Search Form

More accounting groups to enter mortgage space

07 October 2014 acumen. Lending has always gone hand in hand with accounting and financial planning, she said. Her comments come after last week’s announcement that national accounting firm Chan & Naylor had inked a deal with a mortgage brokerage. Chan & Naylor...

• Type: Article
• Author: James Mitchell
• Category: Business

RBA rate announcement - October 2014

07 October 2014 left at a record-low 2.5 per cent for the 14th consecutive month. The decision comes as no surprise given the RBA announced last month that it expects to leave the official cash rate at 2.5 per cent for at least the next year. In the minutes of the...

• Type: Article
• Author: Staff Reporter
• Category: Business

Accounting firms act on licensing

10 October 2014 Planning, Sullivans Financial Strategies, and self-licensed group Hado Investments have all signed with Premium in the last month. Premium’s head of practice development Justin Viney said all are accountancy practices keen to grow their financial advice...

• Type: Article
• Author: Staff Reporter
• Category: Business

You mean you're not here with me!

10 October 2014 There is a drive to be discussing what’s happening in the client’s business here and now rather than what happened last month – could this technology be an important part of that engagement? These technologies are capable of removing the tyranny of...

• Type: Article
• Author: David Smith
• Category: Business

Family businesses optimistic despite facing growth risks

16 October 2014 Family Business Survey that found just 53 per cent of Australian family businesses surveyed reported sales growth in the last 12 months, well behind the global average of 65 per cent. David Smorgon OAM, PwC’s senior advisor on family, business and...

• Type: Article
• Author: Staff Reporter
• Category: Business

ATO gives insight to 'audit of auditors' process

20 October 2014 In a compliance briefing last week the ATO has given insight to its process for auditing SMSF auditors, including what triggers the ATO to review SMSF auditor behaviour. The ATO expects to engage with approximately 1,000 SMSF auditors this year to...

• Type: Article
• Author: Katarina Taurian
• Category: Regulation

Deloitte announces latest big name recruit

20 October 2014 challenging crisis response and reconstruction projects. He received the national Award for Planning Excellence in Australia last year and is a member of the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery technical advisory group.”...

• Type: Article
• Author: Michael Masterman
• Category: Business

BDO names five new partners

27 October 2014 be a part of what we are building here at BDO.” According to Mr Brant the Melbourne firm has seen considerable growth in the last 12 months with the tax practice growing by 10 per cent, while a new forensic services division has been created. This new...

• Type: Article
• Author: Michael Masterman
• Category: Business

Tax agents defy industry gloom

27 October 2014 is all despite an estimated 500,000 taxpayers being removed from the tax system since the increase in the tax-free threshold last year, the accounting network said. Regional director of H&R Block, Mr Frank Brass, said “There is no doubt the message is...

• Type: Article
• Author: Staff Reporter
• Category: Tax

MYOB buys into ERP provider

24 October 2014 division said the investment was a natural progression following a successful partnership between the companies over the last year. “Before partnering with Acumatica, we reviewed technology platforms around the world for the ideal solution that would...

• Type: Article
• Author: Michael Masterman
• Category: Business

ATO warns accountants they face $500m shortfall

24 October 2014 according to ATO second commissioner Geoff Leeper. Speaking at the Accountants Technology Showcase Australia in Melbourne last week, Mr Leeper warned accountants to move away from offering tax compliance services and concentrate on offering their...

• Type: Article
• Author: Michael Masterman
• Category: Regulation

Wealth group sees surge in accountant enquiries

29 October 2014 an interest point for an accountant,” Mr Musgrave said. “We were initially focusing solely on mortgage brokers, but in the last couple of months we have been starting to move into the accounting profession,” he said. “We now have a number of accountants...

• Type: Article
• Author: James Mitchell
• Category: Business

ASIC warns accountants against ‘licensees for hire’

30 October 2014 professor said that the regulator’s “previous experience” with transition periods indicates many may wait until the last possible moment to make a firm decision on licensing options. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a rush at the end,” she said. On...

• Type: Article
• Author: Staff reporter
• Category: Regulation

Accounting firm talks up family trusts

30 October 2014 an ideal tool for multi-generational wealth transfer while SMSFs, on the other hand, must be wound up on the death of the last member, which can also raise tax issues,” he said. “It also means assets held by an SMSF must be sold, and if the family...

• Type: Article
• Author: Staff reporter
• Category: Business

Preparing for the inevitable

31 October 2014 for the vast majority of professional accountants who are currently unlicensed, they’ve actually made this decision over the last 10 years to not be licensed. So, we never had an expectation that once the transitional period came into play, that there...

• Type: Article
• Author: Hugh Elvy
• Category: Business

ATO annual report flags collectable debt struggle

03 November 2014 by 4.8 per cent in 2013/2014 compared to 2012/2013 the ATO stated in its annual report, which was tabled in parliament last week. In 2013/2014, the inflow of new debt continued to outpace improvements in the ATO’s debt management performance, the ATO...

• Type: Article
• Author: Katarina Taurian
• Category: Regulation

TPB flags further ‘significant’ budget cuts

04 November 2014 see a “significant reduction” in the TPB’s operating budget, according to its annual report which was tabled in parliament last week. The TPB’s new allocation is $14.319 million, a reduction of $2.677 million from the previous year. “These new budget...

• Type: Article
• Author: Katarina Taurian
• Category: Business

EY report sheds new light on cybersecurity threat

05 November 2014 happen to us all. “The genie is out of the bottle – and we can’t put it back, we all have to learn to adapt or perish.” Last month, PwC highlighted the “severe and present danger” of cyber risks pertinent to accountants, including those in small...

• Type: Article
• Author: James Mitchell
• Category: Business

Deloitte stresses 'mounting' client retirement risks

06 November 2014 access to deferred or lifetime annuities, Mr Mason said. “At retirement [retirees] get a lump sum which they need to make last for the rest of their lives. But how long will that be? No one knows. A system that required retirees to purchase a deferred...

• Type: Article
• Author: Katarina Taurian
• Category: Business

Walker Wayland partners with IP experts

13 November 2014 be a major asset to a business." The arrangement is the latest in a series of strategic partnerships for Walker Wayland who last year partnered with online legal document provider Law Central, energy sustainability consultants Pangolin Associates, risk...

• Type: Article
• Author: Michael Masterman
• Category: Business