Artha Tax and Accounting Services

30/01/2026

One of the best things about online shopping is instant, hassle-free payment. Enter your details, click, and you’re done. If your customers can make an instant online payment, they’re likely to pay you more quickly – and they’ll appreciate the simplicity too.

The details

Online payment methods include credit and debit cards, ACH (Automated Clearing House) services like Paypal, and repeat payments through direct debit. Payments are managed by merchant service providers – specialist companies that process transactions on your behalf. Some focus on credit and debit cards, while others stick to ACH or direct debit.

Choose a provider that can integrate with your accounting software, and you can add a super-simple payment button to future invoices.

The costs

While your merchant service provider shouldn’t charge any set-up fees, they will charge transaction fees. These range from 2-4% of the invoice for debit or credit cards, and under $2 a transaction for direct debit. These fees are an added expense, so they need to be included in your profit calculation – smart accounting software will do this automatically.

Because credit and debit fees can add up, many businesses don’t offer online payment for invoices over a certain amount.

The benefits

Businesses using online payments get paid faster. Of course, not every client will pay instantly just because they have the option, but it should speed up your average payment time.

A bonus benefit? Customers appreciate the ability to pay online, so offering it as an option can be a big point in your favour.

Ready to reap the benefits of online payments? Get expert advice and set-up support from our accounting team.

Customers appreciate the ability to pay online, and businesses that offer online payments get paid faster. Ready? We can help set you up for online payments today.

21/01/2026

The ATO has released a compliance guideline that deals with income that your business earns. Specifically, this guidance relates to income that comes from personal exertion and services. As you self-assess your income as a personal services business (PSB), this may require further analysis going forward to ensure your arrangements are not subject to high-risk audits.

Personal services income rules

The PSI rules are in place to deny you an opportunity to divert income to an associate of yours that pays a lower average rate of income tax. If the PSI rules apply to you, there are also limitations on the types of tax deductions you can claim.

However, in your circumstances, you have been declaring yourself as a PSB. This allows you to operate as a standard business, generally earning income through your trust/company.

Tax avoidance schemes

The finalised guideline highlights situations where individuals in your industry use a PSB to gain a tax benefit by distributing income that an individual earns through personal services to another person or company that does not undertake those services.

Overall, the ATO argues that the sole reason for doing this is to obtain a tax benefit, such as the individual’s income getting the tax-free threshold twice. An example of this would be a non-working spouse getting a dividend where tax is paid at the lowest marginal rate of 16%.

Next steps

In order to make sure you are fully compliant with your tax obligations, we would like to have a deeper look at the type of work you complete, as well as go through the contracts you sign.

This will help us advise you on the best way you can distribute income made by your PSB in a manner which the commensurate with the services provided by the principals in your business.

Please give us a call to arrange a follow up meeting, where we can discuss this further.

Personal services businesses must remain aware of other tax obligations, such as steering clear of tax avoidance schemes. Find out what this means for you.

24/12/2025

On 6 November 2025, two bills amending the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 and Superannuation Guarantee Charge Act 1992 received parliamentary approval, introducing significant reforms to the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) framework.

Many businesses fall behind on SG payments, and these reforms strengthen ATO compliance and monitoring.

From 1 July 2026, the Payday Super legislation will require:

Employers to pay SG contributions to an employee’s nominated super fund within 7 business days of each pay run.

SG contributions and shortfalls to be calculated using Qualifying Earnings (QE), aligning with Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE) and including salary sacrifice amounts.

The maximum contributions base to move from a quarterly to an annual cap, with SG accruing each payday until the annual threshold is reached.

Employers will no longer lodge SG statements; instead, voluntary disclosure statements can be submitted before an SG charge assessment.

The ATO will automatically issue SG shortfall assessments using Single Touch Payroll and super fund reporting data.

First-year compliance approach

The ATO has released draft PCG 2025/D5, outlining its compliance approach from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, with businesses classified into low, medium or high risk zones.

Impact on your business

Tax deductions will be available for on-time and late eligible SG contributions, as well as the SG charge.

General Interest Charge (GIC) and late payment penalties will remain non-deductible.

Payments under an ATO payment plan will be deductible up to the core SG charge amount.

For Director Penalty Notices, the SG charge will be treated as payable earlier under the revised QE timing rules.

SBSCH closure

The Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) will permanently close on 1 July 2026, with new registrations already ceased from 1 October 2025. Employers will need to update payroll and super payment processes accordingly.

Contact us

With the commencement date approaching, now is the time to review cash flow practices and prepare for more frequent super payments. We can assist with business planning, payroll adjustments, and pricing considerations.

Please contact our office to discuss how these changes may affect your business.

Payday Super legislation is now enacted, from 1 July 2026, employers will be required to pay their employees super at the same time as their salary and wages.

17/12/2025

🏠 Running a Business from Home? Here’s What You Need to Know About Tax Deductions 💼

If you operate your business from home and have a clearly defined area used mainly for business, you may be able to claim home office occupancy costs such as:
✔️ Rent or mortgage interest
✔️ Council rates
✔️ Land tax
✔️ Home insurance

However, these claims are only allowed when the space is used almost exclusively for business and has the character of a place of business—not a shared or occasional work area.

