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From wine-fuelled political debates over Christmas lunch to overly competitive games of Monopoly, there are many reasons family members can find themselves at loggerheads with one another. A particularly serious scenario is when a parent passes away and leaves behind an estate that becomes a source of bitter conflict between siblings. There’s a common misconception…
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In the old days, tax of cials could be seen driving around the ‘burbs looking for signs of opulence that didn’t match your income. Now, with everything that needs to be known available digitally, data matching can uncover income that doesn’t seem to match lifestyle in a fast and effective manner. The ATO it is…
Read moreThe cherry on top of your sensible decision to obtain quality tax planning or investment advice is to find that some of the costs involved are tax deductible. But while the tax law allows specific deductions for certain expenditures regarding your tax affairs, not all costs involved with seeking investment advice are deductible. Working out…
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Every couple’s “big day” will of course be marked more by flying champagne corks and numerous speeches of questionable quality, instead of the tax implications that go along with swapping rings. Having a general understanding of what it means to be a “spouse” under tax law can change the approach taken to certain financial arrangements,…
Read moreTalk of Australians’ rising life expectancies has been making headlines as of late. The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics projects a “life expectancy at birth” age of 79.9 for men and 84.3 for women. But representative body the Actuaries Institute said those who have already reached the age of 65 can expect…
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Every year in the Bavarian city of Munich, the Oktoberfest famously celebrates beer in all its forms. Over the 16-day event, visitors manage to consume around 7.6 million litres of the amber fluid, which sold at a recent festival for an inflated asking price of €9 (around $13.50) per litre, which is the capacity of…
Read moreAustralia is the most giving country on the planet according to a new global index that measures charitable giving, from both companies and individuals. Compiled by the international Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the World Giving Index for 2012 put Australia at the top of its list of the 20 best countries in terms of donating…
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