Documents to wind up a business

Winding up a business is different to merely ceasing trade. While the latter means that you’re effectively stopping business, you still have to abide by a handful of obligations and fees while the business remains registered. The de-registration process is long and involved, and can take months to take from start to finish. Creditors have […]

Getting Paid on Time

You’ve delivered the product and sent the invoice, and now the client’s delaying payment. Late paying clients create cash flow problems and disrupt your business. Left unmanaged, non-payment can tip you towards insolvency in serious cases. If you want to minimise overdue invoices without alienating clients, start by implementing these smart invoicing strategies. 1. Ask […]

Tax of Insurance Premiums

As a general guideline, the ATO will allow a deduction for certain insurance premiums if it can be shown that the insurance cover relates to earning assessable income. In other words, life insurance, trauma insurance or critical care insurance are generally out. Income protection insurance is one example of the kind of cover that may provide an allowable […]

Self Education Expenses

The value of a good education is widely accepted, and it is a common experience over one’s working lifetime to find that further learning is required along the path of one’s chosen career. Changing technology and evolving workplaces means that at some stage in every taxpayer’s life, an educational re-boot could become necessary — as […]

Taxable Payment Annual Reports

If your business primarily operates in the Building and Construction Industry, and makes payments to contractors, you are required to complete and lodge a “Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR)’ with the Australian Taxation Office each year. Businesses primarily in the building and construction industry need to report to the ATO the total payments they make […]

ATO Targets

Small business owners. Rogue tax practitioners. Uninformed taxpayers. Rental property owners. Such taxpayers have long managed to avoid consequence for partially-correct tax returns. Finally, it seems the Australian government has acknowledged the extent to which individuals are undermining its principal revenue collection agency – the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Fresh off a funding windfall from the […]

Travel Expenses

Working out what can be claimed as travel deductions is an area many taxpayers find confusing. To obtain a deduction three “golden rules” need to be considered and met: The most common question we get asked – “is my home to work travel claimable?” Firstly, home to work travel is generally considered private in nature […]

Basics of Downsizing Contributions

The Federal Government recently announced that, as of 1 July 2018, downsizers aged 65 years or older may opt to contribute proceeds from the sale of their home (up to a total of $300,000 each) toward their super fund(s). Referred to as a downsizer contribution, it is treated as being non-concessional; existing in addition to […]

Increase in SMSF member numbers

In late April 2018, then federal minister for revenue and financial services Kelly O’Dwyer issued an announcement [1]declaring an expansion of the limit on the maximum number of members that are able to comprise a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF). The raise – from four to six – was implemented by the then Turnbull Government so as to […]

Div 7A doing nothing

If so, then you need to keep reading….. Over the years, we have seen many business owners taking money out of their own companies – mainly because they believe it is theirs. The money is then used to purchase the family home, a new car, boat and for many other good reasons. This is not […]