⚠️ Important: Claiming occupancy costs may impact capital gains tax when you sell your home, so it’s essential to get the right advice before claiming.

Even if you don’t qualify for occupancy costs, you may still be able to claim running expenses like electricity, phone, internet, and office equipment.

👩‍💼👨‍💼 We help home-based business owners understand exactly what they can claim—safely and correctly.

📞 Unsure what applies to you?
📩 Want to maximise your deductions without ATO risk?

👉 Contact us today for personalised tax advice and let us handle the details with confidence.

15/12/2025

Question: “Can cost-saving measures in the business truly be a key driver of profits?”

Running a profitable business is one of your key goals as an owner. Without profits, there’s no capital to reinvest in the business, no funds to grow the company and no money for your own dividend payment at the end of the financial year.

So, is cost-saving the answer in these challenging economic times?

Answer: “Careful management of costs is a fundamental way to improve your profit margins and profitability as an enterprise”

Cost-saving measures will have a direct and measurable impact on your profits. This is usually achieved via two main mechanisms.

Firstly, reducing your variable costs (like raw materials or direct labour) increases your gross profit margin. This retains more revenue from each sale you make as a business.

Secondly, lowering fixed overheads (such as rent or software licenses) directly reduces the total expenses on your profit and loss statement, leading to a higher net profit. This immediate bottom-line improvement makes you a more financially healthy prospect to investors and lenders – which, in turn, can often make it easier to access funding and grow the business.

Want to know more about cost-saving measures?

Talk to the team about your profit goals and we’ll advise you on the key ways you can reduce your overheads and expenses to drive improved profits.

Cutting costs can be a key way to boost your profits. But how does managing your expenditure increase profitability? We outline the benefits of proactive cost-saving measures.

10/12/2025

The recent COP30 climate conference stressed the importance of focused climate action – especially from the world’s smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Energy usage and carbon emissions is a major responsibility and makes up a key part of your environmental, social and governance (ESG) planning, management and reporting.

Let’s look at climate action, Australia’s Net Zero goal and three simple steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint as a small business.

To do our part in combating this trend, the Australian Federal Government recently announced its Net Zero plan, with a five-point focus for achieving 62-70% emission reductions by 2035.

The Australian Government is focused on 5 priorities:

- Clean electricity across the economy.
- Lowering emissions by electrification and efficiency.
- Expanding clean fuel use.
- Accelerating new technologies.
- Net carbon removals scaled up.Steps for cutting your carbon footprint
You might not think that your business can make a tangible difference to climate change. But when 98% of Australian businesses are small businesses, there’s real power in the small business community taking action to combat global warming and climate change.

Here are some simple steps you can take:

Switch to renewable energy sources:

By making use of small-scale technology certificates through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme you can reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar panels. This helps you switch to a more renewable energy source while also potentially reducing your energy bills.

Switching to a renewable energy provider will also help you cut Scope 2 emissions.

Change to local suppliers and supply chains:

Prioritise local sourcing for raw materials, ingredients and services, where it’s feasible to do so. This shortens transportation distances, reducing any Scope 3 emissions generated by supply chain logistics and freight.

Review emissions, set goals and monitor usage:

Conduct a regular audit of all your energy and fuel consumption to establish a baseline carbon footprint. You can then set SMART goals for reduction and actively monitor your progress against these emissions and energy goals.

If you’re concerned about your business’s carbon footprint and want to do more to cut your emissions and reduce the company’s energy usage, come and talk to us.

We can work with you to set core reduction goals, track your progress and find the best routes to government grants and funding for energy reduction measures and investments.

The Federal Government’s goal of achieving 62-70% emission reductions by 2035 needs your support. Here are 3 key ways you can reduce your energy usage and carbon footprint.

04/12/2025

This time of year can be hard on small businesses. With a bit of pre-planning and being proactive, you can set yourself up for a financially stress-free holiday. Talk to us. We can help.

This time of year can be hard on small businesses. With a bit of pre-planning and being proactive, you can set yourself up for a financially stress-free holiday. Talk to us. We can help.

02/09/2025

Enquire on our website for a FREE Consultation for expert Accounting & Bookkeeping Services 😄
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Need help with tax, SMSF setup, or business planning? Contact Artha Tax today for expert accounting support tailored to individuals, businesses, and retirees across Australia.

12/06/2025

Property Investors: Unlock $100K Passive Income in 10 Years!

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Discover our proven property investment strategy to generate $100,000 in passive income in 10 years or less-safely and smartly.

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Feel free to visit us:
Shop 2 161 Great Western Highway, Mays Hill NSW 2145
or contact us on 0423 666 707

26/05/2025

Contact ☎️ +61 423 666 707 for more information
Important ATO update for 2025: Super guarantee rate increases to 12%! 📈💸 Stay ahead with Artha Tax & Accounting Services. Let us handle your super obligations with ease! 🤝
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24/05/2025

Get ready to maximize your savings! 💸 Our expert accountants in Australia can help you navigate tax season with ease. 📊 From BAS to tax returns, we've got you covered. 🤝 Book your appointment today and let's get your finances in shape! 📈