We request that all business clients make an appointment if you would like to meet with one of our team members. This ensures that the team member is available and prepared, so that your meeting is beneficial to all parties.

Our first meeting is our opportunity to get to know you and your business, 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 firm, we will prepare an engagement letter that sets out our respective obligations and expectations. From there we will contact your previous accountant as a courtesy and gather any information required for handover, and change your details with the Australian Taxation Office.

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.

There are a number of 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.

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.

One of our core values at FAJ is to charge a fee that represents fair value, 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.

FAJ is Fremantle’s largest and most experienced accounting business, having been established since 1930.

Our success is built on building client relationships that last many years, and giving a level of personal service and care that exceeds industry expectations. Please have a look at our client testimonials, and you will understand why we choose the motto “where people count”.

Our ability to retain our team members is the envy of the accounting industry. Most of our team members have been with us for 10 years or more, which means that you can have confidence that your accountant will get to know your business and help you grow for many years to come. We also ensure that you have more than one point of contact, so that someone is always accessible for your needs.

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