Moore Stephens is proud to announce that James Fitzgerald, Senior Accountant, won the Young Accountant of the Year award at the 2017 Australian Accounting Awards, partnered by Thomson Reuters.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) are targeting proprietary companies that have not lodged financial statements for FY 2016.

Over the past fortnight, there has been an increase in activity by ASIC in targeting large proprietary companies and foreign controlled small proprietaries that are not lodging financial statements. ASIC is requesting said companies confirm their ‘non-lodgement’ status or lodge the ‘outstanding’ financial statements.
 

Finding the perfect property isn’t always easy, and as the colder months approach, the number of homes available for purchase starts to subside. The reduction in house stock can swing the pendulum to favour the seller as buyers fight for the smaller number of properties.

The Budget sees the Government place emphasis on generating ongoing employment opportunities for all Australians.

Rental property investors have access to a range of tax strategies. One such strategy, which is often underutilised, is claiming depreciation as a tax deduction.

Property expenses, such as depreciation and capital works expenditure, can be deducted over a number years, adding to a significant return for property investors come tax time.
 

Moore Stephens is proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Accounting Awards, partnered by Thomson Reuters.
 

Over the past month soaring property values have seen landlords hit by steep increases in landlord taxes.

A number of landlords, property owners and lessors have been shocked when confronted with sharp increases in land tax bills this month.

The State Revenue Office (SRO) argues that 2016 was a revaluation year, which means your site value will most likely increase in 2017.
 

Working for yourself has many perks and rewards, however, when it comes to applying for a home loan, being your own boss often sends up a red flag to banks and other lenders. Why? A salaried employee has a regular, steady income and is less likely to experience the cash flow volatility of a small business owner, contractor, entrepreneur, tradesperson or freelancer.

Being proactive and accessing specialist advice, self-employed applicants can also enjoy a successful and hassle-free road to securing a home loan.

It is vital for those with a self-managed super fund (SMSF) to carry out the necessary checks before purchasing a property in their SMSF, especially where borrowing is involved.

Our experienced advisors have listed a number of checks to consider before purchasing a property with your SMSF.

When will owners of plant and equipment and other commercial assets who allow others to hold or use their property realise they need to do a PPSR registration if they want to protect themselves? Despite repeated warnings about the risk of not registering and a number of court decisions that have made the situation clear, it appears that the message that owners need to register their security interests on the PPSR is still not getting through.

The recent WA Supreme Court decision of Flown Pty Ltd v Goldrange Pty Ltd 2016 WASC 419 has once again has highlighted the problem. The case involved a commercial lease situation and certain plant and equipment that was “owned” by the lessor that were on the leased premises. The lessor had earlier provided a loan of $460k to the Lessee for the purchase of the plant and equipment that was secured by the plant and equipment and guaranteed by the directors of the lessee.

Channel Ten’s Shark Tank was back for a second season, aired between 8 May and 7 July 2016, and featured budding entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to venture capital investors (the ‘Sharks’). Moore Stephens’ Victorian Corporate Advisory Team took this opportunity to once again swim with the Sharks and gain an insight into the minds of both entrepreneur and investor.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Directors, team members and clients for making 2016 a tremendous year of development and growth for our firm. I am proud of the efforts of our team, and am appreciative of the industry at large for our continuing success.

Over the course of 2016 the Victoria office have had a number the generous contribution by our staff, and friends of Moore Stephens, in raising donations for various charities over the past year. 

It may be hard to believe but we’re almost on the home straight of what has felt like the longest election campaign in recent history. And while both of the major parties have unveiled a number of policies over the past two months on key issues ranging from higher education, to innovation, penalty rates – and of course, “jobs and growth” – one of the most debated and divisive policies continues to be the government’s proposed changes to superannuation.

This year’s Federal Budget saw a raft of changes to superannuation with introduced measures intended to improve the sustainability and integrity of Australia’s superannuation system.

While the ATO continues to crackdown on tax minimisation strategies, quite a few legal pathways to paying less tax while preserving wealth for retirement or estate planning purposes still exist. Family trusts have significant tax saving abilities that make them an attractive tool for wealth creation.

The number of unfair dismissal applications lodged last year suggests that employers are still struggling with unfair dismissal laws.

Around 14,800 unfair dismissal claims were filed in 2015, keeping the Fair Work Commission (FWC) very busy. And while most cases were settled before a formal hearing, they do create an unproductive distraction for employers.

For many employers, it can be easy to forget the responsibility of managing your superannuation obligations amidst the busy lifestyle of operating a business.

However, those who fail to meet their super obligations risk facing severe and even damaging liabilities.
Employers who pay their workers $450 or more before tax in a calendar month must pay superannuation on top of the employee's wages. If an employee is under the age of 18 or is a private or domestic worker, they must work for more than 30 hours per week to qualify. The minimum an employer must pay is called the super guarantee (SG)

We have entered a new era of modern capitalism where high net worth philanthropists are using their wealth to generate social, economic and environmental returns.

Recent changes were made to the CGT treatment on the sale and purchase of businesses involving ‘look-through earnout’ rights.

On 25 February 2016, a new law was enacted to deal with the tax treatment of earnouts for vendors and purchasers.