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18 May '22

Fuel tax credit changes

The Government temporarily halved the excise and excise equivalent customs duty rates for petrol, diesel and all other petroleum-based products (except aviation fuels) for 6 months from 30 March 2022 until 28 September 2022.


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16 May '22

Breaking News - ATO Press Release on Debt Collection

The ATO have issued a press release indicating their current approach on debt collection. They want taxpayers to engage with them, ie respond to calls, set up a payment plan or expect firm action.


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4 May '22

Preparing for EOFY

As we approach the end of the financial year, there are a number of smart strategies you could consider to help streamline your finances and legitimately reduce your tax liability.


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4 May '22

How a Business Coach that’s also an accountant can elevate your business

It can be lonely at the top of the food-chain when you're running your own business. As the owner manager, the buck stops with you and that can result in pressures from all aspects of the business.


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4 Apr '22

March Market Wrap 2022

The war in Ukraine overshadowed financial markets throughout the month, but hopes of a breakthrough in peace talks lifted sentiment towards risk assets. Solid gains among US-listed stocks helped the MSCI World Index rise more than 3%.


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4 Apr '22

ATO Debt

ATO getting about as serious as they can get with their non-public debt recovery measures.


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31 Mar '22

ATO Communication Changes

Our new system enables us to download all ATO mail on behalf of our clients and distribute it in the most efficient manner possible.


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30 Mar '22

The Federal Budget 2022-23

This is a safe, ballot box friendly Budget as expected with a focus on jobs, cost of living, home ownership, and health.


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9 Mar '22

Are Your Contractors Really Employees?

Two landmark cases before the High Court highlight the problem of identifying whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee for tax and superannuation purposes.


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9 Mar '22

The ATO’s Attack on Trusts and Trust Distributions

The ATO released a package of new guidance material that directly targets how trusts distribute income. Many family groups will pay higher taxes as a result.


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23 Feb '22

4 Mistakes To Avoid When Buying A Car

Unlike other purchases, it’s not possible to return a car if you get home and decide you don’t like it.


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23 Feb '22

4 Things To Consider Before Fixing Your Interest Rate

With interest rates at record low levels, many homeowners are considering the possibility of fixing their interest rate on the home loan.


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23 Feb '22

How To Reduce Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)

Lenders Mortgage Insurance can be a great tool to help homebuyers get into a property that they otherwise might not be able to afford. However, it comes with a cost.


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9 Feb '22

Commercial Property Set For Further Growth In 2022

After a strong 12 months, industrial property is set to see further upside according to a leading valuer.


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8 Feb '22

4 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

If you’re setting the goal of purchasing a home in the coming year, it might be time to start getting your financials in order ahead of time.


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15 Jan '22

Shannon wins Financial Adviser of the Year award

Up against over 600 nominations and 254 certified finalists, Shannon Smit, Founding Director and Financial Adviser at Mornington firm, SMART Financial Planning, won the coveted Financial Adviser of the Year Award as one of only 23 individual award winners.


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10 Nov '21

Retention payments and how to account for them

Whilst retention payments are very common in the building and construction industry we continually see them being incorrectly accounted for, or not accounted for, and therefore often overlooked, resulting in advance payment of taxes and/or lost income.


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10 Nov '21

100 Aussies: five charts on who earns, pays and owns

We are heading into a period of opening up the economy after COVID, with the need to repair the budget, an election looming by May 2022, the threat of inflation and a withdrawal of central bank stimulus.


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16 Sep '21

The Advantages of Commercial Real Estate

While commercial property is a little more difficult to understand than residential, it offers several significant advantages for investors.


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14 Sep '21

Tradies go digital: how outsourcing can improve your productivity

With the trade industry currently thriving off the boom in the housing market, tradies find themselves busier than ever. The $1200 Small Business Digital Adaptation Program can help you work out ways to make admin life easier.


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9 Sep '21

Divorce, Superannuation and the Gender Divide

New legislation will help prevent superannuation assets from being hidden during divorce proceedings. From 1 April 2022, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will be able to release details of an individual’s superannuation information to a family law court.


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8 Sep '21

What Now? Unwinding the Pandemic

Australia’s two largest states and the ACT are in lockdown as the Delta strain of COVID-19 takes its toll while others are standing firm on a policy of eradication. The result is a country at a policy impasse and divided by border restrictions.


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24 Aug '21

July Market Wrap

Australian shares started the FY22 year with solid gains. Bond yields fell sharply, resulting in favourable returns from fixed income markets too.


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11 Aug '21

Growing Your Business With Confidence Post-COVID

Helping you lead & manage your business better. A webinar in collaboration with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council as part of their Small Business Workshops.


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4 Aug '21

5 things to spend your tax refund on (and it's not a big screen TV)

 Your tax refund can seem like winning the lottery. But it's not - it is your own hard-earned cash. So how can you make it work as hard for you as you did earning it? 


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27 Jul '21

Using Your Super To Buy Property

ONLINE Webinar Session
27 July // 1:00PM


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22 Jul '21

Top 25 Mental Health Tips During Lockdown

Taking care of your mental health during lockdown periods becomes really essential. Shared by Simon Fraser University Health & Counselling Services: 25 tips to help you and your loved ones navigate this time.


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22 Jul '21

Top Tax Tips For Property Investors

Now that the new financial year is here, it’s time to start looking at all the ways you can make the most of your investment property. If you want to claim your expenses on your rental property, it’s vital that you have good records.


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19 Jul '21

Are Insurance Payouts Taxed?

