It’s a public holiday here in Warrnambool today (another one!), we have the Warrnambool Cup Day in lieu of Melbourne Cup Day, and for most of us this means we’ve had four weeks in a row with only four working days – I say most of us because I’m not actually taking today off!

Warrnambool’s three day May Racing Carnival is world famous (look it up here if you’re interested), and I love popping on a frock and fascinator, grabbing a glass of champagne and a race book and heading to the track, albeit usually in the surrounds of a marquee, safe from the unpredictable weather we have in these parts at this time of year.

This year though, I will be missing from trackside – I simply decided that I preferred to redirect my efforts to my business and training.  There are a number of Melbourne colleagues who I’ve been wanting a face to face meeting with of late (the internet is great but sometimes you just want to be in the same room), and since I need to be in Melbourne for more training this weekend, I saw an opportunity to travel to Melbourne during the day today, instead of driving at night (as I have done two times in the past week).

Tomorrow I get to see all my Melbourne people (well a few of them anyway) and I will be rewarded with having a productive day.

I’ve already answered the “Are you going to the races?” questions multiple times this week, and I know there will be many wondering where I am – well here you have it.

As a business owner it is important to network with your community, sometimes I do that at the local races, and sometimes I do that in Melbourne.  It’s tough being so popular (she says sarcastically…)

If you’re heading to the track today, take care, take a jacket and have fun (and please send pics)!

Regards

A woman has been sentenced to three years’ jail by the New South Wales District Court after being convicted of three counts of refund fraud.

Over a two month period in 2010, the woman and her co-accused (who was sentenced to two years’ jail last year) deceived three registered tax agents by using forged documents to lodge a total of 217 income tax returns with the ATO on behalf of unsuspecting taxpayers, claiming a total of $1.335 million in fraudulent tax refunds.

This is a clear case of someone taking advantage of the ‘self-assessment’ system we have here in Australia where submitting returns includes a heavy duty of honesty. The ATO remind us all that they take any form of tax crime seriously and there are increasing controls and systems in place to detect potential fraud.

As a registered tax agent, hearing this has happened is so disappointing – not only because it is against the law, but because it puts pressure on us to question our clients even further than we already do.

Some have argued that we should do away with the ‘self-assessment’ system, however this would increased the costs of tax collection to the Government and we all know this cost would be passed onto us as taxpayers.

How about we all just do the right thing hey?

*Note: this article is adapted from the NTAA ‘The Voice’

Regards