November 2014 Issue 99

If you'd like to make a profit when you sell your investment property after all, isn't that the reason you have the property in the first place? make sure you pay attention to these key factors: presentation and market appeal of the property; and financial implications and timing for the tax year. Decide whether selling the property with tenants in...

We often meet with clients who are surprised to learn that their registered trade mark provides no protection in other countries. Like other forms of IP, trade marks are registered on a per country basis. If wishing to extend protection of your Australian trade mark rights to other countries, do you need to engage lawyers or trade mark attorneys in...

With important new deeming rules coming into effect on 1 January 2015, now is the time to review your superannuation and pension arrangements to ensure you don't miss out on valuable Social Security entitlements. Account based pensions have generally been given favourable treatment when Social Security assesses your eligibility for benefits such as the Age Pension and the Disability Support...

What is an "add back"? Until recently, the Family Law Courts often treated property disposed of by a party after separation as notional property and "added back" the value of that property to the pool to be divided. The Court would often take this step if: 1. The asset was deliberately disposed of for the purposes of reducing or minimising...

The Australian Institute of Company Directors recently released its NFP Governance and Performance Study, the largest study of its kind in Australia. With close to 3,000 respondents plus a range of focus groups held across Australia, this study was a unique opportunity to delve into the thinking of directors and executives of the NFP sector. A range of themes emerged...

No matter what industry you are engaged in, you will no doubt have experienced the stress associated with the purchase, production, re-sale or use of defective goods or materials. It is a common issue, even where goods have been certified compliant with Australian Standards. In addition to the logistical challenges associated with the repair, replacement or refunding of such goods,...

The tough business environment currently being experienced in Australia has undoubtedly led to a significant increase in the pressure and incentive to commit fraud and corruption. Often linked to poor governance, fraud and corruption is a serious risk for any entity. Indications are that dishonesty has an impact way beyond financial loss. Specifically, it undermines operational effectiveness and reliability and...

Bookeeping can be a challenge for many business owners, and even if they don't mind bookeeping, they might not enjoy doing it. One of my clients recently remarked to me, "I don't like doing the books for my business because it is so easy to make mistakes, and the tasks are so tedious! And because I avoided bookeeping altogether, I...

Spring is often seen as a busy time for buying and selling property. As the weather begins to heat up and people spring into life, traditionally so does the property market. So, if you're looking to buy a property, there are a few things you could do beforehand to ensure you're able to act quickly when you've found the right...

The ecommerce and mobile commerce trend is continually growing in Australia. More than 75% of people choose mobile devices for the convenience factor. Around 17% of Australians shop via their mobile devices. Most people keep their mobile devices close to them throughout the day. The natural progression is to buy goods and services via mobile, because it's accessible, fast and...

Canberra-based technology company Seeing Machines has been crowned ACT Exporter of the Year at the 2014 ACT Chief Minister's Export Awards recently at the Hyatt Hotel. Seeing Machines is renowned for developing state of the art fatigue and distraction monitoring technology, including the Driver Safety System (DSS) which is already being used by mining, commercial road-transport and automotive industries worldwide....

Frank Lo Pilato (managing partner), and Jonathon Colbran, (partner), from RSM Bird Cameron, Accountants and Business Advisors, Canberra, share their insights into the Canberra market and issues facing business today. Established in 1922, RSM Bird Cameron in Canberra offers the full suite of specialist corporate and business advisory services. They support every stage of a business' development, from incorporation to...

Local entrepreneur and business owner Beatrix Nagy has launched her most ambitious project to date - opening three new businesses at Kingston Foreshore. These are: The Merchant, a caf and restaurant serving European based modern Australian dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 7am - 10pm. Prohibition - The Bottle Shop, a place where you can...