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"Keeping the busy professional informed" Welcome to the September 2011 issue of The Quintessential Brief. As spring brings with it warmer weather and longer days, we happily say goodbye to the freezing cold and torrential rain of winter. This quarter, The Quintessential Brief includes information on a range of topical legal and tax issues. In our legal section we discuss workplace bullying and harassment, and the legal recourse available to those being bullied. We also examine the requirements for an employer who wishes to terminate an employee as the legalities pertaining to this issue are strictly enforced. There are many government benefits now available to families and our accounting section outlines a few of these for you to be aware of, including the Child Care Rebate, the Education Tax Refund and the Paid Parental Leave scheme. We also discuss some of the best techniques for avoiding a cash flow problem within your business, which is important information for any business owner or manager. We detail some of the recent changes to government legislation and how they impact small businesses and business owners; looking particularly at the reforms to superannuation and also the fringe benefit rules for vehicles. We feature a contribution from Clarity Marketing examining brand loyalty and how to encourage it for your business, as well an article that describes some common mistakes to avoid when you build a business website.
We hope that you find the information contained in The
Quintessential Brief beneficial. If there are any legal, tax or
accounting issues that you would like us to address in future
editions, please contact us on
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Government
Benefits for your Family With the rising costs of living and increased work commitments being faced by parents and guardians in today's environment, raising and maintaining a young family in Australia can be a difficult task. The Australian Government recognises the increased costs associated with families by providing financial support through various benefits, to assist with the costs of raising children. It is important that you are aware of these available government payments to ensure you receive all the payments and financial assistance you are entitled to. |
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Cash flow is basically the money that comes in and out of the business in the form of income and expenses. Using cash flow management and forecasting, you can help steady cash flow activity, allowing you to meet your commitments as they fall due and begin planning for spending money in the future on items such as property, plant, and equipment; you will then be able to see when money will be required for investing. |
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The Legal Side of Employee Termination It is lawful for an employer to dismiss an employee if it is a genuine redundancy or if the dismissal would not be considered harsh, unjust or unreasonable or if the dismissal is consistent with the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code. |
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Workplace Bullying and Harassment Workplace bullying is a widespread issue and can have various effects on an employee’s physical and mental wellbeing. It should never be tolerated under any circumstances. In Australia, working in a safe and protected workplace free from bullying and harassment is a basic right for all employees. Under current state Occupational Health and Safety laws, your employer has an obligation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees and this extends to bullying. |
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With the dynamic landscape of the Internet always evolving, what was once considered the best practice for a website might not be the case now. Listed below are 10 common mistakes to avoid on your website. |
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Brand Loyalty is the loyalty, devotion or otherwise preference a customer has for a brand over others. When consumers become committed and emotionally connected to your brand and make repeat purchases over time, it is a result of loyalty. |
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Reforms to Car Fringe Benefits Rules There have been changes to the fringe benefit treatment of cars to remove the unintended incentive for people to drive their vehicle further than necessary in order to obtain a larger tax concession. |
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Superannuation Changes in the Federal Budget The 2011 Federal Budget made important changes to superannuation measures that can potentially impact upon the way you manage your employee’s superannuation contributions, as well as your own. You should be aware of these so that you can assist your employees in making decisions related to superannuation. |
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If you’re thinking about selling or buying a property in the near future, you’ll probably require the services of a conveyancer. Conveyancing work is highly technical and specialised, and in the excitement of buying or selling a property it is quite easy to overlook the importance of having a conveyancer. Not only will a conveyancer look after all of the documentation and settlement processes, but they can also handle any unexpected issues that often arise when dealing with property. |
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The last quarter at Quinns has been nothing short of crazy. Firstly, we are pleased to announce the engagement of our lawyer John and our former in-house accountant Julia. Congratulations to John and Julia, we wish you both the best! There were quite a few changes to staff this quarter; we said sad farewells to our long time team members Amanda and Steve, both of whom will be sadly missed. Quinns took the time to welcome Bree to the team as our new Executive Assistant with some well deserved drinks and nibbles at the end of the financial year. You’re able to get to know Bree a little better in our Staff Profile. We also welcomed Trish, Philip and Lawrence to our Accounting team and look forward to working with them. Quinns is currently preparing to attend the black tie Star Ball at The Hilton Hotel, so stay tuned for fancy photos and funny stories! |
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Variety the Children's Charity and Jeans for Genes Day This quarter we have shown our support for two charities; Variety the Children’s Charity and Jeans for Genes Day. Jeans for Genes Day raises money for the Children’s Medical Research Institute based at Westmead in Sydney and investigates conditions such as birth defects, cancer, and epilepsy in children. At Quinns we showed our support by wearing jeans to work and making individual donations; as well as taking some time out from a busy week to enjoy some cheese, crackers and wine. Quinns also supported John Lembke, featured in this issue’s Client Spotlight, in his efforts to raise money for Variety. John took part in the annual Variety Car Bash which is Australia's most successful charity motoring event. John and his team “The 3 Amigos” drove for 11 days from Baulkham Hills to Broome, with all of the money raised going towards helping children who are disadvantaged or have special needs to live, laugh and learn. If you would like to donate or volunteer either of these two charities please visit www.jeansforgenes.org.au or www.variety.org.au. Also, if there is a charity or foundation that you would like us to support as well, please email info@quinns.com.au and let us know about it. |
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Quadriga Project Management Services John Lembke
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Disclaimer: The contents of this document titled "The Quintessential Brief" (the "Material") are provided as general information only. It is not intended to be given as advice and should not be relied upon as such. If you are concerned about any issue raised by the Material then you should seek your own professional advice. No warranty is given in relation to the accuracy, currency or completeness of the Material. No reader should act on the basis of any matter contained in this publication without first obtaining specific professional advice. Where applicable, liability is limited by the NSW Solicitors Scheme under the Professional Standards Act 1994 (NSW), and other relevant state legislation. The Quinn Group respects your privacy. Should you not wish to receive this newsletter in the future please contact us on 1300 784 667.