Most people would assume that if and when they need to claim on their insurance, the insurance payout covers the damage and is not income assessed for tax purposes - but this is not always the case.


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19 Jul '21

Work From Home Expenses Under Scrutiny

If you worked from home during lockdown and spent money on work related items that were not reimbursed by your business, you might be able to claim some of these expenses as a deduction – but not everything you purchase can be claimed.


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13 Jul '21

Increasing your property curbside appeal

With the spring selling season just around the corner and property markets looking very strong, many potential sellers are looking at ways to spruce up their homes.


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3 Jun '21

Superannuation: What changes on 1 July 2021?

There are a few changes earmarked for superannuation commencing 1 July 2021. These changes will impact both employers and employees. Read the details here to know what's expected.


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18 May '21

7 Reasons To Refinance

If you have a home loan, there are many reasons you may consider refinancing. That could include wanting to borrow more, access different home loan features or simply to get a better interest rate. We explore the more common reasons for refinancing, including a few you may not have thought of. 


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18 May '21

Understanding the mortgage refinance process

There are several reasons motivating homeowners to refinance. It could be to achieve a lower interest rate or move from a fixed rate to a variable rate loan or vice-versa.  If you’re thinking about switching loans, you need to consider the costs of any penalties – if relevant – versus any savings you stand to make.


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13 May '21

The New Lifetime Director IDs

Directors will be required to register for a unique identification number that they will keep for life, much like a tax file number under a rewrite of Australia’s business registers.


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12 May '21

The Balancing Act: 2021/22 Federal Budget

The 2021-22 Federal Budget is a balancing act between a better than anticipated deficit ($106 bn), an impending election, and the need to invest in the long term.


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1 May '21

Tax Relief for Small Brewers & Distillers to Support Jobs

Small brewers and distillers will benefit from $255 million in tax relief to support more jobs and investment as part of the 2021-22 Budget.


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20 Apr '21

March Market Wrap

The rollout of Covid vaccines remained the key focus worldwide. More than 30% of adults in the US have now received at least one jab, for example, and new infections are down by around 80% since the peak in January.


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7 Apr '21

Minimise Your Business Tax: The Guide

Here’s a guide to the strategies you can use to minimise your business tax.


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31 Mar '21

National Licence Recognition For Tradies

Builders, electricians, plumbers, architects, real estate agents, security guards and other workers who hold an occupational licence in their home state or territory will soon be automatically deemed to have the necessary licence in other states.


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31 Mar '21

How Much Super Is Enough?

What’s the magic amount you need in your super account to retire comfortably?


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15 Dec '20

2021 Investment Risks & Opportunities

With the borders between the State and Territories all but open and 2021 in sight, there is a hunger for a return to normal. With Australia's desire to ‘get on with things,' sentiment reached its highest level since November 2013 and Christmas spending is expected to be consistent with previous years.


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18 Nov '20

JobMaker Hiring Credits: What we know so far

We’ve had quite a few questions about the JobMaker hiring credit announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget. The legislation enabling the JobMaker scheme has not passed Parliament as yet and until this occurs, the JobMaker rules are not certain and may change.


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18 Nov '20

How would your life be affected if you had no income

The idea of insuring against loss of income is one that has clear value. The idea of insuring against loss of income is one that has clear value. Yet many neglect to insure their most valuable asset. Income protection could be the answer – so how does it work?


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7 Oct '20

Budget 2020-2021 Update

The 2020-21 Federal Budget is a road to recovery paved with cash. Some of the measures are aimed at addressing the harsh lessons COVID-19 has taught us and seek to centralise production back in Australia to ensure our industries can be self-reliant.

 


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28 Sep '20

Why now is the time to think about investment risk

Reflecting on the past 6 months, particularly since the effect of Coronavirus on financial markets, I am concerned that many investors do not have a clear and tailored investment strategy.  My observations are that investors seem to be failing to understand one basic investment principle; 'The higher the return the higher the risk’.


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23 Sep '20

JobKeeper 2.0 - The Alternative Test

The updated alternative tests released by the Commissioner of Taxation are broadly similar to the alternative tests that were released in connection with the original decline in turnover test. However, there are some key differences.


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21 Sep '20

JobKeeper 2.0 - The Details

To access JobKeeper payments from 28 September 2020, there are three questions that need to be assessed:

Is my business eligible? Am I and/or my employees eligible? and What JobKeeper rate applies?

We’ve summarised the key details in this update.


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15 Sep '20

$3bn+ Victorian Business Support Packages

Over 2 days, the Victorian Government has announced two new support packages delivering over $3 billion in “cash grants, tax relief and cashflow support.


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1 Sep '20

Has COVID-19 Devalued Your Business?

If you are selling your business, merging, acquiring, or inviting in new investors, you need to understand the value of your business. But, to what degree does the pandemic impact on value?


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11 Aug '20

COVID-19 and your SMSF

COVID-19 has had an impact on many SMSFs. We look at the key issues.


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7 Aug '20

JobKeeper 2.0 - The New Requirements


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22 Jul '20

JobKeeper 2.0 - What you need to know

If your business currently receives JobKeeper, your arrangements will generally remain unchanged until 27 September 2020. From 28 September 2020, employers seeking to claim JobKeeper payments will need to reassess their eligibility and prove an actual decline in turnover.


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16 Jul '20

$2.5bn Job Trainer package: What you need to know

The Government has announced the $2.5bn JobTrainer package to retrain, upskill and open new job opportunities.


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