This week I’m heading back to school – tax school that is!

As a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), it is a requirement of my membership that I complete 120 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) over a three year continuous period.

The 120 hours must be spread over the course of the three year period, and in each calendar year we are limited to allocating 10 hours to technical reading (despite every accountant I know undertaking far more than 10 hours of technical reading each year!).  Essentially this means we must complete at least 30 hours of technical training by other means.

As a member of CAANZ living in regional Victoria, I try to do as much training as I can by using the internet – but there is something to be said for being in a room full of tax professionals at face-to-face training (I just read that out loud…I promise I mean in a good way!).

This week I’m heading to Melbourne to the National Tax Accountants’ Association (NTAA) Tax Schools Seminar 2015 – this is a great opportunity to get up to date on recent decisions and reforms in our industry and take a look at some year end tax planning strategies (the 13 hours of CPE are very handy also)!

Do you have CPE requirements for your business or profession?  If so, remember that keeping up to date records will help keep you on track and will assist in the event of an audit from your membership body (I keep mine in an excel spread sheet with a running balance so I always know where I’m at!)

Regards

Tomorrow marks the end of MND Week 2015.

You may recall the rise of the worldwide “Ice Bucket Challenge” last year which I wrote about on my blog here.  Of course this challenge was designed to raise awareness of MND (or ALS).

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Week is celebrated Australia wide during the first week of May.  During the week, each of the State MDN Associations come together with the common aim of raising awareness and hoping for a world without MND.

This week is also a time to pay tribute to the MND community, especially those living with MND, and remembering those who are no longer with us.

One important aspect of MND is that it is not age related – many people living with MND struggle to receive the support they need, especially those who do not fit within the aged care system.

MND Australia have launched a campaign encouraging our Government to ensure a system that is fair to all people living with MND – if you would like to show your support for this campaign please visit the MND Australia website.

While I don’t need a special week to think of MND and my Dad, it is nice to see others acknowledging this terrible disease and the impact it has on sufferers and their family and friends.

So while I pay tribute to my Dad this week, I also take this opportunity to send special birthday greetings to heaven for Sunday would have been his 65th birthday! Happy birthday Dad xo

Regards

“The Working with Children (WWC) Check helps protect children from physical and sexual harm. It does this by screening people’s criminal records and professional conduct and preventing those who pose an unjustifiable risk to children from working with or caring for them.” (1)

There are many occupations that require an employee to hold a Working with Children Check – but is the cost of a WWC deductible?

The answer is – it depends!

The cost of a WWC will be deductible to an employee where they are an existing employee and are required to obtain a “suitability notice” to continue to be employed (and as such, continue to earn assessable income).  The cost will also be deductible where the employee has recently earned assessable income from being employed in a child related field, and has been employed for a continuous period.

The cost of a WWC will not be deductible when the employee is new to a role in a child related field and the “suitability notice” is required for that employment to commence.

Essentially, the cost of your initial WWC as required to satisfy the employment conditions will not be deductible, however if you continue in this employment (even if it is with a different employer), your renewal may be eligible for a tax deduction.

Clear as mud?

Regards

(1) www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au

I know I’ve already given you a couple of reminders to lodge your 2014 income tax return if you haven’t already done so – but there’s an added incentive for some!

For anyone who is eligible for family assistance payments, you must lodge your claim with the Department of Human Services (Centrelink) by 30th June, 2015.

Part of finalising your claim includes lodging your 2014 income tax return by 30th June, 2015 also.

This deadline relates to the following payments:

• Family Tax Benefit (FTB)
• Child Care Benefit (CCB); and
• Single Income Family Supplement (SIFS)

A couple of notes for you to consider are that if you are not required to lodge an income tax return, you should notify Centrelink of this by 30th June, 2015 to enable your payments to be finalised.

And if you happen to be in the small group who have been granted an extension of time (by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)) to lodge your income tax return which pushes your due date beyond 30th June…you should note that this extension does not apply to your family assistance claim – as such you are still required to lodge your income tax return by 30th June, 2015 to meet Centrelink’s requirements for family assistance.

If you have already lodged your 2014 income tax return but have not received your reconciliation of family assistance, I recommend you contact Centrelink to discuss.

Regards