It is officially Winter time!

Like clockwork, the 1st of June ticked over and Mother Nature turned down the temperature and whipped up the winds and turned on the rain - boy did everyone feel i across Victoriat!
A realistic, atmospheric photo of a stormy morning on June 1st in Victoria, Australia. Commuters huddled under umbrellas on a wet, glistening Melbourne street corner, bracing against powerful, whipping winds. In the background, a classic green and yellow Melbourne tram splashes through a puddle. The air is visibly freezing and damp, with dark, heavy rain clouds blanketing the sky. Golden light from a local café windows cuts through the bleak, cold rain. Authentic Australian streetscape, eucalyptus trees in the distance bending in the gale, cinematic, highly detailed.

Meeting our International Team Members

Angela and I jetted over to the Philippines last week for the annual iGrow Conference in Dumaguete, where we got to meet our four international team members for the first time. 

Despite Kaye being with us for almost 2 years, JJ for nearly a year and Karen since November 2025, this was the first opportunity that we could all get together and physically meet up. This truly was an amazing time as friendships strengthened, new learnings about each other were experienced, and a deeper connection was gained by all of us that will only mean better outcomes and service to our valued community. The temperature was a warm 33 degrees all week and very humid.

We look forward to our next visit in 12 months time.

Hopefully, by now, you have your plans for 2026 implemented and are working hard to achieve them. If you are still struggling to get started, please give us a call or check out January's edition of Taking Care of Your Business to see how we do it to get some ideas.
A cozy, professional office view looking out a large window during a wild winter storm on June 1st in Melbourne, Victoria. Outside, powerful winds bend eucalyptus trees and heavy rain lashes against the glass. Inside, a clean modern desk features a steaming ceramic mug, a sleek laptop showing business charts, and a neat notebook. The interior lighting is warm, inviting, and focused, contrasting with the bleak, stormy, slate-grey Australian winter sky outside. Photorealistic, cinematic lighting, corporate-cozy aesthetic, shallow depth of field.

2026 Budget: The Big Changes

The Federal Government handed down the Federal Budget on 12 May 2026, with some of the biggest changes to the tax system in years.

Some of the main proposed changes include:

  • Delivering a new Working Australians Tax Offset ('WATO') to provide a permanent annual $250 tax offset to all eligible Australian workers. This applies to eligible income earned from 1 July 2027 (i.e., from the 2027/28 income year).

  • Introducing a $1,000 instant tax deduction to allow workers to deduct up to $1,000 of work-related expenses without keeping receipts from 1 July 2026.

  • Limiting negative gearing for residential property to new builds from 2027/28. Arrangements will remain unchanged for all existing investments made before 7:30pm AEST on 12 May 2026.

  • Replacing the 50% CGT discount with inflation‑adjusted indexation from 1 July 2027 to "restore the taxation of real gains", with a minimum tax rate of 30% on realised gains. This will apply to all assets (including pre-CGT assets) except new builds of residential properties (where taxpayers can choose either the old or the new CGT rules to apply). It will be prospective, with gains accrued on existing investments prior to the start date to retain the 50% discount (where eligible).

  • Applying a minimum 30% tax rate on discretionary trusts from 2028/29 to "bring tax outcomes for trusts closer to the rates that apply to the vast majority of Australian workers."

  • Some of the other proposed Budget changes affecting businesses include:

  • Making the $20,000 instant asset write‑off permanent to "give businesses more certainty to invest".

  • Delivering a permanent two‑year loss carry back for companies with turnover of up to $1 billion from 1 July 2026.

  • Introducing loss refundability for start‑ups from 1 July 2028, to help new businesses invest and grow in their first two years.
wide, cinematic shot of a high-end, modern accountant's or financial planner's office in Sydney or Melbourne, overlooking a misty, rainy morning cityscape through floor-to-ceiling windows. On a sleek timber desk sits a high-end tablet displaying clean financial growth graphs, an open luxury notebook, a minimalist gold pen, and a ceramic mug with steam gently rising. The atmosphere is sharp, sophisticated, and deeply professional, conveying expert guidance through complex financial changes. Soft volumetric lighting, shallow depth of field, premium corporate look.

2026 Tax Planning Meetings

Our tax planning meeting schedules are almost completed now as we tidy up a few loose ends before the end of the financial year and get ready for the new one!.
A professional, inviting meeting room in a modern Australian accounting firm during a bright winter afternoon. A polished wooden boardroom table holds neat stacks of financial reports, a couple of closed laptops, and glass water carafes reflecting the soft light. In the background, out of focus, two professional team members are smiling and shaking hands, capturing the feeling of a successful client meeting wrapping up. The space looks sophisticated, clean, organized, and deeply trustworthy. High-end commercial photography, corporate aesthetic, shallow depth of field.

New ATO Guidance For Rental Property Owners

The ATO has released updated guidance to clarify how it assesses rental property income and expenses, to reflect changes in the way investors rent out their properties.

This is particularly important for clients whose rental property also doubles as a holiday home.

If a rental property that doubles as a holiday home is not used primarily to earn assessable income, taxpayers won’t be able to claim deductions, including for ownership or use expenses (such as interest expenses, council and water rates, body corporate fees, and capital works and depreciation).


