Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Global: The MMR vaccine doesn’t contain ‘aborted fetus debris’, as RFK Jr has claimed. Here’s the science

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the United States’ top public health official, recently claimed some religious groups avoid the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine because it contains “aborted fetus debris” and “DNA particles”.

    The US is facing its worst measles outbreaks in years with nearly 900 cases across the country and active outbreaks in several states.

    At the same time, Kennedy, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, continues to erode trust in vaccines.

    So what can we make of his latest claims?

    There’s no fetal debris in the MMR vaccine

    Kennedy said “aborted fetus debris” in MMR vaccines is the reason many religious people refuse vaccination. He referred specifically to the Mennonites in Texas, a deeply religious community, who have been among the hardest hit by the current measles outbreaks.

    Many vaccines work by using a small amount of an attenuated (weakened) form of a virus, or in the case of the MMR vaccine, attenuated forms of the viruses that cause measles, mumps and rubella. This gives the immune system a safe opportunity to learn how to recognise and respond to these viruses.

    As a result, if a person is later exposed to the actual infection, their immune system can react swiftly and effectively, preventing serious illness.

    Kennedy’s claim about fetal debris specifically refers to the rubella component of the MMR vaccine. The rubella virus is generally grown in a human cell line known as WI-38, which was originally derived from lung tissue of a single elective abortion in the 1960s. This cell line has been used for decades, and no new fetal tissue has been used since.

    Certain vaccines for other diseases, such as chickenpox, hepatitis A and rabies, have also been made by growing the viruses in fetal cells.

    These cells are used not because of their origin, but because they provide a stable, safe and reliable environment for growing the attenuated virus. They serve only as a growth medium for the virus and they are not part of the final product.

    You might think of the cells as virus-producing factories. Once the virus is grown, it’s extracted and purified as part of a rigorous process to meet strict safety and quality standards. What remains in the final vaccine is the virus itself and stabilising agents, but not human cells, nor fetal tissue.

    So claims about “fetal debris” in the vaccine are false.

    It’s also worth noting the world’s major religions permit the use of vaccines developed from cells originally derived from fetal tissue when there are no alternative products available.

    Are there fragments of DNA in the MMR vaccine?

    Kennedy claimed the Mennonites’ reluctance to vaccinate stems from “religious objections” to what he described as “a lot of aborted fetus debris and DNA particles” in the MMR vaccine.

    The latter claim, about the vaccine containing DNA particles, is technically true. Trace amounts of DNA fragments from the human cell lines used to produce the rubella component of the MMR vaccine may remain even after purification.

    However, with this claim, there’s an implication these fragments pose a health risk. This is false.

    Any DNA that may be present in this vaccine exists in extremely small amounts, is highly fragmented and degraded, and is biologically inert – that is, it cannot cause harm.

    Even if, hypothetically, intact DNA were present in the vaccine (which it’s not), it would not have the capacity to cause harm. One common (but unfounded) concern is that foreign DNA could integrate with a person’s own DNA, and alter their genome.

    Introducing DNA into human cells in a way that leads to integration is very difficult. Even when scientists are deliberately trying to do this, for example, in gene therapy, it requires precise tools, special viral delivery systems and controlled conditions.

    It’s also important to remember our bodies are exposed to foreign DNA constantly, through food, bacteria and even our own microbiome. Our immune system routinely digests and disposes of this material without incorporating it into our genome.

    This question has been extensively studied over decades. Multiple health authorities, including Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, have addressed the misinformation regarding perceived harm from residual DNA in vaccines.

    Ultimately, the idea that fragmented DNA in a vaccine could cause genetic harm is false.

    The bottom line

    Despite what Kennedy would have you believe, there’s no fetal debris in the MMR vaccine, and the trace amounts of DNA fragments that may remain pose no health risk.

    What the evidence does show, however, is that vaccines like the MMR vaccine offer excellent protection against deadly and preventable diseases, and have saved millions of lives around the world.

    Hassan Vally does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. The MMR vaccine doesn’t contain ‘aborted fetus debris’, as RFK Jr has claimed. Here’s the science – https://theconversation.com/the-mmr-vaccine-doesnt-contain-aborted-fetus-debris-as-rfk-jr-has-claimed-heres-the-science-255718

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI: Best Online Casinos NJ (New Jersey): 7Bit Casino, Ranked as a Premier Choice Among NJ Players

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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    325% welcome bonus up to 5.25 BTC + 250 free spins  
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    12-level VIP program with 20% cashback  


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    General Disclaimer

    This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only, not legal or financial advice. Content is based on research and user reviews as of writing. No warranties are made, and users must verify information before acting.

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    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2cf9608b-01d0-40c9-a2c3-85704b318828

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: GCM Grosvenor Reports First Quarter 2025 Earnings Results, with Quarter-To-Date Fundraising Increasing 77% Year-Over-Year, Quarter-to-Date GAAP Net Income of $0.5 million, and Fee-Related Earnings and Adjusted Net Income Increasing 22% and 30%, Respectively, Year-Over-Year

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GCM Grosvenor (Nasdaq: GCMG), a global alternative asset management solutions provider, today reported its results for the first quarter 2025.

    GCM Grosvenor issued a detailed presentation of its results to the Public Shareholders section of GCM Grosvenor’s website at https://www.gcmgrosvenor.com/shareholder-events.

    GCM Grosvenor’s Board of Directors approved a $0.11 per share dividend payable on June 16, 2025 to shareholders on record June 6, 2025.

    Conference Call
    A conference call to discuss GCM Grosvenor’s financial results will be held today, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The call will be accessible via public webcast from the Public Shareholders section of GCM Grosvenor’s website at https://www.gcmgrosvenor.com/shareholder-events, and a replay of the live broadcast will be available on the website soon after the call’s completion.

    The call can also be accessed by dialing (888) 394-8218 (toll-free) or (646) 828-8193 and using the passcode 6031367.

    About GCM Grosvenor
    GCM Grosvenor (Nasdaq: GCMG) is a global alternative asset management solutions provider with approximately $82 billion in assets under management across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and absolute return investment strategies. The firm has specialized in alternatives for more than 50 years and is dedicated to delivering value for clients by leveraging its cross-asset class and flexible investment platform.

    GCM Grosvenor’s experienced team of approximately 550 professionals serves a global client base of institutional and individual investors. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney. For more information, visit: gcmgrosvenor.com.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    Included in the results above, we report certain financial measures that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. Management uses these non-GAAP measures to assess the performance of our business across reporting periods and believes this information is useful to investors for the same reasons. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for the most directly comparable GAAP measures, which we reconcile within the detailed presentation discussed above. Further, these measures have limitations as analytical tools, and when assessing our operating performance, you should not consider these measurements in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP measures including net income (loss). We may calculate or present these non-GAAP financial measures differently than other companies who report measures with the same or similar names, and as a result, the non-GAAP measures we report may not be comparable.

    Share Repurchase Plan Authorization
    GCMG’s Board of Directors previously authorized a share repurchase plan, which may be used to repurchase outstanding Class A common stock and warrants in open market transactions, in privately negotiated transactions including with employees or otherwise, as well as to retire (by cash settlement or the payment of tax withholding amounts upon net settlement) equity-based awards granted under the Company’s Amended and Restated 2020 Incentive Award Plan (or any successor equity plan thereto). The Company is not obligated under the terms of plan to repurchase any of its Class A common stock or warrants, and the size and timing of these repurchases will depend on legal requirements, price, market and economic conditions and other factors. The plan has no expiration date and the plan may be suspended or terminated by the Company at any time without prior notice. Any outstanding shares of Class A common stock and any warrants repurchased as part of this plan will be cancelled. As of March 31, 2025, the total share repurchase plan authorization is $190.0 million.

    Public Shareholders Contact
    Stacie Selinger
    sselinger@gcmlp.com
    312-506-6583

    Media Contact
    Tom Johnson and Abigail Ruck
    H/Advisors Abernathy
    tom.johnson@h-advisors.global / abigail.ruck@h-advisors.global
    212-371-5999

    Source: GCM Grosvenor

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Asset Entities to Merge with Strive Asset Management to Form the First Publicly Traded Asset Management Bitcoin Treasury Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The combined company will focus over time on maximizing Bitcoin exposure per share and seek to outperform Bitcoin over the long run and maximize value for common equity shareholders.

    More information provided about Strive Asset Management’s business at Strive.com.

    Strive CEO Matt Cole to present transaction and company strategy at Strategy World conference today at 2:15 pm ET (livestream).

    DALLAS, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Asset Entities Inc. (“Asset Entities” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ASST), a provider of digital marketing and content delivery services, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Strive Asset Management.

    The combined company will operate under the Strive brand, remain listed on NASDAQ, and become a public Bitcoin Treasury Company.

    Strive Asset Management intends to use all available mechanisms to build a Bitcoin war chest in a minimally dilutive manner to common shareholders and build a long-term investment approach designed to outperform Bitcoin, by using Bitcoin itself as the hurdle rate for capital deployment.

    Strive Asset Management will leverage its institutional investment expertise to implement proprietary strategies to fuel Bitcoin accumulation in accretive ways. Such strategies include the planned first-of-its-kind offer of combined company equity in exchange for Bitcoin in a manner that is intended to be tax-free to investors under Section 351 of the U.S. tax code; acquiring cash at a discount through mergers with overcapitalized companies; and unlocking additional leverage to accumulate Bitcoin, while hedging risk in novel ways using in-house fixed income and derivatives expertise.

    The reverse merger structure is expected to give the company immediate access to an effective shelf registration statement to raise primary capital from and after the closing of the transaction, which the company plans to expand to $1 billion following the closing in order to accumulate Bitcoin through both equity and debt offerings, to be used when accretive to common equity. The ability to raise capital under the effective shelf registration statement is a competitive advantage versus other newly formed Bitcoin treasury companies.

    The combined company plans to accumulate Bitcoin with a first-of-its-kind offering, allowing Bitcoin holders to contribute Bitcoin in exchange for public stock through a structure that is intended to be a tax-free Section 351 exchange — a provision of the U.S. tax code that enables appreciated assets to be contributed tax-free to a corporation in exchange for stock (subject to conditions and personal tax circumstances).

    Subject to market conditions and final structuring, it is currently expected that there will be no markup to the deal transaction price for participants in this exchange. This offer is expected to be open only to certain accredited investors prior to closing of the transaction.

    Matt Cole will lead the company as CEO and Chairman of the Board. With extensive institutional experience as a former $70 billion fixed income portfolio manager specializing in complex structured securities, Matt’s background enables SAM to innovate strategically, employing novel, accretive Bitcoin accumulation methods designed to enhance shareholder value previously unseen in Bitcoin treasury corporations.

    The SAM management team also includes Ben Pham as CFO, Arshia Sarkhani, the current CEO of Asset Entities, as CMO, and Logan Beirne as CLO. Each of these leaders will serve on SAM’s board of directors. Strive Asset Management also plans to add respected Bitcoin leaders Ben Werkman, Jeff Walton, and Avik Roy as independent board directors.

    “We are thrilled to be joining forces with Strive Asset Management to help pioneer the future of corporate Bitcoin treasury strategies,” said Arshia Sarkhani, President and CEO of Asset Entities. “Our strength in building and activating online communities across Discord and other platforms uniquely positions us to drive education, engagement, and adoption of Bitcoin-centric financial models. This merger empowers us to amplify Strive’s bold mission while delivering transformative value to shareholders.”

    Strive Asset Management built its strong brand on advocacy for capitalism, meritocracy, and innovation which reshaped corporate America. The company will always unapologetically stand for these foundational principles in its pursuit to maximize value for shareholders. Since its founding in 2022, the company has quickly amassed ~$2B assets under management, as it led efforts to roll back ESG mandates in boardrooms across America.

    Now, Strive Asset Management is applying that same winning playbook to lead a new transformation: corporate adoption of Bitcoin treasuries. SAM plans to advocate for all of the publicly traded companies in its funds to incorporate a Bitcoin treasury strategy in order to maximize long run shareholder value.

    • The combination of Strive Asset Management and Asset Entities is a strategic step to advance the foregoing strategy.

    Strive Enterprises, Inc., co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, will remain a privately held company and continue to expand its wealth management business. Before factoring in the contemplated Bitcoin-for-stock exchange and any additional financing, Strive Enterprises will own approximately 94.2 % of the public company and the legacy shareholders of Asset Entities will own the remaining 5.8%. Financings will proportionally dilute both Strive Enterprises and shareholders of Asset Entities.

    Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as legal counsel to SAM in connection with the transaction and Bevilacqua PLLC served as legal counsel to Asset Entities in connection with the transaction.

    To learn about Asset Entities, please go to www.assetentities.com. To learn about the Ternary payment platform, please go to www.ternarydev.com. To learn about Asset Entities 360 suite of discord services, go to https://www.ae360ddm.com/ and https://discord.gg/ae360ddm.

    About Asset Entities, Inc. 

    Asset Entities Inc. is a technology company providing social media marketing, management, and content delivery across Discord, TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and other social media platforms. Asset Entities is believed to be the first publicly traded Company based on the Discord platform, where it hosts some of Discord’s largest social community-based education and entertainment servers. The Company’s AE.360.DDM suite of services is believed to be the first of its kind for the Design, Development, and Management of Discord community servers. Asset Entities’ initial AE.360.DDM customers have included businesses and celebrities. The Company also has its Ternary payment platform that is a Stripe-verified partner and CRM for Discord communities. The Company’s Social Influencer Network (SiN) service offers white-label marketing, content creation, content management, TikTok promotions, and TikTok consulting to clients in all industries and markets. The Company’s SiN influencers can increase the social media reach of client Discord servers and drives traffic to their businesses. Learn more at assetentities.com, and follow the Company on X at $ASST and @assetentities.

    About Strive Enterprises

    Co-founded in 2022 by Vivek Ramaswamy, Strive Enterprises, Inc. is a financial services firm with a mission to maximize value for clients through unapologetic capitalism.

    Strive Asset Management, the asset management subsidiary, has quickly grown to manage ~$2 billion in assets, competing with the world’s largest financial institutions. Strive Enterprises, Inc. recently launched a wealth management division that will remain private. Learn more at strive.com.

    Company Contacts:

    Arshia Sarkhani, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Michael Gaubert, Executive Chairman
    Asset Entities Inc.
    Tel +1 (214) 459-3117 
    Email Contact

    Investor Contact:

    Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
    Scott Powell, President
    1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor
    New York, NY 10036
    Office: (646) 893-5835
    Email: info@skylineccg.com

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements herein and the documents incorporated herein by reference may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 175 promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 3b-6 promulgated thereunder, which statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook and expectations of Strive Enterprises, Inc. (“Strive Enterprises”) and ASST, respectively, with respect to the proposed transaction, the strategic benefits and financial benefits of the proposed transaction, including the expected impact of the proposed transaction on the combined company’s future financial performance (including anticipated accretion to earnings per share, the tangible book value earn-back period and other operating and return metrics), the timing of the closing of the proposed transaction, and the ability to successfully integrate the combined businesses. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualified words (and their derivatives) such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “potential,” “assume,” “forecast,” “target,” “budget,” “outlook,” “trend,” “guidance,” “objective,” “goal,” “strategy,” “opportunity,” and “intend,” as well as words of similar meaning or other statements concerning opinions or judgment of Strive Enterprises, ASST or their respective management about future events. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as of the time they are made and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence, which could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, among others, the following:

    • the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement between Strive Enterprises, ASST and the other parties thereto;
    • the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close when expected or at all because the conditions to closing are not received or satisfied on a timely basis or at all;
    • the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Strive Enterprises or ASST or the combined company;
    • the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including anticipated cost savings and strategic gains, are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of changes in, or problems arising from, general economic and market conditions, interest and exchange rates, monetary policy, laws and regulations and their enforcement, and the degree of competition in the geographic and business areas in which Strive Enterprises or ASST operate;
    • the possibility that the integration of the two companies may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected;
    • the possibility that the proposed transaction may be more expensive or take longer to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events;
    • the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities;
    • potential adverse reactions of Strive Enterprises’ or ASST’s customers or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction;
    • changes in ASST’s share price before closing;
    • other factors that may affect future results of Strive Enterprises, ASST or the combined company.

    These factors are not necessarily all of the factors that could cause Strive Enterprises’, ASST’s or the combined company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of the forward-looking statements. Other factors, including unknown or unpredictable factors, also could harm Strive Enterprises’, ASST’s or the combined company’s results.

    Although each of Strive Enterprises and ASST believes that its expectations with respect to forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its existing knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results of Strive Enterprises or ASST will not differ materially from any projected future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in ASST’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents subsequently filed by ASST with the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The actual results anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on Strive Enterprises, ASST or their respective businesses or operations. Investors are cautioned not to rely too heavily on any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and Strive Enterprises and ASST undertake no obligation to update or clarify these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the proposed transaction, ASST intends to file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) to register the common stock to be issued by ASST in connection with the proposed transaction and that will include a proxy statement of ASST and a prospectus of ASST (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”), and each of Strive Enterprises and ASST may file with the SEC other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. A definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be sent to the stockholders of ASST to seek their approval of the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF ASST ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT STRIVE ENTERPRISES, ASST AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS.

    A copy of the Registration Statement, Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Strive Enterprises and ASST, may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). You will also be able to obtain these documents, when they are filed, free of charge, from ASST by accessing ASST’s website at https://www.assetentities.com/. Copies of the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to ASST’s Investor Relations department at 100 Crescent Court, 7th floor, Dallas, TX 75201 or by calling (214) 459-3117 or emailing web@assetentities.com. The information on Strive Enterprises’ or ASST’s respective websites is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this communication or incorporated into other filings either company makes with the SEC.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Strive Enterprises, ASST and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of ASST in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the interests of the directors and executive officers of Strive Enterprises and ASST and other persons who may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of stockholders of ASST in connection with the proposed transaction and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus related to the proposed transaction, which will be filed with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of ASST, their ownership of ASST common stock, and ASST’s transactions with related persons is set forth in the section entitled “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance,” “Executive Officers of the Company,” “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters,” “Executive Compensation,” and “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” included in ASST’s definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on August 22, 2024.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Business – Sustainability start-ups Krosslinker and Ayrton Energy secure S$1 million each in catalytic funding at The Liveability Challenge 2025 Grand Finale

    Source: Eco-Business

    The 2025 Grand Finale witnessed another record-breaking year, attracting more than 1,200 submissions from over 100 countries competing for the top prize in two tracks: Decarbonisation and Cool Earth.

