Diagnostic Accounting, Level 45, 680 George Street, Sydney (2026)

16/06/2026

𝟵𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲.

The Federal Budget has introduced a proposed 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts - completely altering the future of family wealth planning alongside the ATO's aggressive stance on Section 100A.

If you operate your business or investments through a trust, the rules of the game are shifting. Here is the breakdown:

📌 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝟯𝟬% 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿 (𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴)

The Government has announced a 30% minimum tax rate on the taxable income of discretionary trusts.

❌ The Death of Low-Rate Income Splitting:
Distributing to adult children, university students, or low-income family members to use their lower marginal tax brackets will no longer bypass the 30% tax floor.

❌ Non-Refundable Credits:
While individual beneficiaries get a credit for the tax the trustee pays, it is non-refundable. If their personal tax rate is lower than 30%, the excess is completely lost.

❌ The Bucket Company Trap:
Corporate beneficiaries are slated to be excluded from receiving these tax credits. Distributing to a bucket company could trigger severe double-taxation, potentially dragging effective rates over 60%.

📌 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 - 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗔 & 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟳𝗔

You don't have to wait until 2028 for the tax landscape to get complicated. The ATO is already actively auditing current and past distributions:

⚠️ It targets "reimbursement agreements" where income is distributed on paper to a low-tax beneficiary, but the actual money is funneled to someone else.

⚠️ If hit, the ATO cancels the distribution and taxes the trustee at the top marginal rate (47%).

⚠️ Unpaid Present Entitlements (UPEs) to companies continue to be strictly monitored under Division 7A loan rules.

💼 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀:

Family trusts aren't broken - but the standard "copy-paste" distribution strategies used for the last decade are officially dead.

With transitional "restructure rollover relief" proposed to open on 1 July 2027, many business owners will need to evaluate whether they should pivot to alternative structures (like companies or fixed trusts) or completely overhaul their distribution minutes before the deadlines.

Before you sign your next EOFY trustee resolutions, your trust framework needs an expert review. Let's look at your structure before the window closes.

📞 𝟬𝟰𝟴𝟭 𝟱𝟱𝟳 𝟰𝟵𝟬
🌐 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.𝗰𝗼𝗺.𝗮𝘂

15/06/2026

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱.

Most business owners think their biggest financial risk is a slow month or a bad client.

It's not. The risks that actually hurt businesses in 2026 are structural - and most owners don't know they're exposed until it's too late to act

Here's what keeps coming up across the businesses we work with:

🔴 No separation between personal and business assets - one lawsuit or ATO debt and everything is on the table

🔴 Super obligations being tracked manually - with Payday Super starting 1 July, this is now a compliance minefield

🔴 Trust distributions set up years ago - never reviewed against current ATO rules, quietly creating risk

🔴 No documented loan agreements between related entities - the ATO is actively looking at this

Most of these don't show up on a profit and loss. They show up when it's too late.

That's why we built a free diagnostic tool
👉 https://www.diagnosticaccounting.com.au/resources/audit

90 seconds. 12 questions. You get a personalised risk score and a breakdown of where your business sits compared to others in your industry.

No fluff. No sales call required to see your results.

👉 Click the link to begin
https://www.diagnosticaccounting.com.au/resources/audit

13/06/2026

🚨 Payday Super starts 1 July 2026. If you run a business with employees, this is what changes.

Most employers still don't fully understand what's actually changing - or what happens if they're not set up correctly.

Here's what Payday Super means in practice:

📅 WHAT CHANGES FROM 1 JULY 2026:

Super must be paid on payday - not quarterly
Currently, employers can pay super quarterly. From 1 July, SGC contributions must be paid at the same time as wages - or within 3 days of payday for clearing house processing. The quarterly lodgement window disappears entirely.

The rate stays at 12%
The SG rate is 12% for 2025-26 and will remain at 12% from 1 July 2026. This doesn't change. What changes is the frequency.

The ATO will know immediately if you miss it
Payday Super is powered by STP Phase 2 data. The ATO will receive payroll data on payday. That means late super payments will be visible to the ATO in near real-time. There's nowhere to catch up quietly anymore.

Late payments are now automatically an SGC liability
Under the current system, employers have some buffer. Under Payday Super, if super isn't paid on time, an SGC liability is triggered automatically. SGC is calculated differently from ordinary super. It's based on ordinary time earnings, not just OTE, and it's not tax deductible.

