Recent statistics revealed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), indicate that the amount of lost superannuation waiting to be claimed has grown to more than $14 billion…!!

A large chunk of this amount (approximately $6 billion), is sitting in superannuation accounts where the fund has lost contact with the owner…could it be you?

The remaining $8 billion is comprised of accounts that have not received a contribution for more than five years…perhaps because the owners have moved job and not taken their superannuation with them?

Earlier this year I wrote a post as part of the A – Z Blogging Challenge titled “L is for Lost Members Register“, I encourage you all to re-visit this post and make use of the ATO’s SuperSeeker!

Also – make sure your superannuation fund has your Tax File Number (TFN), it can make tracking your superannuation so much easier!

Good luck!

Regards

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), recently published a media release warning on tax scammers.

As 31 October fast approaches, and many Australians who lodge their own tax return are clambering to meet the deadline, the ATO is warning the community to be on alert for fraudsters.

It is not uncommon to receive many spam e-mails these days, and most have an official “look and feel” to them by using current images of the ATO and other government organisations.

My advice when you receive any type of e-mail requesting information is to do the following:

• Do not click on any links
• Do not reply to the e-mail
• Look for spelling and grammar mistakes
• If you think it is genuine, try to contact the organisation by phone instead

Apparently the latest scheme going around is nasty phone calls, supposedly from the ATO, where the taxpayer is threatened with arrest if they do not pay a fake tax debt over the phone!

Please, please, please be careful, and make sure you discuss any incidents with your family and friends to make them aware.  You can also report the scam to the ATO, details on how, can be found here.

Your state or territory consumer affairs website will also provide some great advice on recognising and avoiding scammers, I’ve included the Victorian link here.

Stay safe xo

Regards

It’s Frivolous Friday!

Wow, what a week?  In addition to being unwell, and frantically trying to get some work completed so I can enjoy my holiday next week (yay!), I did manage to take some time out to attend a new exhibition.

Many of you will know that I appreciate the finer things in life…and late last year I treated myself to an extravagant purchase – a brand new Mercedes Benz (red…of course!)

This week, Mercedes Benz invited me and approximately a thousand of my closest friends…to a preview of “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk“, held at the National Gallery of Victoria.

I expected to see lots of pretty cars, and I did…and I expected to see lots of pretty…and pretty unusual frocks, and I did…but I didn’t expect to see the man himself (I’d post the photo I took, but it’s a bit blurry)!

In all honesty, I was a tad star struck and can’t recall a word he said…but I do know that we don’t see many designers like Mr JPG in town too often, so I was very pleased to be in attendance.

We were completely spoilt with a wine or two, some yummy hors d’oeuvres, a fabulous coffee table book as a keepsake to take home and we met some lovely people – including the gorgeous Virginia Gay of Winners & Losers fame (and we are ever so appreciative of her “outrageously long arms” which allowed for a group selfie – her words, not mine!)

It’s a hard life sometimes…xo

Regards

PS Please note, this post is not sponsored by National Gallery of Victoria, Jean Paul Gaultier, Mercedes Benz or “Winners & Losers”.

Woe is me…I’m sick…I can’t remember the last time I was sick, but I certainly remember now how much I dislike being sick!

At 5am yesterday morning I was forced to send a text message to the manager of the gym I teach at, to say I would be unable to take my 6am class…I felt terrible having to do that, I mean it was 5am!  But after a sleepless night and feeling like I had swallowed a packet of razor blades, I was really left with no choice.

Under normal circumstances though, I wouldn’t suggest a text message as the sole means of informing your employer that you are sick!

Many organisations offer guidelines to staff on the steps they should take if they are unable to attend work – but if your workplace hasn’t done so, then I suggest the following:

• make personal contact by phone as early as possible
• if you are unable to talk, a text message or e-mail may suffice, but a follow up phone call from a family member or friend would be appropriate
• it is reasonable to take one day of leave without obtaining a Medical Certificate
• if more than one day of leave is required, a Medical Certificate should be obtained
• if your day of absence is linked to a weekend or public holiday, it is also good practice tro obtain a Medical Certificate

The conditions of your sick or personal leave will be included in your employment contract or Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA), and in the absence of either of these, you can refer to the National Employment Standards (NES) for guidance.

PS If anyone else is feeling poorly, you have my sympathy xo

Regards