Secure Your Home by Staying InformedWhen it comes to protecting your family, knowledge is not just power – it’s security. You have a choice when it comes to paying premiums: stepped or level. But what does that mean and which one is right for you? There is no one-size-fits-all answer as both policies will be … Continued
Tax Saving Tips A couple of days left before the end of another financial year, and let’s admit it, no one really likes to pay high taxes. It is time for some last-minute strategies to minimise your tax. If your cash flow is good, it is the best time to spend on extra expenses. See … Continued
ATO sets target on Clothing and Laundry Claims Every tax season the ATO has a specific set of targets, and this year it’s work-related clothing and laundry expenses. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has warned individuals and business owners that clothing and laundry expenses are not available to many people. In addition, incorrect claiming of … Continued
Risk is inherent in investing and there is no one size fits all approach to managing and dealing with risk. What Keeps You Awake at Night Might Be Well Within Someone Else’s Comfort Level The central principal of investing is the higher the risk of a particular investment, the higher the possible return. Of course the … Continued
Who To Include on Your Property Investment Team While property investing is one of Australia’s favourite past times, it doesn’t mean it’s always an easy ride. There are ups and down and certainly rewards to reap. But you do have to put in some ground work and planning to become a successful investor. While this … Continued
What You Need to Know for SMSFs’ New Reporting Obligations Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) have new reporting obligations. Commencing from 1 July 2018, SMSFs will be required to report events to the ATO which will have an impact on an individual’s transfer balance account (TBA). A transfer balance account report (TBAR) has been developed by … Continued
On 2 July 2018, the Federal Government will replace the Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR). It will be replaced with a single means-tested subsidy, known as the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Child Care Subsidy will be paid directly to your approved childcare provider/s to reduce the fees you pay. In April … Continued
Foreign Residents To Be Excluded From CGT Main Residence Exemption Your main residence or basically your home is generally exempt from capital gains tax (CGT). To get the exemption, the property must have a dwelling on it and you must have lived in it. You’re eligible for a full main residence exemption if the dwelling: … Continued
What Are Low Value Goods? Is Your Business Affected By The New Law? Generally, low value goods are physical goods that has a customs value of A$1,000 or less. Currently, only goods above A$1,000 are taxed at the border, (with the exception of alcoholic beverages and tobacco). This is now changing. From 1 July 2018, … Continued
Small Business CGT Concessions The small business CGT concessions are extremely valuable. And for small business owners who need to dispose of assets that have risen in value during the time they have owned them, accessing these concessions can mean greatly reducing any consequent tax liability. However, they can also be confusing and complicated. So, … Continued
One question investors often ask about claiming depreciation on a rental property is ‘how will these claims affect Capital Gains Tax (CGT) when the property is sold?’ CGT can be a complex topic for investors to understand. Particularly as the answer to the above question can really depend on the scenario of the individual property … Continued
Taking on a mortgage means taking control of your finances. Adding an investment property to your loan portfolio requires additional discipline and planning. With interest rates lingering at record lows, it’s important to those taking on another mortgage. Look beyond the here and now and invest in some long-term thinking. Positive Or Negative Gearing: What … Continued
Why Do Entrepreneurs Borrow Money For Business? Financing your business with one of the many different products available across Australia’s commercial lending market is less about borrow money, and more about making an investment in your business success. Whether you’re starting up, sustaining success, or wanting to make the most of new opportunities, the right … Continued
Are You Ready For The Upcoming Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Compliance Season? Just to recap, based on ATO’s definition, Fringe benefits tax (FBT) is a tax employers pay on certain benefits they provide to their employees – including their employees’ family or other associates. You may be required to pay fringe benefits tax (FBT) if … Continued
Data collected by BMT Tax Depreciation, indicates that in the 2016-2017 financial year there was a 22 per cent growth in the number of schedules requested for granny flats nationwide. Of the states Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales saw the highest growth in the number of depreciation schedules requested for this type of … Continued
What is Business Finance? Unlike residential finance, where the challenge is often to save you money, business finance or loan may be more about helping increase your potential to make money. In fact, residential finance and business finance couldn’t be more different. For a home loan, you simply need funds to purchase a home. It’s essentially … Continued
What is Commercial Funding? Commercial Funding is assessed on many different components. Whilst serviceability is key, the risk assessment includes value and type of security (such as residential, commercial, industrial, specialised and alike); industry type; management experience; age of business; purpose of funds; financial ratios, margins, profitability and trend analysis; bank account performance and credit … Continued
What is Ride Sharing? Have you or someone you know considered taking up ride sharing (also called ride-sourcing) to earn extra income, or even as an alternative form of employment? Or maybe you’re already a ride sharing driver? If so, do you know your tax obligations? There are things you need to know, and we … Continued
Boost Your Fortnightly Cash Flow with Depreciation Claims and PAYG Withholding Variations Though investors often use negative gearing to offset the costs involved with owning a property, most have the aim to eventually use the property primarily as a source of income and to generate wealth. Property investors evaluating their current financial position and considering … Continued
Cryptocurrencies are on the rise. It’s important to have some idea of what’s going on. Some appreciation of likely tax consequences of the cryptocurrencies and structures around them. We have summarized everything you need to know about it. The Australian tax consequences for Australian resident investors upon the purchase of cryptocurrency. Upon each release of … Continued
Do You Know How Well Your Current Home Loan Stacks Up? Things change, and chances are since you got your home loan, interest rates may have moved, and life has too. Has the official cash rate changed since your current loan settled? Has the rate your lender is charging you changed? What about the fees … Continued
There are over two million self-employed Australians in the workforce today. Running your own business can be rewarding in many ways. However, without the safety nets and security offered by larger corporations, it’s important to consider financial protection as part of essential business planning. When small business owners think about their insurance needs, they immediately … Continued
What Items Do You Need To Organise Before Attending A Loan Appointment? Most lenders tend to have similar processes to enable assessing client’s loan applications. As a result, leads to similar original documents being proved to enable the loan application process is not stalled, once lodged. The following lists are a starting guide for gathering … Continued
ATO’s Business Portal New System: (SBSCH) On 26 February, the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) service will be available through ATO’s online services Business Portal. To manage the transition, the SBSCH will be unavailable from Tuesday, 20 February 2018 to Sunday, 25 February 2018 inclusive. During this time ATO will be transferring your data across to the new … Continued