Debt consolidation loans are a financial solution that may be suitable when you have multiple debts at once and are struggling to manage them all. Debt consolidation is the process of bringing together all of your current outstanding debts into one single repayment. This is typically done by taking out a new personal loan to…
The ATO has released an Impersonation Scam Report for the month of February 2019. Highlighted are the various ways in which scammers have attempted to contact people, posing as the ATO. The most common method of contact was by phone calls or messages, accounting for 97% of reported scams over the month. Reports of 9,342…
With upcoming annual lodgement dates for Transfer Balance Account Reporting (TBAR), the ATO is alerting funds of common lodgement mistakes that could lead to delays and additional processing time. The Transfer Balance Cap (TBC) is a $1.6 million cap on the total amount of superannuation benefits that a member can transfer into a tax-free retirement…
Customer complaints are an inevitable part of running a business. How you handle negative feedback can help or hinder retaining existing customers. Complaints can be a great learning tool for businesses looking to improve their services, products, customer satisfaction and overall competitive edge. Poorly handled complaints can see customers withdraw their business and encourage others…
Several revisions from the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No.4) Bill 2018 took effect from 1 April 2019. These measures are designed to help reduce the super guarantee (SG) gap, protect employees’ super entitlements and strengthen the ATO’s ability to recover unpaid super. Changes to disclosure laws will now allow the ATO to disclose information…
In an ongoing effort to address misuse and abuse of the tax and regulatory systems, the ATO has implemented a new tool to monitor what constitutes reasonable personal living expenses. Information is requested by the tax office to identify unreported cash income when looking at household expenditure. An individual will be required to provide this…
The ATO has called on self-managed funds to check whether they are meeting new pay-as-you-go (PAYG) withholding obligations for capped defined benefit income streams paid to their members. SMSFs have PAYG obligations to withhold tax from income streams that have been paid to their members in circumstances where: The member is 60 years or older.…
The ATO has increased fuel tax credit rates from 4 February 2019. As fuel tax credit rates are updated regularly, it is important to check the rates each time you lodge a business activity statement (BAS). Fuel tax credits provide businesses with a credit for the price of fuel used in machinery, plants, equipment, heavy…
Having a healthy supply of cash is vital for the survival of small businesses, as it is required to operate and enables you to pay workers, rent and other expenses. Unpaid invoices can lead to poor cash flow, a significant reason small businesses fail. Late invoice payments can add to the strain of being restricted…
Professional help with accounting and financial decisions is useful at every stage of business. Accountants can assist with a variety of tasks during different periods of operation within your business to improve strategies for long term stability. Having a dedicated accountant gives you more freedom to concentrate on running other aspects of the company. Starting…