    Passive cooling using advanced aerogel technology and safe, cost-effective storage and transport to accelerate adoption of hydrogen as a clean fuel were the top winners at the Grand Finale.
    The Liveability Challenge, was presented by Temasek Foundation and organised by Eco-Business. 

    Singapore, 7 May 2025: Krosslinker and Ayrton Energy have emerged as the top winners at The Liveability Challenge (TLC) 2025 Grand Finale for their innovative solutions to drive decarbonisation and tackle climate challenges.

    The two groundbreaking projects were the standouts among eight finalists, each securing a S$1 million grant in catalytic funding to help advance and scale their solutions sustainably.

    The winner of the Cool Earth track was Singapore-based deep-tech start-up Krosslinker, which develops passive cooling technologies in the form of aerogel materials capable of reducing surface temperatures by up to 10 degrees Celsius and ambient temperatures by up to 5 degrees Celsius.

    The winner of the Decarbonisation track was Canada-based Ayrton Energy, which develops technology for safe and cost-effective hydrogen storage and transport, and addresses infrastructure challenges that currently hinder the widespread adoption of hydrogen energy.

    The two winners were selected after a competitive and rigorous judging session, where all eight finalists pitched their innovative solutions live to a judging panel at the Grand Finale, held at ParkRoyal Collection Marina Bay as part of Ecosperity Week.

    These pioneering climate solutions are integral in advancing progress towards the climate targets set under the Paris Agreement in 2015 – an urgent imperative as global temperatures reach dangerously new highs each year.  

    With rising heat, extreme weather events and ecological deterioration afflicting society and natural ecosystems, solutions must be mobilised to address these climate impacts while contributing to the global targets of reducing emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050.

    This will require coordinated efforts across society, enabling regulatory frameworks and strategic investments to enable the large-scale deployment of innovative climate technologies.

    Presented by Temasek Foundation and organised by Eco-Business, TLC was launched in 2018 as a platform to search for the most disruptive and innovative solutions that solve the pressing sustainability challenges of today.

    Today, TLC is Asia’s largest sustainability solutions platform and since its first edition, has attracted thousands of applications globally, shortlisted and incubated 53 finalists, and deployed more than S$12 million in funding to help these startups, who have gone on to raise hundreds of millions more.  

    In its eighth edition, TLC searched for solutions across two tracks: Decarbonisation and Cool Earth. The Decarbonisation track seeks disruptive deep-tech solutions that provide scalable and impactful solutions to reduce carbon emissions across diverse industries. The Cool Earth track seeks groundbreaking innovations that specifically address the challenges posed by climate-induced extreme weather conditions.

    The eight shortlisted finalist teams – Ayrton Energy, CatAmmon, Cetogenix, CO2Tech, D-CRBN, Eztia Corp, Krosslinker and SXD, Inc – represent various countries including Singapore, Australia, Belgium and the United States.

    TLC’s strategic partners this year are Enterprise Singapore, OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund, TRIREC and Valuence Ventures. Amazon Web Services was the Tech for Good partner for the event.

    “We are very happy and excited [to have secured this award], but this is just the beginning. We have a very big job to do to make sure that we develop solutions that equitably reach everybody and not just the tech-savvy community. Many thanks to Temasek Foundation for all the inspiring work that you have been doing, and to all our investors who have specially flown in for this event. To all the fellow finalists who keep inspiring us – it’s such amazing work to solve some of the most difficult challenges in this world and committing to a cause rather than building easy solutions,” said Dr Gayathri Natarajan, Co-founder and CEO of Krosslinker Private Limited.  

    “We’re really excited to be able to have this funding support and cement our position in Singapore and Southeast Asia. I’m very grateful to Temasek Foundation for believing in the tech that we’re building, and in our ability to decarbonise these hard-to-abate sectors. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my fantastic team of nerds, as I like to call them back home, as well as the support that we have from our investors both locally and internationally,” said Dr Brandy Kinkead, Chief Technology Officer of Ayrton Energy Inc.

    “At Temasek Foundation, we believe in the urgency of supporting bold and deep-tech innovative solutions that can drive real progress in decarbonising our planet, and keeping our environment cool even with rising temperatures. Our catalytic funding reflects this important commitment – helping innovators move from promising innovations to operational prototypes with potential to scale. Beyond The Liveability Challenge, Temasek Foundation is growing our network of climate tech challenges across the region into China, Indonesia and Vietnam. By doing so, we aim to accelerate innovators’ paths to commercialisation and deliver real impact for both the people and the planet. Our heartiest congratulations to Krosslinker Private Limited and Ayrton Energy Inc on this exciting milestone,” said Heng Li Lang, Head of Climate and Liveability at Temasek Foundation.  

    “TLC has become a fixture in the global sustainability innovation ecosystem, providing a vital catalytic platform for promising start-ups with cutting-edge climate tech solutions from all over the world. By driving innovation, entrepreneurship, ecosystem collaboration and access to finance, it helps groundbreaking ideas move beyond the prototype stage to deliver real-world impact. In a world dangerously close to irreversible planetary thresholds, accelerating these solutions is no longer optional – it is critical,” said Jessica Cheam, Founder and CEO of Eco-Business.

    In addition to the two S$1 million in grants (S$1 million for each winner), a total of S$400,000 in investment and grant opportunities were awarded to the finalists by TLC’s strategic partners [see Appendix A].  

    The Grand Finale also hosted an Innovation Dialogue where speakers Mark Gainsborough, Chairman, Seatrium; Magdalene Loh, Director, Urban Systems and Solutions, Enterprise Singapore; and Dr Dazril Phua, Chief Operating Officer, Nandina REM, identified the solutions needed to advance climate tech solutions and innovation in Singapore and globally – including ecosystem building, policy and financial support and public private partnerships.

    Experts said that clear market signals and policy coherence were key to enabling climate technologies to scale. “Technology risk is (usually) the least of the problem. But is the market going to develop the way as expected and is there a supportive policy framework and regulation? Unfortunately, there are too many cases in the climate tech space where the market hasn’t developed as we expected because of an ever-changing policy and regulation landscape,” Mark Gainsborough, Chairman of Singapore-listed marine engineering company Seatrium, shared during the Innovation Dialogue.  

    Magdalene Loh, Director, Urban Systems and Solutions, Enterprise Singapore, noted that in addition to scaleability and exportability, climate tech solutions must be effectively priced to attract customers, and designed for easy integration into existing systems or processes.

    “Today, many of the climate tech solutions that we’re seeing do need to interact with existing infrastructure – existing systems that clients would already be used to. How would these tech solutions integrate? Many times, you need the buy-in internally within the organisation, not just with the innovation team. There are different facets of the clients to [consider] to secure buy-in as well,” Loh said.  

    For more information, visit The Liveability Challenge website at  www.theliveabilitychallenge.org.  

    About Temasek Foundation 

    Temasek Foundation supports a diverse range of programmes that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond. Temasek Foundation’s programmes are made possible through philanthropic endowments gifted by Temasek, as well as gifts and contributions from other donors. These programmes strive towards achieving positive outcomes for individuals and communities now and for generations to come. Collectively, Temasek Foundation’s programmes strengthen social resilience, foster international exchange and regional capabilities, advance science and protect the planet. 

    For more information, visit www.temasekfoundation.org.sg

    About Eco-Business 

    Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific’s leading media organisation on sustainable development. Its independent journalism unit publishes high quality, trusted news and views that advance dialogue and enables measurable impact on a wide range of sustainable development and responsible business issues. Eco-Business is headquartered in Singapore, with a presence in Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and correspondents across major cities in Asia Pacific. Visit www.eco-business.com  

    Appendix A

    Additional investment and grant opportunities:

    Singapore’s Krosslinker Private Limited received S$100,000 from OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund to develop urban cooling solutions using zero energy aerogel coating.

    Canada’s Ayrton Energy Inc received S$100,000 from TRIREC and S$100,000 from Valuence Ventures to develop safe hydrogen storage and transport which seamlessly integrates with existing liquid fuel infrastructure.

    Australia’s CO2Tech received S$100,000 from Enterprise Singapore to develop a cost effective and compact CO2 capture solution which converts emissions into carbon-negative and valuable products.

    Appendix B

    Comments from our Strategic Partners:

    Emily Liew, Assistant Managing Director, Innovation, Enterprise Singapore, said: “As the world races to address pressing environmental challenges, we need platforms such as The Liveability Challenge more than ever to uncover and support breakthrough climate innovations. Start-ups can leverage Singapore’s robust innovation ecosystem, infrastructure and strategic networks to validate and scale their climate solutions. Enterprise Singapore is committed to working with important partners such as Temasek Foundation to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for a sustainable future.”

    Axel Tan, Venture Partner, OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund, said: “Climate tech startups are pioneering vital solutions for a more liveable planet, but they face steep challenges in scaling. At the OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund, we believe in backing these innovators by bridging capital, partnerships and purpose. Together with platforms like The Liveability Challenge, we can direct collective investment toward breakthrough technologies – accelerating the transition to a cleaner, more conscious and regenerative future.”

    Andrew Wong, Director, TRIREC, said: “The Liveability Challenge is crucial as it catalyses breakthrough innovations urgently needed to tackle escalating climate crises. By matching catalytic capital with the most promising solutions in climate change, the Challenge accelerates the commercialisation of transformative technologies, especially in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment. This platform not only empowers innovators to scale their impact but also drives collective action toward a net-zero and a climate-resilient future worldwide. TRIREC looks forward to supporting ambitious climate founders.”

    Andrew Hyung, General Partner, Valuence Ventures, said: “At a time when the world’s attention is pulled in many directions and the climate crisis is too often set aside, The Liveability Challenge brings much needed focus. It unites visionaries, doers and believers to shape a future we all deserve. By turning urgency into momentum and bold ideas into real solutions, this platform reminds us that hope backed by action can still change everything.”

    Ashley Tan, International Head of Social Impact & Sustainability at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said: “We’re excited by the powerful sustainability solutions presented by winners Krosslinker Private Limited and Ayrton Energy Inc, and the other finalists. Together with Temasek Foundation and Eco-business, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is committed to making a positive environmental and social impact around the world. We will continue to provide the latest AI-driven technologies and bench of deep technical expertise to power innovative solutions in the cloud and solve the climate crisis’s most pressing decarbonisation and food security challenges of our time.”

    Appendix C

    Finalists for The Liveability Challenge 2025:

    1. Ayrton Energy Inc (Canada)  

    Solution: Safe hydrogen storage and transport that seamlessly integrates with existing liquid fuel infrastructure for scalable deployment that is up to 50 per cent lower cost 

    2. CatAmmon (Israel) 

    Solution: ”Cold” (400ºC) ammonia cracking, catalysed by Ruthenium – free, ceramic nanomaterials that achieves over 30 per cent reductions in cost for hydrogen generation 

     3.  Cetogenix (New Zealand)

    Solution: Transforming urban waste into renewable natural gas, green ammonia and other circular bioeconomy products with carbon intensities 19 times less than those of fossil equivalents 

    4.  CO2Tech (Australia) 

    Solution: Cost effective and compact CO2 capture solution capable of converting emissions into carbon negative and valuable products  

    5. D-CRBN (Belgium) 

    Solution: Plasma-based CO2 recycling with a fossil price parity  

    6. Eztia Corp (US)

    Solution: Cooling wearables that absorb body heat, reducing skin temperature by 10°C  

    7. Krosslinker Private Limited (Singapore)

    Solution: Cooling cities 24/7 with a zero energy aerogel coating: passive, powerful and planet friendly 

    8. SXD, Inc (US) 

    Solution: SXD uses its patent-published AI to co-design and scale zero material waste garments, driving 10 times the material savings, approximately 80 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and up to 55 per cent in cost savings.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News

  • MIL-OSI: Greystone Housing Impact Investors Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OMAHA, Neb., May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On May 7, 2025, Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP (NYSE: GHI) (the “Partnership”) announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

    Financial Highlights

    The Partnership reported the following results as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2025:

    • Net income of $0.11 per Beneficial Unit Certificate (“BUC”), basic and diluted
    • Cash Available for Distribution (“CAD”) of $0.31 per BUC
    • Total assets of $1.54 billion
    • Total Mortgage Revenue Bond (“MRB”) and Governmental Issuer Loan (“GIL”) investments of $1.18 billion

    The difference between reported net income per BUC and CAD per BUC is primarily due to the treatment of unrealized losses on the Partnership’s interest rate derivative positions. Unrealized losses of approximately $3.9 million are included in net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Unrealized losses are a result of the impact of decreased market interest rates on the calculated fair value of the Partnership’s interest rate derivative positions. Unrealized gains and losses do not affect our cash earnings and are added back to net income when calculating the Partnership’s CAD. The Partnership received net cash from its interest rate derivative positions totaling approximately $847,000 during the first quarter.

    In March 2025, the Partnership announced that the Board of Managers of Greystone AF Manager LLC declared a regular quarterly distribution to the Partnership’s BUC holders of $0.37 per BUC. The distribution was paid on April 30, 2025, to BUC holders of record as of the close of trading on March 31, 2025.

    Management Remarks

    “We continue to evaluate investment opportunities despite continuing market volatility,” said Kenneth C. Rogozinski, the Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer.  “Our successful Series B Preferred Units issuance provides low-cost, non-dilutive capital for us to deploy into accretive investment opportunities. In addition, the dedicated pool of capital that we have from the new BlackRock construction lending joint venture is a powerful tool for us to serve our affordable housing developer relationship base.”

    Recent Investment and Financing Activity

    The Partnership reported the following updates for the first quarter of 2025:

    • Advanced funds on MRB and taxable MRB investments totaling $21.5 million, offset by an MRB redemption of approximately $10.4 million.
    • Advanced funds on GIL and taxable GIL investments totaling $39.1 million.
    • GIL, taxable GIL, and property loan redemptions and paydowns totaling approximately $102.7 million.
    • Advanced net funds to joint venture equity investments totaling $5.6 million.
    • Received proceeds of $14.2 million upon sale of Vantage at Tomball, inclusive of return of capital and accrued preferred return.
    • Issued $20 million Series B Preferred Units with an annual distribution rate of 5.75% to an existing investor.

    In May 2025, the managing member of Vantage at Helotes sold the property to a governmental entity who in turn leased the property to a non-profit entity. That non-profit entity financed its purchase of the leasehold interest by issuing tax-exempt and taxable bonds. The Partnership received gross proceeds of approximately $17.1 million, inclusive of the return of capital contributions and accrued preferred return. The Partnership expects to recognize investment income of approximately $1.8 million and a gain on sale of approximately $163,000 in the second quarter of 2025, before settlement of final proceeds and expenses. The Partnership expects to recognize approximately $0.08 of net income per BUC, basic and diluted, and CAD per BUC, based on the number of BUCs outstanding on the date of sale.

    Investment Portfolio Updates

    The Partnership announced the following updates regarding its investment portfolio:

    • All MRB and GIL investments are current on contractual principal and interest payments and the Partnership has received no requests for forbearance of contractual principal and interest payments from borrowers as of March 31, 2025
    • The Partnership continues to execute its hedging strategy, primarily through interest rate swaps, to reduce the impact of changing market interest rates.
    • Six joint venture equity investment properties have completed construction, with three properties having previously achieved 90% occupancy. Four of the Partnership’s joint venture equity investments are currently under construction or in development, with none having experienced material supply chain disruptions for either construction materials or labor to date.

    Earnings Webcast & Conference Call

    The Partnership will host a conference call for investors on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Partnership’s First Quarter 2025 results.

    For those interested in participating in the question-and-answer session, participants may dial-in toll free at (877) 407-8813. International participants may dial-in at +1 (201) 689-8521. No pin or code number is needed.

    The call is also being webcast live in listen-only mode. The webcast can be accessed via the Partnership’s website under “Events & Presentations” or via the following link:
    https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=a4hicNZA

    It is recommended that you join 15 minutes before the conference call begins (although you may register, dial-in or access the webcast at any time during the call).

    A recorded replay of the webcast will be made available on the Partnership’s Investor Relations website at http://www.ghiinvestors.com.

    About Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP

    Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP was formed in 1998 under the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act for the primary purpose of acquiring, holding, selling and otherwise dealing with a portfolio of mortgage revenue bonds which have been issued to provide construction and/or permanent financing for affordable multifamily, seniors and student housing properties. The Partnership is pursuing a business strategy of acquiring additional mortgage revenue bonds and other investments on a leveraged basis. The Partnership expects and believes the interest earned on these mortgage revenue bonds is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes. The Partnership seeks to achieve its investment growth strategy by investing in additional mortgage revenue bonds and other investments as permitted by its Second Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement, dated December 5, 2022 (the “Partnership Agreement”), taking advantage of attractive financing structures available in the securities market, and entering into interest rate risk management instruments. Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP press releases are available at www.ghiinvestors.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain statements in this press release are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of statements that include, but are not limited to, phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “future,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continue,” or other similar words or phrases. Similarly, statements that describe objectives, plans, or goals also are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of the Partnership. The Partnership cautions readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, implied, or projected by such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: defaults on the mortgage loans securing our mortgage revenue bonds and governmental issuer loans; the competitive environment in which the Partnership operates; risks associated with investing in multifamily, student, senior citizen residential properties and commercial properties; general economic, geopolitical, and financial conditions, including the current and future impact of changing interest rates, inflation, and international conflicts (including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war) on business operations, employment, and financial conditions; uncertain conditions within the domestic and international macroeconomic environment, including monetary and fiscal policy and conditions in the investment, credit, interest rate, and derivatives markets; any effects on our business resulting from new U.S. domestic or foreign governmental trade measures, including but not limited to tariffs, import and export controls, foreign exchange intervention accomplished to offset the effects of trade policy or in response to currency volatility, and other restrictions on free trade; adverse reactions in U.S. financial markets related to actions of foreign central banks or the economic performance of foreign economies, including in particular China, Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom; the general condition of the real estate markets in the regions in which the Partnership operates, which may be unfavorably impacted by pressures in the commercial real estate sector, incrementally higher unemployment rates, persistent elevated inflation levels, and other factors; changes in interest rates and credit spreads, as well as the success of any hedging strategies the Partnership may undertake in relation to such changes, and the effect such changes may have on the relative spreads between the yield on investments and cost of financing; the aggregate effect of elevated inflation levels over the past several years, spurred by multiple factors including expansionary monetary and fiscal policy, higher commodity prices, a tight labor market, and low residential vacancy rates, which may result in continued elevated interest rate levels and increased market volatility; the Partnership’s ability to access debt and equity capital to finance its assets; current maturities of the Partnership’s financing arrangements and the Partnership’s ability to renew or refinance such financing arrangements; local, regional, national and international economic and credit market conditions; recapture of previously issued Low Income Housing Tax Credits in accordance with Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code; geographic concentration of properties related to investments held by the Partnership; changes in the U.S. corporate tax code and other government regulations affecting the Partnership’s business; and the other risks detailed in the Partnership’s SEC filings (including but not limited to, the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K). Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.

