Accounting & Taxation
Connect Accountant & Advisors provide a taxation preparation and lodgement service for individuals, partnerships, companies and trusts. Beyond ensuring you are claiming all the deductions you are eligible for, we’ll take an individual approach to ensure you keep more of the income you’ve worked hard to earn.
How we can help:
- Preparation and lodgement of income tax returns
- Tax planning to produce efficient and favourable tax outcome
- General Tax advice
- Liaising with authorities on your behalf including; ATO, ASIC, Centrelink, Fairwork, Office of State Revenue
- Preparation of Financial Statements
Business Services
- Establishment of Business Structures, including Companies, Trusts, Partnerships & sole traders.
- Registration for ABN, GST, PAYGW, FTC where applicable
- Completion and Lodgement of Business Activity Statements
- GST Advice
- Business name registrations
- Company secretarial services, including annual return lodgements and all ASIC forms.
Capital Gains Tax
Sold a property? Selling your business? Disposed of any assets? You may be liable for Capital Gains Tax.
We provide you with tailored solutions to ensure that the appropriate concessions have been applied to achieve the best possible outcome. We encourage our clients to plan ahead so that we can assist you prior to a Capital Gains tax event to manage and plan for the best possible tax outcomes.
Fringe benefits tax (FBT)
Have you provided your employees with benefits, such as, company cars, loans, allowances? You may be liable for Fringe Benefits Tax. We can cater to all your FBT needs. Regulations surrounding FBT fluctuate all the time, we are here to keep you informed and in line with your FBT requirements.
Talk to us about:
- Preparing your FBT returns
- FBT treatment of particular transactions
- FBT exemptions and concessions
Business Advisory
The challenges of owning and running your own small business are many and diverse. From dealing with staff and payroll to managing your IT, dealing with your bank, or just simply balancing your books.
As a small business ourselves we understand the many challenges you face and have solutions to assist you all the way.
Our aim is to connect with your business on a deeper level so that we can understand your business beyond just the numbers.
How do we Connect with your business?
- We shop with you! We encourage our staff, family & friends to shop locally and support our clients
- We research your industry by reading industry data and reviewing industry benchmarks
- We ask you lots of questions!
Our role as your business advisor can be anything from assisting you to gain a better understanding of your business through to managing your business as a chief financial officer.
Some areas of business advisory include;
- Tax planning / tax minimisation strategies
- Assistance and advice with Buying/Selling a Business
- Business structure advice and restructuring
- Asset protection strategies
- General Business advice and planning
- Financial modelling & cashflow forecasts
- Profit Improvement strategies
- Exit strategies
- Valuations
- Advice relating to Human Resources, Payroll & FairWork
- Assistance with Business Finance
We look after your numbers while you look after your business.
Estate & Succession Planning
ESTATE PLANNING
Estate Planning is more than just a Will, in reality for most people their largest assets aren’t necessarily dealt with via their Will, such as superannuation. So it’s essential to get advice and consider all your options to ensure the right assets pass to the right people, at the right time in the most tax effective way.
A comprehensive estate plan should:
- Give you certainty as to how your assets will be managed if you are unable to look after your own affairs.
- Establish how and when it’s best to distribute assets to your loved ones.
- Cater for the current and future needs of your beneficiaries.
- Protect your assets so that they pass to the right beneficiaries at the right time.
- Allow your beneficiaries to legally reduce capital gains liabilities on assets and reduce or eliminate tax on income generated from their inheritance.
- Allow you to minimise or avoid death benefits tax when distributing your superannuation benefits.
- Protect your beneficiaries’ inheritance in the event of divorce or bankruptcy.
- Guard against undue waste and extravagance due to spendthrift tendencies, age, mental health, drug addictions, gambling or other vulnerabilities of a beneficiary.
- Distribute your assets to your intended beneficiaries, not to an in-law or former spouse, for example.
