I spent part of yesterday afternoon glued to the television watching the grand final of the 2014 ANZ Championship (netball…for anyone not in the know!)

The Melbourne Vixens defeated the Queensland Firebirds to claim the championship trophy…and I’m sure everyone who was part of the victory is in celebration mode today!

It got me thinking…do you celebrate your achievements?  Often when we think of achievements we refer to winning sports trophies and the like…but what about personal achievements, business achievements and career achievements?

Whether it’s completing a fitness event, passing a subject you are studying, securing a new client or customer in your business or getting that promotion you’ve had your eye on…celebrating the steps it takes you to get there can often be the catalyst for greater motivation!

I for one am big on celebration…there is absolutely nothing wrong with being proud of the things you’ve done…and I quite often “reward” myself for achieving the little goals.

I encourage each of you to have a look at the different aspects of your life and be sure to celebrate your achievements…my question to you is, do you celebrate your achievements?  If so, how?

Regards

It’s almost tax time…are you ready?

I know from experience there are many of you who love to get your tax return prepared and lodged as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.

That’s a good thing too…it means you won’t forget to lodge it and reduces the chance of panic at a later date, plus if you are entitled to a refund…the sooner you lodge the sooner the cash is in your hand (did I hear someone say shopping?)!

Having said that, one of the advantages of waiting a few weeks is that it gives the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) a chance to collate the information provided to them on wages, interest and dividends (among other things) by your employer, financial institutions and public companies.

This information is summarised into a report called the “Pre-Filling Report”…and it’s a great tool for those who have multiple jobs during the year or have trouble keeping track of interest and dividends!

Regardless of when you lodge your tax return, be sure to provide as much information as you can to your tax agent…doing so will give you the best chance of ensuring your return is accurate and that all deductions you are entitled to are claimed!

If you’d like to engage the services of The Tax Chic to prepare and lodge your tax return, please complete our Contact form.

Regards

Secondary school for me seems like so long ago…20+ years in fact!

But when a friend recently sent me a meme via Facebook… “Things I never learned in high school”…I remembered that I didn’t actually learn these things either!

I can’t imagine what it must be like these days to transition from school to university or the workforce, or what it’s like to grow from being a teenager to an adult – there seems to be so much more going on in the world now than there was for me, and it actually makes me glad I’m already an adult (even if I don’t always act like one…?!)

The meme made mention of the following tasks:

• how to do taxes
• what taxes are
• how to vote
• how to write a resume/cover letter
• anything to do with banking
• how to apply for loans
• how to buy a car or a house…

If you have a secondary school student in your family, I’d encourage you to talk to them about these things, and take a look at another initiative of the Australian Taxation Office called “Tax, Super + You”, you can find the link here.

It doesn’t address all the things listed above…but it’s a great place to start!

Regards

Do they have a Tax File Number (TFN) yet?

It doesn’t take long for the years to go by and for kids to progress from receiving pocket money to having jobs of their own…as soon as they start working, they need a TFN.

If your school is part of the Secondary School TFN Program with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), then I highly encourage you and your teenager to utilise the service to apply for a TFN.

The Secondary School TFN Program is the easiest way for secondary school students to apply for a TFN, as it removes the requirement for sending off original documentation as proof of identity since this can be confirmed via the school’s records.

To check if your school is part of the program you can ask the careers advisor or office staff, if they are unsure, or if your school would like to be involved, simply contact the Community Education and Assistance area of the ATO by phoning 13 28 69 (Monday to Friday).

Regards