Crowdfunding business dreams

Crowdfunding can provide a platform for struggling start-ups to raise capital or businesses trying to get ahead with an injection of cash into a new project. Although crowdfunding is still in its relatively early stages; it is rapidly gaining momentum. There has been a boost in crowdfunding due to the increase in the level of…

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Reviewing your trust deed before 30 June

With changes to Australia’s superannuation rules coming into play on 1 July 2017, self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees would do well to review their fund’s trust deed. Despite the fact that maintaining an up-to-date trust deed is a vital aspect of managing a SMSF, many trustees fail to do so, usually due to the time…

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Lump sum payments received by healthcare practitioners

The ATO has provided further guidance for healthcare practitioners dealing with lump sum payments from healthcare centre operators. The Tax Office is concerned with some practitioners who have received lump sum payments and have incorrectly treated the payments as a capital gain. These practitioners have then applied the small business CGT concessions to reduce the…

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Creating an office of problem solvers

One major key to success is the ability to problem solve. Knowing how to respond to and resolve issues that arise creates stronger, more effective businesses. Whilst employees ought be highly skilled in their given fields, one trait that is truly invaluable is that of problem solving. As an employer, there are tips you can…

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Who is a ‘related party’ in an SMSF?

Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) have a number of investment restrictions which apply to transactions conducted within the fund. One such restriction applies to transactions involving ‘related parties’ of the fund and ‘relatives of members.’ No one associated with the SMSF should obtain a present-day benefit from the fund’s investments. The fund needs to meet the…

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ATO to report unpaid debts to credit agencies

The Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2016-17 (MYEFO) announced that from 1 July 2017, the ATO will disclose tax debt information of businesses who have not effectively engaged with the ATO to credit reporting bureaus. The new measure is aimed at enhancing the integrity of the tax system and ensuring businesses who are not compliant…

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Investing on arm’s length

Running a self-managed super fund requires trustees to adhere to complex laws and follow a number of onerous rules. One of the most fundamental investment rules for SMSFs is that the trustees must transact on an arm’s length basis to ensure no conflict of interest arises. An arm’s length transaction requires trustees to conduct on…

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