Business meetings can often be a drag. Some go longer than they are supposed to and others involve people talking so much that the meeting ends up completely off topic. But not all meetings have to be boring or time-wasting. When conducted properly, meetings can make everyone’s job much easier. Including breaks, having a short…
The Australian Tax Office has announced that it will be paying close attention to rental property owners during this tax season, especially in areas where excessive interest expenses are claimed and where there is an incorrect apportionment of rental income and expenses between rental property owners. The ATO will also be focusing on those who…
Who’s your customer? That’s one of the most important questions any business can answer, but it’s particularly important for small businesses. Why? Because only by having a clear definition of the exact type of customer you’re trying to reach can you make the most of your limited marketing dollars and have the biggest impact on…
Redundancies, whether forced or elective, can become complex as there are many taxation issues to consider when receiving a payout. The most common form of payment an employee will receive is an employment termination payment. Employment termination payments (ETPs) include payments for unused rostered days off or for unused sick leave; payments in lieu of…
Businesses starting out will often be challenged by the need to generate brand awareness but with a limited marketing budget. Minimising costs will often be at the forefront of business owners minds with uncertain revenue and copious amounts of capital expenditure; marketing is unlikely to be a top priority. However, new businesses need brand exposure…
When you’re busy trying to build your business, you don’t spend much time thinking about how you’ll eventually end it. Sure, you might think that one day you’d like to retire. But while you can envision yourself golfing or gardening, what’s happened to your business? You need an “exit plan.” An exit plan is the…
With the end-of-financial year looming, there are some key strategies you can utilise to maximise your nest egg ahead of 30 June. Maximise super contributionsReview your contribution types and amounts to ensure you have maximised (not exceeded) your contribution caps for the financial year. The non-concessional contributions cap for 2015/16 is $180,000 or $540,000 over…
With tax time fast approaching, now is a good time to review those tax deductions that are often easily forgotten such as mobile phone expenses. Mobile phone expenses can generally be claimed as a tax deduction provided they are used for work purposes, such as receiving or making work calls. When claiming expenses you will…
