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PJT’s 2012 Charity Bowls Day was a smashing success, with a record number of attendees and $12,500 raised for Wishlist. The event was held at the beautiful and newly renovated Moo..

PJT welcomes its newest two additions to the Superfund specialist team (affectionately known as the PJT Superheroes). Kerry Farley originally stems from Melbourne, and comes to PJT after several ..

It’s end of financial year time, and that means time to review your Superannuation Fund prior to June 30 to take advantage of all available tax concessions. Quick Check Before June ..

Beware SMSF Audit by the ATO! The Australian Taxation Office are in the process of ringing trustees of self managed superannuation funds to ensure they understand their investment strategies a..

If you're planning for retirement or have your own SMSF, you would have been watching the Federal Government's Budget announcements with keen interest. There have been a few changes to superannuat..

| SMSF Trustees who intend to renovate their Fund’s real estate need to be aware of a few traps in addition to the restrictions surrounding renovations to geared property. Minor work may ..

For those over 55 and still working, a transition to retirement strategy (known as a TTR) is a way of being able to access funds from your superannuation fund and also boosting your retirement savi..

Sharp negotiating saves client $8,000 in interest One of PJT’s Central Queensland clients was hit hard by the Queensland floods earlier in 2012. They had really struggled to rebuild the..

So, you know you need a household budget but spreadsheets are too hard to track, and your wallet is filled with bits of paper making it difficult to organise your spending. It’s time to simp..

There are two methods of accounting for GST - on a 'cash basis' or a 'non-cash basis' (ie accruals). The method you use affects when you must account for GST and when you are able to claim GST cre..

Employers that pay $1.1 million or more a year in Australian wages must pay payroll tax. The current payroll tax rate is 4.75%. Payroll tax thresholds The current exemption threshold is $1..

If your company is like many other small to medium businesses, your employees represent both your organisation's biggest expense, and your most valuable asset. This means your company's productivi..

Giving Feedback Effectively Number One Rule: Try to make it a positive process and experience. Before giving feedback make sure you remind yourself why you are doing it. The purpose for giving feedbac..

Whether you are the Boss or the employee, you need to have a certain level of people skills, or ‘soft skills’ as they are now known. Good people skills are just as important as techni..

Below are a list of questions you can ask yourself and your team to establish if you have a great culture where you work and is it in line with your business strategy and goals? We have also inclu..

When a positive work culture exists between employees, management and customers, business will thrive. It can help improve employee productivity which has a direct result on your bottom line. ..

JOBS ASSIST GRANT NOW ENDS JUNE 30, 2012 PJT Accountants & Business Advisors are registered consultants for the Queensland Government Jobs Assist program. Under this program, Governmen..

Have you looked at your back office lately? This is often the most boring part of your business, which in turn often means that it is the most neglected and most costly part of your business...

There are many ways to grow your business. However, to enable this to happen you need to analyse whether you are operating at capacity or if you can adequately service additional growth in client n..

1. Develop your strategy When developing your strategy, consider the following: Define exactly who your target customers are, and understand what's important to them. Look a..

By now, most business owners have a Facebook page. It’s easy enough to set one up and update it, not so much keeping up with all the changes. Read on for the latest changes, and tips on how ..

1. Headlines are essential Because the title is the first thing that's read, it needs to entice the reader by alluding to the potential benefits of the piece. Interesting and punchy titles th..

By Ravi Sharma I just walked back into the office from an appointment with an optometrist. I should really say ‘my optometrist’ but it doesn’t feel like I have any relationship ..

Do you want to increase sales dramatically? Then shift your sales focus from attracting new customers to enticing your proven customers to buy again. The best sales prospect is a prospect that&rsqu..

One of the most common issues business owners have is not knowing how to increase profits. Understanding the few key factors that drive your business´s profitability is the first step to ..

What is Cost of Goods Sold exactly? Cost of Goods Sold includes all the direct costs of selling your particular product. For example, it includes the cost of the product itself, freight to get the pr..

Cloud Accounting - is it for you? As cloud computing grows more popular, there has been a rise in accounting applications being made available online. To start with, accounting software for t..

Since the Global Financial Crisis many Australians have become disillusioned with investments and in particular for Australians who are about to retire or have retired have watched their Superannuatio..

If you have multiple debts, you may want to know how consolidating your loans can lower your repayments and pay off your loans sooner. Here is an example showing how consolidating can do this: In..

For many people, their business is one of their biggest assets. For others, they want to build it up so that the business can support their family into the future – whether they sell the bus..

December is an extremely busy month for hoteliers, so it is more important than ever to get any cash flow issues under control now, to prevent problems in the New Year. Particularly as February ca..

Having a cash shortage can be very stressful. A lack of cash can make it difficult to meet your businesses financial obligations, such as loan repayments, paying creditors and payroll. 82% of bu..

Cashflow is the lifeblood of every business. Current estimates indicate that approximately 90 per cent of business failures are the result of poor cash flow. Having an effective credit policy ..

When talking with my clients, the area which causes the most concern and is perceived to hold the business back from getting to that next level is cash flow. Not only does it seem to inhibit b..

Get paid on the spot with ANZ FastPay™ ANZ FastPay™ is an App which allows you to accept card sales from your customers through your iPhone or iPad*. With easy to use 4-digit PIN log..

Email can be an excellent communication tool, if used effectively. If used ineffectively, there can be plenty of disadvantages, particularly when it comes to communicating with your colleagues or your..

Put your hand up if you avoid conflict and difficult conversations at every opportunity? Well, you’re not alone. The main reasons why people avoid confrontation, conflict and difficult ..

