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It’s that time of year again - what to do for the Christmas party for the team, customers, gifts of appreciation for your favourite accountant (just kidding), etc. Here are our top tips for a generous and tax-effective Christmas season: For your business Tax &...

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is   Whether it is promises of high guaranteed investment returns without any risks, get rich quick Crypto schemes or unexpected refunds from Centrelink, the old adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably...

The deadline for existing directors of Australian companies to obtain a Director Identification Number is 30 November 2022. All directors of a company, registered Australian body, registered foreign company or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation (ATSI)...

Low interest rates have been a mainstay since the global financial crisis of 2008. When the pandemic hit, Governments pushed stimulus measures through the economy and central banks reduced interest rates even further. Coming out of COVID, housing market demand was...

Sportspeople, media personalities, celebrities and ‘insta’ influencers beware. The ATO has taken a U-turn on how fame and image should be taxed. If you’re famous and make an income from your fame and image, the way the ATO believes you should be taxed on the income...

In the wake of the Optus data leak, legislation before Parliament will lift the maximum fine for serious or repeated breaches of the Privacy Act from $2.2m to up to $50m. But there are no guarantees that even the strongest safety measures will prevent an attack. So,...

The Optus data breach is top of mind for a lot of Australians, particularly those who have had their data breached. For business, the breach is a timely warning on the importance of understanding what data is held on your customers (and should you hold it?), how it is...

The value of cryptocurrency assets inside Australian self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) increased by 589.9% ($1.17bn) between June 2019 and June 2022, according to the latest ATO statistics. While cryptocurrency is a relatively small asset class at only 0.16%...

National Cabinet agreed to end the mandatory isolation requirements for COVID-19 effective from 14 October 2022. Each state and territory has, or will, implement the end of the isolation rules. The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, the payment to workers who have lost...

Queensland backs down on Australia-wide land tax assessment The Queensland Government has backed away from an amendment that would have seen the land tax rate for investment property in Queensland assessed on the value of the investor’s Australia wide land holdings...

In September, amid a climate of startling interest rates, UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced a series of tax cuts, including the reduction of the top personal income tax rate that applies to those earning more than £150,000 from 45% to 40%. Just ten days later,...

- From Bruce Grieve of Bentleys Wealth Advisors I recently met with a lovely retired couple who were working with another advisor and were unhappy with the way their concerns regarding their investments were addressed and how their portfolio was structured. After...