    If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or if any of the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements proves to be incorrect, the developments and future events concerning the Partnership set forth in this press release may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date of this document. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our expectations and beliefs to change. The Partnership assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless obligated to do so under the federal securities laws.

     
     
    GREYSTONE HOUSING IMPACT INVESTORS LP
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (UNAUDITED)
     
        For the Three Months Ended March 31,    
        2025     2024    
    Revenues:              
    Investment income   $ 21,878,167     $ 19,272,345    
    Other interest income     2,288,165       3,003,838    
    Other income     958,825       94,471    
    Total revenues     25,125,157       22,370,654    
    Expenses:              
    Provision for credit losses     (172,000 )     (806,000 )  
    Depreciation     3,542       5,967    
    Interest expense     14,134,816       13,803,935    
    Net result from derivative transactions     3,036,137       (6,267,664 )  
    General and administrative     4,570,261       4,930,388    
    Total expenses     21,572,756       11,666,626    
    Other income:              
    Gain on sale of investments in unconsolidated entities     5,220       50,000    
    Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities     (233,334 )     (106,845 )  
    Income before income taxes     3,324,287       10,647,183    
    Income tax benefit     (2,733 )     (1,198 )  
    Net income     3,327,020       10,648,381    
    Redeemable Preferred Unit distributions and accretion     (760,679 )     (767,241 )  
    Net income available to Partners   $ 2,566,341     $ 9,881,140    
                   
    Net income available to Partners allocated to:              
    General Partner   $ 25,611     $ 98,311    
    Limited Partners – BUCs     2,483,685       9,725,097    
    Limited Partners – Restricted units     57,045       57,732    
        $ 2,566,341     $ 9,881,140    
    BUC holders’ interest in net income per BUC, basic and diluted   $ 0.11     $ 0.42   *
    Weighted average number of BUCs outstanding, basic     23,171,226       23,000,754   *
    Weighted average number of BUCs outstanding, diluted     23,171,226       23,000,754   *
    * The amounts indicated above have been adjusted to reflect the distribution completed on April 30, 2024 in the form of additional BUCs at a ratio of 0.00417 BUCs for each BUC outstanding as of March 28, 2024 on a retroactive basis.
       

    Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Measures – Cash Available for Distribution

    The Partnership believes that CAD provides relevant information about the Partnership’s operations and is necessary, along with net income, for understanding its operating results. To calculate CAD, the Partnership begins with net income as computed in accordance with GAAP and adjusts for non-cash expenses or income consisting of depreciation expense, amortization expense related to deferred financing costs, amortization of premiums and discounts, fair value adjustments to derivative instruments, provisions for credit and loan losses, impairments on MRBs, GILs, real estate assets and property loans, deferred income tax expense (benefit), and restricted unit compensation expense. The Partnership also adjusts net income for the Partnership’s share of (earnings) losses of investments in unconsolidated entities as such amounts are primarily depreciation expenses and development costs that are expected to be recovered upon an exit event. The Partnership also deducts Tier 2 income (see Note 22 to the Partnership’s condensed consolidated financial statements) distributable to the General Partner as defined in the Partnership Agreement and distributions and accretion for the Preferred Units. Net income is the GAAP measure most comparable to CAD. There is no generally accepted methodology for computing CAD, and the Partnership’s computation of CAD may not be comparable to CAD reported by other companies. Although the Partnership considers CAD to be a useful measure of the Partnership’s operating performance, CAD is a non-GAAP measure that should not be considered as an alternative to net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, or any other measures of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP.

    The following table shows the calculation of CAD (and a reconciliation of the Partnership’s net income, as determined in accordance with GAAP, to CAD) for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 (all per BUC amounts are presented giving effect to the BUCs Distributions described in Note 22 of the condensed consolidated financial statements on a retroactive basis for all periods presented):

        For the Three Months Ended March 31,  
        2025     2024  
    Net income   $ 3,327,020     $ 10,648,381  
    Unrealized (gains) losses on derivatives, net     3,883,196       (4,604,215 )
    Depreciation expense     3,542       5,967  
    Provision for credit losses (1)     (172,000 )     (806,000 )
    Amortization of deferred financing costs     381,334       367,418  
    Restricted unit compensation expense     234,047       332,321  
    Deferred income taxes     1,227       2,998  
    Redeemable Preferred Unit distributions and accretion     (760,679 )     (767,241 )
    Tier 2 income allocable to the General Partner (2)            
    Recovery of prior credit loss (3)     (16,967 )     (17,155 )
    Bond premium, discount and acquisition fee amortization, net of cash received     25,220       (40,475 )
    (Earnings) losses from investments in unconsolidated entities     233,334       106,845  
    Total CAD   $ 7,139,274     $ 5,228,844  
                 
    Weighted average number of BUCs outstanding, basic     23,171,226       23,000,754  
    Net income per BUC, basic   $ 0.11     $ 0.42  
    Total CAD per BUC, basic   $ 0.31     $ 0.23  
    Cash Distributions declared, per BUC   $ 0.37     $ 0.368  
    BUCs Distributions declared, per BUC (4)   $     $ 0.07  
    (1) The adjustments reflect the change in allowances for credit losses under the CECL standard which requires the Partnership to update estimates of expected credit losses for its investment portfolio at each reporting date.
       
    (2) As described in Note 22 to the Partnership’s condensed consolidated financial statements, Net Interest Income representing contingent interest and Net Residual Proceeds representing contingent interest (Tier 2 income) will be distributed 75% to the limited partners and BUC holders, as a class, and 25% to the General Partner. This adjustment represents 25% of Tier 2 income due to the General Partner. There was no Tier 2 income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
       
    (3) The Partnership determined there was a recovery of previously recognized impairment recorded for the Live 929 Apartments Series 2022A MRB prior to the adoption of the CECL standard effective January 1, 2023. The Partnership is accreting the recovery of prior credit loss for this MRB into investment income over the term of the MRB consistent with applicable guidance. The accretion of recovery of value is presented as a reduction to current CAD as the original provision for credit loss was an addback for CAD calculation purposes in the period recognized.
       
    (4) The Partnership declared the distribution completed on April 30, 2024 in the form of additional BUCs equal to $0.07 per BUC for outstanding BUCs as of the record date of March 28, 2024.
       

    MEDIA CONTACT: 
    Karen Marotta 
    Greystone 
    212-896-9149 
    Karen.Marotta@greyco.com

    INVESTOR CONTACT:
    Andy Grier
    Investors Relations
    402-952-1235

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Simplified trading stock rules

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    When you can use these rules

    You can use the simplified trading stock rules if:

    If you use the simplified rules, you don’t have to:

    • conduct a formal stocktake
    • account for the changes in your trading stock’s value.

    Estimating stock value

    Your estimate will be considered reasonable if either:

    • you maintain a constant level of stock each year and have a reasonable idea of the value of your stock on hand
    • your stock levels fluctuate but you can make an estimate, based on your records, of the stock you have purchased.

    You must:

    • undertake your estimate in good faith following a rational process
    • be able to explain and prove your process to us if requested.

    In making your estimate consider:

    • the type of trading stock you hold (for example, a large range but few items or a small range of many items)
    • where and how your stock is stored (for example, one location or several locations)
    • how you value stock items (for example, cost price, market selling value or replacement value method)
    • the quantity and value of your stock on hand in previous income years
    • whether the value of your stock varies from previous income years or during the income year
    • how you record your sales and purchases and how accurate those records are
    • your inventory systems and how accurate they are
    • information from any stocktakes you have undertaken
    • significant changes to the type and quantity of stock you hold.

    You still claim a deduction for trading stock in the same way you claim your other expenses. If you are claiming your deductions for your other expenses when you pay for them – rather than when the expense is incurred – you must do the same for your trading stock claims.  

    Example: Trading stock estimate

    Colin is an electrician. He always has a small number of items in his van and workshop that are trading stock. At the end of the previous income year he valued his trading stock at $6,800.

    Colin’s business hasn’t changed during this income year. He estimates that the quantity of trading stock he holds at the start and end of the year is similar. However, he knows that the cost of most items has increased by around 15% during the year.

    He multiplies the value at the start of the year ($6,800) by 1.15, which gives an end of year estimate of $7,820.

    The difference between the value of the opening trading stock ($6,800) and the closing trading stock ($7,820) is less than $5,000. This means Colin doesn’t need to:

    • do a stocktake
    • account for the change in his trading stock value when working out his assessable income.

    End of example

    Opening value of stock

    The value of your stock on hand at the start of the income year is the same as the value you included in your return at the end of the previous year.

    If you didn’t have any trading stock in the previous year, the value of your stock on hand at the start of the year is zero ($0). This is likely if you:

    • started a new business in the year
    • have an existing business but this is the first year you have trading stock.

    If you choose not to account for the change in the value of your trading stock (under the simplified trading stock rules), the value at the end of the year is considered to be the same as it was at the start of the year.

    Change in value of stock

    If the difference in your trading stock’s value during the year varied by more than $5,000, use the general trading stock rules.

    Under the general trading stock rules, an increase in your trading stock’s value over the year is assessable income, while a decrease is an allowable deduction.

    There are other rules for when you use trading stock for private purposes.

    Example: value of trading stock changes

    Joel runs a knitwear store and the value of his opening stock for 2023–24 is recorded as $5,600.

    If Joel makes a reasonable estimate that the value of his closing stock at the end of 2023–24 is:

    • $8,000 – as the difference is no more than $5,000, he doesn’t need to do a stocktake or include the increase in value of his stock in his assessable income
    • $12,000 – as the difference between the opening stock ($5,600) and his reasonable estimate of the closing stock ($12,000) is greater than $5,000, Joel must do a stocktake and include the increase in value of his stock in his assessable income for 2023–24.

    End of example

    Choosing to do a stocktake

    You can choose to do a stocktake. You might make this choice if the:

    • value of your stock is increasing and you prefer to increase your assessable income in small increments over a number of years. The alternative would be to make one large adjustment when the increase in stock value reaches the $5,000 threshold.
    • value of your stock has decreased and you prefer to reduce your assessable income immediately.

    If you choose to do a stocktake:

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Get fit for FREE this summer at Victoria Park

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Launching on Wednesday 7 May 2025, ‘PT in the Park’ sessions will take place every week in Victoria Park from 5pm-6pm until September 2025 (weather depending*).

    Sessions will be led by BH Live Active instructors and will incorporate a warm-up, health and safety briefing, HIIT-based exercises, and a cooldown to inspire more people to stay active in one of the city’s beautiful parklands.

    All fitness levels and abilities are welcome, with alternative movements demonstrated for both advanced and beginner levels. Participants aged 12+ are welcome, but under-18s must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.

    Sessions are free to attend with no booking required – simply turn up on the day. A suggested £2 donation (cash or electronic donation via QR code) on the day is encouraged, with all funds donated to BH Live’s Investing In Community Fund to contribute to the delivery of future health and wellbeing community projects across the city.

    Other activities, including Stretch and Relax Yoga sessions, will also be running in Victoria Park throughout the summer, to highlight the park’s importance to the local community. A full list of activities and further information on park facilities can be found at victoriaparkportsmouth.org.uk.

    The Victoria Park summer events project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and delivered by Portsmouth City Council.

    BH Live is a registered charity and social enterprise. BH Live manages and operates several leisure centres across the city in partnership with Portsmouth City Council. These include Mountbatten Leisure Centre, Pyramids and Exploria in Southsea, Charter Community Sports Centre, Wimbledon Park Sports Centre, and Portsmouth Tennis & Gymnastics Centre.

    On behalf of BH Live, Carla Earle, Community Sports Manager for Portsmouth, shared;

    “It’s great to work with Portsmouth City Council and the Victoria Park team to deliver these free group exercise sessions in the community. We hope this will encourage more people across the city to have a go at a new activity, discover the benefits of being regularly active, and of course enjoy the lovely setting in Victoria Park.”

    A representative from Portsmouth City Council’s Victoria Park Project team shared;

    “We are excited to collaborate with BH Live Active to bring these fitness sessions to Victoria Park. By offering these sessions, we aim to encourage everyone to take advantage of the park’s facilities and join us in promoting a healthier, more active lifestyle. Exercise can be so important to build friendships, confidence, and self-esteem, and we would love new members of the community to join these groups. Our goal is to make fitness accessible to all and to highlight the park’s role in fostering community spirit and well-being.”

    Cllr Lee Hunt, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Leisure & Sport at Portsmouth City Council added:

    “Victoria Park is known as the ‘people’s park’, so it is fitting that it should host these sessions, which are open to everyone looking to improve their fitness and wellbeing.

    “Encouraging healthy lifestyles in our communities and promoting positive physical health is a priority for us. I’m delighted to see us coming together with our partners to offer this fantastic opportunity in the heart of the city.”

    More information on BH Live’s health and wellbeing and community activities can be found at bhliveactive.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing-activities.

    More information on BH Live Active can be found at bhliveactive.org.uk.

    More information on Victoria Park can be found at victoriaparkportsmouth.co.uk.

    -ENDS-

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ATO unveils ‘wild’ tax deduction attempts and priorities for 2025

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has today revealed some of the ‘wild’ work related expense tax claims people have tried to put past the ATO, and spoiler alert: an air fryer generally won’t make the cut.

    Some of the most outrageous deduction attempts the ATO saw last year included:

    • A mechanic tried to claim an air fryer, microwave, 2 vacuum cleaners, a TV, gaming console and gaming accessories as work-related. The claim was denied as these expenses are personal in nature.
    • A truck driver tried to claim swimwear because it was hot where they stopped in transit and they wanted to go for a swim. The claim was denied as these expenses are personal in nature.
    • A manager in the fashion industry tried to claim well over $10,000 in luxury-branded clothing and accessories to be well presented at work, and to attend events, dinners and functions. The clothing was all conventional in nature and was not allowed.

    ATO Assistant Commissioner Rob Thomson reminded taxpayers that the ATO’s role is to collect the correct amount of tax that is owed, and exaggerated deduction attempts would not be tolerated.

    ‘While some people have tried their luck with unusual work-related deduction claims, most people realise to be able to claim an expense, it needs to meet strict criteria.

    ‘While a lunchtime dip might clear your head for work, swimwear for a truck driver is clearly not deductible.’

    ‘We know in many instances mistakes relating to work-related expenses could be avoided with a little time and effort,’ Mr Thomson said.

    This tax time the ATO will be focused on areas it sees frequent errors, including work-related expenses, working from home deductions and in respect to multiple income sources.

    ‘Work-related expenses must have a close connection to your income earning activities, and you should be prepared to back it up, with records like a receipt or invoice.’

    ‘If your deductions don’t pass the ‘pub test’, it’s highly unlikely your claim would meet the ATO’s strict criteria’.

    ‘Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can claim expenses like travel to and from work and childcare costs. These expenses are personal in nature and cannot be claimed. When in doubt look for guidance on the ATO website or speak with your registered tax agent.’

    ‘If you’re anything like me, a paper receipt will get lost almost immediately. The myDeductions tool on the ATO app allows you to keep records of your work and general expenses to make lodging your tax return easier,’ Mr Thomson said.

    When you are ready to lodge your tax return you can easily share your saved deductions with your registered tax agent or upload them to myTax to make tax time simple.

    ‘If you’re not sure what you can or can’t claim, check the ATO website for detailed guidance, or ask your registered tax professional, if you have one. Don’t just claim it and hope for the best as penalties and interest may apply.’

    One of the most-claimed work-related expense each year is a working from home deduction. In 2024 more than 10 million people claimed a work-related deduction, and many of those claimed a deduction related to working from home. 

    There are 2 ways you can calculate your deduction for additional expenses you incur by working from home – the fixed rate method or the actual cost method.

    In order to claim a working from home deduction, you must be working from home to fulfil your employment duties (not carrying out minimal tasks) and you have to have records to prove you incurred additional expenses due to working from home.

    Using the fixed rate method allows you to claim 70 cents for every hour you work from home and covers your additional running expenses that are often difficult to apportion, like internet, phone usage, electricity and stationery.

    ‘Remember that you can’t then claim these items separately elsewhere in your tax return – no double dipping!’ Mr Thomson warned.

    To claim using the actual cost method, you must have records of all the expenses you claim, and the work-related use of your expenses to back up your deduction.

    The ATO is also reminding Australians to declare all sources of income, and make sure they are included on their tax return. This includes side-hustles, for example if you are providing ride sourcing services or selling services via an app.

    Each source of income you have will have different deductions available to you, depending on the nature of the income and your occupation.

    More information on specific deductions for different jobs is available in the ATO’s occupation and industry specific guides.

    Notes to journalists

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Aggravated assault and aggravated robbery – Jingili

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested two males in relation to an aggravated assault and aggravated robbery that occurred in Jingili on Sunday 20 April.

    Around 8:15pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that a male and female had been assaulted while at a service station on McMillans Road.

    It is alleged that as the male victim returned to his vehicle from the service station, an alleged offender approached him aggressively before punching him to the back of the head. The offender then damaged the victim’s vehicle before assaulting him again. 

    A second male offender, known to the first, then approached and allegedly threw a rock through the vehicle’s window, striking the female, who was seated inside. The victims then drove away to avoid further assault and contacted police.

    During the incident, a female customer at the service station attempted to leave the location; however, one of the offenders opened her vehicle door and took the keys out of the ignition.

    The offender demanded money in exchange for the keys before pushing the victim to the ground and returning her keys.

    Both alleged offenders subsequently fled the location.

    On Tuesday 6 May, Detectives from Strike Force Trident arrested two males, aged 25 and 37-years-old, at a shopping centre on Trower Road.

    The 25-year-old male was identified in connection to a separate aggravated assault that occurred in Palmerston and had been actively evading police.

