Square Up Consulting

20/06/2026

I wanted to bring to your attention the upcoming Payday Super changes and the importance of payroll and superannuation being processed correctly and on time. From 1 July 2026, superannuation must be paid with payroll and received by the employee’s super fund within the required timeframe, generall...

12/05/2026

The government tonight, in its budget, has effectively told every Australian — and even more so young Australians — to take their good ideas and start a business in a different country with more competitive CGT and business tax rates.

Singapore is a country with almost no natural resources, yet its economy is exceptionally strong. Its GDP is built on services, finance, trade, technology, manufacturing, logistics, education, and attracting global business — not on digging wealth out of the ground. Singapore’s real resource is brain power: people’s ideas, enterprise, discipline, capital, and a tax system that encourages ambition rather than punishing it.

Australia has tonight risked losing one of its best resources to places like Singapore: the ambition, ideas, innovation, and enterprise of its own people. No one with half a brain will start a business of innovation in this country, pay tax on profits and then give the government half of the gain in the business in tax.

04/05/2025

Labor will introduce a $1,000 instant tax deduction

28/04/2025

Claiming Car Expenses

We recently investigated a taxpayer who claimed $3,800 for transporting bulky tools to and from work. He said there was no secure area to store them at his workplace… but when we talked to his employer, they told us that he had a company car and didn’t actually need to transport the equipment 🤔

Since the taxpayer didn’t incur any expenses and knowingly misrepresented his circumstances, we knocked back the claim and applied a penalty.

Read about more dodgy claims and get the low-down on car expenses at ato.gov.au/Media-centre/Media-releases/ATO-driven-to-scrutinise-car-claims-this-tax-time

28/04/2025

25/03/2025

$20k Instant Asset Write-Off not extended to 2025-26 tax year

09/10/2024

At the end of the day it is our licences in the line if don’t follow the law to the letter. The TPB are coming after agents and the ATO after non compliant tax payers. Good thing we keep everyone on the straight & narrow 🤓.

A tax agent has received a written caution and ordered to complete a course on the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 after we discovered they failed to ensure tax agent services were provided competently. In this case, the tax agent failed to ensure client tax returns were prepared and lodged accurately. This led to the Australian Taxation Office finding overclaimed and incorrect deductions. Find out what else happened: https://ow.ly/v32A50TBTV2

31/07/2024

Thank you to all who signed and shared the petition I posted about Tax Agent Code of Conduct changes.

Thrilled to say that 7 hours before this draconian regime was to begin, the Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones (and his partner in crime, Greens Senator Barbara Pocock) backed down and delayed it for a year - meaning he's taking them to an election. The Coalition have already pledged to repeal this Legislative Instrument as it does nothing but breed suspicion between practitioners and their clients and force up the cost of professional accounting and tax advice.

We have support from both Coalition and non-Pocock Greens MPs in the past two weeks against these changes, and even though I've spent many hours updating documents to comply in my busiest time of the year, I'm so appreciative of your support and calls asking me what this is all about.

Now the real fight begins to ensure that this LI is withdrawn

16/07/2024

The Labour Government has introduced far reaching changes to the Tax Agent Services (Code of Professional Conduct) Determination 2024 that basically makes the assistant treasurer Stephen Jones the boss of the Tax Practitioners Board. It further now mandates tax agents to report clients to the ATO for doing the wrong thing. (if we don't we are in breach of the new code). Additionally in section 45 this new law states that we as tax agents are required to advise prospective and current clients of ANY MATTER that could significantly influence a decision of a client o engage us. The TPB confirmed today that his may even include mental health matters. The Labour Party has basically now legislated discrimination. Please read the below and sign the petition to have this law repealed and corrected. If we don't get this done, clients will have to absorb the extra costs in terms of higher fees for us to try and comply with these onerous new obligations.

172 signatures are still needed! Stop the Unfair New Tax Rules Affecting Small Accounting Practices