Accountants Daily Podcast Network

The National Tax Clinic program is a federal government funded initiative that helps financially vulnerable small businesses and individuals to navigate the tax system. On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, the founding director of UNSW's Tax Clinic, Dr Ann Kayis-Kumar, joins host Jotham Lian to discuss how the program works, which demographics are eligible for this service, and how the pandemic has impacted the community she works with. Ann explains how the clinic finds its clients, the types of services offered by the clinic, and the benefits of increasing pro-bono services for the tax profession at large.

With the first-ever Accountants Daily Australian Accounting Awards happening as a live broadcast hosted by Vince Sorrenti on Friday, 19 June at 7pm AEST, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode, Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian is joined by Paul Glossop, CEO of Standard Integrated Lending, Gold Partner of the awards, and two finalists who share how they are feeling about having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

The halfway mark of the government's COVID-19 stimulus measures is approaching and the conversation is beginning to shift towards how businesses can best position themselves to recover from the current crisis. In this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Jotham Lian is joined by the managing director of businessDEPOT, John Knight, to talk about how his firm's virtual Rebound event came about and the key themes that have been discussed in these webinars. John reveals the number one priority for businesses to be working on right now, discusses how the potential changes to the JobKeeper program will affect small businesses, and shares his advice to fellow colleagues in the industry as we head into tax time 2020.

With the first-ever Accountants Daily Australian Accounting Awards happening as a live broadcast hosted by Vince Sorrenti on Friday, 19 June at 7pm AEST, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode, Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian is joined by Terry Rodoni from at Cerebiz, Platinum Partner of the awards, and two finalists who share how they are feeling about having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

With the first-ever Accountants Daily Australian Accounting Awards happening as a live broadcast hosted by Vince Sorrenti on Friday, 19 June at 7pm AEST, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode, Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian is joined by Peter Vroom from Cerebiz, Platinum Partner of the awards, and two finalists who share how they are feeling about having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

With the first-ever Accountants Daily Australian Accounting Awards happening as a live broadcast hosted by Vince Sorrenti on Friday, 19 June at 7pm AEST, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode, Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian is joined by Malika Siyali, market development and agile lead at Thomson Reuters, Gold Partner of the awards, and two finalists who share how they are feeling about having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

In this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Jotham Lian is joined by Matthew Addison, executive chair of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, to break down the latest developments on the JobKeeper front. Matthew explains some of the complications that have arisen around meeting JobKeeper deadlines, a new concession regarding enrolments for the months ahead, and an amendment that ensures employers are not subject to additional superannuation guarantee obligations by participating in the scheme. Matthew also shares his insight into concerns around cash-flow boost payments, the implications of Single Touch Payroll on this year's tax lodgements, and his tips for practitioners on getting through the coming weeks.

With the first-ever Accountants Daily Australian Accounting live broadcast Awards 2020, hosted by Vince Sorrenti on Friday June 19 7pm AEST, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode, Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian is joined by Luis Sanchez, general manager of Receipt Bank, Gold Partner of the awards, and two finalists who share how they are feeling about having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

With the first-ever Accountants Daily Australian Accounting live broadcast Awards 2020, hosted by Vince Sorrenti on Friday June 19 7pm AEST, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian is joined by Andrew Conway, CEO of the Institute of Public Accountants, Gold Partner of the awards, and two finalists who share how they are feeling having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

With the first-ever Accountants Daily Australian Accounting live broadcast Awards 2020, hosted by Vince Sorrenti on Friday June 19 7pm AEST, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian is joined by Roman Kaczynski, director of Accountancy Insurance, Gold Partner of the awards, and two finalists who share how they are feeling having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

With pandemic-triggered JobKeeper enrolments and cash-flow boost lodgements beginning to ease, practitioners are starting to turn their attention towards tax time 2020. The general manager of partner experience at Xero, Amanda Newton, joins host Jotham Lian on this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to share her insights into the challenges she foresees for accountants in the lead-up to the EOFY and some practical tips for practitioners in balancing their workloads come tax time. Amanda also reflects on the extraordinary resilience of the profession over the last few months, the sorts of concerns raised by accountants throughout the coronavirus crisis, and the post-pandemic outlook for the accounting sector.