    The 25-year-old male has been charged with:

    • Aggravated assault x 2
    • Recklessly endanger serious harm
    • Endanger occupants of vehicle or vessel
    • Theft
    • Engage in violent conduct
    • Going armed in public

    And the 37-year-old has been charged with:

    • Recklessly endanger serious harm x 2
    • Endanger occupants of vehicle or vessel
    • Engage in violent conduct
    • Going armed in public

    Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444. Anonymous reports can be made via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Firearm seizure – Moil

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has seized a homemade firearm and other firearm equipment following an incident in Moil on Sunday.

    About 4:10am, the Joint Emergency Services Communications Centre (JESCC) received multiple calls in relation to the discharge of a firearm at a residence. As part of these calls, a 43-year-old male called to self-report that he had unintentionally shot himself in the foot.

    Police deployed and applied first aid to the male at the residence before he was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital by St John Ambulance in a serious but stable condition. Police seized a privately manufactured firearm following the incident.

    Yesterday, members from the Firearms Audit and Enforcement Unit conducted a lawful search at the residence and subsequently seized a partially manufactured firearm, an electronic firing device for explosives and other equipment used in the manufacturing of firearms.

    Investigations remain ongoing and the male is expected to be charged at a later date.

    Police urge the public to be aware of the serious risks posed by illegal and privately manufactured firearms. These weapons are often unreliable and can cause severe injury or death. The illegal manufacturing of firearms is an offence against the Northern Territory Firearms Act 1997 and carries penalties up to 10 years imprisonment.

    Anyone with information regarding illegal firearms, their misuse, or individuals involved in manufacturing firearms is strongly encouraged to report it to the police on 131 444. Reports can also be made anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Crime Stoppers NT.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Charges – Aggravated robbery – Katherine

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has charged two male youths in relation to an aggravated robbery last Thursday.

    Yesterday, Strike Force Cereberus members located and arrested two youths, both aged 15-years-old. They have both since been charged with Aggravated Robbery, Unlawfully Cause Serious Harm and Theft. One of the youths has also been charged with Breach of Bail.

    Both youths will appear in court at a later date.  

    The elderly female victim remains in hospital with a broken hip.

    Senior Sergeant Warren Scott said “Police will continue to target those who choose to put the community in harms way. These youths have preyed on a vulnerable elderly woman and their actions will not be tolerated.

    “Strike Force Cereberus members have done a fantastic job in this investigation to ensure these offenders are put before the courts. I commend their dedication and professionalism to upholding the law and ensuring the safety of our Katherine community members.”

    Anyone with information, particularly CCTV or dashcam footage from the area at the time of the incident is urged to contact police on 131 444 and reference job number NTP2500045006. You can anonymously report via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Siege – Gray

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 55-year-old male after a siege occurred in Gray overnight.

    Around 3:50pm on Tuesday 6 May 2025, police attended an address in relation to enquires about a recent aggravated assault report. When the occupant of the residence answered the door, officers asked if a woman he allegedly assaulted was there, at which point he became aggressive and denied that the female victim was present. He then threatened to throw hot water on the attending officers.

    A short time later, the offender allowed the victim to exit the residence before locking himself inside.

    Police advised he was under arrest and requested he exit the residence.  It is alleged he then threw hot water through the screen door twice, hitting two officers. 

    The offender subsequently barricaded himself inside and threatened to self-harm before allegedly throwing hot water on a third officer who attended to assist with the apprehension.

    Additional resources were called, and a cordon of the area was set before negotiators attended and began discussions with the male. He continued to present at the door, allegedly displaying an edged weapon in the process.

    At approximately 1:55am, the screen door and front window were removed from the residence to provide a clearer view of the offender while negotiations continued.

    Later, around 6:05am, police deployed OC canisters into the property allowing officers to enter the residence and safely arrest the 55-year-old male without further incident.

    Investigations remain ongoing and the 55-year-old remains in police custody with charges expected to follow.

    The assaulted officers did not require medical treatment. 

    If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Crime series – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to a crime series overnight.

    About 8pm, police received reports of an alleged aggravated robbery along Stephens Road, where a vehicle pulled up alongside the male and two unknown offenders with machetes threatened him and demanded cash and his backpack. As a result, the male’s backpack and wallet containing $100 were stolen and the youths fled in the vehicle.

    Shortly after, police received reports of an alleged aggravated robbery on Larapinta Drive, where two males with machetes confronted a male who was walking. The victim ran from the alleged offenders and dropped his phone. The youths picked up his phone; however, upon the victim asking for it back they demanded money in return. The victim handed over $300 before they gave his phone back and fled the scene in the vehicle.

    At 8:17pm, police received reports of an alleged aggravated robbery on Dixon Road, where a female was pushed off her e-scooter and threatened by four unknown offenders who alighted from a vehicle. One was allegedly holding a knife while they threatened the victim for money. The victims e-scooter and purse was stolen and the offenders fled the scene in the vehicle.

    Police attended to the three victims and obtained statements. Later in the night, police CCTV operators observed the vehicle travelling along Barrett Drive before it fled South of the Gap. Police were called to the scene; however, the vehicle fled before police arrival.

    About 11:20pm, police located the vehicle abandoned on a dirt track near Karnte Camp.

    The vehicle has been seized for forensic testing and the Crime command have carriage of the investigation.

    Anyone with information in relation to the crime series, particularly anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from the area at the time of the incidents, is urged to contact police on 131 444. You can anonymously report crime via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or on https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

    Date:2025-05-04
    Data Source:Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

    May 4, 2025No.136Australia held a federal election on May 3 to elect its 48th Parliament, including all 150 seats of the House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 seats in the Senate. According to the results, the ruling Australian Labor Party won a majority of seats. The smooth and peaceful election process was characteristic of a mature democracy. On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses sincere congratulations to the people and government of Australia.Taiwan and Australia share the universal values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and human rights. Bilateral relations have continued to steadily grow in recent years. Collaboration is close in such fields as economics and trade, science and technology, information security, energy, and whole-of-society defense resilience. Last August, the Australian Senate passed an urgency motion refuting China’s flagrant misrepresentation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. The passage of the motion underlined the staunch cross-party support for Taiwan in the Australian Parliament.Building on these robust foundations, the government of Taiwan hopes to further enhance cooperation in all domains with the new government of Australia and jointly work to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Revenue and Rating Plan survey opens for community feedback

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City is developing a Revenue and Rating Plan 2025-2029 and is inviting the community to complete a short survey.

    The Local Government Act 2020 requires the City to have a Revenue and Rating Plan which needs to be adopted for at least four years after each Council election.

    The Revenue and Rating Plan explains how the City will raise funds to provide services, facilities and infrastructure. This includes finding the most appropriate and affordable rates approach for Greater Bendigo’s residents and businesses.

    The plan includes rates options that are allowed under legislation and are fair and equitable. It also includes principles for decision-making for other income sources such as fees and charges.

    Rates and charges make up around two-thirds of the City’s income. The plan does not set targets for the City’s income.

    Greater Bendigo currently has 11 different rating types, known as differential rates, for various classes of property such as general (which covers residential properties), commercial/industrial, farms and vacant land.

    Using differential rating allows the City to shift the amount of rates that residents and businesses pay in a way that reflects their capacity to pay. This aims to make rates fairer.

    To do this, the City applies a different ‘rate in the dollar’ for different classes of property.

    Director Corporate Performance Jess Howard said community feedback was an important part of the next plan’s development.

    “The Revenue and Rating Plan is significant because it sets out decisions that Council can make in relation to rating options available to it under the Local Government Act 2020,” Ms Howard said.

    “The plan takes a four-year approach and explains how Council calculates the revenue needed to fund activities. The City provides many important services and facilities for the community and must collect revenue to cover the cost of providing them.

    “The plan aims to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of rates across property owners.

    “The community is invited to get involved in a survey on the City’s engagement platform Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo. Your responses and feedback will help inform a draft Revenue and Rating Plan which will be presented for consideration at the June Council meeting.”

    The survey is open until 5pm, May 21.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI: TransAlta Reports First Quarter 2025 Results and Reaffirms Annual Guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TransAlta Corporation (TransAlta or the Company) (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    “Our business delivered strong operational performance across the fleet during the first quarter. While the Company’s merchant portfolio in Alberta was partially impacted by softer power prices, our hedging strategy and active asset optimization continued to generate realized prices well above spot prices,” said John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta.

    “We have a unique and diversified generating fleet that is complemented by a highly skilled energy marketing and trading team. Though we are operating within a challenging pricing environment in Alberta, our assets continue to perform well, and we remain confident in our 2025 Outlook,” added Mr. Kousinioris.

    “During the quarter, we executed and progressed multiple strategic initiatives. We advanced our growth plan by securing a strategic partnership with Nova Clean Energy, LLC, which grants the Company the exclusive option to purchase late-stage development projects in the western United States. Nova’s team has a successful track record of developing projects across the U.S. and has a development portfolio of over four GW. We continued to advance our data centre strategy in Alberta by moving into the commercialization phase. Negotiations on repowering opportunities at our Centralia facility continue to progress. And, finally, we successfully issued $450 million of medium-term notes and repaid our $400 million term loan that was due later this year, maintaining our financial strength and capital discipline.”

    First Quarter 2025 Highlights

    • Achieved strong operational availability of 94.9 per cent in 2025, compared to 92.3 per cent in 2024
    • Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $270 million, compared to $342 million for the same period in 2024
    • Free Cash Flow (FCF)(1) of $139 million, or $0.47 per share, compared to $221 million, or $0.72 per share, for the same period in 2024
    • Adjusted earnings before income taxes(1) of $28 million, or $0.09 per share, compared to $144 million, or $0.47 per share, for the same period in 2024
    • Cash flow from operating activities of $7 million, compared to $244 million from the same period in 2024
    • Net earnings attributable to common shareholders(1) of $46 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to $222 million, or $0.72 per share, for the same period in 2024
    • Declared quarterly dividend of $0.065 per share common share, an increase of eight per cent

    Key Business Developments

    Nova Clean Energy, LLC

    During the first quarter of 2025, the Company made a strategic investment in Nova Clean Energy, LLC (Nova), a developer of renewable energy projects. The investment includes a US$75 million term loan and US$100 million revolving facility. At closing of the transaction, US$74 million was drawn by Nova under the credit facilities. The outstanding principal under the term loan and the revolving facility bear interest of seven per cent per annum with interest due quarterly. The terms of the term loan and the revolving facility are six and five years, respectively, unless accelerated. The term loan is convertible to a minority equity interest at any time, prior to maturity, at the option of the Company and any remaining unused term loan commitments at the time of conversion would be terminated. This investment provides the Company with the exclusive right to purchase Nova’s late-stage development projects in the western U.S.

    Annual Shareholder Meeting

    On April 24, 2025 at TransAlta’s Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders, the Company received strong support on all items of business, including the election of all 11 director nominees, re-appointment of auditors, Say-on-Pay, and approval of the Company’s Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan.

    Two directors did not stand for re-election and the Board would like to extend its gratitude to Mr. Harry Goldgut and Ms. Sarah Slusser for their service.

    The Company welcomed Mr. Brian Baker to the Board who brings extensive experience in strategic direction, risk management and growth alongside his extensive background in infrastructure.

    Mothballing of Sundance 6

    As previously communicated, the Company mothballed the Sundance Unit 6 facility on April 1, 2025. The Company initially provided notice to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) on Nov. 4, 2024, that Sundance Unit 6 would be mothballed on April 1, 2025, for a period of up to two years depending on market conditions. TransAlta maintains the flexibility to return the mothballed unit to service when market fundamentals improve or opportunities to contract are secured.

    Senior Notes Offering

    On March 24, 2025, the Company issued $450 million of senior notes with a fixed annual coupon of 5.625 per cent, maturing on March 24, 2032. The notes are unsecured and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future senior indebtedness and senior in right of payment to all future subordinated indebtedness. Interest payments on the notes are made semi-annually, on March 24 and Sept. 24, with the first payment commencing Sept. 24, 2025.

    On March 25, 2025, the Company repaid its $400 million variable rate term loan facility in advance of the scheduled maturity date of Sept. 7, 2025, with the proceeds received from the $450 million senior notes offering.

    Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB) and Automatic Securities Purchase Plan (ASPP)

    TransAlta remains committed to enhancing shareholder returns through appropriate capital allocation such as share buybacks and its quarterly dividend.

    On May 27, 2024, the Company announced that it had received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to purchase up to 14 million common shares during the 12-month period that commenced May 31, 2024, and terminates May 31, 2025. Any common shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled.

    On Feb. 19, 2025 the Company announced it was allocating up to $100 million to be returned to shareholders in the form of share repurchases.

    On March 25, 2025, the Company entered into an ASPP to facilitate repurchases of TransAlta’s common shares under its NCIB. Under the ASPP, the Company’s broker may purchase common shares from the effective date of the ASPP until the termination of the ASPP. All purchases of common shares made under the ASPP will be included in determining the number of common shares purchased under the NCIB. The ASPP will terminate on the earliest of: (a) May 8, 2025; (b) the date on which the maximum purchase limits under the ASPP are reached; or (c) the date on which the Company terminates the ASPP in accordance with its terms.

    As of May 6, 2025, the Company has purchased and cancelled a total of 1,932,800 common shares, at an average price of $12.42 per common share, for a total cost of $24 million, including taxes.

    Declared Increase in Common Share Dividend

    On Feb. 19, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a $0.02 annualized increase to the common share dividend, an eight per cent increase, and declared a dividend of $0.065 per common share payable on July 1, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 1, 2025. The quarterly dividend of $0.065 per common share represents an annualized dividend of $0.26 per common share.

    First Quarter 2025 Operational and Financial Highlights

      Three Months Ended
    $ millions, unless otherwise stated March 31, 2025 March 31, 2024
    Operational information    
    Availability (%) 94.9 92.3
    Production (GWh) 6,832 6,178
    Select financial information    
    Revenues 758 947
    Adjusted EBITDA(1) 270 342
    Adjusted earnings before income taxes(1) 28 144
    Earnings before income taxes 49 267
    Adjusted net earnings after taxes attributable to common shareholders(1) 30 128
    Net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders 46 222
    Cash flows    
    Cash flow from operating activities 7 244
    Funds from operations(1) 179 254
    Free cash flow(1) 139 221
    Per share    
    Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders per share(1) 0.10 0.41
    Net earnings per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted 0.15 0.72
    Funds from operations per share(1) 0.60 0.82
    FCF per share(1) 0.47 0.72
    Dividends declared per common share 0.07
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 298 308

    Segmented Financial Performance

      Three Months Ended
     
    $ millions  March 31, 2025   March 31, 2024  
    Hydro 47   87  
    Wind and Solar 102   89  
    Gas 104   125  
    Energy Transition 37   27  
    Energy Marketing 21   39  
    Corporate (41 ) (25 )
    Total adjusted EBITDA(1) 270   342  
    Adjusted earnings before income taxes(1) 28   144  
    Earnings before income taxes 49   267  
    Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders(1) 30   128  
    Net earnings attributable to common shareholders 46   222  

    First Quarter 2025 Financial Results Summary

    For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company delivered strong operational performance, while financial performance was partially impacted by softer power prices in Alberta. The Company remains confident in its ability to achieve results within its previously stated guidance range. On Dec. 4, 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of Heartland Generation, which added 1,747 MW to gross installed capacity, excluding the Poplar Hill and Rainbow Lake facilities, (collectively, the Planned Divestitures). IFRS financial statements include the results attributable to the Planned Divestitures, which the Company agreed to divest pursuant to a consent agreement entered into with the Commissioner of Competition for Canada. Our non-IFRS measures and operational KPIs exclude the results of the Planned Divestitures.

    Availability for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was 94.9 per cent, compared to 92.3 per cent in the same period 2024, an increase of 2.6 percentage points, primarily due to:

    • The addition of new facilities, including the Heartland gas facilities in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities in the first and second quarters of 2024, which operated at higher availability during the first quarter of 2025;
    • Lower unplanned outages at the Centralia facility in the Energy Transition segment; and
    • Lower planned major maintenance outages in the Hydro fleet.

    Total production for the three months ended March 31, 2025, increased by 654 GWh, or 11 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to:

    • Production from the Heartland gas facilities acquired in December 2024;
    • Production from new wind and solar facilities, including the White Rock West and East wind facilities commissioned in January and April 2024, respectively, and the Horizon Hill wind facility commissioned in May 2024;
    • Improved availability at the Centralia facility due to lower unplanned outages; and
    • Higher wind resource across all regions; partially offset by
    • Higher dispatch optimization in Alberta due to lower market prices; and
    • Lower production in Australia due to lower customer demand.

    Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $270 million, compared to $342 million in the same period last year, a decrease of $72 million, or 21 per cent. The major factors impacting adjusted EBITDA include:

    • Hydro adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $40 million, or 46 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to lower spot power prices and ancillary services prices in the Alberta market, partially offset by higher merchant and ancillary services volumes due to higher water reserves in the first quarter of 2025 and favourable hedging positions settled, which generated positive contributions over settled spot prices in the first quarter of 2025;
    • Gas adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $21 million, or 17 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to higher OM&A related to the addition of the Heartland facilities, lower merchant volumes due to lower market prices driven by milder weather and new gas generation in Alberta and lower spot power prices in Alberta, partially offset by favourable hedge positions settled, and the addition of the Heartland facilities;
    • Energy Marketing adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $18 million, or 46 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to comparatively muted market volatility across North American natural gas and power markets and lower realized settled trades in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024;
    • Corporate adjusted EBITDA decreasing by $16 million, or 64 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to increased spending to support strategic growth projects and the addition of corporate costs related to the acquisition of Heartland;
    • Wind and Solar adjusted EBITDA increasing by $13 million, or 15 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to higher revenues from the Horizon Hill and White Rock West and East wind facilities due to full first quarter production in 2025 and higher production volumes across all regions, partially offset by lower Alberta pool prices and higher OM&A from the addition of new wind facilities; and
    • Energy Transition adjusted EBITDA increasing by $10 million, or 37 per cent, compared to 2024, primarily due to lower fuel and purchased power costs; partially offset by increased economic dispatch driven by lower market prices, which negatively impacted merchant revenues.

    Cash flow from operating activities totalled $7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $244 million in the same period in 2024, a decrease of $237 million, or 97 per cent, primarily due to:

    • Unfavourable change in non-cash operating working capital balances due to lower accounts payable and accrued liabilities, higher accounts receivable, higher income taxes receivable and higher collateral provided;
    • Lower gross margin due to lower revenues, excluding the effect of unrealized losses from risk management activities, partially offset by lower fuel and purchased power;
    • Higher OM&A due to increased spending on strategic and growth initiatives, the addition of the Heartland facilities and associated corporate costs, the addition of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities in the first and second quarters of 2024 and higher spending related to the planning and design of an upgrade to our ERP system; and
    • Higher interest expense primarily due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024; partially offset by
    • Lower current income tax expense due to lower earnings before income taxes in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024.

