NEWS

Accounting
The ATO’s updated small business benchmarking tool
22/05/2025

The ATO has updated its small business benchmarks with the latest data taken from the 2022–23 financial year. These benchmarks cover 100 industries and allow …

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Accounting
What’s changing on 1 July 2024?
25/06/2024
Here’s a brief summary of the key changes coming into ...
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  • Announcements, Budget, Business, Small Business

$20k Small Business Energy Incentive

In a pre-Budget announcement, the Government committed to a Small Business Energy Incentive Scheme that offers a bonus tax deduction of up to $20,000.

  • Budget

Budget 2023-2024 round up

The ‘ace in the hole’ of the 2023-24 Federal Budget was the $4.2bn surplus; the first in 15 years. The surplus was driven by

  • Accounting, Budget, Business, Superannuation, Taxation

Budget 2023-24

The 2023-24 Federal Budget will be released on Tuesday, 9 May 2023. Look out for our update the next day on the important issues

  • Accounting, Business, Small Business

Selling a business? The pros and cons of earn-out clauses

Earn-out clauses for the sale of a business are increasingly common. We look at the positives and negatives that every business owner should consider.

  • Accounting, Budget, Business, Small Business, Taxation

How Does Tax Apply to Electric Cars?

Just in time for the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) year that started on 1 April, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released new details

  • Announcements, Security

Introducing Multi-Factor Authentication

The CountPro team take cyber-security very seriously are excited to announce the introduction of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as an enhancement to our existing document

  • Superannuation

1 July 2023 Super Balance Increase but no Change for Contributions

The general transfer balance cap (TBC) – the amount of money you can potentially hold in a tax-free retirement account, will increase by $200,000

  • Announcements, Business, Small Business, Taxation

ATO announces changes to working from home deductions

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has refreshed the way that taxpayers claim deductions for costs incurred when working from home. The changes better reflect

  • Finance, Home Loans, Superannuation

Is “downsizing” worth it?

From 1 January 2023, those 55 and over can make a ‘downsizer’ contribution to superannuation. Downsizer contributions are an excellent way to get money

  • Announcements

CountPro team profile – Daryl Tauschke

This week we catch up with Ballarat born and bred, Senior Accountant, Daryl Tauschke for a quick chat.   When did you join CountPro?

  • Accounting, Announcements, Business, Small Business

30 November Director ID deadline

The deadline for existing directors of Australian companies to obtain a Director Identification Number is 30 November 2022.   All directors of a company,

  • Announcements, Superannuation

Superannuation at CountPro

CountPro is pleased to announce that we have employed a well regarded SMSF specialist to head up our self-managed superannuation fund division. Tiarna Waight

  • Announcements, Business, Investment, Security, Small Business, Superannuation

Can you prevent a hack?

In the wake of the Optus data leak, legislation before Parliament will lift the maximum fine for serious or repeated breaches of the Privacy

  • Announcements

Christmas holidays 2022

The end of 2022 is fast approaching. It’s been a big year for us, with a couple of highlights being the move to our

  • Accounting, Business, Finance, Small Business

How to sell your business

We’re often asked the best way to sell a business.   There are two key components at play in the sale of a business:

  • Business, Business Investment, Small Business

120% deduction for skills training and technology costs

The Government has reinvigorated the 120% skills training and technology costs deduction for small and medium business. An election ago, the 2022-23 Budget proposed

  • Accounting, Business, Business Investment, Home Loans, Investment, Small Business

How high will interest rates go?

The RBA lifted the cash rate to 2.35% on 6 September 2022, marking a 7 year high. The increase comes a few weeks after

  • Business, Investment, Share Broking, Small Business, Taxation

Can I claim my crypto losses?

The ATO has released updated information on claiming cryptocurrency losses and gains in your tax return.   The first point to understand is that

  • Announcements, Budget, Business, Small Business

FBT-free Electric Cars

New legislation will make zero or low emission vehicles FBT-free. We explore who can access the concession and how   Electric vehicles (EV) represent

  • Announcements

CountPro Team Profile – Ashley Richardson

We recently caught up with our newly appointed Audit Manager, Ashley Richardson…   When did you join the team at CountPro? I joined CountPro

  • Accounting, Small Business, Taxation

Tax & the family home

Everyone knows you don’t pay tax on your family home when you sell it…right? We take a closer look at the main residence exemption

  • Business, Taxation

ATO ramps up heat on directors

Throughout March, the ATO sent letters to directors who are potentially in breach of their obligations to ensure that the company they represent has

  • Accounting, Business, Home Loans, Investment, Small Business, Superannuation, Taxation

What’s changing on 1 July 2022?

A series of reforms and changes will commence on 1 July 2022. Here’s what is coming up:   For business   Superannuation guarantee increase

  • Business, Small Business

Ballarat Business Day Out

CountPro are once again very proud to be sponsoring the Commerce Ballarat Business Day Out, which is to be held on Wednesday May 25

  • Accounting, Business, Small Business, Taxation

Fringe Benefits Tax 2022

The Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) year ended on 31 March and for those providing benefits to employees it is now time to prepare the

  • Announcements, Business

Our new office!

