Insights
Tax, business and super, explained
Articles from our accountants on the questions clients ask us most, written in plain English and kept up to date with the current rules.
Property and lending
Capital gains tax for property investors
How capital gains tax works when you sell an investment property, including the 50% discount, what goes into your cost base, how depreciation affects the gain, timing, losses, and selling a former home.
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Property and lending
Rental property repairs, maintenance or improvements: what you can claim
How to tell whether rental property work is a repair, maintenance, an improvement or an initial repair, with examples of each, and how each one is treated for tax.
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SMSF and super
Aged care costs: what families need to know
How aged care is paid for under the new Aged Care Act, including home care through Support at Home, residential care fees, accommodation deposits, the family home and the Age Pension.
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SMSF and super
Age Pension rules that catch people out
The Age Pension rules that most often cost retirees money, including gifting limits, deeming, selling the home, granny flat arrangements, funeral bonds, and reporting changes on time.
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SMSF and super
How the Age Pension works
Who can get the Age Pension, how the income and assets tests work, what counts and what doesn't, deeming, the Work Bonus, and how super and the family home affect your entitlement.
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Business
Should your business pay cash or borrow?
When it makes sense for a small business to pay cash for equipment, vehicles or growth, and when finance is the better choice, including working capital, tax, GST, interest rates and risk.
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Property and lending
The main residence exemption from capital gains tax
When your home is exempt from capital gains tax, how the six-year absence rule works if you rent it out, what happens if you run a business from home, and the rules for foreign residents.
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Property and lending
Commercial vs residential property: which suits you?
How commercial and residential investment property compare on yield, leases, vacancy risk, lending, GST, tax and liquidity, and which might suit your situation.
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Property and lending
Selling property? Get a clearance certificate or lose 15% at settlement
How foreign resident capital gains withholding works when you sell property in Australia, why Australian residents need an ATO clearance certificate on every sale, and how to apply in time.
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SMSF and super
A retirement checklist for the five years before you stop work
A practical checklist for the years before retirement, covering how much you'll need, boosting super, debt, the Age Pension, downsizing, insurance, health cover and getting your estate in order.
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Business
Contractor or employee? Getting it right when you hire
How to tell whether a worker is a contractor or an employee, why having an ABN doesn't decide it, and your super, PAYG, payroll tax and workers compensation obligations if you get it wrong.
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Property and lending
Depreciation on investment property: new vs established
What depreciation you can claim on a new or an established investment property, how the 2017 changes to second-hand fixtures work, capital works deductions, and whether a depreciation schedule is worth it.
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Tax
Tax planning for small business, before 30 June not after
The tax planning moves that only work before 30 June, including super contributions, timing of income and expenses, asset purchases, trust distributions and director loans, and why they need your real numbers.
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SMSF and super
Estate planning: more than a will
What a complete estate plan includes, from wills, powers of attorney and enduring guardianship to super death benefit nominations, testamentary trusts, family trusts and business succession, and the tax on what you leave.
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Property and lending
First home buyers: how much deposit you need and how to get there
How much deposit a first home buyer in NSW needs, how to avoid lenders mortgage insurance, the government schemes and concessions available, and practical ways to save faster.
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Business
Don't get scammed: a small business guide to fraud prevention
The scams and internal fraud that hit small businesses most often, from fake invoices and changed bank details to payroll fraud, and the simple controls that stop them.
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Tax
Fringe benefits tax for small business
What fringe benefits tax is, the common benefits that trigger it (cars, entertainment, paying private expenses), the main exemptions including electric cars and minor benefits, and how to reduce or avoid it.
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Property and lending
Understanding different types of home loans
Variable, fixed and split loans, principal and interest versus interest-only, offset accounts, redraw and construction loans, explained in plain English so you can choose the right mortgage.
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Property and lending
Granny flats: the tax for family use and rentals
The tax treatment of a granny flat, whether it's for family or rented out, including rental income and deductions, the capital gains tax exemption for family granny flat arrangements, GST, depreciation and land tax.
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Tax
Holiday homes and short-stay rentals: the tax rules
What you can and can't claim on a holiday home you rent out part of the year, including Airbnb, how to apportion expenses, what "genuinely available for rent" means, and capital gains tax when you sell.
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Business
How do I make my quotes profitable?
How to work out a charge-out rate that covers your real costs, the difference between markup and margin, pricing overheads and risk, and checking every job afterwards so your quotes actually make money.
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Business
How to choose the right business structure
Sole trader, partnership, company or trust? How each one is taxed, who's liable for the debts, what it costs to run, and which suits your business.
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Business
How to keep accurate business records
What records the ATO expects your business to keep, for how long, and a simple weekly routine in Xero or MYOB that makes tax time and BAS painless.
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Property and lending
Buying your first investment property
A practical checklist for buying your first investment property, including whether you're ready, how much you can borrow, choosing the property, ownership structure, loan setup, the numbers and the tax.
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SMSF and super
Is a self-managed super fund right for you?
What an SMSF is, what it really costs compared with an industry or retail fund, the balance where it starts to make sense, and the responsibilities that come with being a trustee.
