To prepare your tax return accurately and maximise your deductions, you should provide documents that show your income, expenses, and any relevant investments or tax offsets. Attached is our tax checklist that will help you gather the documents for the appointment.

For a basic individual tax return, we can usually complete and lodge your tax return on the same day as your appointment.
For more complex tax returns involving rental properties, share trading, cryptocurrency, foreign income, business activities, or motor vehicle claims, our typical turnaround time is approximately two weeks after we have received all the necessary information and supporting documents.

You may be able to claim deductions for expenses that are directly related to earning your income. To claim a deduction, you must generally have paid for the expense yourself and keep records to support your claim.

Common tax deductions include:

• Work-related vehicle and travel expenses
• Uniforms and protective clothing
• Self-education and training expenses
• Professional memberships and subscriptions
• Home office expenses
• Tools and equipment used for work
• Mobile phone and internet expenses used for work purposes
• Union fees
• Accounting and tax agent fees
• Donations to registered charities
• Income protection insurance premiums (if held outside superannuation)

Additional deductions may be available for:

• Sole traders and contractors
• Cryptocurrency investors and traders

Before you lodge your tax return, ensure you meet the ATO's three golden rules:

1.You must have spent the money and not been reimbursed.
2.The expense must directly relate to earning your income.
3.You must have a record (like a receipt) to prove it

The deductions available depend on your occupation, income sources, and individual circumstances. Our team can help identify all legitimate deductions you may be entitled to claim while ensuring compliance with Australian tax laws.
Attached is the tax deduction checklist.

Yes, you may be able to claim car expenses, but it depends on how you use the vehicle and whether it is for work or business purposes.
You generally cannot claim 100% of your car expenses unless the vehicle is used exclusively for business. Instead, you can claim the business-use portion.

If you are an employee:
You can claim car expenses if:

• You use your car for work-related travel (not commuting to and from home)
• You keep records such as a logbook or travel diary (depending on the method used)

If you are a business owner (sole trader, company, or trust):
You may be able to claim:

• Fuel
• Registration and insurance
• Repairs and servicing
• Depreciation of the vehicle
• Interest on car loans (if applicable)

Two main methods to claim:

• Logbook method: You claim the business-use percentage based on a 12-week logbook.
• Cents per kilometre method: A simplified method for up to a limited number of business kilometres.

Important considerations:

• Private use is not deductible
• Proper records must be kept to support your claims
• The method you choose can impact how much you can claim

We can review your situation and help determine the most tax-effective way to claim your car expenses while ensuring compliance with ATO rules.

Click on the link for more information:
https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/income-deductions-and-concessions/income-and-deductions-for-business/deductions/deductions-for-motor-vehicle-expenses

If you have an electric vehicle (EV), how you claim it in your tax return depends on whether you use it for work and whether you’re an employee, contractor, or running a business.
If the EV is used for work purposes, you can usually claim either:

1. Cents per kilometre method

• You can claim a set rate per work-related kilometre (up to 5,000 km per year per car)
• This is the simplest method
• You don’t need detailed fuel/electricity records, but you must be able to show how you estimated work travel

2. Logbook (actual cost) method
This is more detailed but often gives a higher deduction. You can claim the work-use percentage of:

• Electricity/charging costs (home charging or public charging)
• Depreciation of the EV (vehicle value spread over its effective life)
• Insurance, registration, servicing, tyres, repairs
• Loan interest (if the car is financed)
• Charging equipment (like home wall charger depreciation or deduction)
  
  You’ll need:
• A 12-week logbook showing work vs private use
• Records of all running costs (especially electricity invoices or charging statements)

Important EV-specific point:
For EVs, you don’t claim fuel — instead you claim electricity used for charging, which can be calculated using:

• Home electricity bills + reasonable EV usage calculation, or
• Public charging receipts, or
• A combination with ATO-accepted reasonable methods
  
  If you’re a business owner or sole trader:
  You can also structure claims under business use, and GST may apply depending on your registration.
  Key rule:
  You can only claim the work-related portion, not private use.

If you are an Australian tax resident, you are generally required to declare and pay tax on your worldwide income, including income earned from overseas.
Foreign income may include:

• Salary and wages earned overseas
• Foreign pensions
• Rental income from overseas properties
• Interest from foreign bank accounts
• Overseas dividends
• Capital gains from foreign investments
• Foreign business income
  
  In many cases, if you have already paid tax in another country, you may be able to claim a Foreign Income Tax Offset (FITO) to reduce the amount of Australian tax payable and avoid double taxation.
  If you are a non-resident for Australian tax purposes, different rules apply, and you may only be taxed on your Australian-sourced income.
  As foreign income tax rules can be complex, we recommend seeking professional advice to ensure all income is reported correctly and any available tax offsets are claimed.

This is one of the most common misconceptions about tax deductions.
A tax deduction reduces your taxable income, not your tax bill dollar-for-dollar. The actual tax benefit depends on your marginal tax rate.

For example, if you spent $1,200 on a deductible work-related expense and your marginal tax rate is 30%, the tax saving would be approximately $360, not $1,200.
This means the net cost to you is approximately $840 after the tax benefit.

The amount of your tax refund depends on several factors, including your income, tax withheld by your employer, tax offsets, and other deductions claimed during the year.

