On a regular basis, officers from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) “hit the streets” to help small businesses stay on top of their tax affairs.

These visits often focus on businesses in high cash industries such as cafes and restaurants, hair and beauty salons and others – knowing most businesses aim to do the right thing, the visits are an opportunity to confirm that registrations are correct and for businesses to ask questions in a face-to-face environment.

The added bonus is that the ATO can also protect honest businesses by taking action against those who try to obtain an unfair advantage by being dishonest.

During April 2017, the ATO intended to visit 400 businesses in Perth and Canberra and you can find out more about this business visiting program, by taking a look at www.ato.gov.au/workingwithindustry

Regards

If you’ve been following The Tax Chic for a while then you’ll know that I regularly share stories from my personal life and show support for causes close to my heart – the week is no different.

It’s MND Week in Australia – Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Week is held nationally in the first full week of May each year. During the week, State MND Associations work together to raise awareness and share the vision of a world without MND. It is also a time to acknowledge the MND community, especially people living with MND, and to remember those who have died.*

My Dad died when I was 10 years old after enduring the effects of Motor Neurone Disease – largely unknown back in the mid 1980s, MND has increased in awareness in recent times since AFL great, Neale Daniher was diagnosed. Neale and his ‘team’ have raised the profile along with millions of dollars to inject into research – it is so wonderful to see the progress researchers are now making yet also devastating to read and hear so many more stories of people just like my Dad.

The blue cornflower (as pictured) was adopted by MND Australia as the national symbol of hope for MND, because of its fragile appearance but hardy nature. Like the cornflower, people living with MND show remarkable strength in coping with a devastating disease.*

I suggest that the same is true of the family and friends of sufferers – watching someone you love deteriorate in body while staying strong of mind is something you never forget. The grief one feels at losing their loved one is compounded by the guilt of being able to do things they no longer can.

To find out more about MND, this background sheet is a fabulous summary, have a look.

*from www.mndaust.asn.au

Regards

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