Blog

  My parents-in-law have recently moved into a granny flat on our acreage. We are lucky to have enough space to offer them this opportunity, and from my perspective I’m lucky I get along with them very well. The driving factor for this move isn’t simply to have our family nearby. It’s one of necessity,Read more

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has had a crack-down on cash payments in the construction industry in the past few years. One of the ways that the ATO has done this is to create a new form, called the Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR), which almost all businesses in the construction industry must complete andRead more

“The Castle” (for those of you old enough to remember it) left us with some classic quotes and “ideas” that are out of the ordinary. Antony Monaldi of Optima Partners (BLOG found here) touched on this recently, so it only goes to show that there is more to this classic still to come. Take it straightRead more

Self-education expenses Self-education is one way of ensuring you keep up to date with developments relating to your field of employment, with the added bonus of making yourself attractive to any future employers. There are a number of self-education expenses which are tax deductible, to help encourage employers and employees to undertake educational programs. Self-educationRead more

It’s the conversation you never want to have with your partner – if we die, who will look after the kids?? Who do we trust?? This impossible conversation took place in my house straight after the birth of our son. My husband did what 95% of people do….ignored the decision in the hope it wouldRead more

Incorporated Associations Reporting Obligations Changes from 1 July 2016 We’ve all heard the old joke from the east “WA is an acronym for Wait Awhile” and we’ve all spared the statement a wry smile. The latest slow moving development for WA has finally arrived – changes to The Associations Incorporation Act 2015. Finally, Western AustralianRead more

The saying goes that there is nothing as certain as death and taxes, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to avoid both. Although paying taxes is inevitable, we all expect to be treated fairly by the ATO. The ATO is committed to ensure that everyone meets their tax obligations, and to ensure that thoseRead more

ASIC cut red tape on auditor resignations and has recently released a relaxation of the rules governing consenting to a change in auditor. This newapproach will allow for a much easier transition from one auditor to the next for companies in Australia. The new guidelines mean ASIC will generally consent to an auditor’s resignation atRead more

If you sell property as part of your business, you may be eligible to use the goods and services tax (GST) margin scheme as an alternative way of working out the GST you must pay. You can only apply the margin scheme if the sale of the property is subject to GST – for example,Read more

  STAMP DUTY ON LAND TRANSFERS NEEDS TO BE REFORMED, BUT DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP! Housing affordability is often a topic of political discussion at state and federal level. One of the key components that limit the ability of an individual or a family to buy a home is stamp duty that is charged whenRead more