Be wary of unregistered tax preparers

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is warning taxpayers to keep an eye out for people posing as tax agents who are not registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB). Only a registered tax agent can charge a fee to prepare and lodge your tax return. There are concerns from the ATO about the number of…

Boost employee productivity

All businesses need to look at ways to increase the productivity of their staff. When your employees get more work done, it will ultimately lead to the business making a bigger profit. As well as increasing productivity, employers should also aim to improve the happiness and wellbeing of their workers. Here are some ways to…

New tax toolkit for rental property owners

The ATO has developed a new rental property owners toolkit for property investors to ensure that mistakes are avoided in their tax returns. Each year, the tax office identifies fairly common mistakes being made with tax claims made in regard to investment properties. In a recent review of individual tax returns, nine out of 10…

Managing business growth

It can be exciting and reassuring when your new business venture achieves growth and success. When things reach a certain threshold, however, you may no longer be able to oversee everything as a business owner. Here are some key things to consider in order to manage the development of your business. Key performance indicators:As your…

What SMSF records should you keep?

A key responsibility for trustees of self-managed super funds (SMSFs) is to ensure proper and accurate tax and superannuation records are kept for the fund. When you have been running your fund for a long period of time and have amassed a large amount of information, it can be hard as a trustee to know…

What is replacing AUSKey?

The ATO is developing new online services systems as AUSKey will be retired in March 2020 Replacing AUSKey will be myGovID and Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM). MyGovID is an authentication service that will allow individuals to prove who they are online. This system will work by establishing your identity once online and then using your…

What makes a successful business plan

When starting a new business, there are many elements you need to consider. Careful planning is essential to ensuring the longevity of your business, but what exactly goes into a good business plan? A good business plan is one that is detailed. Sections should include; an executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization and management,…