If your return is very straightforward such as income statement with few simple deductions, by all means, use e-tax to lodge.
However, it really doesn’t take much to stumble into the grey areas when there are things you are eligible for and things that you aren’t eligible to claim. Tax agents do 1000’s of returns every year and know what to look for, what you can and shouldn’t claim. In a lot of cases, fees are not only less than the tax return money you get back but you can rest assured that your return is correct, save your time, hassle and uncertainty you save by using etax.
Tax agent fees are 100% deductible for the following year.
Registered Tax agents are able to lodge amendments, objections and obtain private rulings if needed.
There are other benefits too such as later lodgement dates, a second set (or more) of eyes to find any oversights.
There is a very good chance that you are on this page as a result of a referral from a friend or family member. In that case, please thank them for us.
This often happens because we look after our clients like family, who in turn want to refer us to help their close friends and family.
7 reasons that make us recommendable
1. We teach our clients easy-to-use systems to save time, money and hassle.
2. We don’t require that you to buy or use special software – unless required to do so for legal reasons by the ATO.
3. We take care to explain how complex (and sometimes vague) tax laws apply in plain language to your specific situation.
4. We work directly with the Tax office saving our clients from frustration and spending hours on the phone to the ATO information line (let alone chasing the right information on their 10,000+ page website), we can lodge appeals, amendments, get private rulings and negotiate payment terms.
5. Because we work with the ATO, we are able to get people out of trouble from complex situations such as catching up with complex multi-year tax returns.
6. As our client we are also are on your side in the unlikely case that there is a disagreement with the ATO.
7. We take your accounts seriously but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
The first time you lodge through a registered Tax agent like us, you have until 28th of December instead.
From that point onwards, if you continue to lodge with that registered tax agent, you are entitled to lodge up until the 14th of May.
However when lodging late, please get your information to us at least a week before these dates to allow us time to process your return.
Don’t ignore it. Ignoring it makes the ATO upset, and then things quickly become messy (and expensive).
Instead, make an appointment to see a Registered Tax Agent. You can book in with us now using our online booking page or give us a call during business hours so we can work through your situation and work out the best option available.
Starting a business is a great, exciting and admirable thing to do. It can be quite scary at the same time with many potential pitfalls to avoid.
We currently are offering a free 1-hour initial consultation designed to help budding business owners start your business off on the right foot. In this consultation, we cover what it is your business is doing, the scope of partners, employees, accounts, best practices, the best structure given current regulations, government grant availability. etc.
We are running this free consultation promotion for 4 reasons:
1: Starting a business is quite a scary thing to do. We’ve been there already so we want to help by sharing what we know and what you need to know such as licenses, insurance, accounts, handy tips, structures etc Getting this right at the start really helps to avoid unnecessary messes and potential fines down the road.
2. It saves us time and frustration. Starting with things in order now, save us time rather than untangling it later on.
3: Give back to the community by supporting new business owners. Successful businesses are essential as they provide many benefits for the community including innovation, employment for others and pride.
4. We are currently testing this promotion by making it free. We hope this removes the main reason a start-up has for not getting professional advice from the start. We reserve the right to change this offer in the future.
To take advantage of our current offer, book online using our booking system here, or call us during business hours to make your reservation (Don’t forget to mention the website offer).
We hear a lot of stories circulating about tax deductions and 'the best way to do things'. When these misunderstandings get combined with the 'Chinese Whispers' effect, they can turn into some real whoppers of urban legends. So please, for your own benefit, enjoy the stories but get your tax advice from professional sources to avoid disappointment, or worse a large fine from the government.
Some of the myths we've come across for your enjoyment:
Facts:
(TLDR: Oh boy, this is a complex area with various factors to consider such as cash flow, who owns it, how you use it, how to pay for it, de-bunking half-truths and sometimes fairy tales etc. It also changes from time to time when the government of the day changes their policies, meaning what was right a few years ago is not necessarily correct today. Getting the right advice for your situation will put you ‘in-the-know’ rather than ‘being-taken-for-a-ride’ to end up paying potentially thousands more than you thought you would be. Please give us a call on 02 9553 8117 to find out more)
Fact: No – these are two separate concepts mixed up into a 'nice to believe' but ultimately wrong story.
We see this all the time and we get it. In the heat-of-the-moment, there is the nice shiny new perfect, fresh smelling car sitting there, just beckoning to you and a friendly salesperson ready to let you have it. There is probably even a mention of the special financing and a deal to make it easy for you to drive away. Possibly an offer to take away your old car for an attractive price. You may hear a voice in your head telling you – “it’s ok it’s for work, so it wont cost me anything really”. You possibly even recall a mate saying that they got their new car on such and such an arrangement and it’s costing them nothing (or similar story to that effect). Moments away from the buzz of that new car smell….
Hang on just a moment.
The best way to have a work related vehicle and the best way to pay for the vehicle are two highly situation-specific questions that have implications on what you can and can’t claim.
Claiming a work related vehicle depends on which method is right for you – per kilometre (up to the maximum by log book) or the logbook method that requires apportioning cost on a business vs personal trip basis
Buying a vehicle can involve cash, cheque, credit cards, loans, Chattel mortgage (hire purchase) or leasing the use of the vehicle. Depending on which claiming method is being used you are able to claim different things in different amounts.
So what is best for you is not necessarily right for your neighbour, your mate or the ladies in the hair salon etc. So please get some professional advice for your situation before committing to a method of deduction or a method of purchase.
Fact: Chattel mortgage is just a new term for hire purchase. They are the same thing. In a business context you are able to claim all the GST upfront on the BAS.
If you'd like some real advice for how the tax laws apply to your situation, or to find out if there is a better to do things, book in for an appointment to get on top of it all, make life simpler and save you hard earned money.
