The following are the latest articles and news from the team at Judge Accountants.
With tax time fast approaching, here are five tax time tips to ensure you maximise the deductions for your investment property. 1. Understand what deductions you’re entitled to As a property investor, you’re entitled to a range of tax deductions. These will help lower your taxable income and make owning an investment property more viable. … Continued
Sydney at its meeting today, the RBA board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 1.50 per cent. The outlook for the global economy remains reasonable, although the risks are tilted to the downside. Growth in international trade has declined and investment intentions have softened in a number of countries. In China, the authorities have taken … Continued
Shared assets in strata title lucrative for investors A strata title is used when individuals own part of a property usually called a ‘lot’. This is generally an apartment, unit or townhouse complex which shares ownership of common property including driveways, foyers and gardens. The ownerships are combined through a legal entity called the owners … Continued
Sydney 2nd April 2019 2.30pm, Reserve Bank of Australia At its meeting today, the RBA Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 1.50 per cent. The outlook for the global economy remains reasonable, although growth has slowed and downside risks have increased. Growth in international trade has declined and investment intentions have softened in a … Continued
The Budget is “Back in the black”, Mr Josh Frydenberg announced as he handed down the 2019/20 Federal Budget, with a surplus of $7.1b, on 2 April 2019. The budget focuses on “restoring the nation’s finances”, further strengthening the economy to create more jobs and to “guarantee the essential services”. The tax, superannuation and social … Continued
What will 2019 hold for the property market? We look at some of the biggest trends we’re likely to see in the year ahead. Investors seeking regional areas over metropolitan As property price growth continues to slow in Sydney and Melbourne, there is an increasing demand for regional properties by investors due to more affordable … Continued
Sydney 5thMarch 2019 2.30pm, Reserve Bank of Australia At its meeting today, the Reserve Bank of Australia Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 1.50 per cent. The global economy grew above trend in 2018, although it slowed in the second half of the year. The slower pace of growth has continued into 2019. The … Continued
Ever looked at a friend who has everything together and thought ‘what’s their secret?’ Here are five habits you can implement to achieve financial security. Believe it or not, being secure financially doesn’t involve magic or an outrageous stroke of luck. More often than not, it results from good habits, such as keeping track of … Continued
Snapshot of the ALP key tax policies Editor: The Federal Election will be the primary focus over the next few months, with many commentators predicting a possible change in Government. As usual, tax policy is a focal point of the political debate. Recently, at Labor’s 48th national conference (16-18 December 2018), a document entitled A … Continued
What is depreciation? As a building gets older and items within it wear out, they depreciate in value. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) allows property investors to claim a deduction relating to the building and fixtures it contains. Depreciation can be claimed by any owner of an income producing property. This deduction essentially reduces the … Continued
There are a number of factors that determine the cost of an insurance policy. A cheap life insurance or income protection insurance policy doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an inferior one, and by the same token, the most expensive policy may not be the best to suit your needs. The price of an insurance policy is … Continued
Fuelled house prices and low interest rates, the level of personal debt in Australia is high compared to many other countries The largest proportion of this debt is often used to purchase a valuable asset – the family home. With careful planning, you might be able to control your household debt and use it to … Continued
Want to hold your Christmas party away from work? You might need to understand the tax consequences of such action to make sure there are no unforeseen tax problems. The costs associated with Christmas parties held off your business premises (for example, a restaurant) will give rise to a taxable fringe benefit for employees and … Continued
When rewarding employees with gifts or parties at Christmas, FBT may apply. Even if your organisation is exempt from income tax, providing food and drink could constitute a tax-exempt body entertainment fringe benefit. There’s good news, though. Some FBT exemptions might apply in your circumstances. I bet you want to know the best way to … Continued
Recently, we’ve experienced an increase in clients coming to us with queries on cryptocurrencies. Many clients ask, “what are the practical issues that can arise when investing in crypto?” These ‘issues’ often occur in two areas of the cryptocurrency market: When exchanging one cryptocurrency for anotherRecord-keeping requirements relating to cryptocurrency transactions. Exchanging one cryptocurrency for another When … Continued
Often when starting out in a business, the simplest and cheapest structure to use is either an individual (i.e. sole trader) or partnership. The cost to setup these structures are low, and with the expectation of low revenue in the initial years, it can also be the most tax effective. For a little more money, … Continued
All employees want to minimise their tax payable. Who wouldn’t? A major assumption is that claiming deductions on most receipts means minimising the tax payable – but you need to ensure you are following the ATO guidelines. The ATO states that in claiming deductions, individuals need to ensure they claim only what is related to their profession. With increasing … Continued
Are you a landlord renting out a property or offering short-term accommodation services through online platforms? If so, you should be aware that the ATO has now launched two new data matching programs that will affect property owners such as yourself. What is Data Matching, and how does it affect you? Rental Bond Data The … Continued
With a recorded rainfall of 57mm below average this autumn, it’s little wonder Australian farmers are turning to donations and relief funds to help maintain the vitality of their crops and cattle. While you may wish to make a donation yourself, it is important to first find out whether the recipient is aware of the tax implications associated with receiving crowdfunding payments. What is … Continued
The 7 Mortgage Types There’s a lot more to loans than interest rates and fees. A low rate is important, but it is not everything. There are different types of loans and features that will make managing your mortgage easier. As your mortgage broker, we take the time to teach and advise you on the fundamentals so you can make an informed … Continued
Saving for a deposit? Most lenders require a minimum deposit of 10-20% of the total loan amount. You’ll also need to cover the cost of Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (LMI) if your loan amount is more than 80% of the value of the property. So ideally, you should start with a 20% deposit to avoid paying LMI. What … Continued
Finding Your Dream Home Once you know what you can afford, you can get a much better idea of what type of home you can buy and where you can live. When it comes to the type of property and location, many first home buyers find they need to compromise in some way. A free-standing … Continued
Looking at buying your first home? With regularly moving interest rates and new products, taking out a loan with a bank may see you lost in an ever-changing market. If you’re looking to purchase your first home, you may also be considering your first home loan; this may seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t need to be. With … Continued
What is Critical Illness cover? Critical Illness cover provides a lump sum payment if you’re diagnosed with a life-changing or terminal disease. It is then up to you to choose how you use this payment – to cover medical expenses, the cost of being unable to work, or to pay your household bills. Why is … Continued