by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
What Is the Difference Between a Tax Lawyer and an Accountant? A letter arrives from the ATO. It mentions an audit, an objection deadline or a director penalty notice. Your first instinct may be to call your accountant, and often that is the right move. In more...
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
Who Can Apply for an ATO Payment Plan? If you owe the Australian Taxation Office, ignoring the debt rarely improves your position. Interest can continue to accrue, recovery action may escalate, and future payment arrangements can become harder to negotiate. An ATO tax...
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
What Is ATO Small Business Tax Debt? The Australian Taxation Office is not a patient creditor. When a small business falls behind, the debt does not sit quietly on a ledger. It grows, and in certain circumstances it follows the director personally. A Director Penalty...
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
Why Does an ATO Director Penalty Notice Give You 21 Days? A director penalty notice does not give you time to consider your position. It starts a 21-day countdown that runs from the date the ATO posts the notice, not the date it reaches your letterbox or inbox. Miss...
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
Can Directors Be Personally Liable for Company Tax Debts? A director penalty notice is not a letter you can set aside and deal with later. Once the ATO issues one, the clock is already running, and it runs from the date the notice is posted, not the day you open it....
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
What Are Australian Non-Resident Tax Rates? Assuming the tax rate you find on a standard Australian tax table applies to you can be an expensive mistake. The Australian Taxation Office maintains separate rate schedules for residents and foreign residents, so Australia...
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
Do Australian Tax Residents Pay Tax on Worldwide Income? Many Australian residents assume that income earned overseas stays outside the ATO’s reach. That assumption is wrong. Australia tax on foreign income is a genuine compliance issue, and if you are an...
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
What Are the Australian Tax Residency Tests? Australian tax residency looks simple until you are in the middle of it. A few months overseas, a job in Singapore, a family still in Sydney, or a house you have not sold: each can shift where the ATO treats you as a...
by Chris Garlick | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
What Is the Australia-UK Double Taxation Agreement? If you are an Australian resident with UK income, UK pension, interest, royalties, or property gains, the interaction between the two tax systems can quickly become the central issue. The operative framework is the...
by Mathew McDonough | Oct 27, 2026 | Tax Law
How Do Double Taxation Agreements Work in Australia? Cross-border transactions can create a frustrating scenario: earning income in one country only to find the tax authority in another also claims a share. For Australian taxpayers with international interests,...
