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When to Hire a Finance Manager, and the Point Where a Bookkeeper Stops Being Enough
For owners of $2 million to $10 million businesses with a good bookkeeper and a sense something is missing. Where the gap sits and when to hire.
Read article →Practical articles from the chartered accountants and advisers at Prime Partners, written to help business owners, founders and families in North Sydney and across Australia make confident financial decisions.
This is where the Prime Partners team shares what we have learned from working alongside Australian business owners every day. You will find articles on business tax, structuring, cashflow, self managed super, growth and succession, written in plain language without the jargon that usually surrounds this work.
Every article is grounded in real client situations and current Australian tax rules, so you can understand what applies to you and what to ask us about. Use the tags below to find the topics that matter most to your business right now, or browse the full collection to see what our advisers are thinking about.
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For owners of $2 million to $10 million businesses with a good bookkeeper and a sense something is missing. Where the gap sits and when to hire.
Read article →For owners of $2 million to $10 million businesses who see a profit on paper and feel tight at the bank. A practical way to test your own cash flow.
Read article →What counts as R&D for the tax incentive, in plain English: the tests that apply, the questions that settle most cases, and the work that never qualifies.
Read article →The super contribution caps for 2026-27 and the four mistakes behind most of the unpleasant letters, for owners paid through salary, dividends and super.
Read article →What putting a partner, parent or adult child on the books obliges you to do, where the real costs sit, and the four things that make it expensive.
Read article →What AI bookkeeping does well today, what it does badly, and the part of the job it cannot take, which is the part that was always worth paying for.
Read article →The five reasons companies rule themselves out of the R&D Tax Incentive, which of them hold up, and the actual tests that decide eligibility.
Read article →For farming families around Orange who have had a strong year after a poor one. The concessions built for lumpy farm income, and how to use them properly.
Read article →From 1 July 2025 R&D activities related to gambling and tobacco are excluded from the R&D Tax Incentive. How broadly it applies and who it catches.
Read article →Seven things to do in July rather than June, from Daniel Karadinovski’s SMSF webinar: minutes, pension payments, the investment strategy and more.
Read article →The registration deadline for this year’s R&D sits ten months away. The records, project plan and cost tracking to set up now, while the work is fresh.
Read article →Every deduction an individual can claim on a 2026 tax return, from work expenses and home office to self education and donations, with the ATO’s limits.
Read article →Everything to gather before your 2026 tax return appointment, organised the way your accountant will work through it, so the return is done in one sitting.
Read article →Every deduction a property investor can claim in 2026, from interest and repairs to depreciation, and the errors the ATO finds most in rental returns.
Read article →Everything an SMSF trustee needs to hand over for the 2026 annual return, including what the auditor asks for, so the fund is lodged without the chasing.
Read article →What to have ready for your business tax return in 2026, whether you are a sole trader or a multi-entity group, so it is prepared quickly and accurately.
Read article →The 70 cents an hour fixed rate, the actual cost method, the records the ATO now expects, and the claims that get people into trouble.
Read article →Twenty practical actions individuals can take before 30 June, from our webinar with James Carey: super, rental property, work deductions and capital gains.
Read article →Every SMSF needs an annual audit by an approved auditor. Deadlines, what trustees must provide, common contraventions and the penalties for late funds.
Read article →What an SMSF really costs in 2026 – trust deed, ASIC fees, the $259 ATO levy, audit and admin – plus the balance where the costs start making sense.
Read article →SMSF or industry fund? Compare costs, control, trustee duties and the research on balance thresholds – and find out who should not run their own fund.
Read article →The records and documentation a founder needs on file before 30 June 2026 decide the size and defensibility of the FY26 R&D claim. What to lock in now.
Read article →Xero prices rise on 1 July 2026 and the multi-organisation discount is going. See the new plan pricing, what it adds to your bill, and how to respond.
Read article →Australia’s anti-money laundering laws now cover accountants. Why we will ask more about source of funds and ownership, and what it means for you.
Read article →From 1 October 2026 Visa, Mastercard and eftpos can stop businesses adding a surcharge. What the Reserve Bank decided, who it affects, and how to reprice.
Read article →The 2026-27 Federal Budget’s tax changes for businesses, individuals and super, summarised from our webinar with James Carey, with the recording to watch.