    FCF totalled $139 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $221 million for the same period in 2024, a decrease of $82 million, or 37 per cent, primarily driven by:

    • The adjusted EBITDA items noted above;
    • Higher sustaining capital expenditures due to the receipt of a lease incentive related to the Company’s head office during the first quarter of 2024 and higher major maintenance during the first quarter of 2025 at our Canadian gas fleet, including at the gas facilities acquired from Heartland; and
    • Higher net interest expense due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024; partially offset by
    • Lower distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests relating to lower TA Cogen net earnings resulting from lower merchant pricing in the Alberta market;
    • Lower current income tax expense due to lower earnings before income taxes in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024; and
    • Lower provisions accrued in the current period compared to the same period in prior year resulting in higher FCF.

    Earnings before income taxes totalled $49 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $267 million in the same period in 2024, a decrease of $218 million, or 82 per cent.

    Adjusted earnings before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2025 decreased by $116 million, or 81 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to:

    • The adjusted EBITDA items noted above;
    • Higher depreciation and amortization due to the addition of the Heartland gas facilities and White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities; and
    • Higher interest expense due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

    Net earnings attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2025 decreased to $176 million, or 79 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to:

    • The factors causing lower adjusted earnings before income taxes noted above;
    • Higher unrealized mark-to-market losses recorded in the Wind and Solar segment primarily related to long-term wind energy sales related to the Oklahoma facilities;
    • Lower unrealized mark-to-market gains recorded in the Gas segment primarily related to lower volumes hedged in the current period;
    • Higher asset impairment charges on the Planned Divestiture assets classified as Assets Held for Sale, offset by a fair value gain on the contingent consideration payable in the first quarter of 2025 driven by updated expectations of the fair value less costs to sell on the Planned Divestitures;
    • Higher asset impairment charges due to an increase in decommissioning and restoration provisions on retired assets driven by a decrease in discount rates and revisions in estimated decommissioning costs; impairment charges related to development projects that are no longer proceeding, partially offset by an impairment reversal related to certain energy transition assets reclassified to assets held for sale; and
    • Higher spending relating to planning and design work on a planned upgrade to our ERP system; partially offset by
    • Higher unrealized mark-to-market gains recorded in the Hydro segment primarily related to the favourable changes in forward prices;
    • Lower current income tax expense due to lower earnings before income taxes in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024; and
    • Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests compared to net earnings in the same period in 2024, primarily due to lower net earnings for TA Cogen resulting from lower merchant pricing in the Alberta market.

    Optimization of the Alberta Portfolio

    For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Alberta electricity portfolio generated 3,195 GWh compared to 3,173 GWh in the same period in 2024. The production increase of 22 GWh, or one per cent, was primarily due to:

    • Higher contract production in the Gas segment due to the addition of gas facilities from the acquisition of Heartland in the fourth quarter of 2024;
    • Higher production volumes in the Wind and Solar segment due to higher wind resources in the first quarter of 2025; and
    • Higher production from the Hydro segment due to higher water resource compared to the prior year; partially offset by
    • Lower merchant production in the Gas segment due to higher dispatch optimization driven by lower market prices.

    Adjusted gross margin for the Alberta portfolio for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $162 million, compared to $223 million in the same period of 2024. The decrease of $61 million, or 27 per cent, was primarily due to

    • The impact of lower Alberta spot prices and ancillary services prices;
    • Higher fuel costs in the Gas segment due to higher natural gas prices and the addition of the Heartland facilities; and
    • An increase in the carbon price per tonne from $80 in 2024 to $95 in 2025; partially offset by
    • Higher gains realized on financial hedges settled in the period;
    • Positive contribution from the addition of the Heartland facilities in the Gas segment;
    • Lower purchased power due to lower Alberta spot prices;
    • Lower carbon compliance costs due to lower production in the Gas segment; and
    • Higher hydro ancillary services volumes due to increased demand by the AESO.

    The average spot power price per MWh for the Alberta portfolio for the three months ended was $40, compared to $99 in the same period in 2024. This was primarily due to milder weather and the addition of increased supply from new renewables and combined-cycle gas facilities into the market compared to the same period in 2024.

    Hedged volumes for the three months ended March 31, 2025, were 2,273 GWh at an average price of $71 per MWh, compared to 1,908 GWh at an average price of $88 per MWh in 2024.

    Liquidity and Financial Position

    We maintain adequate available liquidity under our committed credit facilities. As at March 31, 2025, we had access to $1.5 billion in liquidity, including $238 million in cash, which exceeds the funds required for committed growth, sustaining capital and productivity projects.

    2025 Outlook

    We remain confident in our ability to meet our 2025 Outlook.

    The following table outlines our expectations on key financial targets and related assumptions for 2025 and should be read in conjunction with the narrative discussion that follows and the Governance and Risk Management section of TransAlta’s first quarter 2025 MD&A for additional information:

    Measure 2025 Target
    Adjusted EBITDA $1,150 to $1,250 million
    FCF $450 to $550 million
    FCF per share $1.51 to $1.85
    Annual dividend per share $0.26 annualized

    The Company’s outlook for 2025 may be impacted by a number of factors as detailed below.

    Market 2025 Assumptions
    Alberta spot ($/MWh) $40 to $60
    Mid-Columbia spot (US$/MWh) US$50 to US$70
    AECO gas price ($/GJ) $1.60 to $2.10

    Alberta spot price sensitivity: a +/- $1 per MWh change in spot price is expected to have a +/-$2 million impact on adjusted EBITDA for the balance of the year.

    Other assumptions relevant to the 2025 outlook

      2025 Assumptions
    Energy Marketing gross margin $110 to $130 million
    Sustaining capital $145 to $165 million
    Current income tax expense $95 to $130 million
    Net interest expense $255 to $275 million
    Hedging assumptions Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025 2026
    Hedged production (GWh) 1,809 2,139 1,848 6,432
    Hedge price ($/MWh) $69 $68 $71 $68
    Hedged gas volumes (GJ) 7 million 8 million 7 million 19 million
    Hedge gas prices ($/GJ) $3.25 $3.22 $3.57 $3.65

    Refer to the 2025 Outlook section in our 2024 Annual MD&A for further details relating to our Outlook and related assumptions.

    Conference call

    TransAlta will host a conference call and webcast at 9:00 a.m. MST (11:00 a.m. EST) today, May 7, 2025, to discuss our first quarter 2025 results. The call will begin with comments from John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Joel Hunter, EVP Finance and Chief Financial Officer, followed by a question-and-answer period.

    First Quarter 2025 Conference Call

    Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wzq2tgtc

    To access the conference call via telephone, please register ahead of time using the call link here: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI863e6b314dbc4284ae19fafc47eca7ac. Once registered, participants will have the option of 1) dialing into the call from their phone (via a personalized PIN); or 2) clicking the “Call Me” option to receive an automated call directly to their phone.

    Related materials will be available on the Investor Centre section of TransAlta’s website at https://transalta.com/investors/presentations-and-events/. If you are unable to participate in the call, the replay will be accessible at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wzq2tgtc. A transcript of the broadcast will be posted on TransAlta’s website once it becomes available.

    Notes

    (1)These items (Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes, adjusted net earnings (loss) after income taxes attributable to common shareholders, funds from operations, free cash flow, adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders per share, funds from operations (FFO) per share and free cash flow (FCF) per share) are non-IFRS measures, which are not defined, have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Presenting these items from period to period provides management and investors with the ability to evaluate earnings (loss) trends more readily in comparison with prior periods’ results. Please refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures section of this earnings release for further discussion of these items, including, where applicable, reconciliations to measures calculated in accordance with IFRS.

    Accounting Changes

    The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements are consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024.

    Non-IFRS financial measures

    We use a number of financial measures to evaluate our performance and the performance of our business segments, including measures and ratios that are presented on a non-IFRS basis, as described below. Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts are in Canadian dollars and have been derived from our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. We believe that these non-IFRS amounts, measures and ratios, read together with our IFRS amounts, provide readers with a better understanding of how management assesses results.

    Non-IFRS amounts, measures and ratios do not have standardized meanings under IFRS. They are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and should not be viewed in isolation from, as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, our IFRS results.

    We calculate adjusted measures by adjusting certain IFRS measures for certain items we believe are not reflective of our ongoing operations in the period. Except as otherwise described, these adjusted measures are calculated on a consistent basis from period to period and are adjusted for specific items in each period, unless stated otherwise.

    Adjusted EBITDA

    Each business segment assumes responsibility for its operating results measured by adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is an important metric for management that represents our core operational results.

    During the first quarter of 2025, our adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to remove the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions, which was included in adjusted EBITDA composition until the fourth quarter of 2024. The adjustment was intended to explain a timing difference between our internally and externally reported results and was useful at a time when markets were more volatile. The impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions was removed to simplify our reporting. Accordingly, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods.

    During the first quarter of 2025, our adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to remove the impact of Australian interest income, which was included in adjusted EBITDA composition until the fourth quarter of 2024. Initially, on the commissioning of the South Hedland facility in July 2017, we prepaid approximately $74 million of electricity transmission and distribution costs. Interest income, which was recorded on the prepaid funds, was reclassified as a reduction in the transmission and distribution costs expensed each period to reflect the net cost to the business. The impact of Australian interest income was removed to simplify our reporting since the amounts were not material. Accordingly, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods.

    Interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are not included, as differences in accounting treatment may distort our core business results. In addition, certain reclassifications and adjustments are made to better assess results, excluding those items that may not be reflective of ongoing business performance. This presentation may facilitate the readers’ analysis of trends. The most directly comparable IFRS measure is earnings before income taxes.

    Adjusted Revenue

    Adjusted Revenues is Revenues (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) adjusted to exclude:

    The impact of unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses and unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses on commodity transactions.

    Certain assets that we own in Canada and Western Australia are fully contracted and recorded as finance leases under IFRS. We believe that it is more appropriate to reflect the payments we receive under the contracts as a capacity payment in our revenues instead of as finance lease income and a decrease in finance lease receivables.

    Revenues from the Planned Divestitures as they do not reflect ongoing business performance.

    Adjusted Fuel and Purchased Power

    Adjusted Fuel and Purchased Power is Fuel and Purchased Power (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) adjusted to exclude fuel and purchased power from the Planned Divestitures as it does not reflect ongoing business performance.

    Adjusted OM&A

    Adjusted OM&A is OM&A (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) adjusted to exclude:

    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs, mainly comprised of severance, legal and consultant fees as these do not reflect ongoing business performance.

    ERP integration costs representing planning, design and integration costs of upgrades to the existing ERP system as they represent project costs that do not occur on a regular basis, and therefore do not reflect ongoing performance.

    OM&A from the Planned Divestitures as it does not reflect ongoing business performance.

    Adjusted Earnings (Loss) before income taxes

    Adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes represents segmented earnings (loss) adjusted for certain items that we believe do not reflect ongoing business performance and is an important metric for evaluating performance trends in each segment.

    For details of the adjustments made to earnings (loss) before income taxes (the most directly comparable IFRS measure) to calculate adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes, refer to the Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment section of the MD&A.

    Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) attributable to common shareholders

    Adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders represents net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders adjusted for specific reclassifications and adjustments and their tax impact, and is an important metric for evaluating performance. For details of the reclassifications and adjustments made to net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders (the most directly comparable IFRS measure), please refer to the reconciliation of net earnings (loss) to adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders in the Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment section of the MD&A.

    Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) per common share attributable to common shareholders

    Adjusted net earning (loss) per common share attributable to common shareholders is calculated as adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders divided by a weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The measure is useful in showing the earnings per common share for our core operational results as it excludes the impact of items that do not reflect an ongoing business performance. Adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable per common share is a non-IFRS ratio and the most directly comparable IFRS measure is net income (loss) per common share attributable to common shareholders. Refer to the reconciliation of earnings (loss) before income taxes to adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders in the Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment section of the MD&A.

    Funds From Operations (FFO)

    Represents a proxy for cash generated from operating activities before changes in working capital and provides the ability to evaluate cash flow trends in comparison with results from prior periods. FFO is calculated as cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital and is adjusted for transactions and amounts that the Company believes are not representative of ongoing cash flows from operations.

    Free Cash Flow (FCF)

    Represents the amount of cash that is available to invest in growth initiatives, make scheduled principal debt repayments, repay maturing debt, pay common share dividends or repurchase common shares and provides the ability to evaluate cash flow trends in comparison with the results from prior periods. Changes in working capital are excluded so that FFO and FCF are not distorted by changes that we consider temporary in nature, reflecting, among other things, the impact of seasonal factors and timing of receipts and payments.

    Non-IFRS Ratios

    FFO per share, FCF per share and adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS ratios that are presented in the MD&A. Refer to the Reconciliation of Cash Flow from Operations to FFO and FCF and Key Non-IFRS Financial Ratios sections of the MD&A for additional information.

    FFO per share and FCF per share

    FFO per share and FCF per share are calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. FFO per share and FCF per share are non-IFRS ratios.

    Reconciliation of these non-IFRS financial measures to the most comparable IFRS measure are provided below.

    Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis by Segment

    The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes by segment and provides reconciliation to earnings (loss) before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2025:

      Hydro Wind &
    Solar(1)
    Gas Energy
    Transition
    Energy
    Marketing
    Corporate Total Equity-
    accounted
    investments(1)
    Reclass
    adjustments
    IFRS
    financials
    Revenues 86   107   390   154   27   1   765   (7 )   758  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Unrealized mark-to-market (gain) loss (21 ) 36   (32 ) (1 ) 1     (17 )   17    
    Decrease in finance lease receivable   1   7         8     (8 )  
    Finance lease income   1   5         6     (6 )  
    Revenues from Planned Divestitures     (4 )       (4 )   4    
    Adjusted revenue 65   145   366   153   28   1   758   (7 ) 7   758  
    Fuel and purchased power 4   10   163   98     2   277       277  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Fuel and purchased power related to Planned Divestitures     (2 )       (2 )   2    
    Adjusted fuel and purchased power 4   10   161   98     2   275     2   277  
    Carbon compliance   1   49       (1 ) 49       49  
    Adjusted gross margin 61   134   156   55   28     434   (7 ) 5   432  
    OM&A 13   29   59   17   7   49   174   (1 )   173  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    OM&A related to Planned Divestitures     (2 )       (2 )   2    
    ERP integration costs           (4 ) (4 )   4    
    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs           (4 ) (4 )   4    
    Adjusted OM&A 13   29   57   17   7   41   164   (1 ) 10   173  
    Taxes, other than income taxes 1   5   5   1       12       12  
    Net other operating income   (4 ) (10 )       (14 )     (14 )
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Insurance recovery   2           2     (2 )  
    Adjusted net other operating income   (2 ) (10 )       (12 )   (2 ) (14 )
    Adjusted EBITDA(2) 47   102   104   37   21   (41 ) 270        
    Depreciation and amortization (9 ) (53 ) (64 ) (15 ) (2 ) (5 ) (148 ) 2     (146 )
    Equity income           (1 ) (1 )   3   2  
    Interest income           5   5       5  
    Interest expense           (94 ) (94 ) 1     (93 )
    Realized foreign exchange loss           (4 ) (4 )     (4 )
    Adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes(2) 38   49   40   22   19   (140 ) 28        
    Reclassifications and adjustments above 21   (36 ) 20   1   (1 ) (8 ) (3 )      
    Finance lease income   1   5         6       6  
    Skookumchuk earnings reclass to Equity income(1)   (3 )       3          
    Fair value change in contingent consideration payable     34         34       34  
    Asset impairment (charges) reversals     (34 ) 24     (5 ) (15 )     (15 )
    Loss on sale of assets and other           (1 ) (1 )     (1 )
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes 59   11   65   47   18   (151 ) 49       49  

    (1)  The Skookumchuck wind facility has been included on a proportionate basis in the Wind and Solar segment.
    (2)  Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS. During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions. Refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section in this earnings release and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

    The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes by segment and provides reconciliation to earnings (loss) before income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2024:

      Hydro Wind &
    Solar(1)
    Gas Energy
    Transition
    Energy
    Marketing
    Corporate Total Equity-
    accounted
    investments(1)
    Reclass
    adjustments
    IFRS
    financials
    Revenues 112   139   433   217   52     953   (6 )   947  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Unrealized mark-to-market (gain) loss (5 ) (21 ) (91 ) (6 ) (3 )   (126 )   126    
    Decrease in finance lease receivable   1   4         5     (5 )  
    Finance lease income   1   1         2     (2 )  
    Unrealized foreign exchange gain on commodity     (1 )       (1 )   1    
    Adjusted revenue 107   120   346   211   49     833   (6 ) 120   947  
    Fuel and purchased power 6   9   142   166       323       323  
    Carbon compliance     40         40       40  
    Adjusted gross margin 101   111   164   45   49     470   (6 ) 120   584  
    OM&A 13   20   46   18   10   28   135   (1 )   134  
    Reclassifications and adjustments:                  
    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs           (3 ) (3 )   3    
    Adjusted OM&A 13   20   46   18   10   25   132   (1 ) 3   134  
    Taxes, other than income taxes 1   4   3         8       8  
    Net other operating income   (2 ) (10 )       (12 )     (12 )
    Adjusted EBITDA(2)(3) 87   89   125   27   39   (25 ) 342        
    Depreciation and amortization (7 ) (43 ) (55 ) (16 ) (1 ) (4 ) (126 ) 2     (124 )
    Equity income           (2 ) (2 )   3   1  
    Interest income           7   7       7  
    Interest expense           (69 ) (69 )     (69 )
    Realized foreign exchange gain (loss)(4)           (8 ) (8 )     (8 )
    Adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes(2) 80   46   70   11   38   (101 ) 144        
    Reclassifications and adjustments above 5   19   87   6   3   (3 ) 117        
    Finance lease income   1   1         2       2  
    Skookumchuk earnings reclass to Equity income(1)   (3 )       3          
    Asset impairment charges   (4 )   3       (1 )     (1 )
    Gain on sale of assets and other(4)           2   2       2  
    Unrealized foreign exchange gain(4)           3   3       3  
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes 85   59   158   20   41   (96 ) 267       267  

    (1) The Skookumchuck wind facility has been included on a proportionate basis in the Wind and Solar segment.
    (2) Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings (loss) before income taxes are non-IFRS measures, are not defined, have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.
    (3) During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions and Australian interest income. During the second quarter of 2024, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs. Therefore, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods. Refer to the Additional Non-IFRS and Supplementary Financial Measures section of the MD&A
    (4) Foreign exchange loss and other of $3 million reported in the first quarter of 2024 was broken down to conform to the current period presentation.