Our team can help explain how deductions affect your tax position and ensure you are claiming all deductions you are legally entitled to.

Amounts paid into superannuation by your employer to meet the Superannuation Guarantee obligations and amounts paid under a salary sacrifice arrangement are called concessional contributions.
Salary sacrificing into super involves asking your employer to redirect a portion of your pre-tax pay into your super fund. These contributions are taxed at a rate of 15% in the super fund. For most, this is a lower rate of tax than their marginal tax rate.

A. Concessional Contributions Cap (Main Limit)
Salary sacrifice contributions count toward your concessional contributions cap.
For most people, the cap is:

• $30,000 per financial year (from 2024–25 onwards)
  
  This include:
• Employer Super Guarantee (SG) contributions
• Salary sacrifice contributions
• Personal deductible contributions

B. What happens if you go over the cap?
If you exceed the cap:

• The excess is taxed at your marginal tax rate (plus interest adjustments)
• It can reduce the tax benefit of contributing extra

C. Can I carry forward unused cap?
          Yes. If your total super balance is under $500,000, you may be able to carry forward unused concessional caps from previous years for up to 5 years.

D. Why salary sacrifice is popular:

• Contributions are taxed at 15% inside super (generally lower than personal tax rates)
• Can reduce your taxable income
• Helps with long-term retirement savings

E. Important considerations:

• Money is generally locked away until retirement (preservation rules apply)
• Contribution limits include employer SG contributions, not just salary sacrifice
• High-income earners may face additional tax (Division 293 tax if applicable)

In short:
Yes, you can salary sacrifice into super, but you must stay within the concessional cap (generally $30,000 per year, including employer contributions).
Check your employment agreement or speak with your employer before arranging salary sacrifice into super.

If you salary sacrifice into superannuation this will attract a contributions tax of 15%. For the 2026 year, if you are a middle income earner, with income of between $45,000 and $135,000, your marginal tax rate (including medicare) will be 32%, so salary sacrificing into your super will save you a significant amount of tax.

However, any amounts that are sacrificed into superannuation will also be taken into account for the income tests that determine liability to pay the Medicare levy surcharge and the entitlement to claim dependent tax rebates and seniors tax offsets.

If you are in a lower tax bracket (between $18,200 and $45,000) for the 2026 and the marginal tax rate will be 16%, however you may also pay an additional 2% medicare levy. The tax saving in this tax bracket is minimal. This does not mean you should not consider contributing money to your super, but it might be more beneficial to make after tax contributions, and take advantage of the government superannuation co-contribution. This can either be done through your employer or by you making your own contributions directly to your super

Below link for more info:
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/super-for-individuals-and-families/super/growing-and-keeping-track-of-your-super/how-to-save-more-in-your-super/salary-sacrificing-super

You only pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) if all of the following apply:

1. Your income is above the threshold limits:

• Single: above $101,000–$105,000 (depending on the financial year)
• Family/couple: above $202,000–$210,000

The threshold increases if you have dependent children.

2. You do NOT have eligible private hospital cover
You must have an approved private hospital insurance policy (not just extras cover).

3. How much is the surcharge?
If applicable, MLS is charged at:

• 1% to 1.5% of your income depending on how high your income is above the threshold.

You are a temporary resident and, if your income for surcharge purposes is over the relevant threshold amount, you may be liable to pay the Medicare levy surcharge. The policy that you have is not sufficient to provide you with an exemption from the levy. However, if you are not eligible for Medicare benefits, you may be able to apply for a Medicare levy exemption, which will also exempt you from the surcharge. For more information contact us on 9306 8888.

You’re paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) even though you have private hospital cover because the rule is not just about you — it’s about your family situation.
The key rule (this is where most people get confused)
For MLS purposes, it’s not just about you. The ATO looks at your family situation, meaning:

• You
• Your spouse (or de facto partner)
• Your dependent children (if applicable)

ALL of you must have appropriate private hospital cover to avoid MLS (if your income is above the threshold).

Important clarification

• The MLS is calculated based on your individual taxable income
• But the exemption depends on whether the whole family unit is covered
  So:
• You may pay MLS on your income
• Your wife may also have her own MLS liability depending on how tax is assessed
  Simple example
  If:
• Combined income is above ~$105k (single equivalent) / ~$210k (family threshold)
• Only one partner has hospital cover
  MLS usually still applies for the uncovered spouse (and in some cases both, depending on income split)

Practical advice (what people usually do)
To avoid MLS completely, couples typically either:

• Take out family hospital cover, OR
• Ensure both partners are individually covered

Provided that you satisfy the eligibility criteria, you will be able to claim a deduction for the superannuation contributions you have made to a complying superannuation fund or retirement savings account.

The maximum concessional superannuation contribution (which includes employers superannuation contributions, salary sacrificed super and personal deductible contributions) is $30,000 for the 2025 and 2026 year. However, if you have a total superannuation balance of less than $500,000 at the end of the year prior to making the contribution, and you have not used all of your cap in previous years, you may be able to contribute more by utilising your unused cap amounts. Unused cap amounts can be carried forward for up to 5 years.

You must have first notified your superannuation fund of your intention to make the claim and received a confirmation.