Tax & Compliance

Payday Super: What Business Owners Need to Know and How to Get Ready

If you run a business with employees, you’re likely aware that superannuation is about to go through one of its most significant reforms in decades. The proposed reform known as “Payday Super” will significantly alter when and how you pay the superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions for your employees. Let’s break it down here. What is […]

Superannuation Payments: Cut-Off Planning for EOFY 2025

As the end of the financial year approaches, it’s important to start thinking about your superannuation obligations – especially if you’re hoping to claim a tax deduction for those contributions this year. Timing Matters for Super Payments To ensure your Super Guarantee (SG) contributions are deductible for the 2024–25 financial year, they need to be […]

Minimum Wages Set to Rise: What Business Owners Need to Know

Minimum wages are set to rise with the Fair Work Commission handing down its Annual Wage Review decision for 2024–2025 – announcing a 3.5% increase to the National Minimum Wage and minimum award wages. This change will come into effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025. If you’re a […]

EOFY Survival Guide: What You Should Be Doing Now to Prepare for 30 June

The end of the financial year (EOFY) is just around the corner – and if you’re a small business owner, now’s the time to take action (not panic 😅). With a bit of preparation, EOFY doesn’t have to feel stressful or overwhelming. In fact, it’s a great opportunity to get clear on your numbers, tidy […]

What the New BAS Agent Rules Mean for Your Business

There’s been a quiet but important change in the bookkeeping world – and it’s something that could really impact your business if you’re not working with the right team. As of 1 July 2024, the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA) has introduced new requirements for BAS Agents, including the need to implement and maintain a […]

Say Goodbye to Tax Deductions for ATO Interest Charges

From 1 July 2025, the rules around ATO interest charges are changing – and not in a way that benefits your tax return. If you’ve ever relied on claiming the General Interest Charge (GIC) or Shortfall Interest Charge (SIC) as a tax deduction, that strategy is about to be scrapped. As of the new financial […]

ATO Compliance: Helping a Business Owner Regain Control

We recently had a big client win that we’re incredibly proud of – not just because of the work involved, but because of the transformation we helped bring about. Back in December, we took on a new client who was in a tough spot. His BAS lodgements were more than 18 months overdue, superannuation contributions […]

New ATO Rules: Monthly Activity Statements for Non-Compliant Businesses

The ATO is getting serious about compliance – and small businesses who regularly lodge or pay their BAS late could soon feel the heat. From July 2025, the ATO will begin mandating monthly Activity Statement lodgements for businesses with a poor compliance history. If your business has a track record of late lodgements or overdue […]

New beginnings

Reflecting on 22 Years of Growth, Challenges, and Exciting New Beginnings After 22 years of running Miss Efficiency, we’re excited to announce a new beginning – Miss Efficiency has been acquired by Blackwood Advisory and has become Blackwood Bookkeeping. It’s been a remarkable and challenging ride, filled with ups and downs, milestones, and countless lessons […]

Proactive superannuation planning: what you need to be aware of before June 30

As a small business owner, juggling multiple responsibilities is the norm. With June 30 fast approaching, understanding superannuation can save you a lot of headaches and potentially a lot of money. Let’s dive into the key aspects of superannuation you need to be aware of before the end of the financial year. Annual contribution limits […]

Unpacking the 2024 Federal Budget: What you need to know

When Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the 2024-25 Federal Budget on 14 May 2024, it was clear that the government had a diverse range of objectives. From offering tax cuts to supporting vulnerable groups, the budget is packed with measures aimed at stimulating economic growth and providing relief. Let’s unpack the key points from this […]

What the 2023 Federal Budget means for you

The Australian Government unveiled its annual budget this week, which aims to stimulate economic growth, address long-term challenges, and improve social services. The budget is focused on helping with the cost of living, with tax cuts for middle and low-income earners, while also allocating funding to health, education, and small businesses. If you have any […]

What you need to know about Australia’s director ID rules

There’s a very important deadline coming up on 30th November. The ATO is urging those who haven’t yet applied for their director identification number (Director ID) to do so ASAP. The consequences for neglecting this task are severe. What is a director ID? The director ID is a mandatory 15-digit identification number given to a […]

How to register for your myGovID

myGovID is your Digital Identity and makes it easier to prove who you are online. You can use your myGovID to access participating government online services. Now don’t get confused between myGov and myGovID. myGov is where you can securely access government services online in one place including Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support, and more. Whereas […]

Stay Compliant with an Employment Contract Tool

We often get asked to help with an employment contract for new team members. This is quite a complex area and a little outside our scope of expertise. However, the Australian Government has a tool that allows you to build your own employment contract, that’s compliant with Australia’s Fair Work System, and that’s tailored to […]

Understanding Australia’s Director Identification Number

In its 2020 Budget Digital Business Plan, the Australian government announced the full implementation of the Modernising Business Registers (MBR) program. The program is designed to both establish the new Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS), and enhance how businesses register and manage their information with the government. Although the ABRS rolls out progressively between 2021 […]

Merry JobKeeper!

Some of you may have noticed that Santa has been – in the form of the ATO and JobKeeper reimbursements landing in your account! This is great news and a very welcome bit of cash flow relief for the many businesses who have been funding their employee’s pays for the past 6 weeks, and those […]

JobKeeper Eligibility Alternative Test

If you don’t fit into the JobKeeper basic term for reduced turnover, you may qualify by using an alternative test. The ATO has released Alternative Tests for the JobKeeper payment which expands eligibility from the initial basic test. This is good news for many businesses, particularly startups, those affected by last year’s droughts and those […]