! Important There is a proposed update to personal tax returns that has caught a bit of attention. The proposed $1,000 tax deduction sounds sensible. But tax returns are not disappearing tomorrow. There is a proposed update to personal tax returns that has caught a...
! Important If you expect smooth sailing in business, you are likely setting yourself up for disappointment. If you expect smooth sailing in business, you are likely setting yourself up for disappointment. That is blunt, but it is true. Too many business owners treat...
! Important Running an SME is not for the faint-hearted. Control Freaks Build Great SMEs (But Only If They Learn to Let Go) Running an SME is not for the faint-hearted. If you are building a business, there is a stage where being a control freak is actually an...
! Important From 1 July 2026, Australia's anti-money laundering rules expand beyond the usual suspects into a broader range of professional services — and the flow-on impact will hit SME onboarding in a very real, very annoying way. AML/CTF Tranche 2 Is Coming (1 July...
! Important If you think landing one big national or multinational contract will change everything, this might change your mind. I have seen profitable Australian businesses nearly crippled because they chased size over stability. Small Fish Are Sweet: Why "The Big...
! Important Treat your customers well, but treat your staff better. After working with Australian SMEs over the years, I have seen firsthand how disengaged teams create service breakdowns, rising staff turnover, and hidden profit leaks. I first heard this quote on a...
! Important Rule number one is simple: Cash is king. If you can manage cash flow, you can do almost anything. If you cannot manage cash flow, even good businesses strike trouble. Hi guys. I am back this week, and over the next few weeks, I am going to run through what...
! Important If business feels harder right now, you are not imagining it. Insolvencies are rising, and the ATO is behind a lot of the tipping point moments. Here is what you need to know and what to do about it. If business feels harder right now, you are not...
! Important Once you understand the ATO's overall strategy, the last 12 months of behaviour starts to make a lot more sense. If you have felt like they are moving faster and escalating harder — you are not imagining it. This week I want to step back and talk about the...
! Important For years, a lot of Aussie businesses have been living in the 'lag economy'. The ATO has been quietly shutting that lag down. The direction is obvious: more real-time reporting, and more real-time payment obligations. For years, a lot of Aussie businesses...
! Important July 2026 is where old habits meet new rules. If you have been paying super quarterly, you are used to the pattern — but Payday Super changes everything. Here is how to get ahead of it. Here is the "first hurdle" I think many employers will trip over: July...
! Important We have rolled into 2026, and it is that time of year where we all say we are going to get organised. The Christmas break gives you enough breathing room to reflect and ask: did you achieve what you wanted to? We have rolled into 2026, and it is that time...
! Important Another year is almost done. Before you shut the laptop and head off for a well-earned break, there is something worth doing that does not involve spreadsheets, strategy sessions or five-year forecasts. It is reflection. Another year is almost done. If you...
! Important Being in business is not all beer and Skittles. When a major contract is lost purely on cost, the ripple effect flows straight through to real people — staff, families, and cash flow projections being redrawn overnight. Being in business is not all beer...
! Important Australia needs more homes. But the real risk is not only how many homes we build — it is who we let build them, and whether governments have the systems to separate quality operators from the cowboys. Every time you open the news, it is the same headline...
! Important Divorce is an unfortunate but very real part of life. The way you approach it will shape your life and your children's lives for years to come. This is not about winning — it is about getting to a fair, workable path forward. Divorce is an unfortunate but...
! Important Tough topic, but one we all have to face — death. We see it often: family members coming in after someone passes with no idea where documents are, what assets there are, or how to start probate. Tough topic, but one we all have to face — death. We see it...
! Important Everyone says they want to get ahead. But do you want to talk about getting ahead, or do you actually want to get ahead? There are no shortcuts, no hacks, no magic bullet. Just work, repetition, mistakes, learning, and doing it again. Everyone says they...
! Important Property is expensive. But the conversation needs to be honest. Australia's population is heavily concentrated into a few major cities, lifestyle inflation is real, and compromise is not a failure — it is the entry fee. I have posted a fair bit lately...
! Important October is Small Business Month. There are just under 2.6 million small businesses in Australia — more than 97% of all businesses in the country. Together, they employ almost five and a half million Australians. October is Small Business Month. And before...
! Important AI will have a profound impact on almost every facet of our personal, employment and business lives. In my own business, we are not waiting for the wave to hit — we are already in the surf. There has been plenty of hype about artificial intelligence...
! Important Last week, I filled in another survey from the Small Business Commissioner about regulation and compliance. The question that sums up the whole problem reveals how far removed some departments are from the real world of small business. Last week, I filled...
! Important We are about to see a significant wave of retiring baby boomers in Australia. Many of them are business owners. If you are even remotely considering exiting in the next three years, now is the time to start getting your house in order. We are about to see...
! Important Scaling a property portfolio without the right structure is like building a house without foundations. Entity selection, loan structuring, and asset protection need to be addressed before you buy — not after. Australians of almost every background see...
! Important Every major business or investment decision comes down to one question: can you sleep at night? If the answer is no, the numbers do not matter. Risk tolerance is personal — and ignoring it leads to bad outcomes. There is a moment that tells you more than...
! Important Your accountant should be more than a compliance machine. If they are not asking the right questions, challenging your structure, or helping you plan ahead, it might be time for a change. What got you here may not get you there. That applies to business...
! Important Every business moves through predictable phases — startup, growth, maturity, and decline. Understanding where you sit in the cycle changes how you plan, hire, invest, and exit. The business cycle is the same for every single business. It does not matter...
! Important The ATO has ramped up its debt collection activity. Understanding how General Interest Charge works, when it applies, and whether it is tax deductible can make a material difference for businesses managing outstanding liabilities. For a few years there,...
! Important We say we want more women back in the workforce. We talk about productivity, skills shortages and cost of living pressures. Yet one of the biggest barriers to working remains completely non-deductible from a tax perspective: childcare costs. Let's call it...
! Important Australia is aiming for 1.2 million new homes over five years. Even with recent improvements, approvals remain more than 50,000 homes short of what is required each year. This structural supply gap has real consequences. For a while, the headlines were all...
! Important Whether you own a business or earn a salary, the takeaway is the same: start using automation and AI tools now, or risk falling behind. AI is already doing real work at a speed and accuracy humans cannot match. Not long ago, "being good with tech" meant...
! Important Negative gearing is back in the headlines. Again. We have a housing shortage, a Federal target to build 1.2 million homes, and frustrated first-home buyers. Every time pressure builds, someone says scrap negative gearing. It is not that simple. Negative...
! Important Every July Australians face the same decision: pay a pro or lodge through MyTax? The answer depends on complexity, confidence, and the value of forward planning. Every July, Australians face the same decision: pay a pro or lodge through MyTax? The answer...
! Important Visa processing delays are creating significant pressure for many small and medium-sized businesses across Australia. For employers relying on 482 employer-sponsored visas, extended timeframes are affecting both workforce stability and cash flow. Visa...
! Important The ATO has access to more data than you think. Every year they publish their hit list — the areas they are going to focus on. If you are not across it, you are flying blind. It is that time of year again — tax time. And the ATO has just released what they...
! Important Offset accounts are brilliant for flexibility. They also create an opportunity to structure borrowings in a way that can improve your after-tax outcome over the long term. This article is a practical, plain-English worked example showing why the 'where the...
! Important When setting up a home or investment loan, many borrowers are offered either an offset account or a redraw facility. While both can reduce the interest you pay, they are structured differently — and that structure can have long-term implications for...
If you're looking for a business adviser who’ll walk alongside you, not just show up at tax time, we’d love to hear your story.