With the Accountants Daily Australian Accounting Awards 2020 set to occur as a live broadcast event Friday June 19, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian, is joined by platinum partner of the awards Brendan Wright, CEO of FAST, and two finalists who share how they are feeling having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

With the Accountants Daily Australian Accounting Awards 2020 set to occur as a live broadcast event Friday June 19, we are bringing you a series of podcasts showcasing the finalists across a multitude of categories. In this episode Accountants Daily editor Jotham Lian, is joined by platinum partner of the awards Brendan Wright, CEO of FAST, and two finalists who share how they are feeling having gained recognition as part of the upcoming awards.

In April, Momentum Intelligence conducted a major survey to understand how the coronavirus pandemic has been affecting the nation's professional services industries. The head of strategy at Momentum Intelligence, Michael Johnson, joins host Jotham Lian on this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to analyse the findings of the MyBusiness COVID-19 Sentiment Survey, revealing how accountants' revenue, workload volumes and mental health situations have been impacted. Tune in to find out how the accounting sector compares to other industries, the satisfaction rate among accountants towards the government's stimulus measures, and the overall industry sentiment when looking to a post-pandemic future.

On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, the senior tax counsel at The Tax Institute, Professor Robert Deutsch, dissects the ATO's recently released guidance material regarding the JobKeeper payment scheme. Bob and host Jotham Lian break down Law Companion Ruling 2020/1, Practical Compliance Guideline 2020/4, and Practice Statement Law Administration 2020/1. Bob explains how each statement provides more clarity around government support, reflects on the overarching concerns of members at the moment, and shares some advice to practitioners on navigating the current crisis.

With all face-to-face FASEA exam sessions replaced with online exams as a result of COVID-19 and the bill to extend the 1 January 2021 compliance deadline in limbo, many advisers are expressing concerns about passing the test in time. On this episode of The ifa Show, host Sarah Kendell is joined by Joel Ronchi, the principal consultant of myIntegrity in Practice, a training organisation that specialises in preparing advisers for the exam. Joel outlines some of the concerns he's been hearing from advisers around sitting the exam remotely, what is driving the trend of fewer advisers passing over time, and how advisers can adequately prepare themselves for taking the exam in the coming months.

On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, Tax & Super Australia's senior tax counsel, John Jeffreys, unpacks the most pressing industry concerns around the government's COVID-19 financial assistance packages. John specifies the final enrolment date for the JobKeeper payment scheme, amendments that need to be made to the enrolment form and issues in relation to satisfying the decline in turnover test. He also addresses confusion regarding cash-flow boosts for employers, outlines the industry response to the ATO's automatic blanket deferrals and shares his message to accountants on navigating this challenging time.

The economic impacts of COVID-19 mean that many accountants have become unemployed or inundated with new work, both of which can put an immense strain on one's mental health. Renowned wellness expert Graeme Cowan joins host Jotham Lian on this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to share his personal experience with mental illness, how he became involved in creating R U OK?, and his most trusted resources for COVID-19 information. Graeme provides some practical tips for accountants in navigating their own difficult circumstances as well as the emotional distress of their clients, and outlines his technique for effectively working from home.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing more businesses to implement flexible work arrangements, host Jo Cronolly is joined by the CEO and founder of Practice Protect, Jamie Beresford, to discuss the main considerations for accounting, bookkeeping and financial services practices during this difficult time. Jamie will share his top tips for ensuring that your team members are working safely and securely with company and client information, explain why the current environment is attracting an increased number of security risks for businesses and individuals, and talk about the policies that he believes all workplaces should have in place when staff are operating remotely. Jamie will discuss Practice Protect's security consultation services as well as the importance of structure in a work-from-home environment, and will share his thoughts on how this global pandemic may change the workplace of the future.

With the urgency of providing financial relief to Australian businesses and individuals during the COVID-19 crisis, new government policies and support packages don't have the luxury of time and, consequently, have not been fed through their usual consultation process. On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Jotham Lian is joined by the Institute of Public Accountants' general manager of technical policy, Tony Greco, to delve into some of the technical issues that have arisen over the latest government regulations. Tune in to hear about businesses' attempts to manufacture entitlement to cash-flow boost payments, the industry response to the JobKeeper subsidy plan, and what the IPA is doing to support its members through this challenging time.

The government this week announced a second economic stimulus package worth $66.1 billion to help support Australians through the financial crisis brought on by COVID-19. Tax leader for Australia at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Michael Croker returns to Accountants Daily Insider with host Jotham Lian to break down the new regulations targeted towards SMEs. Michael provides his insights into the technicalities around calculating tax-free cash payments, the insolvency relief measures for company directors, and the somewhat controversial temporary early release of superannuation.

