Question 1

What deductions can I claim on my tax return?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your occupation and circumstances, but common deductions include work-related expenses, vehicle and travel costs, home office running costs and depreciation on business assets. We review your outgoings line by line against current ATO rules so every deduction you are entitled to is identified and properly substantiated.

Question 2

How do you handle income earned in both Australia and New Zealand?

Accepted Answer

We start by determining your tax residency, then apply the Double Tax Agreement between Australia and New Zealand and claim the foreign income tax offsets you are entitled to. The aim is compliance with both the ATO and Inland Revenue without the same income being taxed twice.

Question 3

When should I move from a sole trader to a company or trust?

Accepted Answer

Usually when net profit reaches the point where the company tax rate (25% for base rate entities) is meaningfully below your marginal rate, or when the business starts taking on debt, employing people or facing industry risk. At that stage a company or family trust can limit liability and protect personal assets. We model the options before you change anything.

Question 4

Do you work with clients outside Brisbane?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The office is in Brisbane and we work with clients across Queensland and Australia, as well as clients with financial interests in New Zealand.

Question 5

What should I bring to my first appointment?

Accepted Answer

Use the Tax Appointment Checklist, Sole Trader Checklist or Rental Property Checklist from our Resources page. If you are unsure, send us a message and we will tell you exactly what applies to you.

Question 6

When is my tax return due, and does using a tax agent extend it?

Accepted Answer

If you lodge your own return it is due by 31 October. Clients of a registered tax agent are covered by the ATO's lodgement program, which gives most individuals until 15 May the following year, provided you are on the agent's client list before 31 October and your previous returns are up to date. Some returns fall due earlier under the program, and any tax payable is still due on its own date, so we confirm your dates when we take you on. Our Key Dates page lists the year's deadlines month by month.

Question 7

When does a business have to lodge a BAS?

Accepted Answer

Once you are registered for GST, the ATO issues a business activity statement (BAS) monthly or quarterly, depending on your turnover and the cycle you choose. Quarterly statements are due on the 28th of the month after the quarter ends (28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July); monthly statements are due on the 21st of the following month. Lodging quarterly through a registered agent generally gives you extra time on three of the four quarters. The BAS also reports PAYG withholding for employees and PAYG instalments on your own income, so it is worth getting the cycle right from the start.

Question 8

What happens if I cannot pay my tax or BAS on time?

Accepted Answer

Lodge on time regardless: penalties for late lodgement are separate from interest on late payment, and lodging keeps you eligible for a payment plan. The ATO charges general interest on overdue amounts from the due date, and it can set up a payment plan for most debts, either online or through us as your agent. The earlier we know, the more options there are, including varying PAYG instalments if your income has dropped. Ignoring ATO letters is the one thing that reliably makes it worse.

Question 9

How do you help with an ATO review, audit or dispute?

Accepted Answer

As your registered tax agent we deal with the ATO on your behalf. That means understanding exactly what the ATO is asking for, gathering the substantiation from your records, preparing the response, and managing every phone call and letter so you are not answering questions on the spot. If we disagree with an outcome we can lodge an objection and, where warranted, take the matter further. Good records are the best preparation, which is why our checklists and record templates exist.

Question 10

What rental property expenses can I claim?

Accepted Answer

Expenses you incur while the property is rented or genuinely available for rent: loan interest, council and water rates, insurance, body corporate fees, property management fees, advertising, repairs and maintenance, pest control, land tax, and depreciation of the building (capital works) and of eligible fixtures. Borrowing costs are claimed over five years. Improvements and renovations are capital, claimed over time rather than in the year you pay for them, and travel to inspect a residential property has not been deductible for individual investors since 2017. Where the property is partly private, the claim is apportioned. Our Rental Property Checklist lists what to gather.

Question 11

How does capital gains tax apply when I sell an investment property?

Accepted Answer

The capital gain is the sale proceeds less the cost base, which includes the purchase price, stamp duty, legal fees, agent's commission and capital improvements, reduced by any capital works you have claimed. Individuals and trusts that have held the property for more than twelve months generally pay tax on half the gain; companies get no discount. The gain is taxed in the year the contract is signed, not when it settles, which matters for timing near 30 June. A home you have lived in may be wholly or partly exempt under the main residence rules, including the six-year absence rule if it was rented after you moved out. Legislated changes replace the discount with cost-base indexation and a minimum 30% rate for gains that accrue from 1 July 2027, so the timing of a sale now matters more than it did. We model the tax before you sign, not after.

Question 12

What is the best ownership structure for an investment property in Queensland?

Accepted Answer

There is no single answer, which is why we model it. Owning in your own name or jointly is simplest and lets a rental loss offset your salary, with the capital gains discount on sale. A discretionary trust offers flexibility in distributing income and gains and some asset protection, but losses are trapped in the trust and Queensland applies a lower land tax threshold to trusts and companies than to individuals. A company pays a flat rate but forgoes the capital gains discount. Self-managed super funds can hold property under strict rules. The right choice depends on your income, your other assets, how long you will hold the property and what happens if you sell.