Cash flow planning has to change
If you've been using the quarterly super window to manage cash flow, that option disappears. Super becomes part of your weekly payroll cost, like PAYG withholding. Businesses that don't adapt their cash flow planning now will feel the squeeze immediately.

🔧 WHAT YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE 1 JULY:

Confirm your payroll software is updated for Payday Super compliance

Review your pay cycles and cash flow projections

Check whether you're using a clearing house and confirm their processing timelines meet the new 3 day requirement

Speak to your accountant about how this changes your working capital position

This isn't a small admin change. Businesses that treat it like one are going to have a problem by August.

📞 0481 557 490
🌐 diagnosticaccounting.com.au

12/06/2026

⏳ June 30 is coming soon. These are the moves that still work.

This is the window most business owners waste.

Not because they don't care - but because they wait until the last week when half the options are already off the table.

Here are the legitimate EOFY moves that need to be in place before June 30:

💰 Super contributions
Top up your super before June 30 and maximise your tax deductions If you haven't maxed it out and you're eligible, contributions need to CLEAR the fund by June 30 - not just be sent. Leave it too late and the window closes for the full year.

🏗️ Asset write-offs
The instant asset write-off threshold for 2025-26 means eligible assets need to be installed and ready for use before June 30 - not just purchased or ordered. The date of invoice alone doesn't qualify you.

📋 Prepayments
Certain business expenses prepaid before June 30 for the next 12 months can be deductible this financial year. Timing matters.

🏛️ Trust distributions
If your business operates through a trust, trustee resolutions for the 2025-26 income year must be documented before June 30. Missing this deadline has significant tax consequences.

📉 Division 296 super tax
If your total superannuation balance exceeds $3 million, the new 30% tax rate on earnings above that threshold applied from 1 July 2025. This changes contribution strategy for some business owners.

⚠️ The catch:
Most of these require setup, documentation, or fund processing time. Doing it on June 29 is not a plan.

If you haven't reviewed your position for this financial year, now is the time.

📞 0481 557 490
🌐 diagnosticaccounting.com.au

27/05/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗣𝗔𝗥 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟴.

If your business paid subcontractors this financial year and you operate in construction, building, cleaning, courier, IT, or security - you're required to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report with the ATO.

The TPAR requires you to report the name, ABN, address, and total gross payments made to each contractor during the year. The ATO uses this information to cross-match what contractors declare in their own tax returns - and it's been running this data matching program for years.

A few things worth knowing:

📌 If you failed to lodge in previous years, you can still lodge late - but penalties apply, and the ATO has been increasing its compliance activity in this area

📌 If a contractor you paid doesn't have an ABN, withholding rules apply and need to be documented correctly

📌 "Subcontractors" includes any individual or business you paid for services - not just formal arrangements

📌 The ATO cross-references TPAR data against income tax returns, BAS, and other third-party reporting. Discrepancies get noticed

📌 Many businesses in cleaning and construction have TPAR obligations they don't know about, or have been lodging incorrectly because their records weren't set up to capture the right information throughout the year.

📌 If you're not sure whether you need to lodge, or you want to make sure your records are in order before August 28, give us a call.

0481 557 490 | diagnosticaccounting.com.au

19/05/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 - 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟯𝟬.
The standard concessional contributions cap for 2025-26 is $30,000. That includes everything - employer super guarantee, salary sacrifice, and personal deductible contributions combined.

But if your total super balance was under $500,000 at June 30, 2025, you may be able to contribute significantly more than that by using unused cap amounts from the previous five financial years.

Here's what makes this year different: any unused cap space from the 2020-21 financial year expires permanently on June 30, 2026. Once that date passes, those amounts cannot be carried forward or used in any future year. If you haven't been maximising contributions since 2020, a portion of that available space disappears in less than eight weeks.

Depending on your contribution history, the total you can put in this year - and claim as a tax deduction - could be well above the standard $30,000. Contributions within the cap are taxed at 15% inside super, which for most business owners is considerably lower than their marginal income tax rate.

This applies to employees and business owners alike - not just people running their own super fund.

To check your available carry-forward amount, log into myGov and look under Super, then Information, then Carry-Forward Concessional Contributions.

Then call us to run the numbers before June 30.

0481 557 490 | diagnosticaccounting.com.au

18/05/2026

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟯𝟬 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 - 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹.

For the 2025-26 financial year, the instant asset write-off threshold is $20,000 per asset for businesses with turnover under $10 million. That means if the asset costs less than $20,000 and you use it in your business, you may be able to deduct the full cost this financial year instead of depreciating it over several years.

