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FEBRUARY 2020 Your financial well-being and plans for the future can be impacted by various economic events, so below is a video to assist you to stay up to date with the latest indicators. Global growth forecasts were downgraded to 3.3% this year and 3.4% in 2021 on the basis of geopolitical and trade tensions.Read more

With a property market recovery underway, most notably in Sydney and Melbourne, Australian investors are once again pursuing their love affair with property investing. For many investors, a popular way to invest directly in residential or commercial property is through their self-managed super fund (SMSF). In fact, ATO statistics show property is the third most popular assetRead more

With the rise of the gig economy, correctly working out whether you are hiring an employee or simply engaging an independent contractor has never been more important. Getting it wrong can be costly, as a recent court ruling shows. A Perth accommodation business was recently fined $60,000 after the High Court upheld an appeal byRead more

Australians are generous when it comes to opening their wallet for a good cause. But you may have reached a point in life where you want to make a more substantial contribution with control over how your money is spent. You may also wish to get your children involved to instill shared values. While itRead more

  At tax time and everybody wants to get their refund. At Optima Partners we have been seeing many clients who need to lodge their individual tax returns. Part of the service we aim to provide to our clients is to educate them about the taxation consequences of their affairs, so we are always happyRead more

  Since very few people seem to understand what financial planners do and a common question seems to be “What am I paying you for?” I thought I’d give a very brief introduction to financial planning and the work that goes into creating a financial plan. The financial planning industry is one heavy with complianceRead more

On Tuesday 12 March Bill Shorten, leader of the opposition, announced some major changes to the tax system that the ALP will take to the next federal election, which is currently scheduled for 2019.  The major change announced by Mr Shorten regarded imputation credits. The whole purpose of the imputation system is to (fairly, inRead more

 Work-related Expenses in the Firing Line – On 5 July 2017 Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Commissioner Chris Jordan delivered an address to the National Press Club in Canberra. You can read the transcript of his address here. One of the topics that he discussed was work-related deductions. In an individual income tax return there areRead more

Apparently as an accountant I am not allowed to give you specific investment advice.  I was contemplating this fact last week-end when I found myself in a very ungainly position in the garden after trying and failing miserably to lift a heavy concrete pot to a spot where I thought it would be more attractive. Read more

As a small to medium business owner you’d have experienced at some point the overwhelming need to be present or available whenever the business required you. This in turn would leave you with less time for yourself and to give up other things that are important to you, including family and friends. There are peopleRead more