Only expenses such as advertising costs, cleaning costs after a guest stay, and booking fees and commissions will be deductible.


If the holiday home is used mainly to produce income, but there’s a small portion of private use (e.g., a week or a few weekends in the off-season where there was no booking, or very low chance of a booking), then taxpayers may claim a deduction (although the expenses must be apportioned, and they cannot claim for the period of private use).
Reach out to the Team on 03-55612643 today if you have any concerns about this.

Do you need some accountability, extra motivation and guidance in 2026?

If so, reach out, and we can make you part of our new monthly Accountability Group of like-minded business owners who want to succeed and excel. We can also show you how our business coaching program - Chasers Getting ResultsTM - works if you really want to take your business to the next level!.

REACH OUT HERE
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Looking to start a business?
Get a copy of our latest book before you do to fast-track your success.

Or looking to grow your business in these tougher economic times?

Both books are for any aspiring entrepreneur who wants to grow their business and to understand what to look out for and avoid when they start their business, too!
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The next Chasers Mastermind for 2026 commences on Friday 10th of July for those business owners who want to build a better business and be held accountable for the critical tasks that they want to implement to move forward and closer to achieving greater success.

Learn all of the essential components that make a successful business to to really takeoff! 

Your investment in this program will be $100 plus GST per week. You will be able to focus on specific areas for your business that need attention, collaborate on ideas and strategies in a group learning environment and share what’s working.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you have not yet left a review for us on our Google Reviews, then now is the chance to do this and get 12 chances of winning a luxury 3-night holiday in Tropical Mackay in North Queensland. That’s right! By simply scanning this QR Code and following the instructions we will enter you in the monthly draw to win.


The winners so far in 2025/26 were:

  • Jul - Brent Moir

  • Aug - Michael Welch

  • Sep - Maria Scott

  • Oct - Renee Lane

  • Nov - Gemma Wylie

  • Dec - Sara & Dale McDonnell

  • Jan - Jeffrey McLean

  • Feb- Linton Dumesny

  • Mar- Paola Karamallis

  • Apr- Adriano Fariselli

May's winner was:

If you are not successful in previous months, you will be automatically re-entered for the following month giving you up to 12 possible chances of winning this awesome holiday. As soon as you leave a review our Team will be notified and will enter your name in the draw. - Good luck!

The latest edition of our National Award-Winning Magazine – No. 23 - is now published and available for you to read. It features heaps of educational tips and ideas on how to create highly productive teams by delegating, an inspiring story about our featured Chaser’s is new entrepreneur Jolanda O’Keefe from Willow & Saige, and an interesting article from our very own CEO and Founder, Chris Beks, shedding some light on an innovative idea using your junk mail!
CLICK HERE TO READ AND SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
 

Don’t forget to check out our latest podcast episodes on The Chasers Channel. The most recent episode 109 features a discussion about Your Company Work Ute is Not Exempt from Fringe Benefits Tax.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

We release a new episode every Sunday, so make sure you follow our podcast to get the latest news, tips and strategies for bringing you closer to achieving the dreams you are chasing.
 

Key Dates in June 2026

Lodge tax returns due for individuals and trusts with a lodgment due date of 15 May 2026 provided they also pay any liability due by this date.

Lodge tax return for companies and super funds with a lodgment due date of 15 May 2026 provided both the prior year and current year return will be non-taxable or result in a refund.

Note:

  • This is not a lodgment due date but a concessional arrangement where failure to lodge on time (FTL) penalties will not apply if you lodge and pay by this date.

  • Large and medium taxpayers and head companies of consolidated groups are excluded from this concession.
 

Lodge and pay May 2026 monthly business activity statement.
 

Lodge and pay 2026 Fringe benefits tax annual return for tax agents if lodging electronically.
 

Super guarantee contributions must be paid by this date to qualify for a tax deduction in the 2025–26 financial year.

If any of your clients receive Child Care Subsidy and Family Tax Benefit payments from Services Australia, the client and their partner must lodge their 2024–25 tax return by 30 June 2026, regardless of any deferrals in place. For more information, see the Services Australia External Link website.

ATO Warns Of Tax Time Misinformation And Focus Areas
A professional corporate flat lay concept on a dark charcoal-textured desk. A sleek, open laptop displays an Australian tax return checklist on screen with a stylized red flag icon near

The ATO is warning the community to be wary of incorrect or misleading information this Tax Time, particularly claims promising greater refunds, shortcuts or hacks.

The ATO is seeing a rise in tax-related content and ‘tips’ being shared — especially online — and is urging taxpayers to treat unverified advice with caution.

Australians should think twice before acting on information from third-party sources such as artificial intelligence ('AI') platforms, ‘finfluencers’, or advice from family or friends. Although the ATO acknowledges that AI can be helpful, it can lead to inaccurate advice: "Your tax return isn’t the place for guesswork."

The ATO also revealed that, this Tax Time, it will be focusing on areas where taxpayers are likely to make errors, including work-related deductions and expenses (and properly apportioning such expenses), and omitted income (including from 'side-hustles', cash jobs, and rental income).