    Reconciliation of Earnings Before Income Taxes to Adjusted Net Earnings attributable to common shareholders

    The following table reflects reconciliation of earnings before income taxes to adjusted earnings attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024:

      Three months ended March 31
     
      2025   2024  
    Earnings before income taxes 49   267  
    Income tax expense 7   29  
    Net earnings 42   238  
    Net (loss) earnings attributable to non-controlling interests (4 ) 16  
    Net earnings attributable to common shareholders 46   222  
    Adjustments and reclassifications (pre-tax):    
    Adjustments and reclassifications to Revenues (7 ) (120 )
    Adjustments and reclassifications to Fuel and purchased power 2    
    Adjustments and reclassifications to OM&A 10   3  
    Adjustments and reclassifications to Net other operating expense (income) (2 )  
    Fair value change in contingent consideration payable (gain) (34 )  
    Finance lease income (6 ) (2 )
    Asset impairment charges 15   1  
    Loss (gain) on sale of assets and other 1   (2 )
    Unrealized foreign exchange (gain)   (3 )
    Calculated tax recovery on adjustments and reclassifications(1) 5   29  
    Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders(2) 30   128  
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the period 298   308  
    Net income per common share attributable to common shareholders 0.15   0.72  
    Adjustments and reclassifications (net of tax) (0.05 ) (0.31 )
    Adjusted net earnings per common share attributable to common shareholders(2) 0.10   0.41  

    (1) Represents a theoretical tax calculated by applying the Company’s consolidated effective tax rate of 23.3 per cent for the three months ended March 31, 2025 (March 31, 2024 — 23.3 per cent). The amount does not take into account the impact of different tax jurisdictions the Company’s operations are domiciled and does not include the impact of deferred taxes.
    (2) Adjusted net earnings attributable to common shareholders and Adjusted net earnings per common share attributable to common shareholders are non-IFRS measures, are not defined, have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The most directly comparable IFRS measures are net earnings attributable to common shareholders and net earnings per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted. Refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section in this earnings release and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

    Reconciliation of cash flow from operations to FFO and FCF

    The table below reconciles our cash flow from operating activities to our FFO and FCF:

      Three months ended March 31
     
      2025     2024  
    Cash flow from operating activities(1) 7     244  
    Change in non-cash operating working capital balances 117     (7 )
    Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital 124     237  
    Adjustments      
    Share of adjusted FFO from joint venture(1) 2     2  
    Decrease in finance lease receivable 8     5  
    Brazeau penalties payment 33      
    Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs 6     3  
    Other(2) 6     7  
    FFO(3) 179     254  
    Deduct:      
    Sustaining capital(1) (23 )   1  
    Dividends paid on preferred shares (13 )   (13 )
    Distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests     (19 )
    Principal payments on lease liabilities (1 )   (1 )
    Other (3 )   (1 )
    FCF(3) 139     221  
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the period 298     308  
    FFO per share(3) 0.60     0.82  
    FCF per share(3) 0.47     0.72  

    (1) Includes our share of amounts for the Skookumchuck wind facility, an equity-accounted joint venture.
    (2) Other consists of production tax credits, which is a reduction to tax equity debt, less distributions from an equity-accounted joint venture.
    (3) These items are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions and Australian interest income. During the second quarter of 2024, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs. Therefore, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods. Refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section in this earnings release and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

    The table below provides a reconciliation of our adjusted EBITDA to our FFO and FCF:

      Three Months Ended March 31
    $ millions, unless otherwise stated March 31, 2025   2024  
    Adjusted EBITDA(1)(4) 270   342  
    Provisions 8    
    Net interest expense(2) (72 ) (48 )
    Current income tax recovery (expense) (13 ) (27 )
    Realized foreign exchange gain (loss) (2 ) (8 )
    Decommissioning and restoration costs settled (9 ) (7 )
    Other non-cash items (3 ) 2  
    FFO(3)(4) 179   254  
    Deduct:    
    Sustaining capital(4) (23 ) 1  
    Dividends paid on preferred shares (13 ) (13 )
    Distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests   (19 )
    Principal payments on lease liabilities (1 ) (1 )
    Other (3 ) (1 )
    FCF(3)(4) 139   221  

    (1) Adjusted EBITDA is defined in the Additional IFRS Measures and Non-IFRS Measures of this earnings release and reconciled to earnings (loss) before income taxes above. During the first quarter of 2025, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions and Australian interest income. During the second quarter of 2024, our Adjusted EBITDA composition was amended to exclude the impact of acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs. Therefore, the Company has applied this composition to all previously reported periods.
    (2) Net interest expense is a non-IFRS measure, is not defined and has no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Refer to the table below for detailed calculation.
    (3) These items are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. FFO and FCF are defined in the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section of in this earnings release and reconciled to cash flow from operating activities above.
    (4) Includes our share of amounts for Skookumchuck wind facility, an equity-accounted joint venture.

    TransAlta is in the process of filing its unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes, as well as the associated Management’s Discussion & Analysis (MD&A). These documents will be available today on the Investors section of TransAlta’s website at www.transalta.com or through SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

    About TransAlta Corporation:

    TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with affordable, energy efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada’s largest producers of wind power and Alberta’s largest producer of thermal generation and hydro-electric power. For over 114 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud member of the communities where we operate and where our employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Future-Fit Business Benchmark, which also defines sustainable goals for businesses. Our reporting on climate change management has been guided by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S2 Climate-related Disclosures Standard and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. TransAlta has achieved a 70 per cent reduction in GHG emissions or 22.7 million tonnes CO2e since 2015 and received an upgraded MSCI ESG rating of AA.

    For more information about TransAlta, visit our web site at transalta.com.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release includes “forward-looking information,” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, and “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are not facts, but only predictions and generally can be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as “may”, “will”, “can”, “could”, “would”, “shall”, “believe”, “expect”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “forecast”, “foresee”, “potential”, “enable”, “continue” or other comparable terminology. These statements are not guarantees of our future performance, events or results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual performance, events or results to be materially different from those set out in or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements about the following, among other things: the strategic objectives of the Company and that the execution of the Company’s strategy will realize value for shareholders; our capital allocation and financing strategy; our sustainability goals and targets, including those in our 2024 Sustainability Report; our 2025 Outlook; our financial and operational performance, including our hedge position; optimizing and diversifying our existing assets; the increasingly contracted nature of our fleet; expectations about strategies for growth and expansion, including expected outcomes related to our investment in Nova Clean Energy, opportunities for Centralia redevelopment, and data centre opportunities; expected costs and schedules for planned projects; expected regulatory processes and outcomes, including in relation to the Alberta restructured energy market; the power generation industry and the supply and demand of electricity; the cyclicality of our business; expected outcomes with respect to legal proceedings; the expected impact of future tax and accounting changes; and expected industry, market and economic conditions.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on many assumptions including, but not limited to, the following: no significant changes to applicable laws and regulations; no unexpected delays in obtaining required regulatory approvals; no material adverse impacts to investment and credit markets; no significant changes to power price and hedging assumptions; no significant changes to gas commodity price assumptions and transport costs; no significant changes to interest rates; no significant changes to the demand and growth of renewables generation; no significant changes to the integrity and reliability of our facilities; no significant changes to the Company’s debt and credit ratings; no unforeseen changes to economic and market conditions; and no significant event occurring outside the ordinary course of business.

    These assumptions are based on information currently available to TransAlta, including information obtained from third-party sources. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted. Factors that may adversely impact what is expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in power prices; changes in supply and demand for electricity; our ability to contract our electricity generation for prices that will provide expected returns; our ability to replace contracts as they expire; risks associated with development projects and acquisitions; any difficulty raising needed capital in the future on reasonable terms or at all; our ability to achieve our targets relating to ESG; long-term commitments on gas transportation capacity that may not be fully utilized over time; changes to the legislative, regulatory and political environments; environmental requirements and changes in, or liabilities under, these requirements; operational risks involving our facilities, including unplanned outages and equipment failure; disruptions in the transmission and distribution of electricity; reductions in production; impairments and/or writedowns of assets; adverse impacts on our information technology systems and our internal control systems, including increased cybersecurity threats; commodity risk management and energy trading risks; reduced labour availability and ability to continue to staff our operations and facilities; disruptions to our supply chains; climate-change related risks; reductions to our generating units’ relative efficiency or capacity factors; general economic risks, including deterioration of equity and debt markets, increasing interest rates or rising inflation; general domestic and international economic and political developments, including potential trade tariffs; industry risk and competition; counterparty credit risk; inadequacy or unavailability of insurance coverage; increases in the Company’s income taxes and any risk of reassessments; legal, regulatory and contractual disputes and proceedings involving the Company; reliance on key personnel; and labour relations matters.

    The foregoing risk factors, among others, are described in further detail under the heading “Governance and Risk Management” in the MD&A, which section is incorporated by reference herein.

    Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully when evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on them. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made only as of the date hereof and we do not undertake to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. The purpose of the financial outlooks contained herein is to give the reader information about management’s current expectations and plans and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

    Note: All financial figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

    For more information:

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Outstanding B.C. lawyers receive King’s Counsel designation

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The following King’s counsel appointees are listed alphabetically by surname, with the year they were called to the B.C. bar:

    Peter Ameerali (2005) is a leading public law litigator and has been a constitutional expert with the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General since 2005. He pioneered B.C.’s civil forfeiture regime and has argued at all court levels. A recognized mentor and trainer, Ameerali has shaped the careers of dozens of lawyers and articled students. He is a respected leader in legal ethics, equity and inclusion, serving in senior advisory roles within and outside government.

    Morgan Camley (2006) is a nationally recognized barrister known for her excellence in complex litigation and regulatory matters. With a practice rooted in advocacy, she has appeared at all levels of court in B.C. and beyond. A dedicated mentor and leader, Camley is a champion for 2SLGBTQ inclusion in law and a respected voice in legal education and access to justice. Her practice spans commercial, Aboriginal, public and municipal law. She is widely regarded for her strategic, principled and community-centred approach to litigation and dispute resolution.

    Michelle Casavant (2010) has made a profound impact on legal education in British Columbia, particularly through her leadership on the Truth and Reconciliation Committee during her six years on the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia’s board of directors. A gifted educator and respected legal practitioner, Casavant shares her knowledge to elevate the profession and foster lifelong learning. Her work co-drafting complex land transaction regulations under the Indian Act and First Nations Commercial Industrial Development Act earned her a 2024 Excellence Award from the Community of Federal Regulators.

    Nikki Charlton (2004) is one of British Columbia’s leading family law practitioners, recognized by Lexpert and Best Lawyers Canada for her expertise and advocacy. A partner at Farris LLP and a bencher of the Law Society since 2024, she is also an accredited mediator, arbitrator and parenting co-ordinator. Nikki has shaped precedent-setting case law and is a respected educator, author, and conference leader. She is deeply committed to access to justice, providing pro-bono services and supporting vulnerable populations. She is a prolific contributor to continuing legal education and access to justice.

    Mary Childs (1989) is general counsel for the Tsawwassen First Nation, where she leads the legal department for the Nation’s self-governing authority. Her legal career has focused on corporate law, specializing in charities, and not-for-profit and co-operative groups. She has been an active public servant, serving as governor and chair of the Law Foundation of B.C., advancing Indigenous justice and legal services. She is also engaged in legal education and has served on various boards, including the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board, contributing significantly to public and Indigenous law.

    Beverly Churchill (1988) is a leader in family law and consensual dispute resolution. Practising in the Interior, she specializes in mediation, arbitration and collaborative law. With more than 37 years of experience, she has trained more than 350 professionals across Canada in non-evaluative child interviews. She chaired the BC Hear the Child Society and has contributed to multiple family-law organizations. A passionate advocate for children, she strives to support families through less adversarial processes, enhancing access to justice and promoting child-centred practices in the family justice system.

    Christina Cook (2010) founded the Indigenous Lawyer History website and has held key leadership roles, including as an elected bencher for the Law Society of BC and chair of the Canadian Bar Association BC (CBABC) Aboriginal Lawyers Forum. She is a recognized advocate for diversity and inclusion, having received awards such as the UBC Indigenous Law Students Association’s Courage in Law Award and the Philippa Samworth Award for the Advancement of Women in Law. Serving as senior policy lawyer at BC First Nations Justice Council. She continues to influence national legal initiatives and mentor the next generation of Indigenous lawyers.

    Barbara Cornish (1992) is a nationally and internationally recognized mediator and arbitrator, specializing in commercial, insurance and regulatory disputes. A partner at Cornish Margolis Boyd, she focuses exclusively on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and has been named a Global Elite Thought Leader in ADR. A distinguished fellow and governor of the International Academy of Mediators, she contributes to the development of ADR practices through her leadership roles and educational initiatives. Her work in access to justice, mentorship and contributions to legal education make her a prominent figure in her field.

    Vincent Critchley (1997) is a highly regarded professional liability lawyer and the managing partner at QA Law. With more than 25 years of experience, he is the go-to lawyer for repairing legal errors, particularly on behalf of the Lawyers Indemnity Fund. He has been at the forefront of developing the law in areas that affect legal malpractice. Critchley has appeared as lead counsel in precedent-setting cases at the Court of Appeal. He is also a committed educator, regularly lecturing on professional liability, litigation strategy and contributing to legal organizations such as the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia (CLEBC) and ICBC.

    Michaela Donnelly (1997) is senior trial counsel with the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS), specializing in major crime prosecutions, such as homicide and dangerous-offender applications. She is a recognized expert on issues related to not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder, providing training for prosecutors and police. Donnelly regularly appears before the BC Review Board and is deeply committed to legal education, mentorship and community service. She also serves on the BCPS Gender Equity and Advancement Committee, focusing on improving equity and opportunities for women in the legal profession.

    Stephanie Fabbro (1999) is a leading family lawyer, mediator and parenting co-ordinator. Practising at Hamilton Fabbro, the firm she co-founded in 2008, she is recognized annually by Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Lexpert Directory. A tireless advocate for non-adversarial family law, she leads the BC Collaborative Roster Society and Parenting Coordinators Roster Society. She has been instrumental in advancing parenting co-ordination standards in B.C. and developing accessible family law resources. In addition, she serves as a mentor and a community volunteer.

    Grant Haddock (1992) is the founder of Haddock and Company, specializing in housing law, including non-profit housing, strata property, residential tenancy and co-op housing. He has created a discounted legal services program for the housing sector, increasing access to justice. A sought-after speaker, he regularly delivers seminars for BC Non-Profit Housing Association and LandlordBC. His advocacy for affordable housing and mentoring of young lawyers has made a significant impact on B.C.’s housing sector. He also contributes to legal publications and continues to champion legal education and access to justice.

    Kevin Kohan (2003) is chief legislative counsel and registrar of regulations for British Columbia and has played a pivotal role in shaping provincial legislation for more than two decades. Known for his legal precision, leadership and integrity, Kohan has drafted landmark laws, such as emergency COVID-19 legislation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. He leads a team of more than 50 professionals and has modernized legislative drafting to reflect inclusive and transparent governance. He is a adviser to cabinet and a two-time Premier’s Award recipient.

    Andrew MacDonald (1989) is a deputy regional Crown counsel with the BCPS, after stepping down as regional Crown counsel for the Fraser region in 2024. Known for his integrity and exceptional judgment, he has mentored young lawyers and contributed to legal education. He is recognized for his commitment to justice and volunteer work in the community. His leadership within the BCPS has made a lasting impact on the prosecution service.

    Andrea MacKay (2000) is one of British Columbia’s top trial and appellate litigators, with a practice spanning complex civil, criminal and administrative law. MacKay has appeared in numerous landmark cases, including at the Supreme Court of Canada, and has also made a significant contribution to the bench and bar through her extensive work on criminal ineffective assistance appeals. She frequently assists the Law Society of B.C. and colleagues in challenging matters and provides pro-bono representation in cases of public importance. She has taught at the national criminal law program and has been an instructor at the McEachern advanced trial advocacy course.

    Anne MacKenzie (1979) has had a distinguished career, including 34 years as a judge, serving as Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of B.C. and as a Court of Appeal justice. Recently returning to practice at Hira Rowan LLP, she has presided over significant civil, criminal and family trials, including in French. As a mentor, she has played a key role in judicial education. She retired from the bench in 2024 and continues to contribute to the legal community through practice and educational initiatives.

    Raji Mangat (2011) is a respected non-profit leader and litigator with 20 years of experience working to improve access to justice for marginalized communities through systemic change efforts. She is a strong advocate for equity and inclusion in the legal profession and has donated her time to several legal organizations, including Access Pro Bono, Health Justice, and Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC.

    Suzette Narbonne (1995) is the managing lawyer at the Society for Children and Youth Legal Centre in Vancouver. Her legal career began in 1989 with Legal Aid Manitoba, where she served in remote areas and First Nations communities. After moving to B.C. in 1995, she focused on legal-aid clients before joining the Society for Children and Youth in 2017. She is an advocate for children’s legal rights, leading initiatives to ensure children’s voices are heard in legal matters.

    Emily Ohler (2001) is a respected human rights leader known for her innovative, values-driven approach to complex challenges. As chair of the BC Human Rights Tribunal, she led a turnaround during a period of crisis, securing critical funding, restructuring operations and launching reforms that reduced delays and restored public confidence. With a global background in international law and United Nation’s reparations, Ohler combines legal expertise with strategic vision, equity and integrity.

    Mark Oulton (2000) has long been recognized as one of B.C.’s leading public law, natural resource and commercial law barristers. His unique background has allowed him to develop a multi-disciplinary litigation practice that sits at the intersection of forestry, commercial and Indigenous law, and engages challenging and important issues at the centre of reconciliation and its intersection with the provincial economy. Beyond the courtroom, Oulton is a director with VanIAC and Brockton school, and an author for CLEBC.