Read article →From 1 July 2026 a company under $1 billion turnover can carry a loss back two years for a cash refund, capped at its franking balance. A worked example.
Read article →From 1 July 2028 eligible start-ups can turn first and second year tax losses into cash, capped at PAYG and FBT on Australian wages. Three worked examples.
Read article →The obligations that come with running an SMSF, what to check before 30 June, and the habits through the year that keep a fund out of trouble at audit.
Read article →The recording of our 30 June tax planning webinar with James Carey, for business owners with real structures, and a written summary of what it covers.
Read article →Compliance is the floor. What an accountant should be doing for an established business beyond lodging returns, and how to tell whether yours is.
Read article →When the numbers feel slightly off in an established business, it is usually growth outrunning the finance function. How it builds up and how to fix it.
Read article →R&D done between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 must be registered with AusIndustry by 30 April 2026. What to have ready, and what happens if you miss it.
Read article →R&D Tax Incentive claims are now a high priority enforcement area. What to look for in an adviser, the questions to ask, and the fee models to avoid.
Read article →Fuel excise is cut by 32 cents a litre and the ATO is offering a payment plan for businesses hit by fuel costs. Applications close 30 June 2026.
Read article →What happens when AusIndustry reviews an R&D claim: the triggers, the documents it asks for, how long it takes and how to prepare so the claim holds up.
Read article →Related R&D Tax Insights R&D Tax Incentive for Software Companies AusIndustry R&D Tax Audit Guide R&D Tax Incentive 2026 Changes
Read article →The year end decisions that cannot wait for owners of companies and trusts: Division 7A, trust distributions, small business CGT concessions and super.
Read article →A practical guide to protecting your position before 30 June: super contributions, capital gains, trust distributions and the deductions still open.
Read article →An end of year guide for sole traders and small companies and trusts: super guarantee, trust distributions, Division 7A and the instant asset write-off.
Read article →For NSW law practices that held trust money: Part A is due 30 April and the External Examiner’s Report by 31 May 2026. What the examination covers.
Read article →The R&D Tax Incentive rates for 2026, the 30 April registration deadline, and the changes to eligibility and expenditure that affect this year’s claim.
Read article →Does your software development qualify for a 43.5 per cent refundable offset? Eligible activities, how much you can claim and what triggers a review.
Read article →Division 296 passed Parliament on 11 March 2026 and starts 1 July 2026. What the tax on balances over $3 million means for SMSF trustees and members.
Read article →How FBT applies to company cars, fleets and novated leases in 2026: the statutory and operating cost methods, the rates, and the EV exemption.
Read article →Natascha Cherry and Daniel Kardinovski are finalists in the Accountants Daily Rising Stars Awards 2026, in the boutique firm and superannuation categories.
Read article →The team members promoted to Associate Director across Prime Partners and SMSFcentral over the past year, and what each of them brings to clients.
Read article →The FBT year ends 31 March. The benefits employers miss, the records the ATO expects, and the review worth doing while the outcome can still change.
Read article →The ATO has turned to family trusts, Division 7A loans and trust distributions. What it is looking for in 2026, and what to review before it asks.
Read article →Pay for an electric car from pre-tax income with no fringe benefits tax. Which cars qualify in 2026, the $91,387 price cap, and what a novated lease saves.
Read article →From 1 July 2026 super is paid with every pay run. What Payday Super changes for SME employers, the cash flow effect and what to set up now.
Read article →Orbit Accounting has joined Prime Partners. Greg Dennis and James Carey on why the merger made sense, what clients can expect and what comes next.
Read article →Our 2024 end of financial year update for businesses: the tax changes of the year and the actions to take before 30 June to reduce tax and audit risk.
Read article →Our 2024 end of financial year update for SMSF trustees: what changed, where the regulators are looking, and the actions to take before 30 June.
Read article →An SMSF can invest in property development within the rules, and there are a lot of rules. The sole purpose test, the pitfalls and the pros and cons.
Read article →A written contract and an ABN do not make someone a contractor for tax and super. The ATO’s guidance on the distinction, and what it means for employers.
Read article →A farmland sale that went from $1.6 million to $4.25 million, a GST bill, and a tribunal case showing why the evidence has to support the tax position.