Question 13

What is a trust, and how is it taxed?

Accepted Answer

A trust is a legal arrangement where a trustee holds assets for beneficiaries under a trust deed. In a discretionary (family) trust the trustee decides each year who receives the income and capital gains. The trust itself usually pays no tax if all of its income is distributed by 30 June; each beneficiary is taxed on their share at their own rate. Income that is not distributed is taxed to the trustee at the top marginal rate, so the annual distribution resolution matters. The 2026–27 Budget legislated a minimum tax on discretionary trusts, which changes how distributions are planned once it starts, so every trust is reviewed before 30 June. Trusts suit family businesses and investments where income needs to be shared, but they add cost and paperwork and losses cannot be distributed.

Question 14

What is Division 7A and does it affect my company?

Accepted Answer

Division 7A is the part of the tax law that stops private company profits being taken out tax-free. If a company lends money to, pays for, or forgives a debt of a shareholder or their associate, including a family trust, the amount is treated as an unfranked dividend in the shareholder's return unless it is repaid before the company's tax return is due or put under a written complying loan agreement with minimum annual repayments at the ATO benchmark interest rate. It affects almost every owner-managed company that has drawn money out other than as wages or dividends, and it is one of the first things we check.

Question 15

How much does it cost to run an SMSF?

Accepted Answer

An SMSF carries fixed yearly costs: the accounts and annual return, the independent audit that the law requires, the ATO supervisory levy, and an ASIC fee if the trustee is a company, plus any investment and advice costs. Because most of these are fixed rather than a percentage of the balance, an SMSF becomes relatively cheaper as the balance grows and is expensive for small balances. We quote our fee once we understand the fund's investments and activity, and we will tell you honestly if an SMSF does not make sense for you.

Question 16

Can my SMSF buy property?

Accepted Answer

Yes, residential or commercial, provided the fund's trust deed and investment strategy allow it and the purchase passes the sole purpose test of providing retirement benefits. A residential property cannot be bought from, lived in or rented by a member or a related party; business premises can be, at market rent, which is why many business owners hold their premises in their fund. An SMSF can borrow to buy property only through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, and the fund needs enough cash to meet its other obligations. The rules are strict and the penalties real, so the structure is set up before contracts are signed.

Question 17

How is my tax residency worked out when I move between Australia and New Zealand?

Accepted Answer

Each country applies its own tests. Australia looks at whether you reside here in the ordinary sense, where your domicile and permanent home are, whether you have spent 183 days here, and your intentions. New Zealand counts days as well and asks whether you keep a permanent place of abode there. It is possible to be a resident of both at once; the Double Tax Agreement then breaks the tie, looking first at where your permanent home is and then at where your personal and economic life is centred. Residency decides which country taxes your worldwide income and which taxes only local income, so we settle it first, and we plan the timing of a move where we can.

Question 18

I have New Zealand rental or business income; where is it taxed?

Accepted Answer

If you are an Australian resident, New Zealand keeps the first right to tax rent from New Zealand property and profits of a business carried on there, and you declare the same income in your Australian return, converted to Australian dollars, claiming a foreign income tax offset for the New Zealand tax paid. The result is that you pay the higher of the two countries' tax overall, not both. New Zealand's tax year ends on 31 March and Australia's on 30 June, so the figures have to be apportioned. Both countries exchange information automatically, so New Zealand income left off an Australian return is found.

Question 19

Can I transfer KiwiSaver to Australian super, or the reverse?

Accepted Answer

Yes, under the Trans-Tasman retirement savings portability arrangement, once you have permanently moved. KiwiSaver savings can be transferred to a complying Australian fund regulated by APRA, but not to a self-managed fund, and Australian super can be transferred to a KiwiSaver scheme. The transfer is not taxed on the way in, the New Zealand-sourced portion keeps New Zealand's rules on when it can be accessed, and the amounts count towards the Australian contribution caps, so the timing and the size of the transfer need checking before you sign the forms. Leaving a KiwiSaver balance behind is common and usually avoidable.

Question 20

How much do your services cost, and are fees fixed?

Accepted Answer

We agree the fee before work begins. Individual tax returns and routine compliance work such as BAS and annual accounts are quoted as a fixed fee once we know what is involved; advisory work is scoped and quoted separately. You will not receive an invoice for something you did not agree to.

Question 21

Can I complete my tax return remotely?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Many of our clients are interstate or in New Zealand. Send your documents securely, meet us by phone or video, and sign your return electronically. Nothing about the service depends on visiting the Brisbane office, although you are welcome to.

Question 22

Which accounting software do you work with?

Accepted Answer

Most of our business clients use a cloud accounting platform such as Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, and we work in whichever you use. If you are choosing for the first time, or your current software is fighting you, we will recommend what suits the size and shape of your business.

Question 23

Who will I be dealing with?

Accepted Answer

A chartered accountant who is a registered tax agent, and who stays with your file. You will have one direct contact who knows your affairs rather than a different person each time you call.

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