Critical Line Item with Tom Ravlic

The shoe is on the other foot in this podcast as Lisa Greig, tax trainer and tax agent, interviews Tom Ravlic about the underlying themes and issues that come up in his new book aimed at consumers called Rorts and Rip-Offs. The book offers tips to consumers about the questions that must be asked to get things right. The book, released on November 10, is available in electronic and hard copy format from www.wilkinsonpuboilshing.com.au . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are some simple things people can do to prevent themselves from getting a dud adviser. Tom Ravlic gives you some tips from his new book, Rorts and Rip-Offs, that should should assist in sorting out the wheat from the chaff in the financial services advice space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The banking sector has been hit like everyone else by the coronavirus. Listen to EY partner Tim Dring as he takes Tom Ravlic through the key trends and issues facing our financial services sector now and in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a project that is somewhat controversial in auditing circles about the best way to deal with complicated guidance. An international body called the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board is in the midst of considering whether a 'mini me' auditing standard for people dealing with what are commonly called less complex entities is a good idea. Professor Roger Simnett, the chairman of the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, explores the issues with Tom Ravlic . What might this mean for Australia? Listen in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The accounts of companies written about by journalists must comply with standards for reporting. These are set by the Australian Accounting Standards Board. New chairman, Dr Keith kendall, talks about his background and the hot topics that currently keeping him busy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reckon Limited's chief executive officer, Sam Allert, talks during this podcast about the implications of the coronairus and what the latest Federal Budget means for small business. He touches on what Reckon had to do to help its clients during the pandemic and what he sees as issues in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Al Jazeera funded a three year investigation into the National Rifle Association that provided a rare insight into the way in which the NRA and similar groups frame policy arguments and responses to critical issues such as gun control. Journalist Peter Charley, who chronicles the investigation in his book, How to sell a massacre, is an Australian news veteran with a career spanning print, radio and television. He found the revelations that emerged from the covert operation disconcerting. The documentary made headlines as it also featured two high profile figures involved with Pauline Hanson's One Nation. What are the lessons policy makers, average taxpayers and, indeed, journalists to take from the three year sojourn into the NRA's operations? Have a listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Web sites and social media pages of media companies are almost full of comments and not all of them nice. Who is at fault when not nice comments go to far? Steven Brown from Lynn & Brown Lawyers in Perth talks through a contentious case and what media companies themselves need to be careful of if they let comments run wild and free on web sites and social media accounts they look after. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Ravlic shares some observation on right wing extremism and notes that as a society we had better get our education system right - no pun intended - in order to deal properly with some of the perspectives that challenge us now and will continue to challenge us in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are a range of things being spoken about regarding the Budget and one of those has been the Fringe Benefits Tax. Lisa and Tom unravel some of this stuff as they look more closely aspects of FBT and other issues kicking around. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Ravlic wears hearing aids and there was a time when he had to tell off a father of two kids because the father thought they were intruding on Tom's privacy by asking about the hearing aid, how it works and what it was designed to do. That incident forms the foundation for this Sunday's reflection on transparency and educating people to avoid growing up with unjustified prejudice and suspicion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The is a parliamentary committee looking at audit regulation and they have not had a hearing for a rather long time. Tom Ravlic offers some observations on audit and accounting regulation for the committee even though they haven't bothered asking for them. Let's see whether anybody on that committee bothers to take any notice .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deadlines for taxation issues occur across the years and this podcast touches on critical points for individuals and companies to keep in mind. Get up to speed! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People will be evaluating what to do with home loans and business loans and this podcast explores a range of issues related to the taxation of interest and when it is likely to be tax deductible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People are suggesting the fringe benefits tax should be suspended for a period of time to stimulate the economy. Lisa Greig and tom Ravlic explore this and other issues in tax and compliance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia's security agencies are warning that far right extremism is on the rise and that the threat is real. Groups such as the Atomwaffen Division are spreading across the globe using technology as a networking tool and Mollie Saltskog, a senior intelligence analyst with the Soufan Center, tells Tom Ravlic that the groups pose a threat that must be taken seriously. Mollie also highlights the fact that people need to be aware of the threats posed by right wing extremists and to have strategies in place to deal with it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ron Lesh has been at the cutting edge of software product development for several decades and in this podcast he talks through the development of software products, his perspective on regulators overstepping the mark when providing advice on what certain financial products may cost to invest in as well as a frank assessment of professional associations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COVID pandemic lock down has resulted in some people taking on new study. It is important that people understand the tax consequences of training. Not everything you assert is self education will be claimable and Lisa Greig advises caution in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self managed superannuation funds are incredibly important investment vehicles and trustees are required to have their funds audited. A new version of a guidance statement was recently released by the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. This podcast brings together Marina Michaelides from the AUASB and Kellie Grant from the Australian Taxation Office to demystify what exactly goes on in the regulation of auditors that are paid to the important job of auditing the financial statements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime novelist Emma Viskic is in the middle of writing the fourth novel in her Caleb Zelic series. The deaf character has interesting origins, which Emma explains in this discussion with Tom Ravlic. She also talks about the impact of COVID on writing and how this fourth novel of the series is intended to be the last. It is clear from the discussion that Caleb Zelic deserves a holiday! The chat also explores origins and ethnicity and how a character can be created unwittingly from life experiences the author might not even have been consciously putting into words. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tax expert Lisa Greig strip back the mystique and tells you why it is a good time to lodge your tax return in now. Tom and Lisa also discuss circumstances in which amendments to tax returns might occur. Lisa and Tom also discuss how people can improve record keeping to keep themselves organised for the next tax period. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australians are focused on the global coronavirus pandemic right now but a longer term threat to the planet seems to have taken a back seat. Journalist and author Paddy Manning has written a book called Body Count , that explores the very real and human stories that illustrate the fact that politicians, policy makers, lobby groups and other people should never eliminate the possibility that climate change plays a role in natural disasters. He advocates for a nuanced discussion about climate related issues that both shape peoples' lives and the future of the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Greig has seen many things over the years in dealing with tax and she has seen some shockers. This podcast is about Tom and Lisa exploring things you most definitely should not try at home when it comes to tax matters. Get advice ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victorians must wear masks and people in other states are being encouraged to wear them to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. David Clarke, the chief executive officer of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety, points to concerns his organisation has with the risks posed to medical staff and practitioners that have inadequate protections in the workplace. He explains why higher level protection is necessary in medical environments and also offers some ways of thinking about ensuring workplaces are properly looked after to lower the chance of infection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have heard much about conspiracy theories and the folks that peddle them during the COVID 19 pandemic. Ullrich Ecker, an associate professor in cognitive science at the University of Western Australia, has studied the way conspiracy theorists work and what techniques they use to put out their version of the world. He points out things people can do to protect themselves from being caught out by conspiracy theories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Greig and Tom Ravlic received e-mails from the ATO this week and both of them were perplexed. Both of them were aware that the ATO does not normally send e-mails at a particular time and treated the e-mail sent with ATO livery as a scam. But was it? Listen up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mask wearing is now law in Victoria and is gradually being adopted by people in other areas as a measure to place an obstacle between infection. We have seen resistance to the wearing of masks by people in hardware stores and protests about the wearing of them on Facebook and Twitter. Psychologist James Collett form RMIT takes us through the issues and also how to think about mask wearing. he even offers some tips to people with children who might be curious about the wearing of masks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Audit and compliance consultant Justin Reid has been ticking, flicking and providing consulting services to accounting firms and other clients needing assistance with complex compliance issues in the audit and financial reporting space for some years. Some changes in ethical standards have tightened rules that will cause some challenges for people involved in dealing with SMSF irrespective of their capacity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Geoff Kitney has had 50 years in jouranlism but he probably didn't expect that a part of his time would be spent in Belgrade having to work out how to escape the capital of former Yugoslavia. He only got out once he secured a drive from organised crime king pin and Serbian war lord, Zeljko Raznatovic who was otherwise known as Arkan. Kitney has seen significant events in Austalian politics and he was there in 1975 for the dismissal of the Whitlam government, This is important oral history from one of journalism's best. He reflects on 50 years in journalism in a new book called Beyond the News Room published by Wilkinson Publishing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa and Tom respond a query on issues related to Job Keeper. Why is Job Keeper taxed? And what do people on Job Seeker need to think about in terms of tax affairs going forward ...[And this is episode 50 so thank you for listening!] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twitter is renowned for being a platform on which personalities and politicians and journalists experience feedback that is particularly toxic. IPA director of policy, Gideon Rozner, and Tom Ravlic explore various issues that emanate from the use of social media as a platform for discussion but also one on which people dial up the aggro. They also discuss a recent incident that reflected the worst of social media. And whether there is a distinction to be made between content of an argument and tone when engaging online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Greig and Tom Ravlic pull apart the Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar's media release on the billion dollar plus tax refunds paid out in the first fortnight of tax season. Is the media release irresponsile? Will it create greater pressures on tax agents? What are the risks people have in getting the returns in early .... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ASIC's Warren Day has seen the wreckage scammers can leave behind more often than most people have had hot breakfasts. The electronic age has ushered in new thugs that wear hoodies, let their fingers walk across a laptop keyboard in order to pilfer funds usually before people are aware. This is a timely warning for people to keep themselves safe online and as scam free as possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Scott Allisoin is the medical director with Workplace Medicine Australia. WMA has been engaging with companies to talk with them about how to handle health issues at their workplaces during the pandemic. He talks about the screening protocols and some technologies that might help employers deal with issues as they try to get people back to some kind of working normality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Financial journalist Alan Kohler has seen many things during his career but COVID-19 is his first pandemic. He has been looking at different ways of analysing the economy, the impacts of COVID and how people need to think about government performance as distinct from private sector companies. He reflects on his career in financial journalism and reflects on where the economy might head in the coming weeks, months and years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tax expert Lisa Greig took some time out to watch Hamilton on Disney plus and it sent her down the rabbit hole of wondering about how wonderful it would be if the ATO actually had as smooth a service as a streaming site. Tom and Lisa explore the implications of lock down 2 for people in Victoria. