Category Archives: 2014 A-Z Blogging Challenge

Y is for Year End

YIt simply wouldn’t be an accounting and taxation blog without a reference to the “year end”…

In Australia, for most of us, the year end or end of financial year is 30th June…and it’s only two months away!

It’s celebrated by Accountants across the country, representing the end of the year that was and the beginning of the year to come, a chance to roll over the workload and take a deep breath before starting all over again…plus it’s the one night of the year you’ll find us all out and about on the town!

On a more serious note though, as a taxpayer, now is the time to start planning…there are many things you can do before 30th June to ease your taxation burden.

If you’ve had multiple jobs during the year, make a note of them so you can keep track of your PAYG Payment Summaries when you receive them.

Both business and individual taxpayers can look at making allowable expense payments to ensure any available deductions fall in the current financial year.

And to those of you paying superannuation…please…please make sure your contributions are received by your superannuation fund BEFORE 30th June (did I emphasise that one enough?)!

Just beware, that while 30th June, 2014 falls on a Monday…the weekend will slow down the processing of payments, so get in early if you can…did I mention it’s only two months away?

Regards

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X is for eXtreme Thanks

XC’mon…X was always going to be a difficult letter to come up with a topic for…so please forgive my play on words here!

As I approach the end of this A-Z Blogging Challenge, I want to send you all my eXtreme thanks…for your support and encouragement!

I’ve received some wonderful feedback via comments, Facebook, personal messages and discussions I’ve had with clients and people around the streets.

This A-Z Blogging Challenge has taught The Tax Chic a thing or two as well:

  • Writing is fun…I might not be an award winning author, but being able to translate one’s thoughts into words on a page (or rather a screen…) is hugely satisfying!
  • When I write, I write how I talk – one of the comments I received from an old school friend was that she heard my voice when she was reading the blog posts (I hope that’s a good thing!), and
  • My penchant for taking notes and being organised has really paid off!

Now let me tackle these last couple of posts…oh, and thanks again!

Regards

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W is for Workers’ Compensation

W

Going to work and making it home safely is a right that should be afforded to every worker…sadly, there are many Australian’s who, as the result of workplace accidents, have never made it home…

In addition to fatalities, many more are injured on a daily basis as they go about their work routine.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to maintain a safe workplace, have workers’ compensation insurance in place and a plan to protect yourself and your workers from financial difficulties when an injury or accident occurs.

In Australia, the occupational health and safety (OH&S) and work health and safety (WHS) laws require that in the event of a work-related accident or illness, injured workers have easy access to first aid, workers’ compensation and rehabilitation for a return to work.

There is plenty of information available to both employers and employees on how to keep our workplaces safe, however each State and Territory has their own rules and laws, and you should be familiar with these, especially if you operate your business across borders – you can read information relating to each State and Territory here.

If you’ve got any tips for creating a safe workplace, I’d love to hear them.

Regards

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V is for Victory

VToday, the 25th April, is a very special day in Australia…ANZAC Day.

I’ve written this post in advance, so by the time you’re reading this…hopefully I’ve been up to attend the Dawn Service and consumed half a dozen ANZAC biscuits (yum!)

ANZAC Day marks the first occasion where Australian and New Zealand forces joined in a major military action…and it is one of Australia’s most significant national occasions.

The Ode (see below), and the playing of The Last Post, never fails to give me goose bumps and always brings a tear to my eyes…as we remember them:

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.”

For overseas visitors to The Tax Chic, you can hear The Last Post here.

Lest we forget…

On a lighter note, today I’m looking at a battle of a different kind, and a victory…each year on ANZAC Day, the mighty Collingwood Magpies take on the Essendon Bombers as part of the Australian Football League home and away season.

This is the biggest game ALL year outside of the Grand Final!

While it’s usually a sell-out, I’ve been lucky enough to attend the game on a number of occasions…and it never ceases to amaze me how a minute of silence can bring a crowd of thousands, all standing, to be so quiet…you could hear a pin drop.

I know I’m going to cop some flack for being a “Pies” supporter…but I don’t care!  I’m even (almost) proud to say I don’t have all my own teeth…but that’s a story for another time (and one only AFL supporters will understand)!!

Go Pies!!

Regards

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