Earlier in the week I called out to let you know I am Looking for Opportunities! I thank those of you who took the time to like and share that post.

But what about you?  What do YOU get from working with me? Let’s consider this:

You get the benefit of my 20+ years of professional experience – in that time I have worked with hundreds of individuals and small businesses. Add in community work and volunteering and my unofficial title “Queen of Networking”, and you get access to the sum of all of the interactions I’ve encountered in my career (the good and the not so good).

You get someone who can take complex situations and concepts and then explain them in simple language – if you have ever walked out of a meeting thinking you didn’t understand, or have been bamboozled by professional language – I can help you.

There are plenty of titles and qualifications and letters after my name, but all you really need to know is that I have an insatiable appetite for learning and I love nothing more than sharing with those who are also interested to learn.

Behind the business of Bron Levett, is a personal story that I am willing to share – from this you get a reminder that everyone is facing a battle of some sort every day and while that is perfectly OK, we can still rise to the occasion. When combining the ‘story’ and the vast array of individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with and the many environments I have worked in, you get an individual who is adaptable – you and me and every member of your team will have something in common.

You get PROFESSIONALISM packed with PERSONALITY – I am NOT your average ‘accountant’ – I wear bright red lipstick and my heart on my sleeve.  I want to be my best every day and I want the same for you…and I just want to have fun!

WOW – I sound awesome (ha ha….as I pat myself of the back).

Regards

Dear friends of The Tax Chic!

As another financial year comes to a close, I wanted to ask for your help, and explain a bit about what I do along the way.

Over the past 18 months or so, my business, the business of Bron Levett, has developed and changed and some of you may be a little confused about what I actually do – I realise I move from project to project so I wouldn’t blame you!

First, I think of myself as a multi-passionate entrepreneur – I spent so many years effectively chained to a desk in accounting firms, that I am really enjoying the opportunity to spread my wings, learn new tools and incorporate my learnings with 20+ years of professional experience.

I’m finding my way, deciphering what works for me and where my efforts are best placed as I move into the next phase of my career (shall we say the next 20 years?) – and I thrive on the variety!

So what is it that I actually do? Here’s a snapshot:

• individual income tax returns (I have a fabulous App and electronic signatures you can use so you don’t even need to leave your house to get your tax done!)
• individual  income tax estimate calculations for significant transactions (ie: selling an investment property)
• small business accounting, business activity statements and income tax returns
• small business consulting including the implementation and documentation of procedures
• bookkeeping (set up, training and trouble-shooting), my preferred software is Xero and I have had great success installing this program in small businesses and community groups
• staff training to build high performing, resilient and emotionally intelligent teams with good communication skills (this training can be customised to the needs of your team or workplace)
• individual coaching (both personal and leadership)
• keynote speaking (motivational, inspirational or topic focussed)

I’m confident my accounting track record is intact, but being new to the coaching and training space, you may like to hear from:

– personal coaching client Katie – “’I’d been watching Bron’s work from afar for quite some time, and when I finally decided I needed help with the direction of my career (and my life), I turned to Bron and I am so pleased I did. She asked thought provoking questions and set challenging exercises. I am now back on track and have embarked on the beginning of a new career – exciting times ahead! Thankyou Bron for your professional guidance and understanding.”

– business training client Wendy – “Highly recommend this training with Bron…she is amazing”

I’m currently working hard on a few business training proposals, but I’m keen to keep moving forward so I can reach as many people as I possibly can.

So please, if you feel inclined to refer your friends and colleagues my way, or recommend someone who may like to hear from me – please do so (you can email: bron@thetaxchic.com), and feel free to send any questions you might have too.

Regards

Way back in 2015 the Government introduced measures for small businesses to potentially claim a full income tax deduction for the purchase of assets costing less than $20,000 (you can read my initial post on this here).

There’s been a lot of talk about this lately for a couple of reasons.

First, next week is the end of the financial year and many taxpayers and businesses start to panic right now and want to get as many tax deductions as they can get!

Also, the original measures were to expire on 30th June, 2017 (ie: next week!)

I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a couple of comments on this, so here goes:

• the measures have been extended to 30th June, 2018 so there is another year to take up this option
• it’s never a good idea to spend money you don’t have on items you don’t need – to get the $20,000 deduction you still need to spend the money, and you get a tax deduction for the amount which saves you the amount spent multiplied by your relevant income tax rate – I’ve heard a few taxpayers indicate that if they spend $20,000 on an asset they’ll get $20,000 back from the ATO and this is NOT correct!
• The full cost of the asset must be less than $20,000 including all on costs (such as transfers of vehicles purchased through private sellers)
• The full cost of the asset must be less than $20,000 even if you only claim a portion of the amount for business use
• And, as per the general depreciation rules, the asset must be installed and ready for use to be eligible to claim the deduction, it is not enough to order and “pre-pay”

Finally – I’ve read a few articles this week in the general news space about “don’t miss out on your tax deductions”, or “did you know you can claim these expenses?” – most of these articles are directed at individual tax payers yet they have referenced purchasing a piece of art for your office up to $20,000 – this $20,000 write off is for SMALL BUSINESSES only, not employee taxpayers.

Please, please, please – never make any assumptions when it comes to your personal income tax deductions or the deductions of your business, and instead of taking your tax advice from the mainstream media, always check in with The Tax Chic first!

Regards

As the end of the financial year rushes towards us, if you have some spare cash hanging around, you may like to make a donation to your favourite charity?

Before you do there are some things you should consider.

If you donate to a registered deductible gift recipient (DGR), and your donation meets the criteria set by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), then you may be eligible for a tax deduction.

To check if a charity is a DGR you can look them up on the ABN Lookup website, and the criteria you need to meet (per the ATO) are:

• The gift must be made to a deductible gift recipient. We call entities that are entitled to receive tax deductible gifts ‘deductible gift recipients’ (DGRs).
• The gift must truly be a gift. A gift is voluntary transfer of money or property where you receive no material benefit or advantage.
• The gift must be money or property, which includes financial assets such as shares.
• The gift must comply with any relevant gift conditions. For some DGRs, the income tax law adds extra conditions affecting the types of deductible gifts they can receive.

Some of the charities I’ve supported lately include the m.a.d woman foundation, Lifeline South West Vic, Cure for MND Foundation and Carrie’s Beanies for Brain Cancer.

I always recommend looking for a charity you know you will be happy to support, and I hope you will enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with making a difference!

Regards