Proactive Accountants & Bookkeepers

How do massive companies with tens or even hundreds of thousands of employees around the world—like Siemens, GE or ABB—stay nimble and build the most innovative and competitive new products? Here are some of the tips that the bright thinkers have for building innovation into a huge organization: 1) Accountability + effective process = a transformed culture. all starts with creating accountability within an organization first. A company needs to create metrics for how to incen

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its report on mortgage applications . It noted a week-over-week decrease of 2.6% in the group’s seasonally adjusted composite index for the week ending January 29. For the second consecutive week, mortgage loan rates for all types of loans have decreased. On an unadjusted basis, the composite index decreased by 11% week over week. The seasonally adjusted purchase index decreased by 7% compared with the week ended January 22. The

An ATO agent is walking through Walkabout Wildlife Park when a mugger jumps out and yells “Give me all your money!”. The ATO agent says, “You can’t do this after all I work for the ATO.” At which point, the mugger yells: “OK, give me all MY money!”

There is a common belief among accountants and advisers that an SMSF is not allowed to run a business. But it is it true? Is there anything in the SIS Act that prohibits it? The answer is 'no', and even the ATO agrees. Of course, the answer is not that simple. Why run an SMSF business? Access to capital and concessional tax treatments stand out as the main attractions. Having start-up capital or being able to borrow is often problematic for the upstart entrepreneur with a new

Do you a run a business and express ideas or information in your own unique way? You should understand if your work is protected under the Copyright Act 1968 (the Copyright Act). What is copyright? Copyright is a free, automatic type of intellectual property (IP) in Australia that protects original works. Copyright provides legal protection for ideas and information including: 1. writing 2. visual images 3. broadcasts 4. music 5. computer programs. Copyright provides protect

Going Guarantor? Six questions to ask before you sign to be a guarantor It is now a common requirement of lenders that a guarantor receive independent legal advice on guarantee documents. The banks require a solicitor to sign a Legal Advice Certificate confirming the advice given. This certificate can form part of the guarantee or may be a separate document. Before you agree to go guarantor it is important to remember that as guarantor you will be stepping into the shoes of t

It's important for both employers and workers to know the difference between an employee and a contractor. Differences between employees and contractors There are a number of areas to consider when determining whether your worker is an employee or a contractor. Employees are usually: 1. given ongoing work and hours 2. paid superannuation by their employer 3. entitled to minimum wages and paid regularly 4. entitled to paid leave if they are permanent employees 5. not responsib

Buying your first property is an overwhelming process. With so many major decisions like how do I get a home loan, who should I speak to not to mention there are new terminologies to be learned, processes that you never knew existed. What about first home owners grants, what are they? Do I qualify and how do I apply? Tips for first home buyers To ensure you do not miss out on what you are eligible for and to help give confidence to first home buyers, the following tips could

Are you looking to pay off your mortgage sooner? Here are six tips that should help. With some proactive strategies, you can slash your 25-year home loan term virtually in half. Anyone who has ever had a mortgage will tell you they would dearly love to pay it off before the length loan term is up. Even still, most people continue to chip away at their loan on autopilot without giving too much thought as to how they could pay off their mortgage more quickly. For those who ar

ESCAPING ATM fees can be easy if you plan ahead and know how to avoid these charges. While in many cases banks slug users other than their own customers up to $3 to withdraw cash, if you do this once a week that quickly adds up to $156 per year. That could be enjoyably spent on a lovely dinner out, a new pair of shoes or a few rounds of golf. FIND a fee-free ATM account ING Direct offers its customers free access to all ATMs in Australia if they meet certain criteria such as