Part One - The nature of Tax Setting you and your business on the road to tax planning

There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.”
― Robert A. Heinlein,

Tax never sleeps – it’s always up and about looking to get you.

tax-never
In business because you want to earn more?
Ever wondered why so few people make so much from business and others don’t?
That’s because a few understand how to organise themselves so that that keep more, when they grow their business or from their successes rather than give it to tax man.

That’s because they understand tax.

If you surrender to tax, it will beat you every time. You will pay too much tax, you will play catch-up all the time you will never be like those rich folk who seem to have a magic touch.
So, if you don’t want to read this document and consider following what is set out in front of you, you may
  1. Pay too much tax
  2. Have tax control your cash flow in your business and therefor stifle the opportunities you have
  3. Lose control from time to time, and pay high late lodgement fees and crippling interest to the ATO
  4. Run your business in a world of risk
This document isn’t about tax scams or loop holes, it’s about setting up processes in your business.

Things you must do first
Home budget

things-must
We must consult our means rather than our wishes.
― George Washington
A home budget is the toughest financial document a business owner can complete. In business, a budget should be black and white, allowing for some cushioning, but a home budget must take into account a family’s character and culture and include frivolous spending on things that may be part of the joy of being in a family. It must also be realistic. You already should have at least an idea of the income your business has, so you must also be realistic and occasionally apply the “need or want” rule at home.
(If you want a home budget that we have prepared please download here)
[one_half]Structure
Get a real business structure – preferably a company. If you are trading as a sole trader or partnership this can’t work. Trusts, while in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing can work but generally we rarely see this.[/one_half]
[one_half_last]item-right[/one_half_last]
[one_half]Have your accounts up to date
Do you really know the accounts are up to date?
Once you are on top of this you must stay on top of the accounts in your business. Knowing how the business is performing so that you can effectively manage tax, isn’t a one-off thing, it’s something you need to be doing every week or month at a minimum.[/one_half]
[one_half_last]part-one[/one_half_last]
Completing a home budget, getting the rights structure and staying on top of the accounts is all a lot of work – but do you want to give too much to Canberra?
Once you have completed this we can move to part 2
Read more: The nature of Tax Setting you and your business on the road to tax planning - Part three

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