Recent News
Be prepared if going it alone
GOING to court without legal representation is daunting for anyone who is not familiar with the law or the court processes. There are many reasons you may find yourself before a court including disputes over debts, with a neighbour, family law matter, a contested will...
Planning to catch that End of Financial Year bargain?
How many of us see these fantastic flashing advertisements on the television, pushing products to be brought before the end of the financial year in order to receive a “Tax Bonus” or “Tax Saving”? Products from health insurance to motor vehicles are aggressively...
Medicinal Cannabis and the Courts
In Queensland cannabis possession, trafficking, supply and production are criminal offences with maximum penalties ranging between 15 and 25 years imprisonment. Cannabis use in Queensland remains higher than the average of other Australian states and is the largest...
Local Laws can result in heavy fines
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council Local Laws (Local Laws) contain laws that regulate certain activities on Council controlled or owned land and impose offences where a person undertakes those activates without approval or without a required permit. Where an offence...
ATO’s Audit Targets
Recently, the ATO has updated new audit targets to maintain the health of the tax systems, and make sure that all taxpayers pay their fair share. There are a lot of taxpayers mistakenly claiming their deductions or trying to evade paying tax. Some of the areas that...
Five Points to Remember Before Selling Your Property
Engage the services of a conveyancer or lawyer with experience and expertise in property matters. Through your conveyancer or lawyer, you will be able to order Government searches in relation to your property, which are needed to complete the necessary sale and...
Shares vs. Super
Investment advisor’s are predicting older Australians’ will be moving savings to the share market to boost their income. This will come after the official interest rate was slashed to a record low of 1.75 percent this month, and is predicted to go even lower come...
Small business and unfair contract terms
In November 2015 the Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Bill (“the Bill”) was passed by the Federal Government. The new law amends the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 and the Competition and Consumer Act...
RISE OF THE REVENGE PORN
With the rise of modern technology, the sharing of private, sexually explicit materials, either photos or videos, of another person, without their consent is labelled ‘revenge porn’ and is becoming an increasing legal problem. The law is evolving in this area...
INCOME TAX 2016
2016 tax time will be here in two months, there will be changes for income tax returns, and there will be some points that we need to pay attention to. The ATO will both change and introduce several rules this year: Car expenses – tax deduction rules From 1...
ATO Crackdown for Individuals and Small Business Owners
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has advised it will be commencing a series of random audits on 2015 and future tax returns in the hopes to gain back the estimated $3 billion in lost revenue. The plan is to target deliberate tax evaders, as well as those...
Effect of Relationship Breakdown in Estate Planning
Planning your Estate means, taking all steps to ensure your assets are administered and distributed in a way that reflects your final wishes and intentions. Although Estate planning can be complex, when it is mixed with the breakdown of a relationship, serious...
Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Readers should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this newsletter without seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice. The content of this newsletter contains general information and may not reflect current legal developments, verdicts, or settlements. We expressly disclaim all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all the contents of this newsletter.