Tax tips and guides.
Practical answers on business tax returns, accountant costs and staying on the right side of the ATO. Written for Australian small business owners, in plain English.
Small Business Tax Deductions in Australia: What to Claim
What a small business can claim in Australia: the ATO's three rules, the main deductions, what isn't deductible, prepayments and what a deduction saves.
Sole traders · CompaniesBusiness Vehicle Tax Deductions in Australia: Claiming a Ute
What a business can claim on a ute, van or car in Australia: the one-tonne test, the method your structure allows, the 2026-27 car limit and FBT.
Deadlines and obligations · Sole tradersATO Payment Plans: How They Work and How to Set One Up
How ATO payment plans work: the $200,000 online limit, the upfront payment, daily compounding interest, defaults, and the interest-free BAS plan.
Sole tradersSole Trader Tax Rate in Australia: How Much Tax Do You Pay?
Sole trader tax rates in Australia for 2026-27: the brackets, the 2% Medicare levy, two automatic offsets worth up to $1,700, and what to set aside.
TrustsFamily Trust Tax Changes in Australia: The 30% Minimum Tax
The proposed 30% minimum tax on family trusts from 1 July 2028: where the draft law stands, who pays more, the election and the restructure roll-over.
Deadlines and obligations · Sole tradersSmall Business Tax Calendar Australia: 2026-27 ATO Dates
The 2026-27 small business tax calendar for Australia: BAS, tax returns by structure, FBT, STP and Payday Super, with weekend shifts applied.
Deadlines and obligations · Sole tradersBAS Due Dates 2026-27: Quarterly, Monthly and Agent Dates
Every BAS due date for 2026-27, online and agent dates included, and why the December quarter is due 2 March 2027, not 1 March.
Sole traders · Deadlines and obligationsSole Trader Tax Return Checklist in Australia: What You Need
What to gather for a sole trader tax return in Australia, what the ATO pre-fills for you, and the super paperwork that has to be done before you lodge.
Sole traders · Choosing an accountantDo I Need an Accountant as a Sole Trader in Australia?
No law requires a sole trader to use an accountant. When myTax is enough, when it isn't, and what an agent changes: deadline, penalties, price.
Sole traders · Deadlines and obligationsDo Uber Eats Drivers Pay GST in Australia?
Uber Eats delivery sits under the $75,000 GST threshold, unlike rideshare. What the two turnover tests mean, and what one night of passengers does.
Sole traders · Deadlines and obligationsDelivery Driver Tax Deductions in Australia (2026)
What delivery drivers can claim in Australia: the vehicle method that changes on a scooter, platform fees, the bag, phone and tolls, and when GST starts.
Sole traders · Deadlines and obligationsDo Tradies Charge GST? Registering, Quoting and Invoicing
When a tradie has to charge GST, how to quote a homeowner against a builder, the 7 things a tax invoice needs, and what to do if you are not registered.
Sole traders · Choosing an accountantSubcontractor vs Employee in Australia: Which Are You?
An ABN does not make you a contractor. How the ATO and Fair Work test it differently, the workers who are always employees, and the super you may be owed.
Deadlines and obligations · Sole tradersGST Registration Threshold in Australia: When to Register
The GST registration threshold is $75,000 of turnover, tested two ways over a rolling 12 months. When you must register, the 21 days, and when you do not.
Companies · Sole tradersSole Trader vs Pty Ltd for Tradies: Which Structure and When
Sole trader or Pty Ltd as a tradie: what the 25% company rate really saves, when PSI cancels it, what a company costs to run, and what the ute becomes.
Sole traders · CompaniesTradie Tax Deductions: What You Can Claim in Australia
What tradies can claim in Australia: tools, the ute, protective gear, phone and licences, plus the vehicle rules that change with your structure.
Choosing an accountantAre Accountant Fees Tax Deductible in Australia?
Yes, as a cost of managing your tax affairs. What the ATO's list actually includes, what it excludes, where the claim goes at D10, and what it is worth.