A few things most tradies don't realise:

✔ The $20,000 limit applies per asset - you can write off multiple purchases in the same year as long as each is under the threshold

✔ The asset must be physically in use by June 30, not just ordered or paid for. If it arrives in July, you miss this year's deduction

✔ Both new and second-hand assets qualify

✔ Assets purchased under a chattel mortgage generally qualify - you don't need to pay cash

✔ From July 1, 2026 the legislated threshold drops to $1,000. This year is likely the last at $20,000

The business portion of the cost is what's deductible, so if you use an asset partly for private purposes, that split matters.

If you're planning a purchase before June 30, it's worth a quick conversation to confirm it qualifies and how to structure it.

Call 0481 557 490 or visit diagnosticaccounting.com.au

08/05/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗹𝘆.

Its systems cross-reference your tax return against a wide range of external data - bank records, property registers, share registries, business income reported by platforms, and information reported by other businesses who paid you. Social media is part of that picture too.

The patterns that commonly flag a review:

📌 Lifestyle spending that doesn't match reported income - cars, renovations, travel, and assets are tracked through state registration and financial institution data

📌 Revenue from gig platforms, marketplaces, or short-term rental that appears in third-party data but not in your return

📌 Business expenses that are high relative to your industry benchmark

📌 Large or frequent cash transactions with limited documentation

📌 Subcontractor payment discrepancies between what you reported on your TPAR and what they declared

Most people assume a problem has to be deliberate to attract attention. It doesn't. Inconsistencies - even unintentional ones - can trigger a review. And once a review starts, the burden of proof sits with you.

If you're not sure what your return looks like from the ATO's perspective, that's worth understanding before they come asking.

Call or email us.
0481 557 490 | diagnosticaccounting.com.au

20/04/2026

Most business owners assume that running a Pty Ltd means their personal assets - their home, savings, investments - are safe if something goes wrong.

1️⃣ 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

When you sign a lease, a bank loan, or a supplier agreement with a personal guarantee, you've stepped outside your company's protection. If the business can't pay, you're personally on the hook - regardless of your structure. Most business owners have signed several without registering the risk.

2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 - 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗣𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝘁𝗱.

Director Penalty Notices allow the ATO to pursue company directors personally for unpaid super, PAYG withholding, and GST. Your company being a separate legal entity doesn't matter. If those obligations aren't met, you are personally liable.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆.

Asset protection only works if it's set up before problems arise. Transfer your home into a trust or your partner's name after a creditor dispute has started, and a court can reverse the transaction. Protection has to be in place well before trouble appears - not as a response to it.

4️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.

If you have a family trust with an individual as trustee rather than a company, that individual's name is on every legal document. If the trust is sued, their personal assets can be exposed. A corporate trustee - a company set up solely to act as trustee - keeps that separation clean. The protection is worth far more than the setup cost.

5️⃣ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮.

Superannuation is generally protected from creditors. If your business ever faces serious financial difficulty, money inside your super fund is largely untouchable. Yet most business owners prioritise paying everyone else's super while their own falls years behind.

Asset protection isn't about being pessimistic. It's about making sure the years you've put into your business can't be undone by one bad outcome.

The right time to look at this is before you need it.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
Sydney’s superior asset protection strategists.

📞 0481 557 490
✉️ [email protected]
🌐 diagnosticaccounting.com.au

10/04/2026

Most business owners who get knocked back by a bank think their revenue wasn't strong enough.

Usually, it's their paperwork.

The most common reasons banks decline:

❌ Books that aren't reconciled or up to date
❌ Personal and business expenses through the same account
❌ BAS lodgements running behind
❌ An unresolved ATO debt
❌ No clear purpose stated for the loan

What the bank is actually checking:

✅ Two years of tax returns, lodged and current
✅ A P&L with consistent revenue and no unexplained gaps
✅ Clean ATO account - no outstanding BAS or PAYG
✅ Bank statements that match your financials exactly
✅ Your personal credit history - yes, even for a business loan

Here's what most people don't know: every formal application goes on your credit file. Get declined by three banks and the fourth one can see it.

The businesses that get approved aren't always the most profitable. They're the most prepared.

The right time to talk to an accountant isn't the week before you apply. It's 3 to 6 months out — when there's still time to fix things.

Call or email us before you approach a bank.

Diagnostic Accounting

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