Inflation Dips To 13-Month Low

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data confirms that the consumer price index (CPI) has dropped to a 13-month low of 5.6%. This is the smallest increase in just over a year and is down from the 6.8% reported in April 2023. It is also lower than the market expectation of…

Chaos Predicted As Instant Asset Write-Off Scheme Ends

SMEs are being put on notice that once the instant asset write-off (IAW) scheme deadline is over in June 2023, they can expect to contend with significant red tape as arduous rules come into effect. This IAW was introduced in 2015 and is applied when claiming a deduction for the…

Tax Avoidance Hot Issue For ATO

To suppress tax dodging behaviour, the government is pushing hard at several initiatives at the federal, state and territorial levels. Last year, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) reported that about a third of large corporations did not pay tax for the 2020-2021 financial year. Despite this substantial difference, the ATO…

CPI In Australia Tops Out At 7.8 percent For 2022

The latest report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 1.9% for the December quarter of 2022 and a total of 7.8% for the year. This is the fourth consecutive quarter during which the index has risen at a level higher…

Labour Market Woes Far from Over

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there was a slight decline in job vacancies in November 2022. Vacancies fell by 23,000, or 5%, from August, leaving a shortfall of 444,000. This also represents an 8% fall in job vacancies from the peak reached in May 2022. The latest…

Audit Shield claims activity across Australia Jul – Dec 2022

The Accountancy Insurance Claims Department continues to be busy processing claims from client accounting firms across Australia. The five most common audit activity areas 1 July 2022 – 31 December 2022 were: > Payroll Tax (All States) > Employer Obligations (PAYG/SG/FBT) > Income Tax (WRE) > BAS (Pre & Post…

FTX Collapse and The Consequences for Investors

The next few years are expected to take their toll on an estimated 30,000 Australian crypto investors that utilised the now failed cryptocurrency platform, FTX. The Australian arm of the platform has now been placed under voluntary administration with KordaMentha who are attempting to return funds to creditors, but warn…

Business Insolvency Predicted To Rise

Insolvency Australia is reporting that an increasing number of SME businesses are entering unchartered waters that could lead to more corporate and personal insolvencies. IA Director, Gareth Gammon, said that whether or not the country goes into a recession, the economic outlook and a resumption of debt collection efforts by…

Payment Delays Costing Small Businesses $1.1bn A Year

According to a recent report prepared by Accenture and Xero, Australian small businesses are faced with cash flow problems due to three key reasons of delayed payments, seasonal slowdowns, and rising expenses. Following a review of data from more than 200,000 businesses in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, these…

RBA Hikes Interest Rates To 1.85 percent

Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Philip Lowe, has announced that the cash rate target has been increased by 50 basis points to 1.85%. This is the fourth consecutive month in which the cash rate has been increased. In June and July, the rate was similarly increased by…