietnam is teaching all primary school children to use AI tools from year one, highlighting Australia's "archaic attitude".
Investment Theme for 2026: A new forward-thinking investment thesis that involves acquiring real estate near pre-existing power transmission cables or data lines, which will become valuable "picks and shovels" for the massive infrastructure spend required by AI.
Property Market Opportunity: Melbourne is highlighted as a potentially undervalued market, with comparable property lagging in price by as much as $500,000 against other major cities, making it an opportunity based on fundamental supply, population, and geography.
Holiday Message: A final plea to "switch off the news" and "switch off the social media" over the break and be present with people you like.
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In the final Wealth, Wine & Wisdom episode of 2025, Andy and Jason debrief the year's most outrageous financial events, starting with the ATO's latest move to aggressively redefine income splitting for family trusts and the bombshell news that Australian governments have collected a record trillion dollars in taxes. They dive into the property market's two conflicting stories: record-breaking sales in Brisbane and the return of luxury real estate versus APRA's new, controversial Debt-to-Income (DTI) limits aimed at restricting investor lending. They also expose the ongoing "Build-to-Rent" scandal, where billions in Australian real estate have been sold to foreign corporations, and the hosts lay out a powerful new investment thesis for 2026: strategically acquiring "picks and shovels" real estate that will be necessary for the coming AI infrastructure revolution. Episode Highlights Record Tax Take: Australia's three levels of government collected a "record trillion" dollars in taxes. The ATO vs. Family Trusts: The hosts blast the ATO for trying to force family trusts to "confess their past errors" and for adjusting their interpretation of income splitting, an attack that could force business owners to pay tax on all business profit under "Personal Services Income" rules. Tax-Free $16 Million Gain: Discussion on a $25 million record sale in Brisbane where the sellers, if it was their principal place of residence, could have made a tax-free gain of $16 million in just three years. Overseas Money Continues to Flow: Highlight of a mother who bought an $8 million Sydney house for her daughter who is studying from overseas. APRA's Investor Crackdown: Criticism of the banking regulator (APRA) for introducing the first-ever Debt-to-Income (DTI) limits on home loans for investors, arguing it is a "socialist policy" that will only worsen the housing supply issue. Banks Ignore Regulator: Banks are forecast to increase home lending in 2026, effectively ignoring APRA's new limits. Build-to-Rent Scandal: Exposure of the "Build-to-Rent" scheme, which gives tax breaks to offshore corporations, resulting in $30+ billion of Australian real estate being sold to foreign-owned entities. The AI Revolution is Not a Bubble: The AI revolution is here to stay and will be more aggressive than the agricultural and industrial revolutions combined. The hosts note that Vietnam is teaching all primary school children to use AI tools from year one, highlighting Australia's "archaic attitude". Investment Theme for 2026: A new forward-thinking investment thesis that involves acquiring real estate near pre-existing power transmission cables or data lines, which will become valuable "picks and shovels" for the massive infrastructure spend required by AI. Property Market Opportunity: Melbourne is highlighted as a potentially undervalued market, with comparable property lagging in price by as much as $500,000 against other major cities, making it an opportunity based on fundamental supply, population, and geography. Holiday Message: A final plea to "switch off the news" and "switch off the social media" over the break and be present with people you like.