1. Have a good structured recruitment process to get the right person for the role. Include testing, both skills and personality, references and even interviews with different staff members. It is a..

Would you like to get the job done faster whilst maintaining high quality? How can you go about being more efficient in your business? If you can be more efficient in your business, it gives you th..

Happy New Year! The start of a new year is an ideal time to ensure your finances are organised and up to date. The major areas we recommend revising are: Superannuation Insurance Wills and..

If your company is like many other small to medium businesses, your employees represent both your organisation's biggest expense, and your most valuable asset. This means your company's productivi..

Well its 30 June and the end of financial year. Below are 5 'Must do's' to help you meet your end of year requirements: 1. Bank Reconciliations Make sure all bank accounts are reconciled a..

It's almost the New Financial Year - did you set yourself any New Year's business resolutions? Making new resolutions and goals always makes me feel excited about the possibilities for the comi..

We believe at PJT that good Businesses will always make Good Money. It is up to you to ensure your business is a good business. What makes a good business? Business owners actually understa..

An inclusive workplace is one where the human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality and dignity are promoted and are part of the organisation’s goals and every day behaviour. ..

All of this recent weather-related damage and loss has highlighted some alarming risks in the small-medium business sector. The flow on financial liability to the business owner and subsequent per..

By Jason Fong Residential fixed interest rates have been quietly dropping for a couple of months, however it only makes news once the majors get on board, with some 3yr rates in the high 6% ra..

Some of you may have heard about the Centro case (http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/centro-censure-hits-boards/story-e6freqmx-1226083067348), where a court found one of the nation's highest-ca..

The way in which you manage your business' assets and working capital is vital to your survival and prosperity. Effective asset management is instrumental in increasing the return your assets provi..

Running a business can take its toll, personally and professionally. Business owners looking to exit the business for any reason should we well advised to plan a good exit strategy. This helps en..

A normal will as most people know them is fairly straight forward. A business will is no different. You may have heard of them as a buy/sell agreement, and the best way to describe them is by ..

Since the Budget announcement there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the latest Tax concessions provided to High Income earners with the Government seen to be targeting those individuals u..

With the announcement of the latest budget, SMSF trustees and advisors will see a welcome increase to the concessional contributions cap for their older super members. Members aged 60 and ove..

From 1 July 2013 amendments to the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 and Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SIS legislation) will be effective. Before the 2013-1..

What will your retirement look like? Will you be able to maintain the kind of lifestyle you would like to have when you finish working? Most of us agree that superannuation is a good place to..

Scenario: “I have an investment property I was intending to fund my retirement with.” While property can be a good vehicle for accumulating wealth, it may not be the best income st..

One of the high risk areas of tax and one that the Australian Taxation Office is continuing to monitor, is Division 7A. What is Division 7A you say? We have summarised below some of the situatio..

It’s fringe benefits tax season again! The fringe benefits tax year is 1 April to 31 March. We thought we would take the opportunity to highlight one of the most common forms of fringe ben..

No-one wants to think about paying tax when they launch into an exciting new business but considering taxation along with planning and strategy is a vital part of a business’s long-term succ..

Small businesses out there take note! There are changes to depreciation rules for tax purposes which you can take advantage of NOW! From the 2012-13 income year: The small business instant..

Small businesses out there take note! There are changes to depreciation rules for tax purposes which you can take advantage of NOW! From the 2012-13 income year: The small business instan..

A regional hotel client had hit tough times. From initial discussions it was clear the client needed a better understanding of actual business performance across their group. The client was..

For GST purposes, when you sell a business, you are selling a ‘going concern’ if you sell all of the things that are necessary for the continued operation of the business and you carry..

Transfer duty must be paid on dutiable transactions for property in Queensland, and is calculated on the value of the property or the consideration paid. The table below lists the most common ..

The ATO is cracking down on payments to subcontractors by builders with the introduction of mandatory reporting of all payments made to subcontractors. Starting July 1, 2012 the Australia..

One of our accountants recently went to an insolvency specialist company’s seminar on the latest movements from the ATO, and came away with several key points regarding outstanding debt. Th..

In July 2008, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) formally committed to the harmonisation of Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, with a commencement date of 1 January 2012. While the ..

Now that we have all got through the Easter Long Weekend the next big public holiday event is almost upon us. ANZAC Day is Thursday 25 April 2013, if you want to host two-up games at your pr..

By Ravi Sharma I recently spent a week at a client’s premises during the installation of a new tills and stock management system. The system was being installed by Finchcorp Systems and ..

By Ravi Sharma Owning and running your own hotel is often seen by outsiders as an easy and desirable business where you spend most of your days drinking and laughing. The reality, as we kn..

In the hotel industry and finding ways to maximise your profits and casflow is critical. One of the key areas that can influence both is your prices. With a new year comes an increase of costs and..

Average Transaction value The average transaction value is calculated by dividing the total value of all transactions by the number of transactions or sales. This can be calculated on a daily..

In our last newsletter, we covered GST and medical services (http://www.pjtaccountants.com.au/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=1543632), this edition we’re bringing you information on claiming GST ..

Social media has moved beyond pure frivolousness and is now mainstream in society. Social media – Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and LinkedIn to name a few – now plays a meaningful role for..

Obviously no one likes paying tax. Medical professionals are high income earners, and can't avoid paying it, but you can minimise how much tax you have to pay. Australia's tax system is ve..

There is one step in the customer service process that can turn your patients from merely satisfied into evangelists for your practice. It’s the step that gets ignored the most – the &lsqu..

One of the best ways to increase profits in your practice is improving your efficiencies. When your medical practice is highly efficient, you’ll have more time to dedicate to patients and in..