Australia's goods and services tax (GST) was introduced, with much controversy, 20 years ago this year. It's now entrenched, but does it need an overhaul?
Rising costs, an ageing population, younger people dropping private health cover and a high level of government control have posed challenges for Australia's healthcare system.
Proposed legislation to curb black economy activities by reducing cash payments could punish people who have legitimate reasons for paying in cash, says CPA Australia.
Do we spend less when we feel poorer? Even when inflation and the cost of credit are low?
Accountants are continually being told they need influencing skills, but how do they attain them? Read on for some useful influencing techniques.
Tax time can be a trying time for many practitioners, but there are ways to ease the burden. Here three leading practitioners share their views on how to manage the surge in financial year-end client demands.
Asialink CEO Penny Burtt's work is driven by her passion for forging strong international partnerships. Burtt's vision is for Asialink to be Australia's leading centre for Asia engagement, through delivering insight, capability building and connections.
Recent regulatory changes threaten to intensify what many believe is already a perfect costs storm that is hitting accounting practitioners.
With whistleblowing law changes just around the corner, all accounting firms need to ensure they have an appropriate whistleblower regime in place.
While our means of data analysis and collection grow increasingly complex, the sources of error remain all too human.
The ATO has its sights set on tax agents who contravene the Code of Professional Conduct by failing to take reasonable care in the correct application of taxation laws to their clients’ circumstances. Here’s what you need to consider.
Dinosaurs have been extinct for millennia, but Australian animatronics company Creature Technology Co. is in the business of bringing them to life.
Starting a business with the end in mind is sound advice, and something all accounting practitioners should seriously consider. Read on for three keys to a successful transition.
With the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) increasing its compliance activities to reduce what it has identified as an $8.7 billion gap between what it has collected from individual taxpayers and what it should have collected, it may be tempting to consider any old tax audit insurance product. Here’s what accountants should know about junk insurance.
A recent unfair dismissal case has reinforced the rules around employees running side hustles while holding down a full-time job.
Practitioners performing the role of a virtual CFO are not only widening their client base and growing revenue but riding a wave of increasing demand.
Leading economist, Reserve Bank of Australia board member and now dean of one of Australia's most prestigious business schools, Professor Ian Harper has plans to bring academia and business closer.
Australian accountants lagging in their various tax obligations are being put on notice.
As access to bank funding has become harder to obtain, more alternative lenders have emerged from the shadows. These lenders (or shadow banks) are not regulated to the same degree as traditional banks. Could some be a disaster in waiting?
A lively panel discussion at CPA Congress Melbourne on the future of financial reporting explored how a rapidly-changing business environment heavily influenced by technology –from cloud computing to cryptocurrencies – is driving the need to keep accounting standards relevant.
Transforming organisations should actively involve all stakeholders in the journey, ATO deputy commissioner James O’Halloran tells CPA Congress in Melbourne. And that includes clients.
When you hear the terms “start-up” or “entrepreneur” do you think, “That’s not me”? If you’re launching your own public practice, you’re an entrepreneur! Setting up a practice takes planning, commitment and know-how – but also a solid dose of entrepreneurial spirit, as Saurav Wadhwa CPA learned.
Financial misconduct has been widely exposed after a series of bombshells, causing many to question the ethics of big institutions. Can IR (integrated reporting) restore trust?
Attracting and retaining the best accounting talent is often a challenge for small- to medium-sized practices (SMPs), and in the current jobs environment it has become even more difficult. Here’s what accounting practices need to know.
Do financial statements remain a valuable source of information for investors when making investment decisions? The answer to that question has generated some serious debate among US and Australian accounting experts.