Choosing an accountantIs a Tax Agent Worth It in Australia? Tax Agent vs myTax
myTax is free and fine for a single salary. A registered tax agent earns the fee once you have ABN, rental or investment income. Here is the honest split.
Companies · Choosing an accountantDo I Need an Accountant for My Company in Australia?
No law requires a company to have an accountant. What you take on if you lodge it yourself: SBR software, a 28 February deadline, and ASIC obligations.
Deadlines and obligations · Sole tradersWhat Is a BAS in Australia? A Plain-English Guide
A BAS reports GST, PAYG withholding and instalments to the ATO. Who has to lodge one, when it is due, and why most small businesses fill in three boxes.
Choosing an accountantHow Much Does an Accountant Cost in Australia? (2026 Guide)
What an accountant costs in Australia in 2026, priced by job rather than by hour: returns, BAS, bookkeeping and advice, plus what registration buys you.
Sole traders · Choosing an accountantSole Trader Accountant Costs in Australia (2026 Guide)
What a sole trader accountant costs in Australia in 2026: real fixed-fee ranges, why published quotes vary so wildly, and when hiring one is worth it.
Choosing an accountantAre Cheap Online Tax Returns Legit in Australia?
A cheap online tax return is fine if a registered tax agent does it. How to check the TPB register, the myGov red flag, and what registration protects.
Companies · Deadlines and obligationsDormant Company Obligations in Australia
Your company stopped trading. It still has to lodge a return and pay ASIC $342 a year. What you owe, and when deregistering is the cheaper answer.
Deadlines and obligationsTax Return Deadlines in Australia (2026 Guide)
31 October 2026 falls on a Saturday, so self-lodged returns are due 2 November. How the tax agent extension to 15 May works, and who does not get it.
Sole traders · CompaniesBusiness Structures in Australia: How the Tax Differs
Sole trader, partnership, company or trust: who pays the tax, at what rate, what each costs to run a year, and what the announced Budget measures change.
Deadlines and obligationsYears Behind on Tax Returns? How to Catch Up in Australia
Years of unlodged tax returns in Australia: what the ATO actually does, what the late lodgement penalty costs, and how to catch up before 31 October 2026.
Choosing an accountantHow to Change Accountants in Australia (Without the Hassle)
Changing accountants in Australia is easier than you think. The steps, the ATO agent nomination and who is exempt, and what your old accountant cannot do.
Deadlines and obligationsWhat Happens If You Don't Lodge a Tax Return in Australia?
The ATO warns you before it fines you. What really happens if you do not lodge a tax return in Australia, the penalty, and when you are not liable.
TrustsHow Family Trusts Are Taxed in Australia
How a family trust is taxed in Australia: present entitlement, the rate each beneficiary pays, the 30 June deadline, and the proposed 30% minimum tax.
Trusts · Choosing an accountantHow Much Does a Trust Tax Return Cost in Australia? (2026)
What a trust tax return costs in Australia in 2026, what the fee includes, what pushes it up, and the real annual cost of running a family trust.
Trusts · CompaniesWhat Is a Bucket Company in Australia? (2026 Guide)
What a bucket company is, how it caps trust income at the company tax rate, the Division 7A catch, and what the proposed 30% trust minimum tax would do.
Companies · Choosing an accountantHow Much Does a Company Tax Return Cost in Australia? (2026)
What a company (Pty Ltd) tax return costs in Australia in 2026, from fixed-fee online services to suburban firms, and what drives the price.
Choosing an accountantFixed Fee vs Hourly Accountant: Which Is Better?
Hourly billing made sense when accountants did the data entry. For most small businesses in 2026, fixed fees are fairer, cheaper and far less stressful. Here is why, and when hourly still wins.
Choosing an accountantHow Much Does a Business Tax Return Cost in Australia?
What Australian businesses actually pay for a tax return in 2026: typical price ranges by structure, what drives the cost up, and how to pay less without cutting corners.
Rather just have it done?
Fixed-fee returns prepared by an experienced accountant, typically within 5 business days.