Our office have been working hard behind the scenes to bring the following new optional initiatives to our clients:-

- We are now registered to be able to offer our clients optional Audit Insurance through Audit Shield

- We are now registered to offer our Clients access to WorkCover OnCall advocacy

- We have introduced Pay By The Month through EziDebit for business clients

- We have introduced electronic signing of Tax Declarations through our secure online portal (Xero - Adobe E-Sogn)

What is the Audit Shield service?

Our Audit Shield service provides for the payment of professional service fees incurred in the event that you are selected for an audit, enquiry, investigation or review instigated by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or other Government body. The cost of being properly represented in these matters can be quite considerable depending on the length of time involved. The cost of the policy is also tax deductible.

What is covered by the service?

The following official audits, enquiries, investigations and reviews are covered by Audit Shield:

• Income, Land and Payroll Tax
• BAS/GST Compliance
• Workers Compensation/WorkCover
• Superannuation Guarantee and Compliance
• Self-Managed Superannuation Funds
• Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT)
• Record Keeping
• Plus much more!

Participation in taking out Audit Shield is completely optional and conditions do apply.

If you are interested in obtaining cover please register your interest with us. Also, a mail out to clients was be completed in late April 2015 which contained Frequently Asked Questions. Should you have any queries regarding this initiative please do not hesitate to contact our office.

We have partnered with WorkCover OnCall who provide support and guidance for all employers across Australia with respect to their Workers Compensation obligations. WorkCover OnCall work on a fee for service basis and enables employers to outsource their WorkCover obligations, including:-

• Premium Review - checking to ensure that Workplace Industry Classifications are correct
• Attending to the preparation of yearly remuneration figures
• Attending to WorkCover claims
• Complete WorkCover application forms

If you are interest in obtaining further information regarding the management of your WorkCover policy please register your interest with us. A mail out to clients who are employers was completed in late April 2015 which will include Frequently Asked Questions. As always, should you have any queries regarding this initiative please do not hesitate to contact our office.

Last year our office undertook a survey of our clients and the feedback was that the ability to pay our fees by the month was a high priority.

We are pleased to advise that for selected business and Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) clients, Pay By The Month through Direct Debit is now available.

If you are interested in this initiative please register your interest here and we will confirm whether your business or SMSF is eligible to Pay By The Month.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is transitioning towards a less mail based service. Paper will not be eliminated, however, more and more correspondence will be electronically issued including Notice's of Assessment and Statements of Account.

Currently, all Activity Statements lodged by our office result in future Activity Statements being issued electronically by the ATO to our office instead of paper. We always communicate any possible change to our clients prior to the lodgement of an Activity Statement.

As an office, we are transitioning the signing of Monthly and Quarterly Activity Statements by clients to electronic signature.

How does this impact me or my business?

Once your Activity Statement is ready to be sent to you for signing, an email from our secure online portal (Xero - Adobe E-Sign) is issued advising you that there is a document for you to sign. Once you have established an account (no charge) with Xero you sign in and can see the document which requires signature.

Once you have electronically signed the Activity Statement it will be returned to our office and lodged with the ATO. At this point you can print or download the Activity Statement and accompanying documents (if any). There is no need to manually print, sign and return the Activity Statement to our office!