Hiring staff for the festive season

As the festive season approaches and holiday trading ramps up, small business employers may be considering hiring new staff to help with the likely increase in sales activity. When taking on new staff, business owners should keep in …

ATO's hard line on GIC remissions

Quite often as tax agents, our role is to liaise with the Australian Tax Office on behalf of our clients to apply for General Interest Charge (GIC) penalties to be reduced or waived, and to arrange payment plans for tax liabilities …

Christmas, FBT and the ATO

If you're planning a work Christmas party or handing out gifts and staff bonuses, there’s a tax for that - Fringe Benefits Tax - and if you aren’t careful you could get a surprise call from the Australian Tax Office. …

More women using ‘downsizer’ contributions to boost their superannuation

If you are aged 55 years or older, the "downsizer contribution" rules enable you to place up to $300,000 from the proceeds of the sale of your home into your superannuation fund (eligibility criteria applies), and recent statistics …

It wasn’t me: the tax fraud scam

You login to your myGov account to find that your activity statements for the last 12 months have been amended and GST credits of $100,000 issued. But it wasn’t you. And you certainly didn’t get a $100,000 refund …

What do people typically do with their super when they retire?

If everything has gone to plan, you’ll have accumulated enough super throughout your working years to achieve a comfortable lifestyle in retirement. But there’s more than one way that super can be paid …

The rise in business bankruptcy

ASIC’s annual insolvency data shows corporate business failure (those companies entering external administration) is up 39% in 2023-2024, compared to the previous financial year. The industries with the highest …

Becoming the 'Bank of Mum & Dad'

FACT: When we roll into 01 January 2025, every Baby Boomer will be aged 60 or older – many well cashed up and with a healthy asset base. With surplus time and money on their hands, the great wealth transfer from the baby boomer gene …

The Essential EOFY '24 Guide

With the end of the 2023-2024 financial year fast approaching, we outline the areas at risk of increased Australian Tax Office scrutiny and the opportunities to maximise your tax deductions by 30 June. …

Super contribution caps to increase from 01 July 2024

More changes to superannuation are on the way, with the recent announcement that contributions caps will increase on the back of a 4.5 per cent rise in Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) …