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Changes to Casual Employment Laws

From 27 September, employers need to commence contact with long term casual staff with a written offer to convert them to permanent employment. The Fair Work Act gives casual employees the right to convert to permanent employment after 12 months of employment, if they have had a regular pattern of hours on an ongoing basis…

Employers – Have You Met Your Super Guarantee Obligations?

We have recently received correspondence from the ATO informing us that Superannuation Funds now provide information to the ATO when they receive superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions for employees. The ATO are using this information as well as Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting to identify employers who have paid some or all of their super contributions…

Is it a good time to invest?

Investors are well and truly jumping back into the property market. Nationally, the value of new investor loans increased by 0.7% in June compared to the value of new owner- occupier loans, which dropped by 2.5%. Compared to this time last year, owner-occupier loans are up by 75.9%, but investor loans are up by 102%.^…

Managing Payroll for EOFY

In preparation for the end of the financial year, Xero has prepared some useful resources including the below Payroll checklist and webinar. Learn what to review and reconcile in payroll so you can lodge the STP finalisation declaration to the ATO. Download payroll checklist Register for beginners payroll webinar

Federal Budget 2021-22

Read below our summary of the Federal Budget announcements: Personal Taxation PERSONAL TAX RATES UNCHANGED FOR 2021-2022 In the Budget, the Government did not announce any personal tax rates changes, having already brought forward the Stage 2 tax rates to 1 July 2020 in the October 2020 Budget. The Stage 3 tax changes will commence from 1…

Window of opportunity for Income Protection Insurance

HAVE YOU GOT INCOME PROTECTION? Also known as ‘salary continuance insurance’, income protection provides a portion of your income if you are unable to work due to injury or sickness for a certain period of time. The portion of income paid could be up to 75% of your salary depending on the policy. INCOME PROTECTION…

Cash flow can make or break your business, so take time to safeguard it

According to a recent survey by research firm East & Partners for lender Scottish Pacific, nearly 80 per cent of owners of small and medium enterprises said cash flow issues caused them the most sleepless nights.[1] So what might you do to improve your cash flow and sleep better at night? Here are five tips.…

Don’t let these Tax Time myths slow down your Return

At a time when many people want the tax refund that they are expecting to arrive quickly, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is warning people not to get tripped up by tax time myths that slow down returns. “Every year we see people tripped up by tax time myths. Unfortunately, this often results in slowing…

Tax Office Toolkit for Small Businesses

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released a tax time toolkit designed to help small businesses and their tax advisers. The toolkit packages up a series of easy-to-understand fact sheets on topics that small businesses need to know this tax time, especially given the tax implications of COVID-19. ATO Assistant Commissioner Andrew Watson said “As…

Teaching children healthy money habits

Teaching children healthy money habits As a parent, you try to ensure your children have the skills to make smart financial decisions. For example, you tell them about the importance of saving or the power of compounding interest. But did you know that you could be sending them negative money messages without meaning to?…

Cashflow tips to keep top of mind

We all like a good cost saving tip, even if it is something we already know. It never hurts to revisit some top tips and take a look at our current situation to see if there are savings to be made. Any little savings we make throughout the year can be diverted to a bigger…

What to consider when transferring your wealth

We spend a lifetime generating wealth but few of us spend the time to ensure it’s passed on in the way we want it to. Having a plan in place for how and when you want your wealth to be transferred, will help all parties understand your intentions and the process. While there isn’t a…

Why does insurance matter?

The unexpected events of the past few years have made financial protection a front of mind matter for most Australians. Now more than ever we appreciate that life does not always go the way we plan. Having a plan in place if things do take an unexpected turn can mean that our health, lifestyle and…

First Home Super Saver Scheme – How does it work?

From 1 July 2022, if you’re a first home buyer you can release up to $50,000 (up from $30,000) from your voluntary super contributions to help you buy your first home. Under the scheme, voluntary concessional and non concessional contributions made on or after 1 July 2017 may be released from super to help you…

More employees eligible for super from their employer

Superannuation Guarantee (SG) requires employer to pay a minimum level of super support for eligible employees. One criteria for an employee to be eligible is based on that employee’s monthly earnings being at least $450 per month. However, this threshold is abolished from 1 July 2022. This measure primarily assists low-income earners to have employer…

Inflation – What Does it mean for Me and my Money?

Inflation is a hot topic at the moment. But what exactly is it, and how does it affect you and your money? Inflation is making news daily through wage inflation, energy inflation, food inflation, fuel inflation… and not just in Australia, but in many other countries too. In simple terms, inflation means that the prices…

How do you know when the advice is right?

Seeking advice can turn your life around and put you on a path to a happier and more secure financial future. But where do you start? Who do you trust? How do you know you are going to get value for money? There are many questions that may pop into your head when you think…

Developing Better Money Habits

The cost of goods and services will always be on the rise. The increasing cost of goods and services is a reality most Australians have to deal with. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that living expenses for employee households were up by 1.1% from March 2020, compared to March 2019. This may…