And we’re in! We are now operating from our new office at 180 Eleanor Drive, Lucas. We’re so lucky to have such a modern

  • Budget

Federal Budget 2022-23

The 2022-23 Budget is safe and ballot box friendly with a focus on jobs, cost of living, home ownership, and health.   Key initiatives

  • Accounting, Announcements

Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments rules change

The rules for the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment, the payment accessible to those who have lost work because they have had to self-isolate with

  • Accounting, Announcements, Business, Small Business, Taxation

PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests to be tax deductible, FBT free

The Treasurer has announced that PCR and rapid antigen tests (RAT) will be tax deductible for individuals and exempt from fringe benefits tax (FBT)

  • Announcements

CountPro Team Profile – Cherilyn Fuhlbohm

With Christmas fast approaching, we caught up with our Client Service Officer, Cherilyn Fuhlbohm.   When did you join the team at CountPro? I

  • Superannuation

What happens to your superannuation when you die?

Superannuation is not like other assets as it is held in trust by the trustee of the superannuation fund. When you die, it does

  • Announcements, Business, Small Business

The New Lifetime Director IDs

Directors will be required to register for a unique identification number that they will keep for life, much like a tax file number under

  • Superannuation

New stapled superannuation – employer obligations for new staff

Currently, when an employer hires a new staff member, they must provide the new employee with a Choice of Fund form (as well as

  • Announcements

CountPro Team Profile – Sally McEldrew

It’s a very busy time of year for us right now, but we did manage to sneak a few minutes with Accountant, Sally McEldrew,

  • Business, Finance, Small Business

Mental Health Support for Business Owners

Running a business can be an isolating experience. And, with COVID-19 lockdowns and disruptions to trade, the pressure can be intense. NewAccess for Small

  • Accounting, Superannuation, Taxation

Divorce, Superannuation and the Gender Divide

New legislation will help prevent superannuation assets from being hidden during divorce proceedings. From 1 April 2022, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will be

  • Business, Small Business

What now? Unwinding the Pandemic

Australia’s two largest states and the ACT are in lockdown as the Delta strain of COVID-19 takes its toll while others are standing firm

  • Announcements, Business, Small Business

Ballarat Council Community and Business Support Package

Ballarat based community groups and businesses can apply for a one-off support payment after Ballarat City Council endorsed a $1 million Community and Business

  • Announcements

CountPro Team Profile – William Ko

To wrap up the 2021 Financial Year, we caught up with William Ko, our Audit Manager, for a quick Q&A. When did you join

  • Accounting, Finance, Taxation

Am I taxed on an insurance payout?

Australia has had its fair share of disasters over the last few years – drought, bushfires and floods – that have ramped up the

  • Accounting, Taxation

Work from home expenses under scrutiny & the perils of browsing Facebook

If you worked from home during lockdown and spent money on work related items that were not reimbursed by your business, you might be

  • Accounting, Business, Small Business, Superannuation

What changes on 1 July 2021?

A summary of the key 1 July 2021 changes and their implications. Super guarantee rate increase to 10% On 1 July 2021, the Superannuation

  • Announcements, Business

Updated Victorian Circuit Breaker Business Support Package

Update 2 June 2021 Building on the $250.7 million Circuit Breaker Business Support Package announced Sunday 30 May, a new allocation of up to

  • Budget

2021-22 Victorian State Budget: Road to Recovery

Victorian Treasurer, Tim Pallas, delivered the Victorian State Budget on 20 May 2021, describing his budget as a “road to recovery” after multiple COVID-19

  • Announcements, Business, Small Business

Circuit Breaker Business Support Package

The Victorian Government has launched the $250 million Circuit Breaker Business Support Package to assist small to medium businesses and sole traders, under the

  • Business, Small Business

Commerce Ballarat Business Day Out

CountPro was proud to sponsor Commerce Ballarat’s 2021 Business Day Out, held at the RACV Forest Resort on 26 May 2021. The Business Day

  • Budget

2021-22 Federal Budget

The 2021-22 Federal Budget, released on Tuesday evening, has been described as the “Balancing Act Budget” by some commentators due to the numerous demands

  • Announcements

CountPro Radio Advertisement

As part of our recent rebranding, CountPro has a brand new radio advertisement. You may have already heard it on Ballarat's 3BA. If not,

  • Announcements

CountPro Interview

Our Directors, Jason Hargreaves and Phil Brown, were interviewed by Brett Macdonald on 3BA on April 21st, 2021. If you missed the interview, you

  • Announcements

Launching CountPro

PPT Professional and PPT Audit, led by Directors Phillip Brown and Jason Hargreaves, have rebranded to CountPro effective 1 April 2021. While the PPT

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