    David Paterson (1985) is a prominent litigator in Aboriginal law and reconciliation, currently practising at Paterson Law Office. He played a key role in landmark cases and negotiated the historic Haida Title Lands Agreement. His contributions to residential school litigation were instrumental in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. He is a leader in public service and legal organizations, such as Reconciliation Canada. His integrity and expertise have earned him widespread recognition for his dedication to justice and reconciliation in Canada.

    Georges Rivard (1992) practises criminal law in Fort St. John, defending cases in English and French. Of French Canadian Métis heritage, he advocates for marginalized communities in northern B.C., particularly First Nations clients. He is committed to language rights, advancing these causes in court and mentoring young lawyers. As a bencher for the Law Society of BC, he contributes to ethics and complaints review. His fierce advocacy and dedication to diversity and justice have earned him respect in the legal community, particularly in the northern and rural regions of B.C.

    Salima Samnani (2008) is the director of legal services at the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic and a lecturer at Peter A. Allard school of law at the University of British Columbia. She is the principal of Salima Samnani Law Corporation, where she practices in family law and employment law, providing legal expertise to individuals, community organizations, non-profit legal services and marginalized communities. She has served as the counsel for the Union of BC Indian Chiefs at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and commission counsel for the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (B.C.). She received her J.D. from the University of Victoria and a master’s degree in law and international business from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.

    Kate Saunders (2007) leads one of the largest litigation teams in British Columbia’s Ministry of Attorney General, serving as supervising counsel since 2018. She provides strategic leadership on more than 5,000 active cases and oversees the Province’s settlements under the Crown Proceeding Act. She has worked on landmark cases involving the public health-care system, safe-injection sites and free speech. Saunders’ commitment to public service further extends to serving as an adjudicator on the Law Society of B.C.’s tribunal, advocating for lawyer wellness, volunteering as an instructor at universities and promoting access to justice through pro-bono initiatives.

    Jon Sigurdson (1974) has had a distinguished career as a lawyer, judge and educator. After practising with Bull Housser Tupper, he became a partner at Fraser Kelleher Sigurdson Watts and Gudmundseth. Serving as a Supreme Court Justice from 1994 until 2017, he contributed to judicial education and legal education as an instructor at UBC’s Allard school of law. He was also a contributing editor for The Advocate. His leadership in legal education and commitment to justice and mentorship have made him a highly respected figure in B.C.’s legal community.

    Thomas Spraggs (2003) is a respected civil litigator, legal innovator and dedicated leader in British Columbia’s legal community. He owns Spraggs Law and has championed technology to modernize legal practice. A bencher for Westminster County since 2020 and the Law Society of B.C.’s second vice-president for 2025, Spraggs is widely recognized for his integrity, mentorship and commitment to professional wellness, access to justice and reconciliation. He contributes to legal education through CLEBC and CBABC and has served on numerous boards, reflecting his deep commitment to public service and the advancement of the legal profession.

    Karen Tse (2012) is a rural family lawyer, family law mediator, Legal Aid BC duty counsel and civil litigator. As the first female and IBPOC partner at Rockies Law LLP and first Asian female to serve as vice-president and president-elect of the Kootenay Bar Association, she is dedicated to promoting access to justice in rural communities and providing mentorship to the Kootenay bar. Tse was named volunteer of the year by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce. Her work with the Fernie Women’s Resource Centre and Fernie Child Care Society continues to support rural families accessing child care and women and children in crisis.

    John Tuck (1995) is the acting assistant deputy attorney general in the Legal Services Branch at B.C.’s Ministry of Attorney General. With nearly 30 years of experience specializing in information and privacy law, he provides strategic advice to government, including premiers and senior officials. He has appeared at all levels of court, including in front of the Supreme Court of Canada. In addition to his legal practice, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria law school, where he teaches privacy law.

    Gaynor Yeung (1996) is a partner at Whitelaw Twining in Vancouver, specializing in insurance law and mediation. She has appeared before all levels of B.C. courts and is widely respected by plaintiff and defence counsel. She is regularly recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. Elected a bencher in 2021, she chairs the practice standards committee and serves as vice-chair of the EDI Committee, demonstrating her leadership, commitment to ethics and integrity within the legal community.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects two illicit cigarette exporting cases and shuts down illicit cigarette packaging and storage centre with seizure worth about $16 million (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs earlier detected two cases of exporting smuggled cigarettes in Kwai Chung and, upon a follow-up investigation, dismantled an illicit cigarette packaging and storage centre in Yuen Long last night (May 6). A total of about 3.6 million suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $16 million and a duty potential of about $12 million were seized and two persons were arrested.
     
    Customs earlier detected two cases of exporting smuggled cigarettes at a logistics centre in Kwai Chung. A total of about 1.9 million suspected illicit cigarettes were seized in two batches of goods destined for Australia.
     
    After a follow-up investigation, Customs took action last night and raided a metal warehouse in Tai Tong, Yuen Long, seizing about 1.7 million suspected illicit cigarettes and a batch of packaging tools. A 46-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman, who claimed to be a worker in a vehicle repair workshop and a retiree respectively, were arrested.
     
    Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate used a remote metal warehouse to collect and store illicit cigarettes. After repackaging, the illicit cigarettes were transported to the logistics centre concerned in Kwai Chung and were disguised as legitimate goods for exporting to Australia for profit.
     
    Investigations of the cases are ongoing, and the two arrested persons were released on bail pending further investigation.

    Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis, and step up enforcement actions to combat cross-boundary illicit cigarette activities. Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.

    Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

    Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hongkong Post to issue “Victoria Harbour Promenades” special stamps (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    ​Hongkong Post announced today (May 7) that a set of special stamps and associated philatelic products on the theme of “Victoria Harbour Promenades” will be released for sale on May 22 (Thursday).
     
    Victoria Harbour is a world-famous natural harbour recognised as an icon of Hong Kong. The Government and the Harbourfront Commission have been committed to enhancing the harbourfront of Victoria Harbour for the past 20 years, with a view to creating an attractive, vibrant, accessible and sustainable harbourfront. Hongkong Post will release a set of four stamps, a stamp sheetlet and associated philatelic products themed on “Victoria Harbour Promenades”, which feature the scenic waterfronts on both sides of the Harbour. The stamps showcase the stunning harbour views by day and night and highlight the achievements in enhancing the promenades, thereby encouraging the public to appreciate and enjoy the quality and diversified harbourfront spaces.
     
    To enhance youth participation, the design of the $10 stamp sheetlet is based on the winning entry of the Student Group in the Victoria Harbourfront Photo and Short Video Competition jointly organised by the Harbourfront Commission and the Harbour Office of the Development Bureau in 2023. The award-winning photograph captures Victoria Harbour at sunset, with the sun casting glowing beams between the skyscrapers, illuminating a boat on the water and showcasing the stunning sunset view of Victoria Harbour.
     
    Official first day covers for “Victoria Harbour Promenades” will be on sale at all post offices and Hongkong Post’s online shopping mall ShopThruPost (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) from tomorrow (May 8). This set of special stamps and associated philatelic products will be on sale at all post offices and ShopThruPost from May 22, while serviced first day covers affixed with the special stamps and postage prepaid picture cards (air mail) will be available at philatelic offices only.
     
    A hand-back date-stamping service will be provided on May 22 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address.
     
    Information about this set of special stamps and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

    • Date:2025-05-04
    • Data Source:Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

    May 4, 2025
    No.136

    Australia held a federal election on May 3 to elect its 48th Parliament, including all 150 seats of the House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 seats in the Senate. According to the results, the ruling Australian Labor Party won a majority of seats. The smooth and peaceful election process was characteristic of a mature democracy. On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses sincere congratulations to the people and government of Australia.

    Taiwan and Australia share the universal values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and human rights. Bilateral relations have continued to steadily grow in recent years. Collaboration is close in such fields as economics and trade, science and technology, information security, energy, and whole-of-society defense resilience. Last August, the Australian Senate passed an urgency motion refuting China’s flagrant misrepresentation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. The passage of the motion underlined the staunch cross-party support for Taiwan in the Australian Parliament.

    Building on these robust foundations, the government of Taiwan hopes to further enhance cooperation in all domains with the new government of Australia and jointly work to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Search and Rescue Operation – Kalkarindji

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force coordinated a search and rescue operation conducted by local community members to locate two women southeast of Kalkarindji yesterday.

    About 10:00am, the Joint Emergency Services Communications Centre received reports of concerns for welfare of two women after they did not arrive safely to the Kalkarindji community following an outing the previous night. One of the females was able to get in contact with a member of the community and advised that they were bogged and the other female had walked off.

    A local helicopter, provided by Helimuster Helicopters commenced the Search and Rescue Operation and members from the community assisted.

    About 2:35pm, the first female was located by the ALPA Community Store manager near a cattle station bore and an hour later the second female and their pet dogs were located by the helicopter. Both females were safe and well and transported to Kalkarindji Clinic for medical assessment.

    Senior Constable Karl von Minden, Police Search and Rescue Coordinator said, “Police appreciate the assistance of staff from the Kalkarindji ALPA store, Helimuster Helicopters, local community members and Kalkarindji police for their swift response and assistance in the search efforts.”

    “Those who choose to explore the great Territory outback are urged to carry sufficient drinking water, consider bringing a Personal Locator Beacon and to stay with their vehicle if lost in the bush.”

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NAB announces its 2025 Half Year Results

    Source: Premier of Victoria

    NAB Group CEO Andrew Irvine said the bank was managing its business well in continued challenging operating conditions.

    “NAB is in good shape, has a clear strategy and the business is well placed for the long term,” Mr Irvine said.

    NAB’s performance

    Six months ago, the bank refreshed its strategy to be a more customer-centric, simpler and faster organisation.

    “We have plenty of work ahead, but NAB is tracking in the right direction,” Mr Irvine said.

    “We have three clear priorities – growing our core business banking franchise, driving our performance in deposits, and improving in proprietary home lending.”

    Mr Irvine said NAB’s business bank was a key differentiator in a highly competitive market.

    He shared NAB competes from a position of strength, with the benefit of scale and expertise across our franchise, powered by deep customer relationships.

    “I’m pleased NAB is the biggest business lender and we are now the largest bank in business deposits and have improved our share of household deposits.

    “During the past six months, we have increased our share of SME lending. We want to grow this business, not simply defend it.”

    NAB’s interim dividend of 85 cents puts $2.6 billion back in the hands of shareholders.

    “As more than 40% of our shareholders are retail investors, this is significant for the many mums and dads and retirees who depend on dividends for their income,” Mr Irvine said.

    “While we are getting simpler, faster and more focussed on customers, safety and stability will always be a feature of NAB, and our balance sheet settings remain strong.”

    Australian economy is well placed

    On the economy, Mr Irvine said the first few months of this year have witnessed dramatic shifts in global economic policy.

    “I expect unpredictability and volatility will persist for a while yet.

    “Uncertainty might be uncomfortable for businesses and households, but overall Australia entered this period in good shape.

    “Low unemployment, easing inflation and anticipated growth are all helping.

    “This provides capacity for future cash rate cuts to help offset any further global headwinds.”

    The ASX announcement and NAB CEO 2025 Half Year Results VNR is available for download at the bottom of this article.

    Watch NAB CEO Andrew Irvine discuss NAB’s 2025 Half Year Result in this video

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Thomson Reuters SYNERGY Conference

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Jeremy Hirschhorn, Second Commissioner, Client Engagement Group
    Panel discussion at the Thomson Reuters SYNERGY Conference
    Sydney, 13 March 2025
    (Check against delivery)

    Macro trends in taxation of large corporations

    Thank you for the opportunity to speak on today’s panel on the topic of preparing for tax change, particularly in the context of large corporations, whether domestic or multinational.

    I would like to start with 2 very important provisos: firstly, I’m reminded of the old adage, to be very cautious before making predictions, especially about the future. And secondly, that these are the observations of an administrator – the bricklayer, not the architect – and certainly not with the intention to be suggestions on policy or the merits of future policy directions.

    Today I will touch on the following 5 topics:

    • context as to the status quo in Australia
    • which country gets to tax a multinational’s profits?
    • increased focus on the uncertain topic of ‘tax certainty’
    • transparency giving confidence to other participants
    • the ‘fifth pillar’ of third-party data.

    Some context as to the status quo in Australia

    The Australian setting is, in some ways, an ideal one for a tax administrator. We have a general population with financial and economic literacy and a keen eye for where something is fair, or it isn’t, particularly when it comes to paying tax. Because most Australians honestly pay the tax that is due (perhaps not always enthusiastically or exuberantly, but recognising the benefits of our social compact), they are very focused on making sure that other participants, particularly the rich and powerful, are also making their contribution. This is reflected in our ‘tax gap‘ analysis, which estimates that the Australian system is collecting about 93% of the tax legally due and payable. Australians also demand fiscal responsibility from their Governments.

    The Australian social compact is based on an expectation Government will play a significant role in social matters, especially in health, disability services, aged care, and social security. Political differences mainly go to the level of this role, rather than its existence. There is also an expectation that Governments will show discipline and strive for balanced budgets over the economic cycle – to sustainably pay for the above!

    In the last 2 years, the Government has achieved a surplus, supported by historically high employment and commodity prices (and the tax that flows from these), and our largest taxpayers have contributed significant levels of corporate tax to Federal Government revenues (even after taking into account franking benefits). This revenue goes a long way to support the priorities for spending by the Government of the day.

    Taking a longer-term perspective, the nature of the Australian economy is that the level of corporate tax collections has been relatively high as a percentage of GDP compared with many other developed countries, perhaps due to the relative immobility of much of the corporate activity in Australia (such as mining). This means that any reduction in corporate tax rate would require a very significant increase in overall corporate investment to be revenue neutral. As such, Australian Governments, given the community’s expectation of fiscal discipline, have historically found it challenging to dramatically pivot away from the existing corporate tax base.

    Which country gets to tax a multinational’s profits?

    One current area of flux is the question global tax policy makers have been collectively thinking about for a number of years: in a global economy, who gets to tax corporate profits?

    We’ve seen a macro trend over the decades to reduce taxes in market jurisdictions (unless there was a physical presence), with reductions or elimination of withholding taxes, custom duties and tariffs. (And as an aside, the flip side of this macro trend is the focus of companies on optimising supply chains and transfer pricing, and tax administrations on challenging transfer mis-pricing). This trend has arguably been partially offset with the conversion of sales taxes to value-added taxes (VATs) which implicitly tax some value generated offshore. More recently, VATs have been bolstered to apply to imported ‘business to consumer’ (B2C) services and B2C low value goods (rarely captured under the superseded sales tax and customs duties regimes).

    In the global economy of 2025, the model of economic participation with limited physical presence in a jurisdiction is increasingly prevalent, and this puts strain on market jurisdictions’ tax collections. From a tax administration perspective, this has been exacerbated by the international tax system effectively allowing significant profits to be booked in neither the market jurisdiction nor the ownership jurisdiction (where the underlying intellectual property driving value was developed), in combination with corporate tax rate competition (often by previously comparably taxed, but now lowly taxed, jurisdictions).

    Until very recently, the focus of much international tax discussion was on providing additional (but carefully limited) taxing rights to market jurisdictions (and limiting incentives to book profits in intermediate untaxed or low taxed jurisdictions). Possible solutions being discussed included extending the coverage of VATs, the implementation of Digital Services Tax (DSTs), and the OECD’s pillars work. However, there is now a new countervailing argument that taxation by the market jurisdiction should be severely limited and taxation (or not!) of corporate profits should be reserved to the ownership jurisdiction.

    This debate is fundamentally driven not just by economic concepts, but by national interests and cultural views as to the role of taxation and what is fair. Multilateral consensus may be increasingly difficult, but bilateral arrangements are also challenging in an interconnected world, making this a delicate dance for governments from a policy perspective, as well as administrators.

    I note that the increased capability and use of AI if anything exacerbates this trend and tension, and also raises new tax technical, policy, practical and economic questions. For example, can a market country tax the value generated by (mobile) robots (even if it wants to) or is the value in the data and the physical data centres, and can a country tax that?

    Increased focus on tax certainty – but is the concept of tax certainty itself uncertain?

    Often there is a (simplistic) proposition that we need increased tax certainty. It is beyond today’s scope to explore in detail, but I wanted to briefly reflect on what ‘tax certainty’ means from different perspectives. My proposition is that there is a balance to be struck between the ‘certainty’ meant and desired by each stakeholder, and that the ‘certainty’ of one stakeholder group (including the tax administrator!) cannot be excessively privileged over others.

    For Governments, tax certainty at the very least means broad predictability of the tax base for the country to pay for recurrent programs the community expects the Government to adequately fund, like healthcare, law enforcement and education. As well, governments require certainty that new tax policy settings won’t create unintended market distortions or taxpayers seeking out arrangements for the purposes of tax (usually avoidance) that they otherwise wouldn’t. Putting it another way, tax policy should not be inadvertently defined by unintended loopholes. The retention of ‘tax sovereignty’ is also critical to any Government.

    For taxpayers, there is a desire for ‘tax legislative certainty’ and ‘tax administration certainty’ (often blurred together). A well-designed system will ideally provide as much technical certainty as possible as well as certainty in the administrator’s view of the law, allowing taxpayers to correctly anticipate their obligations, and take informed positions consistent with their risk posture where their analysis of the law might differ from the administrator’s. It includes some sense of a ‘statute of limitations’, that (most) matters will be finalised within a reasonable time. It also means that, in the event of a dispute, there is confidence that there is access to an independent legal system. Often there is an element of ensuring that there is not double taxation of the same profits in different jurisdictions. As an aside, I would suggest that ‘double inclusion’ (where the profits are taxed, but only at nominal rates, in one of the jurisdictions) is not the same as ‘double taxation’. I would also add that, in my experience, there remains significantly more ‘double non-taxation’ in the international tax system than ‘true’ double taxation.

    Another (often overlooked or discounted) element of tax certainty for taxpayers is ‘tax setting certainty’, i.e. that longer-term settings are relatively stable (although noting the need for every Government to retain tax sovereignty). Over the last decades, we have seen ‘favourable instability’ in the sense of a macro trend towards reductions (sometimes dramatic reductions) in corporate tax rates globally (and even in Australia, where it is sometimes forgotten that the top corporate tax rate was almost 50% 40 years ago). Arguably this has provided windfall gains to already deployed capital on long term projects.