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Business
Starting a business: a checklist for the first 90 days
A practical checklist for starting a small business in Australia, covering structure, ABN and registrations, GST, bank accounts and software, insurance, pricing, tax and cash flow, so you start right.
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Business
The KPIs that actually matter for a small business
The handful of key performance indicators worth tracking in a small business, including gross margin, cash, debtor days, labour cost and job profitability, how to calculate them and what good looks like.
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Tax
End of financial year tax tips for individuals
The things individuals can still do before 30 June to reduce tax legally, including super contributions, prepaying deductible expenses, donations, capital gains timing and records, plus what to have ready for your return.
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Business
Profitable but cash poor? Why profit isn't cash
Why a profitable business can still run out of money, the common cash flow traps, and the simple habits that keep enough cash in the bank to pay wages, suppliers and the ATO.
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SMSF and super
Personal insurance explained: life, TPD, trauma and income protection
What life, total and permanent disability, trauma and income protection insurance each cover, how needs change with age, inside versus outside super, stepped versus level premiums, and the tax treatment.
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Property and lending
Negative gearing explained
How negative gearing works, a worked example using 2026–27 tax rates, what you can and can't claim on a rental property, and the risks to weigh before you rely on it.
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SMSF and super
Non-concessional contributions and the bring-forward rule
How after-tax (non-concessional) super contributions work, the $120,000 annual cap, the bring-forward rule of up to $360,000, total super balance limits, age rules and the downsizer and CGT contribution options.
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Business
Single Touch Payroll: what employers need to know
How Single Touch Payroll works for employers, what's reported each pay day, the 14 July finalisation deadline, how employees see their income statement, and the common mistakes to avoid.
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Property and lending
Paying down debt: a plan that works
How to get on top of personal debt, from credit cards and buy now pay later to car loans and the mortgage, including which debts to pay first, consolidation, offset accounts and where to get free help.
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Business
Changing accountants: how the switch works
How to change accountants without the hassle, including linking your new accountant with the ATO, transferring your records from your old accountant, timing, costs, and what a good new accountant should do first.
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SMSF and super
Taking your super: pension or lump sum?
How taking super as an account-based pension compares with a lump sum, the tax on each, minimum pension payments by age, the transfer balance cap, and how the choice affects the Age Pension.
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Tax
Redundancy: the tax on your payout and what to do next
How a redundancy payout is taxed, including the tax-free genuine redundancy amount, employment termination payments, unused leave, and what to consider with super, debt, the timing of new work and Centrelink.
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Tax
Rideshare and delivery drivers: tax, GST and deductions
The tax rules for Uber, DiDi and other rideshare drivers and food delivery riders, including when you must register for GST, BAS, what car costs you can claim, and keeping records.
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SMSF and super
Should I transfer my business property into my SMSF?
The tax benefits, costs and risks of moving your business premises into your self-managed super fund, how the business real property rules work, and the mistakes that cause compliance breaches.
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Business
Signs tradies have outgrown their setup
The warning signs that a trade business has outgrown its sole trader setup, spreadsheets or shoebox, and what to change first, from Xero and quoting to structure, staff and tax.
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Business
Small business CGT concessions explained
How the small business capital gains tax concessions work when you sell a business or business property, including the eligibility tests, the 15-year exemption, the 50% active asset reduction, the retirement exemption and the rollover.
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SMSF and super
SMSF property: the compliance rules the ATO checks
The rules that apply when your SMSF owns property, including the sole purpose test, related party restrictions, market rent and valuations, borrowing, improvements, expenses and non-arm's length income, and the mistakes auditors find.
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Tax
PAYG withholding variations: get your tax benefit in every pay
How a PAYG withholding variation lets employees with rental losses or large deductions have less tax taken from their pay during the year, who it suits, how to apply, and the risks.
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SMSF and super
Super basics for employees and employers
The superannuation guarantee rate, who must be paid super, when it's due, choice of fund, contribution caps, salary sacrifice and the government top-ups, explained for employers and employees.
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Business
What business advisory actually involves
What a business advisor does beyond tax and compliance, including budgets, forecasts, KPIs, pricing, structure and regular meetings, which businesses benefit, and what to expect from an advisory relationship.
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Business
When should you switch from sole trader to company?
The profit level, risk and growth signs that say it's time to move from sole trader to a company, what it costs, and how to make the switch without a tax bill.
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SMSF and super
The principles of sensible investing
The principles that matter most when investing, inside or outside super, including time horizon, diversification, fees, tax, debt and staying the course, explained in plain English.
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Business
Why cloud accounting software pays off for small business
What cloud accounting software like Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks does for a small business, the time it saves, the features worth using, and how to set it up so it actually works.
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Business
How to read your financial statements
A plain-English guide for business owners to the profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow statement, what each one tells you, the numbers to look at first, and the warning signs to watch for.
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Tax
Work-related deductions you can and can't claim
The ATO's three rules for work-related deductions, plus what nurses, teachers, tradies, drivers and office workers can and can't claim, and the records you need to back it up.
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