Read article →The Stage 3 tax cuts redesigned: how the 1 July 2024 rates changed under the Government’s proposal, who gains, and what it meant for your planning.
Read article →Division 293 adds 15 per cent tax to super contributions once income and contributions pass the threshold. Who pays, how it is calculated, how to pay.
Read article →Our 2023 end of financial year update for businesses: the super guarantee rise to 11 per cent, the $20,000 instant asset write-off and the actions to take.
Read article →Our 2023 end of financial year update for individuals: the changes of the year, and the actions to take before 30 June to reduce tax and audit risk.
Read article →An analysis of if professional service firms should offer full time work from home.
Read article →Every director of an Australian company, including SMSF and trust trustee companies, needs a Director Identification Number by 30 November. How to apply.
Read article →Our 2022 end of financial year update for businesses: super guarantee at 10.5 per cent, the $450 threshold removed, and tighter rules on trust income.
Read article →Our 2022 end of financial year update for individuals: the changes of the year, and the actions to take before 30 June to reduce tax and audit risk.
Read article →The ATO’s guidance on section 100A and trust distributions, what it means for family groups, and which past arrangements are now open to challenge.
Read article →The NSW Government’s $1 billion support package for small businesses hit by COVID-19 in January and February 2022: who qualified and how to apply.
Read article →The 2021 Victorian lockdown grants for business: the $5,000 Business Continuity Fund, the hospitality venue fund, the hardship fund and rent relief.
Read article →The 2021 NSW lockdown support for business: JobSaver payments of up to $10,000 a week, how the 40 per cent of payroll was worked out, and who qualified.
Read article →The COVID-19 Disaster Payment and the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment for individuals who could not work during lockdown, and how to apply through myGov.
Read article →Our 2021 end of financial year update for individuals, as the COVID measures ended: the opportunities and the risk areas going into the 2021-22 year.
Read article →Our 2021 end of financial year update for businesses: the 25 per cent company rate, franking credits, super guarantee at 10 per cent and stapled funds.
Read article →Which records to keep, for how long, what can be stored digitally and what still has to be kept as an original. A guest post by Tom Scrutton.
Read article →JobKeeper 2.0 from 28 September 2020: the new eligibility test, the actual decline in turnover employers had to show, and the two tier payment rates.
Read article →Our 2020 end of financial year update for businesses: the company tax rate cut, JobKeeper, the $150,000 instant asset write-off and director liability.
Read article →Our 2020 end of financial year update for individuals: working from home claims, the cents per kilometre change, rental properties and early super access.
Read article →The 2020 accelerated depreciation incentive: a 50 per cent immediate deduction on new assets for businesses under $500 million turnover.
Read article →The JobKeeper changes announced on 24 April 2020: cash or accruals for the GST turnover test, the alternative tests, and the clarified rules for employers.
Read article →A step by step guide, with screenshots, to recording the 2020 cash flow boost credit in Xero so the BAS, the ATO account and the bank all reconcile.
Read article →A step by step walk through, with screenshots, of enrolling a business for JobKeeper through the ATO business portal in April 2020.
Read article →Treasury’s April 2020 JobKeeper rules explained: how the turnover test worked, which periods to compare, and the questions employers were asking us most.
Read article →How the COVID-19 downturn affects transfer pricing calculations and documentation, and what multinational groups should be recording while it lasts.
Read article →The $1,500 a fortnight JobKeeper subsidy announced in March 2020: who was eligible, how the downturn test worked, and what employers had to do.
Read article →What the second 2020 stimulus package meant for individuals: early access to super, lower minimum pension drawdowns and higher income support payments.
Read article →The second 2020 stimulus package for business: tax free cash flow payments of up to $100,000 for employers and the relaxed insolvency rules.
Read article →The state COVID stimulus measures of March 2020, starting with NSW: payroll tax waived for three months and the other support announced for small business.
Read article →The first $17.6 billion coronavirus stimulus package: the bigger instant asset write-off, accelerated depreciation, cash flow payments and wage subsidies.
Read article →From 1 April 2020 company directors are personally liable for unpaid GST, luxury car tax and wine equalisation tax under the director penalty regime.
Read article →The Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty lets employers correct unpaid super from 1992 to 2018 with deductions allowed and penalties removed. How it works.
