Federal Budget 2023-24: Focus on tax Tax measures were less central to this year’s Federal Budget than they have been in recent years. While there were some new tax measures, the Budget this year was more about the first surplus in 15 years and various spending measures. After highlighting the gloomy outlook for the global…

5 essential investment property strategies Buying your first investment property can be a bold step towards a more prosperous and secure future. But it also poses risks. The Successful Investor’s Michael Sloan outlines five strategies to help you take the right path. My 5 essential investment property tips 1. Equity Most people use the equity…

Illegal early SMSF access on ATO’s radar Since the Albanese Government announced its intention to double the tax on investment earnings for super account balances over $3 million, there has been lots of talk about taking money out of self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) to avoid the tax hikes. As SMSF trustees have more control…

Being wary of scams and sharing your personal information Key Points: Never use the same password or variations of the same password, utilise different numbers and letters with a mixture of capital and lower case letters Online quizzes may be fun but usually there is a catch, and that catch can be your personal data…

From 6th March, the Australian Government is offering Energy Efficient Grants for small to medium sized businesses ranging between $10,000 and $25,000 to cover up to 100% of eligible project expenditure. There is a total of $16 million available for this grant. Grants will be awarded to eligible applicants on a first come, first served…

Getting more money into superannuation is a proven way of building wealth to spend in retirement. Ongoing contributions from your employer over the course of your working life, and potentially extra contributions made by you, can make a huge difference to your super balance over the long term as your account balance continues to grow.…

Small businesses across the country will be looking for ways to reduce costs amid cost of living and rising price pressures. Economic challenges are expected to continue into the 2024 financial year, from inflation and supply chain lags to higher interest rates and reduced consumer spending. Businesses will need to keep a close eye on…

The ATO is cracking down hard on GST frauds after finding a significant number of taxpayers falsely claiming GST refunds. The Serious Financial Crime Taskforce and Australian Federal Police (AFP) have executed numerous warrants against suspects, with a GST fraudster recently jailed for three years. The ATO has warned it has zero tolerance for these types of fraud and…

Rental property owners are now one of the ATO’s top targets after it found nine out of ten tax returns reporting rental income and deductions contained at least one error.i The tax office estimates it’s missing out on around $1.5 billion due to over-claiming of rental property expenses and omission of rental income. Growing interest in rental property tax…

Tax and your online side hustle With money becoming tighter as inflation rises, many people are looking to make some extra income from a ‘side hustle’. As we move towards a cashless society and transact more online, it’s becoming easier for the ATO to follow the money trail. Whether you rent your caravan on Camplify,…