Amid the ever-changing landscape of a global pandemic, it's a critical time for accountants to reach out to clients who need support and keep them informed. On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Jotham Lian is joined by Michael Croker, tax leader for Australia at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, to delve into the government's economic stimulus package and the ATO's response to the coronavirus crisis. Michael explains how the package will deliver support for business investments and provide businesses with cash-flow assistance, and outlines the additional state measures that are set to take some pressure off tax requirements.

With recommendations from the Hayne royal commission and inquiry into superannuation yet to be addressed, CPA Australia's general manager of external affairs, Paul Drum, claims that members have grown quite sceptical of reviews. Paul returns to Accountants Daily Insider with host Jotham Lian to outline some of the issues raised by members around the current reviews into retirement income and aged care, CPA's perspective on raising superannuation guarantee contributions to 12 per cent, and how practitioners should go about dealing with all of this change. Paul also provides his take on industry anxiety around myGovID, details CPA's pre-budget submission to help those affected by bushfires and drought, and explains the implications of these businesses not having access to financial guidance on the economy at large.

In Rebecca Mihalic's experience, women in the accounting profession can often face gender bias, whether it be in the form of unintentionally discriminatory language or an underrepresentation of females in leadership roles. In the lead-up to International Women's Day this Sunday, 8 March, the businessDEPOT director, founding partner of Aptus Accounting & Advisory, and head of accounting at Practice Ignition, joins host Jotham Lian to reflect on the gender-specific challenges she's faced throughout her 20-year accounting career. Rebecca explains how the repetitive nature of certain behaviour made her feel inadequate as a young accountant, shares what helped rebuild her confidence, and provides advice for other young professionals in the accounting space.

On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, TaxBanter's senior tax trainer, Robyn Jacobson, explains the implications of the passing of the Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty Bill, which now awaits royal assent. Robyn joins host Jotham Lian to provide her insight into journal entry practices in the industry, how the government can provide the profession with certainty around proposed changes to Division 7A, and what actions practitioners need to take in the lead-up to 1 July. She also shares what advisers need to know about a new law regarding CGT main residence exemption, impending changes to Single Touch Payroll, and legislative adjustments regarding agents' access to deceased clients' information.

While the goal of tightening regulation in the tax practitioner space is to ultimately increase the quality of the profession, the burden can sometimes be difficult and even unnecessary for certain practitioners to commit to. On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Jotham Lian is joined by the general manager of external affairs at CPA Australia, Paul Drum, to share his opinion on the TPB's proposal of significantly increasing CPE requirements for all tax practitioners. Paul also details CPA's pre-budget submission relating to reducing the regulatory burden faced by accountants, outlines other short-term recommendations intended to stimulate the economy, and explains how the voucher proposal for small businesses to engage a professional adviser came about.

Host Jotham Lian is joined by Michael Carruthers on this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to discuss incoming legislative changes in the tax realm. The tax director at Knowledge Shop delves into the implications of the Combating Illegal Phoenixing Bill, other debt obligations that director clients can be liable for, and what practitioners need to know about the Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty Bill. Michael also shares the headline recommendations of the Board of Taxation's recent review of small business tax concessions, current trends in the training space, and what the recent acquisition of TaxBanter means for Knowledge Shop.

In this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, Professor Robert Deutsch, senior tax counsel at The Tax Institute, delves into key tax issues that accountants should be paying close attention to over the next year. Robert joins host Jotham Lian to share his insights into the international activities that are likely to trigger repercussions in the Australian tax sector, the problems currently occurring in the fringe benefits tax space, and the implications of legislation regarding the denial of CGT main residence exemption for foreign residents. Robert also forecasts his predictions for this year's federal budget, recommends how to improve the relationship between practitioners and the Australian Taxation Office, and provides details about The Tax Institute's national convention, The Tax Summit 2020.

All too often, property investors are so focused on returns that they neglect to consider the tax implications of their investments. On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Phil Tarrant is joined by the acting assistant commissioner of individuals and intermediaries at the Australian Taxation Office, Adam O'Grady. Adam dissects statistics around the property investment space in Australia, outlines key policy changes which investors should be aware of, and breaks down the process for making changes to tax law.

According to director at LMS Advisory Alexander Laureti, policy changes are a great opportunity for accountants to review and improve relationships and processes with their clients. In this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, Alexander joins host Sarah Kendell to discuss the implications of upcoming changes in the accounting space, including the transition from AUSkey to myGovID, the implementation of Single Touch Payroll and the imminent rollout of e-invoicing. Alexander shares his insight around timing such transformation projects, the feedback he's received from clients in response to the changes, and the challenges and opportunities he foresees for the industry in the year ahead.

