Thoughts

We're ofen asked by clients how they can save tax. It's a great question, but often not that simple...

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Xerocon has been affectionately called ‘Coachella for accountants’, and we think that’s one of the best descriptions we’ve heard!

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There are some moments in life where you take a step back and just marvel at how far you’ve come, and I’ve got to say, over the past month we’ve had a number of these moments.

Thoughts

The title of this blog post could easily win the award for the most boring thing we have ever posted. That’s coming from people who talk about tax day in day out. However, it could be one of the most important too.

Thoughts

Your business is going to evolve. As it does, you may want to refocus your brand and begin to redefine who you are and what separates you from others. Rebranding is a chance to bring clarity to your

Thoughts

Ensuring you have the correct structure set up from the beginning will save you a lot of time, money and grief. Ol' mate Mick Walter discusses the key aspects of structuring.

With the 30 June looming upon us, now is the time to consider all things Super and ensure you have a plan and strategy in place.

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This is the question we’ve been asking ourselves over the past 18 months. The question that has consumed many hours, late nights and whisky fuelled discussions. The question that has been the driving force behind a real understanding of our identity and our passion.

The Federal Budget 2017; where the nations leaders (aka bunch of helicopter loving suits) sit in a room and gasp (or ‘hear hear’) at the impact of proposed budget changes.

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As I sit here working on my laptop in a café in Box Hill, I can’t help but be drawn back to my recent adventure through the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. My family and I spent 3 weeks in February exploring the country together.

Thoughts

Do you have a private company in your group structure? Have you been enjoying paying tax at a flat rate of 30%, as opposed to the top marginal tax rate in your personal return? Well, then hopefully you’ve heard about accountants’ favourite way to bore and confuse you – Division 7A.

This year’s budget by the Liberal party, the first by Scott Morrison, has a lot of interesting components. There is a lot more contained in the budget, but we have tree topped a few we think are important.

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End of Financial Year and a new season ahead for illumin8 partners: illumin8 farewells Founding Director Jason, as Andrew takes illumin8 into the future

End of Financial Year 2016 is here! How do you feel about your past 12 months? If you’re a business owner, June is a good time to take a review of how you are going.

Thoughts

There is something in business I like to call the two-year itch. I find that 90% of people in business go through it. It can be either a positive or negative experience. I can tell you that I, myself, have gone through the two-year itch phase and it most certainly wasn’t easy.

Over the past few years, the ATO has been investing in more sophisticated, data-matching software. As a result, there has been a record number of tax audits and reviews. Lodgements are now cross-referenced against information from a wide range of government organisations, including Centrelink, WorkCover, Department of Transport, banks and other financial institutions. Should any of the information not match, the software will flag the return for investigation and a possible review or audit.

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We are huge advocators of small business owners having a team around them to encourage, challenge and for accountability purposes. We often encourage our clients to form an advisory board to help provide strategic advice to the management of their corporation, organisation, or foundation.

Thoughts

The ATO have released new tax tables that will take effect next week – whether you pay wages or receive a regular wage, here are some tips to get you ready for the changes. It’s been a turbulent few months behind the scenes since the Australian Government’s budget announcements back in May, with many of them finally being introduced to parliament late last month.

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Being a VCE student means deadlines, assignments, emails, and a lot of expectations from a lot of different people.

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There is absolutely no denying it – social media has changed the way businesses communicate. And, as with cloud technology, whilst some are eager to stay ahead of the game, others lag behind, often kicking and screaming.

If you weren’t already confused by the budget for superannuation, it just keeps getting better and better with more changes and alterations being proposed. Here’s to hoping that the Government finally make up their minds and we can get to the important task of tax planning.

Thoughts

The silly season is upon us! Another year has flown by and as we approach Christmas, our attention often turns towards rewarding hard-working staff. With that in mind, here are a few key considerations and reminders for small businesses

Do you love Xero & Receipt Bank? Like a meat pie and tomato sauce? If so, I bet you didn’t think things could get even better. Not to use an old cliché, but wait, there’s more!

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As a business, one of illumin8’s core values is seeking shared experiences. This can manifest itself in many different ways. Whether it be meeting with our clients regularly, communicating valuable information,

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I started something last year where I changed my desktop background to 10 goals I wanted to accomplish that I could fit into the SMART criteria. Now I didn’t accomplish all of them, but I do believe I got more done than