Keeping your business growing.

Our first meeting is our opportunity to get to know you, your business or organisation, your financial affairs, and of course for you to get to know us. We will have a discussion about your business, it’s history, structure, ownership, trading and future opportunities. We will clearly explain the role we can play, and can give you an indication of costs.

Once you make the decision to appoint FAJ as your accounting or audit firm, we will prepare an engagement letter that sets out our respective obligations and expectations. From there we will contact your previous accountant or auditor as a courtesy and gather any information required for handover and change your details with the Australian Taxation Office or other regulatory bodies.

Please refer to our ‘contact us’ page for full details of where to park.

The ATO has strengthened guidelines around client verification following increases in taxation fraud through identity theft in recent years, including identity theft through tax file numbers. To assist in reducing fraud we now require to sight suitable ID for clients new to the firm before we will lodge an income tax return.

Suitable ID includes photographic evidence such as a valid WA Drivers Licence or a current passport. Without a photographic ID, we require two secondary documents, such as a tax assessment, bank statement, or utilities notice confirming your name and current address.

Please refer to the Tax Practitioners Board factsheet for more information about proof of identity checks.

There are several trading structures available and each has various pros and cons that suit differing circumstances. The main structures are:

• Sole trader
• Partnership
• Discretionary Trust
• Unit Trust
• Company

Sole traders and partnerships may be suited to smaller businesses, including family businesses.

Trusts and companies are often used for larger businesses or those wanting to raise capital or define ownership. These entities may provide some taxation advantages but come with a higher level of compliance and complexity.

Unfortunately, there’s no rule for choosing a structure that fits all circumstances, however getting the structure correct right from the start is essential – getting it wrong can be very costly down the track.

The best option is to make an appointment with us at FAJ. We will ensure we understand your business and your plans for the future before advising you on the optimal structure.

As a registered tax agent we receive automatic extensions for lodgement of our clients’ tax returns. Our lodgement dates are spread throughout the year and depend on the type of structure, tax level and lodgement history.

Taxpayers with a poor lodgement history may be due for lodgement as early as 31 October. Most entities however will be due for lodgement in May, with a lesser amount due in December, February and March.

If you are a new client to our firm you will need to bring suitable proof of identity documents to your first appointment. See our FAQ in ID for new clients for more information.

For individual clients - please click this link for a downloadable list of information you may need to bring to your appointment. Please note that the list is not exhaustive.

For business clients - your accountant will advise you of the information we require to complete your engagement, but will often include access to your accounting software, certain expense invoices and bank statements.

For audit clients - our Audit Admininstrator will provide a detailed list of the information required from you for us to complete your audit.

Our preference is to meet in person where possible as for many clients it results in a more personalised experience. However we are more than happy to consult via alternate methods including video, telephone, email or mail.

We can assist you to establish an SMSF on your instructions but we cannot make a recommendation as to whether or not you should establish an SMSF as we do not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence. We recommend that you seek appropriate advice before making a decision to establish an SMSF.

Click here for more information

Yes, at FAJ we have bookkeepers that are experienced in most major bookkeeping packages. Our bookkeeping services can be packaged to include BAS lodgement, year end financials and tax returns and phone and email queries, or we can provide bookkeepers at casual rates.

A Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) is a private super fund that you manage yourself. It differs from retail and industry super funds as members are also trustees, responsible for complying with super laws and regulations.

An SMSF has many benefits but additionally comes with extra responsibility and may not suit everyone. See our FAQs on the risks and benefits of an SMSF for more information.

An SMSF can be established by individuals, typically with up to six members. All members must be trustees (or directors of a corporate trustee) and be responsible for the fund’s management.

An SMSF has many benefits but additionally comes with extra responsibility and may not suit everyone. See our FAQs on the risks and benefits of an SMSF for more information.

The benefits of an SMSF include greater control over investment decisions, access to a wider range of investments, potential tax benefits and flexibility in retirement planning.

The risks of an SMSF include legal and compliance responsibilities, admin and reporting obligations, potential for poor investment decisions and ongoing costs.

We can audit an SMSF provided we have not been involved in the prepartion of financial statements. Where we act as the accountant for an SMSF, we can arrange for an audit to be conducted by an appropriate external auditing firm.

One of our core values at FAJ is to charge a fair value fee, so we take a common sense approach to this. If you make a small enquiry that can be answered in a reasonable timeframe (without requiring research), there is unlikely to be an additional charge for emails or telephone calls.

Where clients make a significant number of enquiries, we reserve the right to charge based on our hourly rates. Additionally, we will charge for complex advice, research, taxation amendments and objections.

We charge a fee based on hourly rates for all meetings.

These are regular one to one sessions that can address almost any aspect of your business, from issues and problems identified in financial projections, to specific compliance, market, technology, production or HR matters, to retirement and succession planning. The agenda can be set by your FAJ accountant or by you, and follow-up actions determined for either party.

Click here for more information about our planning and growth services.

Business forecasting is about looking and planning ahead for 12 months or more so that you can make pro-active adjustments. We can assist with business forecasting and to give you the tools to monitor the forecasts and how you’re tracking against these, so you know which areas of your business need the most focus. You’ll be better prepared for any challenges coming your way so that you can make well-planned decisions ahead of time.

Click here for more information about our planning and growth services.