On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, George Morice outlines the key issues that accounting firms and their small business clients will be facing in 2020. The accounting director of Prime Partners joins host Sarah Kendell to shed some light on how accountants can support their struggling business-owner clients, the importance of technology in increasing productivity, and why his firm is providing complementary strategic resources for SMEs seeking growth. George also explains how firms can future-proof their businesses, why adding value and bettering client relationships is the most critical aspect of a successful practice, and how accountants can play a role in helping their rural clients rebuild in the aftermath of Australia's bushfire crisis.

With the devastating bushfire crisis currently gripping Australia, 2020 is predicted to be a turbulent year across all industries and the accounting profession will not be exempt from these challenges. Director of Smithink David Smith joins host Sarah Kendell on this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to share his insights into the types of issues that accounting firms might face in attempting to rebuild from the impact of the fires. David also emphasises the importance of a strong digital marketing strategy for accounting firms, suggests how business owners can combat the challenge of recruiting and retaining employees in the industry, and provides recommendations on the most beneficial new initiatives that accountants should consider in 2020.

On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Sarah Kendell sits down with the executive manager of SMSF technical and private wealth at SuperConcepts, Graeme Colley, to discuss recent regulatory developments in the SMSF space and the subsequent impact on industry professionals. Mr Colley shares his views on whether claims made by ASIC in their fact sheet on SMSFs are exaggerated or misleading, runs through the standard costs for servicing different types of funds, and explains the difficulties in comparing performance figures when considering SMSFs versus APRA funds. He also outlines SuperConcepts' involvement in the consultation process with the ATO and the new non-arm's length income (NALI) laws, suggests how the regulations can be amended to provide a more practical solution for accountants, and responds to the contentious topic of the ATO's campaign around investment strategy.

Accountants working with clients investing within their SMSF will be familiar with the recent ATO campaign sent to around 17,000 trustees warning that they may not have adequately considered diversification in their investment strategy. In this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Sarah Kendell is joined by the director of Tactical Super, Deanne Firth, who will discuss how the campaign has impacted the SMSF audit space and considerations for accountants to be aware of. She will share how the campaign has led to her surveying her clients, explain how some clients are in fact more diversified that they seem on paper, and unpack the role of financial advisers in overseeing the diversification of their clients' investment funds.

2019 has been a period of technological transformation in the accounting industry, and according to general manager at MYOB, Blake Collins, it's only going to expediate in the coming year. Blake joins host Sarah Kendell on this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to provide insight into how accountants can optimally embed technology into their businesses; what firms can do to prepare for the transition to myGovID; and how new tech platforms will enable a simplified, more efficient way of working for accountants.

Traditionally, clinical psychology focuses primarily on the faults, failings and weaknesses of patients in order to effectively treat psychological disorders. Positive psychology represents a shift away from this deficit approach to one that concentrates on emphasising strengths and happiness as a means to mental wellbeing. On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, chief happiness officer at The Happiness Institute, Dr Tim Sharp, joins host Jerome Doraisamy to outline the key benefits offered by positive psychology, explain the generalised principles that professionals can implement in their daily lives, and reveal how he personally adopts this model of psychology in his own life. Dr Happy breaks down the difference between popular psychology and positive psychology as represented on social media, debunks the common misconception that so-called negative emotions should be avoided, and suggests the importance of using flexible methods of thinking in different circumstances.

In part two of this special episode of Accountants Daily Insider, brought to you by the Governance Institute of Australia, the general manager of policy and advocacy at the Governance Institute of Australia, Catherine Maxwell; the principal of PKF Australia, Kym Reilly; and the director of people and advisory services at EY, Mathew Ronald, once again join host Sarah Kendell to further delve into the findings of the Australian Ethics Index survey. They will discuss how the accounting sector fares comparative to other professional associations in Australia, the role that culture plays within an organisation, and the importance of dealing with "bad apples". The panellists also discuss artificial intelligence within accounting, how AI will integrate with human roles, and the impact that it will have on ethics within the sector.

According to recent data, banking and finance professionals are publicly perceived to be the least ethical professional service in the country. In this special episode of Accountants Daily Insider brought to you by the Governance Institute of Australia, host Sarah Kendell is joined by the general manager of policy and advocacy at the Governance Institute of Australia, Catherine Maxwell, PKF's principal, Kym Reilly, and Mathew Ronald, director of people and advisory services at EY. The panel break down the key findings of the Governance Institute's Ethics Index for 2019 pertaining to banking and finance professionals, suggest reasons for public distrust in the financial services sector, and provide advice for accountants to improve their ethical perceptions.

