Taxation

What We Cover

Strategic Tax Planning and Structuring

Your entity structure — the trusts, companies, partnerships, and SMSFs that sit beneath your operations — determines how much tax you pay, how your assets are protected, and how efficiently wealth flows through your business to you and your family. Most structures were set up years ago under different rules and different circumstances. Many are no longer fit for purpose.

We review existing structures for tax efficiency and redesign them where the savings justify the cost. That includes corporate group restructures, trust resets and variations, SMSF strategies, and the establishment of new entities for specific commercial purposes. Every recommendation is modelled against your actual numbers — not a theoretical scenario — so you can see the dollar impact before committing.

For businesses and individuals approaching a major event — a sale, an acquisition, a capital raise, a succession — we design the tax architecture around the transaction. The difference between a well-structured deal and a poorly structured one is often measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sometimes more.

ATO Disputes, Audits, and Risk Management

An ATO audit is not a conversation. It is an enforcement action with significant financial and reputational consequences. The way you respond in the first forty-eight hours — what you disclose, what you withhold, how you frame your position — shapes the entire outcome.

We represent clients through ATO audits, reviews, amended assessments, penalty negotiations, and objections. We handle voluntary disclosures when early correction is the smartest path, and we contest assessments when the ATO's position is wrong or disproportionate. Where a dispute escalates to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal or the Federal Court, we work alongside our Legal division to run the case.

Beyond disputes, we design proactive ATO risk management strategies — reviewing your compliance posture, identifying the positions most likely to attract scrutiny, and ensuring your documentation can withstand examination. The best audit outcome is the one that never happens.

Cross-Border and International Tax

Operating across borders means operating across tax systems — and the interaction between them is where most of the risk sits. Transfer pricing, permanent establishment rules, controlled foreign company provisions, withholding tax obligations, and double tax agreements create a web of compliance requirements that punish the underprepared.

We advise on inbound and outbound tax structuring for businesses and investors operating between Australia and Asia. That includes holding structures for foreign investment, repatriation strategies, transfer pricing documentation, and the tax implications of cross-border employment and residency changes.

For clients with interests in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Southeast Asia, we bring direct knowledge of how those tax systems interact with Australia's — not just the treaty provisions, but the practical enforcement realities that determine how much you actually pay.

Tax on Transactions and Capital Events

Every significant transaction carries a tax consequence. A business sale triggers capital gains. A restructure can create unexpected income recognition. A dividend reinvestment changes your cost base. A property development shifts you from capital account to revenue account — and the difference in tax treatment is substantial.

We advise on the tax implications of acquisitions, divestments, mergers, demergers, capital raises, property transactions, and succession events. The work happens before the transaction closes — not after — because by the time the contracts are signed, the tax position is locked in.

Where small business CGT concessions, rollover relief, or other concessional treatments are available, we structure the transaction to capture them. Where they are not, we find the next best position and quantify the trade-offs so you make an informed decision.

Compliance That Doesn't Fall Behind

Compliance is not glamorous, but missed deadlines, incorrect lodgements, and sloppy BAS preparation create real cost — penalties, interest, and the kind of ATO attention you do not want. For businesses with complex structures, multiple entities, or cross-border operations, the compliance burden is significant and ongoing.

We manage income tax returns, BAS, FBT, PAYG, and annual compliance across all entity types. Deadlines are tracked systematically, lodgements are accurate, and your compliance record stays clean. For clients with existing accountants handling day-to-day bookkeeping, we sit above the compliance function — reviewing, quality-checking, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

When Tax Touches Everything Else

Tax rarely exists in isolation. A restructure that saves tax can expose personal assets if the legal documentation is not updated. An estate plan that distributes wealth efficiently can unravel without the right testamentary trust provisions. A business sale that is optimised for CGT can destroy value if the commercial terms are poorly negotiated.

abCredo Advisory sits alongside two independent, aligned divisions: abCredo Legal and abCredo Wealth. When your tax matter crosses into asset protection, estate planning, commercial law, or investment strategy, we bring the relevant expertise to the same table — no repeated briefings, no overlapping fees, no hunting for external firms. This happens only when it adds direct value to your position, and only with your prior approval. The capability is ours to offer — the decision is always yours.