Our advisors work closely with your solicitor and other professionals to help you navigate the complexities of planning the distribution of your estate to ensure all aspect of taxation, financial and legal matters have been considered and dealt with appropriately to give you peace of mind and your beneficiaries the best outcome.
Connect Financial Planning Services is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 1263442) of Capstone Financial Planning Pty Ltd. ABN 24 093 733 969. Australian Financial Services Licence No. 223135
SUCCESSION PLANNING
You might not be thinking about it yet, but at some stage you will decide to leave your business. You may decide its time to sell, or hand over to the next generation, you may retire or do something else. Whatever the reason, it is essential to plan early how you will exit your business, to ensure a smooth transition to the next stage of your life.
Early planning ahead of time means you will have a plan in place to maximise the value of your business and can be useful if there is an unexpected event, such as illness or death.
A comprehensive succession plan should consider:
- the successor; family member(s), business partner, existing staff, other
- succession type; partial or full
- timeframe
- key personnel changes and skill retention strategies
- restrictions
- legal considerations; buy-sell agreement, reference to a Will
- risk management
- communication strategy
- financial considerations; retirement income; sale price; tax implications.
Our advisors work closely with your solicitor and other professionals to help you explore your options and develop a plan that is realistic, achievable and tailored to suit you and your business.
A carefully thought out business succession plan means you’ll maximise the return on your hard work over the years and leave on the best possible terms.
Self Managed Super Funds
Connect Accountants & Advisors can provide services in relation to:
- Ongoing administration of your SMSF
- Preparation of accounts and regulatory returns
- Provision of investment reports with accounts
- Pensions, rollover notices, ETPs, etc
- Preparation of work papers for Audit
- Arrange independent Audit of your SMSF
Connect Financial Planning Services can provide advice in relation to:
- Suitability of SMSF
- Establishment of your SMSF
- Development of Investment Strategy
- Tailored investment recommendations
- Consideration for risk insurance for members
- Super strategies to maximise your retirement savings
- Rollovers and withdrawals
- Commencement of Pensions
We help trustees retain control of their retirement savings while at the same time receiving expert guidance and support to ensure their SMSF is compliant and well positioned to achieve the retirement goals of its members.
It is important to understand that while there are numerous benefits to establishing an SMSF, there are also a number of considerations and risks to be aware of, including trustee responsibilities, cost-effectiveness and insurance cover. If you are thinking about setting up a self-managed the super fund, contact Connect Financial Planning Services for an obligation free appointment to discuss if an SMSF is right for you.
Connect Financial Planning Services is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 1263442) of Capstone Financial Planning Pty Ltd. ABN 24 093 733 969. Australian Financial Services Licence No. 223135
Software Setup & Training
How to choose the right Accounting Program for your Business
Accounting software can be a valuable tool to business owners, allowing them to track the financial health of their business in a streamlined and timely manner, saving time for the more important things.
However, choosing what software to use can be a challenge. At Connect, we can provide software advice and training customised to match your needs.
Cass Jolley has a wealth of experience with many kinds of software, including Intuit QBO, Reckon, Xero and MYOB. She can assist you in choosing what software package will provide the most suitable and time saving features to your business.
Why should you talk to Connect about Software before purchasing a subscription or upgrade?
At Connect we receive discounts from all the major providers. We pass 100% of these savings onto our clients. Unlike many accounting firms, we do not believe in profiting from your subscriptions, we are here to help you save money.
We have subscriptions starting from $5 per month. There is also an option to transfer your current subscription to Connect to receive discounts. Many of the providers will pass on up to 50% discount if your file is held on our account.
Training Solutions
At Connect we provide training for new users of software, as well as refresher training for existing users.
Cass is available for over the phone or face to face training and can travel to suit your needs.
If you are a client of connect then you can call our office for assistance and questions throughout the year. We can resolve any problems you are experiencing.
Accreditations
Xero Certified Advisors
Reckon One Certified Advisor
Intuit Quickbooks Online
Advanced Certified ProAdvisor