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COSBOA chief executive officer Peter Strong and Tom Ravlic talk about a range of issues impacting small business as a result of pandemic paralysis. Strong believes that there are some businesses that will be more resilient because of whether they are situated but others do have one foot in the grave as a result of the change in fortunes. He talks with Tom about advocacy and how to manage aspects of government relations as well as some prospects for law reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You need to choose a tax agent you can trust. Lisa Greig and Tom Ravlic are both accounting experts but only one of them can lodge a tax return. Why is this so? What are the steps you need to take to get a tax agent? Forget the snap, crackle, pop tax segments on brekkie television. This is the podcast you need to listen to in order to understand the things to look out for in order to get yourself a reliable tax agent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a career spanning almost more than three and a half decades Bill Woods has seen it all. He's reported on every imaginable sport and he explores the most challenging and contentious issues in sports today. How do you get a fair contest in sports? What matters in terms of getting to as pure an element on the pitch, or in the pool or on the track? Bill touches on issues related to sports and racism as well as pointing areas where managers in business can learn from those in the sporting field when it comes to motivating their talent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harris Coffee chief David Ansell talks to Tom Ravlic about a newly released report that tells Aussies cafe owners are struggling with poor cash flow and a likelihood that some of them will go out of business without third party assistance. within six months of the economy reopening. The company is gearing up to offer assistance to a series of cafes across Australia to try to stop some of the folks in tourist areas going broke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The media sector has experienced a major upheaval over the past two decades with traditional business models going out the window due to the advent of social media and broader technological innovation. RMIT's Chris Berg has looked at the media landscape in depth over the past two decades and he believes that our environment is richer today than it has ever been. He does suggest different models that media organisations can contemplate. Berg tackles the issues of changes in media culture as well as whether public broadcasting ought to remain in Australia in its current form. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Government had people 's heads exploding on Twitter and elsewhere on issues related to changes in government funding for certain kinds of degrees at university. Lisa Greig and Tom Ravlic explore the issue of what happens if and when you are required to pay the amount back to the government. Lisa and Tom also cover the area of self-education and what may be deductible in the 2019-20 financial year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian Julian Assange is currently in the United Kingdom and is subject to extradition proceedings. The United States was gravely embarrassed by the revelations made through Wikileaks, the site founded by Assange. Greg Barns SC, a criminal barrister and a member of the Assange legal team, tells us with the overnight developments mean as well as what we need to be doing to buttress freedom of speech in Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Sinclair Davidson has a real bugbear and that is how developments in company taxation are reported in the media and understood by the general populace. He offers some ways people can learn about the tax system. He also explains what he believes to be the impact of the government's tertiary education funding plan. What does he think? Listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The September 11 attacks in 2001 ushered in a new era of ratcheting up of security laws across the globe. While increases in legal power may be understandable in the context of one specific area of activity, the addition of powers and their use may extend beyond serious criminal offences such as organised crime, acts of political violence or terrorism and child exploitation. Crikey's dogged political editor, Bernard Keane has followed issues of the expanding footprint of security legislation and its impact on the media, whistle blowers, average citizens and the justice system overall. This is essential listening for anybody concerned about the way security legislation has been developed over time and how it can be used. Bernard also discusses the Witness K case and how in his view it is one of the biggest political scandals to come to light in Australia. This is unmissable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johh Bottomley and Brendan Byrne are the two authors of the recent research report released by the Finance Sector Union called 'Justice Tempered', which is an examination of the impact of a profit based culture on employees in the financial services sector. The approaches John and Brendan suggest in this podcast as a way of solving cultural issues in banks and one that will depend on the willingness of people in Canberra and within the banking sector to think very differently about the issues presented before the Hayne Royal Commission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do political and media advisers set the agenda in Canberra when it comes to handling the media? The place is a black box but former media adviser to Julia Gillard, Darrin Barnett, unlocks some of the mysteries about the way things play out in the national capital. Are the media subject to some distractions along the way? This is an enlightening chat that is well worth your while. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tax expert Lisa Greig explains why some of the advertising surrounding the End of Financial Year sales need to be considered carefully. What are the risks when you buy a new car? What can you deduct? And how does the ATO track things you buy? You may be surprised to know that your social media accounts may also be tracked by the tax office to work out whether your deductions claimed are legitimate. Listen up ..... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Finance Sector Union's national secretary Julia Angrisano, speaks about the recent report released by the union looking at the impact of key performance indicators for staff on health and morale of employees. While the Hayne Royal Commission delivered some findings that sought to highlight greed there are problems that remains. The FSU welcomes recent moves at the NAB aimed at greater professionalisation of bank staff but Julia Angisano believes more needs to be done across the sector. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies can expect to be watched closely as they report the impact of coronavirus in their financial statements. Doug Niven is the Senior Executive Leader for Accounting and Audit at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. He provides an overview of key concerns ASIC has and what it might do about anyone that forgets there is no exemption from the requirement to talk straight to stakeholders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.