Read article →Single Touch Payroll reports every payslip to the ATO as it happens. What that changes for small employers, and the compliance gaps it brings into view.
Read article →Preparing your 2019 tax return: the ATO’s focus on work related and rental deductions, and the new ability to carry forward unused super contributions.
Read article →An end of financial year update for businesses: the instant asset write-off, Single Touch Payroll, contractor reporting and Division 7A.
Read article →Employers with fewer than 20 staff must use Single Touch Payroll from 1 July 2019. What it is, what changes for your payroll and how to get ready.
Read article →ATO debt scams, fake Medicare emails and ASIC notices are on the rise and increasingly convincing. How to tell a genuine demand from a scam.
Read article →Practical steps to protect your business, staff and client data from cyber crime: strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, backups and training.
Read article →End of financial year tax tips: deductible super contributions, prepaying expenses, writing off bad debts and the timing decisions that reduce your bill.
Read article →A last minute checklist for businesses before 30 June: super contribution caps, prepaid expenses, bad debts, stock and the deadlines that still apply.
Read article →A truck driver’s travel claims ended up at the tribunal. What the case says about declaring allowances, keeping records and claiming the reasonable rates.
Read article →The ATO’s draft guidelines allow up to 750km a year of private travel in a work ute without triggering FBT. What counts as minor and infrequent use.
Read article →The 2017 Budget super measures: first home savers can withdraw voluntary contributions for a deposit, and downsizers can put sale proceeds into super.
Read article →Foreign purchaser surcharges in NSW, Victoria and Queensland can catch an ordinary family trust because of how the deed is drafted. What to check and fix.
Read article →From 1 January 2018 NSW small businesses under $2 million turnover pay no stamp duty on commercial vehicle, public liability and other business insurance.
Read article →NSW incentives for hiring: up to $6,000 per new employee under the Jobs Action Plan for payroll tax payers, and $2,000 under the Small Business Grant.
Read article →Since 9 May 2017 buyers of existing residential property cannot claim depreciation on previously used assets. What changed and what it means for investors.
Read article →Foreign owners of Australian residential property now pay an annual vacancy fee if the home sits empty for more than 183 days a year. Who it catches.
Read article →Renovating your own home does not always keep the gain tax free. The ATO’s view on property flipping, and when a renovation becomes a business.
Read article →Since 1 July 2017 anyone can claim a deduction for personal super contributions, with no work test for employees. How it works and the tax saving on offer.
Read article →How to reach our North Sydney office at Level 4, 1 James Place, by train, bus or car, including where to park and what it costs.
Read article →How long to keep tax records in Australia, for individuals and businesses, which documents need to be kept in their original form, and what can go digital.
Read article →How Prime Partners uses Receipt Bank with Xero to turn receipts and bills into coded transactions automatically, and what it saves in time.
Read article →Prime Partners moved from Gladesville to Level 4, 1 James Place, North Sydney in September 2017. Why we moved and what it means for appointments.
Read article →The ATO is targeting excessive and incorrect work related expense claims on individual returns. What it is looking for, and what you can safely claim.
Read article →Fake emails claiming to be from ASIC and other agencies are carrying malware and ransomware. How to recognise them, and what to do if you have clicked.
Read article →What a lender looks for before saying yes: up to date financials, a clean tax position, a clear purpose for the money and proof the business can repay.
Read article →How to classify the risks a business faces, weigh each decision against its reward, and keep a steady focus on risk without it stalling growth.
Read article →Five accounting mistakes that derail small business growth, from mixing personal and business money to ignoring the reports, and how to avoid each one.
Read article →Businesses prepared for the owner’s exit are far more likely to endure. Guidelines for an exit strategy that protects the legacy and gets a good result.
Read article →The practical case for moving your business data to the cloud: lower running costs, access from anywhere, automatic backups and easier collaboration.
Read article →Three ways an accountant saves a small business money: finding deductions you missed, keeping you out of penalties, and freeing your time for the business.
Read article →Practical steps to keep small business data safe from attackers, accidents and disasters: backups, access controls, updates and staff awareness.
Read article →Three things to weigh before buying a home: where the market is heading, what interest rates are doing, and how much housing is available to choose from.
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Once a month we send our latest thinking on tax, business, and the moments that shape a year. Practical, considered, and written for people who would rather understand the why than chase the headline.
