The Federal Government’s Public Data Policy Statement, released last December, flagged its commitment to make non-sensitive government data ‘open by default’, with the aim being to stimulate innovation and drive productivity improvements across all sectors of the economy. Nearly a year on, a slice of data with huge potential benefits for the small business community, if […]
It’s that time of year again: tax time. When the challenge of filing personal taxes is compounded by the need to sift through work-related travel expenses, it’s no wonder many workers would rather visit the dentist. Knowing how to file business travel expenses can be one of the most confusing areas when submitting expenses to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). […]
The end of the financial year can be a stressful time for small businesses, especially if your finances aren’t completely in order. Unfortunately, that’s an all-too-common situation. A recent Xero survey found that three-quarters of Australian small businesses still store their receipts in shoeboxes. With the average Australian business churning through 100 receipts and invoices […]
After spending years getting yourself up and running, working on sales and the front end, it’s likely that the back end – accounting practices and accounts receivable – have been somewhat forgotten. With more and more companies defaulting on payments, going into administration and getting wound up by the ATO, now more than ever is the […]
With just three weeks until small businesses must become SuperStream compliant, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) has urged those yet to implement the new standard to act now. From 1 July, it will be mandatory for employers with 19 or fewer staff to send all super payments and employee information electronically in a standard format using SuperStream. According to the […]
“Embrace your tax audit” are the last words you’d expect to drop from the lips of a financial advisor, but that’s exactly what the head bean-counter from First Class Accounts is asking us to do. Clive Barrett, Executive Chairman of First Class Accounts, said the very idea of a tax audit struck fear into the […]
Here is some must-know advice for Australians who find tax a handful and want to put more money back in their pocket. Tax time is great for one thing: the money you get might back from the Australian Taxation Office. The process itself isn’t always a joyride, and while everyone wants to know how they […]
An ATO pilot program – the external compliance assurance process – that allowed taxpayers to self assess has been named success and could be rolled out more widely. According to a Fairfax report, the program involving 56 companies with an annual turnover between $100 million and $5 billion, allowed the choice of using a registered […]
Instead of just complying with the fringe benefits tax legislation, why not use it to your advantage? Salary packaging can maximise take-home pay and attract talent. Could salary packaging be a cost-effective way to attract and retain talent? By combining cash salary with other benefits, organisations have greater flexibility to negotiate remuneration, but that’s just one […]
The ATO is helping Australians to better monitor their tax deductions with the introduction of a new online tool called myDeductions. The tool will allow users to capture work related expenses on the go. Recognising that tracking down one years’ worth of receipts is often be the most time-consuming aspect of lodging a tax return, […]