With the ATO now visiting about 10,000 Australian companies every year, should business owners have anything to fear? ATO assistant commissioner Peter Holt speaks straight from the source. Mr Holt joins host Adam Zuchetti in this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to share insights from the business visits program, dispel misconceptions around what employers can expect, and discuss the current trends in business compliance. Tune in as Mr Holt reveals why the ATO is making such a big deal about the black economy, what inspectors have discovered by visiting Aussie businesses, and what the Tax Office really thinks about discounts for cash payments.

According to Hot Toast founder and director Sarah Lawrance, CFO services are an essential offering of any forward-thinking firm. In this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, she joins host Sarah Kendell to discuss why accounting practices should incorporate CFO services, suggest ways of implementing them into an established firm, and detail how her company prices these capabilities.

Recent figures show that over 800,000 small businesses are currently on payment plans with the ATO to help them to pay off their tax debt in instalments. On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Sarah Kendell is joined by My Business editor Adam Zuchetti to delve into the reasons why this statistic is so high, whether pervasive fears of the ATO from small businesses are justified, and how accountants and regulators can help support SME cash flow to create better outcomes.

On this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Sarah Kendell and Gary Weisz, director of strategic accounts and alliances for accountants at Sage, discuss how the implementation of customisable software can assist firms in bettering relationships with new and existing clients and improve efficiency, communication and collaboration. Mr Weisz also recommends ways that accounting firms can overcome resistance to technology, stemming both from clients and from within their businesses.

With the introduction of digital requirements such as Single Touch Payroll, accounting practices are being encouraged to embrace the paperless movement. However, not all firms are enthusiastic about the inevitable switch to digital. In this episode of Accountants Daily Insider, the strategic partnerships manager of Receipt Bank, Christopher McColm, shares his insights with host Sarah Kendell about how accounting firms can change their attitudes towards going paperless, talks about the importance of empathy for historical businesses that have already been through abundant change, and addresses the widespread misconception that accountants might lose revenue due to technology replacing so many aspects of their role.

CPA head of public practice Keddie Waller joins us on this week's episode of Accountants Daily Insider, speaking with host Sarah Kendell on the rising costs and regulatory burden for accountants providing holistic advice. Ms Kendell talks about the complex regulatory regime that currently exists, why the accountants' exemption is not the answer, and some recommendations to ease the burden on accountants.

BDO partner Ben Renshaw joins host Sarah Kendell on this episode of Accountants Daily Insider to discuss the resurrection of the SG amnesty bill. Mr Renshaw details key dates to take note of, explains why even businesses with the best intentions might make mistakes, and explores how the introduction of single touch payroll will give the ATO greater visibility over non-compliance than ever before.

On this week's episode of Accountants Daily Insider, Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman Karen Payne joins host Sarah Kendell to talk all things about her agency and unpack the IGT's corporate plan for the next four years. Ms Payne explains how her office can assist tax practitioners and clients with various issues, shares what compliant trends she is noticing at the moment, and explores some possible reviews in the pipeline.

On this week's episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Katarina Taurian is joined by the deputy editor of SMSF Adviser Sarah Kendall to discuss the current issues and challenges the SMSF space is faced with. Sarah and Katarina discuss the ATO's decision to look into diversification for SMSF's, the discussion around physical signatures versus electronic for documentation and the importance of broader estate planning.

On this special episode of Accountants Daily insider, R U OK? non-executive director Graeme Cowan explains what it means to identify, trust and act on the signs and symptoms of ill-health in the workplace - not just today, but every day.

This week's episode of Accountants Daily Insider sees host Katarina Taurian joined by Scottish Pacific chief executive Peter Langham, and Cohen & Krass director Tony Cohen to discuss why the new Business Funding Guide is useful for the accounting profession. Mr Langham explains why the Business Funding Guide was developed in conjunction with the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) and why it is such an important tool amid the credit crunch. Mr Cohen also talks on why the guide is so useful for his graduates and why the accounting education landscape has to change to accommodate the changing needs of small business clients.

On this week's episode of Accountants Daily Insider, host Katarina Taurian is joined by the honourable Bruce Billson, former minster for small business, to talk all things financing in the SME space. Bruce discusses the critical issues facing SMEs when trying to obtain funding, what life is really like for SMEs on a daily basis, and what needs to happen at a government level for changes to kick in. He also shares why some Australians are turning back to traditional forms of lending.