    The corollary is that a company should be cautious in assuming ‘setting stability’ in modelling possible investment in a country that has an attractively low corporate tax rate (or has other incentives), but is running unsustainable deficits. At some stage that country is likely to be forced to change either its spending or its taxation. Therefore, in making capital deployment decisions, investors should consider more than the current fiscal settings, but also how a country may seek (or be forced) to change those settings in future: and even if the changes do not directly change the taxation of the enterprise, they may affect its employees or customers, resulting in other pressures on the enterprise’s profitability.

    A revenue authority or administrator needs the ability to check and, if need be, challenge affairs of taxpayers to ensure tax law is complied with. On the other hand, a tax administrator will be acutely sensitive to any concept of tax certainty (or measures to provide ‘tax certainty’) which can be used as a practical shield for aggressive tax planning.

    Transparency giving confidence to other participants

    Another element of ‘tax certainty’ is that the broader citizenry has confidence that all taxpayers, especially the largest ones, are meeting their obligations and do not have unfair access to concessions or loopholes. Transparency is critical in providing this certainty and confidence.

    I’ve spoken before about how important transparency is, and I might expand on it now, particularly how it touches each segment of taxpayers. Australia has had a significant focus in recent years in increasing transparency across the tax system.

    The first increase we’ve seen is in transparency to the public by companies around their specific tax affairs. This is seen in several avenues, both through the ATO’s reporting (such as the corporate tax transparency report), and by companies themselves publishing information on their websites (for example under the Board of Taxation Voluntary Tax Transparency CodeExternal Link).

    Secondly, we’ve seen an increase in transparency to the public by tax administrators as to the health of the system overall. Through the ATO’s tax gap program, we publish reports on the estimated difference between what we expect to collect and the estimated full amount that would have been collected if every taxpayer was fully compliant with the law. In 2023–24 we released 8 different reports on our observations for income tax and GST, especially regarding larger taxpayers, including settlement statistics for public and multinational businesses. We also publish information on our super guarantee compliance results, our resolved objections from taxpayers, and figures regarding help given to individuals and small businesses experiencing vulnerability.

    Thirdly, the ATO has increased transparency to taxpayers on our administrative view on key circumstances and tax settings. We do this because it’s important taxpayers across all segments can have confidence in how the ATO will view their arrangements and won’t be pursuing them for compliance issues in the future. Although challenged by some as somehow ‘extra-legal’, we consider that taxpayers are unambiguously better off if they know the ATO’s risk parameters – although taxpayers might not agree with our parameters, they must be better off being able to make an informed risk-based decision than operating in the dark!

    Fourthly, we are providing tax assurance reports to large taxpayers so that they know how they are viewed by the ATO, for example through our justified trust program. This is supplemented by ‘population level’ statistics as to tax behaviours of the ‘peer group’. This means that large taxpayers have much more knowledge of where they stand with the ATO, as well as relative to others.

    As the community expectation of transparency increases, and more taxpayers place importance on showing their compliance to internal and external stakeholders, I would posit that we are likely to see not only an increase in the volume of transparency across all of the aspects above, but also a standardisation and integration of currently disparate measures.

    Third-party data – the ‘fifth pillar’

    Under traditional analysis, there are 4 pillars of tax compliance: registration, lodgment, payment and correct reporting. Increasingly at the ATO we are ‘splitting out’ third-party reporting (i.e. reporting on the tax affairs of others) as a ‘fifth pillar’ in its own right.

    What has become increasingly critical in a modern tax system is reliance of the system on third-party data provided by large corporations (ideally the ones now showing high levels of compliance!) which fuels how taxpayers of all size interact with their tax obligations.

    Third-party data gives administrators the ability to feed information into the system that makes complying easier, and importantly, not complying harder. More and more information like interest and dividend income, standardised investment trust data, salary, health insurance data and information about contractors, are all going directly into tax systems. This trend will continue, and we’ll see the classic concept of ‘self-assessment’ (at least for those with simpler affairs) being gradually replaced with ‘assisted assessment’ where taxpayers are provided a comprehensive picture of their own data which they then largely simply confirm.

    Modern tax administrators, therefore, will be asking for new data sources from companies holding relevant information, and tax systems will increasingly be defined around the fifth pillar of third-party data, rather than vice versa.

    Conclusion

    All this speaks to the relative health of Australia’s tax system, and while the ATO will always primarily focus on its purpose, which is to collect the taxes due so that Government can provide the services that the Australian community requires, the questions and challenges that stem from further abroad are important to ponder in ensuring our resilience and effectiveness in an uncertain world.

    Thank you once again for the opportunity to appear on this panel and for your attention, and I look forward to responding to your questions and observations.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Speech to UNSW 16th ATAX International Conference

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Jeremy Hirschhorn, Second Commissioner, Client Engagement Group
    Speech delivered at the UNSW 16th ATAX International Conference
    on Tax Administration

    Sydney, 8 April 2025
    (Check against delivery)

    Thank you for having me today.

    In reflecting on this topic and preparing for today, I have realised the real topic I would like to discuss is trust:

    • The trust given to tax administrators to perform a vital function: to fairly collect tax so that Governments can provide services to citizens.
    • As part of this trust, the powers given to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to access sensitive financial information about people, as well as powers of enforcement.
    • The fact that this sensitive information is not only shared but compulsorily shared.
    • Given the trust placed in the tax administrator, the need for the tax administrator (and I would argue any Government agency and even systemically important private firm) to be worthy of that trust (and I emphasise here the subtle difference between aiming to be trusted versus striving always to be trustworthy).

    So today, I will only touch on some of the actual uses of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation by the ATO. The focus will be on how a tax administrator should approach its duty to be trustworthy in the area of data, automation and AI.

    If you are going to use automation and AI, make sure your data settings are right

    Good use of AI starts with a strong culture of ethical stewardship of all data use and sharing. This includes an ethical approach to transparency about how you are storing the data and the safeguards in place to protect it, and crucially, the ethical administration of systems.

    The ATO has a range of formal governance arrangements in place for use of data in the organisation, as well as a number of APS-wide ones we align our practices to. We’ve developed further guidelines including Chief executive instructions for our staff, and the ATO data ethics principles which are published on our website as our public commitment to Australian taxpayers. They lay out the protocols that govern how we collect and store data, what it’s used for, and who the data is shared with. The 6 data ethics principles are worth briefly highlighting for you here:

    1. Act in the public interest, be mindful of the individual which ensures we recognise our actions impact the community and individuals.
    2. Uphold privacy, security and legality which respects the privacy of every individual and the wider community and ensures we prioritise keeping their information safe protected and only securely shared within the law.
    3. Explain clearly and be transparent which acknowledges the need for us to be open and communicate how we use data in a way that is universally accessible and easy to understand.
    4. Engage in purposeful data activities which keeps us accountable to using data in a way which aligns with our purpose, and where it’s necessary to perform the functions we are responsible for.
    5. Exercise human supervision which highlights the importance we place on human oversight and accountability for our data activities and the decisions we make.
    6. Maintain data stewardship ensures we protect the data we hold and that when we acquire or share data, we will agree with other agencies and departments on how the data will be used and kept securely.

    Underpinning good decision making (whether by carbon or silicon!) is high quality data. The ATO has some of Australia’s largest data holdings, and we invest heavily in the quality of that data and work hard to make sure it’s usable.

    Without good data, you won’t get too far, in fact, you’ll probably go far in the wrong direction.

    We don’t ‘own’ taxpayer data, we hold it ‘on trust’

    Everyday Australians trust us to acquire and hold their private financial information. Importantly, this sharing is not freely chosen by individuals, but is compulsory.

    Further, in the context of information obtained under compulsory powers, taxpayers must provide us information even if that information would be self-incriminating. This particular exception to the general rule in a liberal democracy is justified on the basis that some financial information is uniquely in the possession of the taxpayer, and the job of a tax administrator could be easily frustrated without this exception.

    These factors emphasise the sensitivity and care with which we must treat taxpayer data. On-sharing of this data, even with other parts of Government, must be strictly in accordance with law. But perhaps more importantly, and a lesson from Robodebt, is that the tax administrator must continue to act as a steward of that data even after it has been legally shared.

    Beware ‘data hubris’

    It is very important to make sure your use of data takes into account its quality and reliability.

    We now tend to think of data as on a curve:

    • Level 1 is taxpayer provided data, where there is no bulk data set available, such as work-related expense claims where taxpayers keep their receipts.
    • Level 2 is where we can obtain data after the event to check that data, but maybe not at scale.
    • Level 3 is where the data can be sourced to be used as a risk indicator pre or post lodgment but it is not of a quality or type that would be productive to expose to taxpayers.
    • Level 4 is where the data is of a high enough quality that it can be used to assist taxpayers to comply as they lodge.
    • Level 5 is where the data is very high quality and can be used to pre-fill returns as presumptively correct.
    • Level 6 is where the data is so reliable that the tax system is actually designed around the data.

    Importantly, before making any decision based on data, it is critical to understand the potential impact on the taxpayer of the tax administrator making a mistake, and to ensure that you have the procedural and cultural safeguards to protect against ‘high impact actions’ made in error.

    This focus on potential errors is very hard. It forces you to understand the other person’s world (and how your actions may affect it). Thinking about errors requires a discipline as classic measures such as complaint levels or error rates do not get to the heart of whether your errors are impactful or not. Being a data-driven organisation arguably exacerbates (rather than improves) this challenge – it is all too easy to fall in the trap of ‘data hubris’.

    Ideally these potential errors are identified while they are still ‘potential’. However, a tax administrator must remain hyper-vigilant. Noting that most people are fundamentally honest, a high ‘hit rate’ should be viewed with great caution. It is more likely to be a sign of ‘data hubris’ than widespread non-compliance, and should be treated as such until proven otherwise. The UK Post Office scandal is a prime example of an institution having excessive trust in the computer systems and insufficient trust in ordinary people.

    AI may be a helper. It can move things around, it can link, synthesise and analyse information, and it can do some things much faster and more consistently than we as humans can. But AI cannot determine what constitutes fairness and reasonableness, having considered unique taxpayer circumstances with compassion and empathy. (And, in my experience, perhaps most dangerously, AI doesn’t know when to say it doesn’t know). AI should be thought of as a bionic arm. It’s an extension of our thinking and our actions; a tool – but not a replacement.

    What this means is that any decision which adversely affects the rights of taxpayers should be made by a human.

    But further, I would posit that, even in some future where AI passes some form of advanced Turing’s test for compassion and empathy, part of the social compact with citizens is that they want a human to make decisions with important impacts on their life.

    This does not mean that the use of automation and AI is limited to ‘service’, but ‘service’ enabled by automation and AI, such as pre-fill, is of extraordinary value to citizens in making their lives easier. Automation and AI can be very useful for risk analysis and case selection: for analysing documents for key information to support auditors getting to the heart of a matter quickly, and for nudging taxpayers in real time when they may be taking unwise actions.

    I would further posit that another element of the trust equation (at least for a tax administrator, if not every Government and large organisation) is that actions or decisions should be explicable by a human to the affected person in a way that the affected person can understand (even if automated or performed by AI). If you do not know why your organisation is doing things (‘the computer said so’), you are breaching your responsibility to be accountable to both the individual taxpayer, but also the broader system.

    Automation and AI will amplify your biases

    Building on the ‘data hubris’ point, automation and AI will reflect and possibly amplify previous hidden biases (whether you are a public or private sector organisation). An example of this was the Dutch child care scandal, where the risk rules underpinning an anti-fraud compliance program were found to be biased against non-citizens.

    Again, bias is a very tricky thing for individuals and institutions to self-identify, so it is important to be vigilant about possible implicit biases leading to systemic issues.

    Of course, the biases can be hiding in the original training set, but importantly can also arise from how you ‘train’ the AI on an on-going basis. I remember reading an article, probably 25 years ago, entitled “Is your spreadsheet a tax evader?”. The article was based on 2 premises:

    1. that pretty much every complicated spreadsheet has bugs and
    2. although the bugs might be evenly distributed at first (so the spreadsheet is equally likely to over or under calculate the tax bill), over time they become skewed due to how people using the spreadsheet respond to surprises.

    Where there is an unpleasant surprise, people will dig into it and find and fix the underlying bug. But where there is a pleasant surprise, people will be much less diligent in working out why (which means ‘pleasant’ bugs remain, but ‘unpleasant’ bugs are weeded out, so over time the tax spreadsheet will systemically understate tax payable).

    Similar risks apply to training an AI model. If your users/trainers only query ‘unpleasant’ results (from their perspective), the model will gradually skew, even if it started off unbiased. A tax administrator must be careful that their AI does not get progressively more defensive of the revenue, but similarly that a private sector tax AI model does not evolve into an aggressive tax planner!

    Data is uranium

    There is a strong temptation for a tax administrator to take on more and more data, a temptation strengthened in the era of AI, which can feed off sprawling data sets.

    It has often been said that ‘data is gold’ or ‘data is the new oil’. But I would say that ‘data is uranium’ (I wish I had coined this, but I have taken it from others). Before you get it you better know how you’re going to use and store it and there needs to be very good reasons to take the risk!

    I would also say that, as a tax administrator in a liberal democracy, and as part of the trust equation, the usefulness of the data must be measured against the intrusiveness of the request. Taking on data ‘just in case’, or because it might be handy for AI analysis will not pass the test.

    In fact, I would argue the opposite – that AI and digitalisation can enable tax administration with less intrusive data collection. In other words, as taxpayers are increasingly digitalised, a tax administrator should explore moving their administration (risk engines, etc.) to the taxpayer’s natural systems (and data), rather than needing to acquire and hold all that data. The further advantage of this philosophy is that it helps taxpayers to minimise their chance of making a mistake and coming to our attention.

    Automation and AI is now part of the job

    In my earlier points I urged caution about automation and AI. But this is in the context that it is now part of the core function of a tax administrator, from both service and compliance perspectives, as well as the efficient use of the resources provided to a tax administrator to acquit its duties.

    Do not focus so much on the risk of doing things, that you ignore the risk of not doing things!

    I have emphasised above that, before embracing automation and AI, it is necessary to get your data settings in order. For a period, you can rely on your governance around data and IT systems. At some point (probably now or soon), automation and AI become so critical that you can no longer rely on those governance frameworks, but need specific governance.

    And finally, just in case, be nice to Siri, she may have a long memory …

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Get your key SMSF audit guidance in one handy place

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    We’ve made it easier to access the information you need as an approved SMSF auditor.

    Key guidance for SMSF auditors is now available in one convenient location: the refreshed Auditing an SMSF webpage in the Tax and super professional section of ato.gov.

    This page provides most of the guidance you need for understanding your auditor obligations, including the requirements for conducting the annual SMSF audit.

    Here you’ll find all the information and guidance you need on key topics including:

    • verifying asset values
    • financial and compliance audits
    • auditor Independence
    • reporting contraventions
    • dealing with rollovers and downsizer contributions
    • auditing an SMSF that’s winding up.

    We’ve also made the layout easier to scan, so you can find the right guidance fast.

    Whether you’re a seasoned auditor or reviewing a fund for the first time, this page helps you stay on track.

    Visit Auditing an SMSF, save it to your bookmarks, and share it with your colleagues.

    Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? – You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom  and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Video: NAB CEO Andrew Irvine discusses 2025 Half Year Result

    Source: Premier of Victoria

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Woman killed in hit-run collision at Hillcrest

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A pedestrian has died after being struck by a vehicle at Hillcrest overnight.

    Emergency services responded to North East Road, Hillcrest at 11pm on Tuesday 6 May after a young woman was hit by a car.

    Sadly, there was nothing police or paramedics could do, and the 20-year-old woman from Greenacres was pronounced deceased a short time later.

    Major Crash investigators attended and examined the scene overnight.  The crash occurred on the north-east bound carriageway of North East Road, near Forbes Street, near the service station.

    Investigators have spoken to witnesses who described seeing a silver sedan involved in the crash, but it did not stop at the scene.

    The driver of the car is urged to come forward.

    Anyone with information about this silver sedan, which possibly has front end damage, or the driver is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    Police are appealing for any witnesses or other motorists with dashcam footage, including of the woman’s presence on the roadway before the fatal crash, to contact police.  Police are also seeking any CCTV footage from the area.

    The young woman is the 29th life lost on South Australian roads so far this year.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Bright mother opens the doors of opportunity to next generation

    Source:

    Bright mother, Leah Chalwell, has a passion for inspiring the next generation of women firefighters and is encouraging other mums to join CFA.

    Leah’s decision to join CFA in 2018 came as a result of waiting at Bright Fire Station for her husband to come back from call outs.

    Both of Leah’s children are now volunteers, including her 19-year-old daughter Grace and 17-year-old son Riley, who she wants to set a strong example for. 

    “I want to show my kids that mum is just as capable as anyone to be a firefighter and if I can do it, they can too.” Leah said. 

    “I know my limits as a woman, but I am always looking to push myself and that is the example I want to set for my daughter. 

    “Having a woman who can stand alongside her male counterparts sends a really strong message, especially in firefighting where it has traditionally been a man’s world.” 

    Leah says her experience as a volunteer has  been a growth opportunity for her own skills. 

    “I have obtained my Medium Rigid Truck Licence and completed Respond to Urban qualifications so I can be a more versatile member of our brigade,” Leah said.  

    “It can be challenging at times having both the kids as volunteers too.”

    “I have had to learn that when the pager goes off, I am not their mum, instead we are fellow firefighters.” 

    Grace, Leah’s daughter is proudly following in her mother’s footsteps. 

    “I have taken a gap year and throughout this time mum and dad have pushed me to continue to upskill, so I have taken CFA courses while having the year off,” Grace said.  

    “It is so cool that mum is a firefighter. She is such an inspiration to me.” 

    Leah said CFA can move with the seasons of life for those who are eager to join. 

    “I was lucky for a period of time to have my mother in-law live with us, so to have her alongside our neighbours really helped with the kids so my husband and I could respond to calls,” Leah said. 

    “No matter where you are at, you can jump in and join and do the training. You may not be able to respond now but perhaps as time goes on you will.  

    “There are so many other roles you can do in CFA too.”

    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 142-2025: Scheduled Service Disruption: Saturday 10 May to Sunday 11 May – Multiple Systems

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    07 May 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients required to use the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) during this planned maintenance period.

    All clients submitting the below declarations:

    • Full Import Declaration (FID)
    • Long Form Self Assessed Clearance (LFSAC)
    • Short Form Self Assessed Clearance (SFSAC)
    • Cargo Report Self Assessed Clearance (CRSAC)
    • Cargo Report Personal Effects (PE)
    • Master…

    MIL OSI News