Alerts, not alarms

Every now and then you might read or hear about a “taxpayer alert” being issued by the ATO. Taxpayer alerts are the ATO’s “early warning” signals to the public about a certain area of concern – it could be about fraudulent schemes, or dodgy investments, or...

Do you need an agreement with your business partner?

Going into new business with other people is exciting and can be extremely rewarding. A formal agreement can set the ground rules and stop owners getting caught out if things don’t quite go as well as planned. Whether your firm is structured as a partnership or a...

How much do we need to retire?

The question of how much a person needs to have saved before confidently launching into their retirement years very much requires an individual answer. The more the better may seem to be an obvious response, but then again each one of us lucky enough to reach the...

Carrying on a business through your SMSF

Under the regulations, self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are not prohibited from carrying on a business, however the business must be: allowed under the SMSF’s trust deed, and operated for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for fund members. Note however...

Renting out part or all of your home

If you rent out part or all of your home, the rent money you receive is generally regarded as assessable income. This means: you must declare your rental income in your income tax return, and you can claim deductions for the associated expenses you may not be entitled...