Insights
Explore Andrew’s articles on tax, property structures and SMSF strategy.
82 articles
Land tax is imposed under state and territory rules, and ownership can change thresholds, aggregation and surcharge outcomes.
Read article →A polished proposal can still rely on favourable rent, growth, tax and finance assumptions. Review the numbers independently and separate facts, estimates and sales claims before committing.
Read article →The contract is where ownership, price and timing become real. Tax, finance and cash-flow questions that are still unresolved at signing can be expensive or impossible to fix later.
Read article →A loan restructure can improve clarity, pricing and cash flow, but it cannot rewrite how borrowed money was actually used. The design should support both financial management and accurate tax records.
Read article →Renovation can improve rent or saleability, but it can also add cost, vacancy and tax complexity. The three choices should be compared using incremental cash flows rather than a headline increase in value.
Read article →A trust property sale can involve capital gains, carried-forward losses, beneficiary decisions, trust-deed powers, financing and distribution timing.
Read article →Buying can provide control and a long-term asset. Leasing can preserve capital and make relocation easier.
Read article →Compare personal and SMSF property ownership across access, tax, borrowing, liquidity, diversification and superannuation restrictions.
Read article →Refinancing can improve pricing, release equity or clean up loan splits. It can also extend debt, increase security exposure and complicate interest tracing if funds are mixed.
Read article →Selling first can create certainty around cash and debt. Buying first can preserve market access and avoid rushing a sale.
Read article →Negative gearing describes a tax position; it does not prove the property is a good investment. You still pay the economic loss, and a deduction only reduces part of its after-tax cost.
Read article →Work out how much portfolio shortfall your income and cash reserves can carry under normal, stressed and disrupted conditions.
Read article →Calculate the property’s true cash shortfall, including irregular costs, and test whether it still fits your financial capacity.
Read article →Paying down a home loan provides a certain reduction in interest. Investing offers uncertain income and growth, with tax and market risk.
Read article →Compare equity and cash funding across leverage, interest, liquidity, loan purpose and your position after settlement.
Read article →Moving an existing property into a trust can trigger tax, duty, refinancing and transaction costs. Compare those costs before changing ownership.
Read article →A 50/50 purchase may feel natural, but equal ownership is not always the best match for income, borrowing, land tax, control or estate planning.
Read article →Ownership affects who receives income, who claims losses, land tax, finance, control and the eventual sale. A trust can provide flexibility in some circumstances, but it is not an automatic tax-saving answer.
Read article →Selling can release capital and remove a weak asset. Holding can avoid transaction costs and preserve exposure to future income and growth.
Read article →A new purchase may expand your asset base. Paying down debt may improve cash flow, reduce interest and create resilience.
Read article →A practical checklist for Australian buyers facing a valuation or finance shortfall at off-the-plan settlement.
Read article →A decision framework for investors whose total debt is high relative to income.
Read article →Plan the tax, interest, holding costs and record keeping for vacant land intended for a future rental property.
Read article →Australian tax guidance for holiday homes and short-stay properties, including genuine availability, private use and apportionment.
Read article →How using part of your home as a place of business can affect the main-residence CGT exemption.
Read article →A practical guide to trust capital gains, resolutions, records and cash planning before selling property.
Read article →Understand the duty, CGT, finance and land-tax questions before transferring an Australian investment property to a family trust.
Read article →A practical guide to GST going-concern conditions when buying a leased commercial property in Australia.
Read article →Before renting out your former home, review loan and redraw history, main-residence CGT choices, valuation records and holding costs.
Read article →Before using private-company cash for a property deposit, review ownership, Division 7A, the basis for the payment and business cash flow.
Read article →Prepare for an investment-property refinance with a clear loan history, funds map and questions for your accountant and broker.
Read article →Review existing properties with a practical checklist covering ownership, loans, cash commitments, upcoming costs and your next decision.
Read article →Prepare the records behind rental-property depreciation and capital works claims, including asset history, improvements and second-hand items.
Read article →Understand why rental-property repair costs need classification, how initial repairs differ, and which records help your accountant assess the work.
Read article →Prepare for a property sale with contract timing, ownership history, cost records and cash-flow questions to discuss with your tax adviser.
Read article →Understand how legal ownership affects rental income and expense allocation, and what couples should resolve before buying an investment property.
Read article →NSW trust land tax depends on classification and the deed. Understand the questions about thresholds, surcharges and holding costs before buying.
Read article →Prepare for a pre-purchase property tax consultation: ownership, deposit funding, holding costs, existing properties and the documents to bring.
Read article →Build a property holding-cost budget using rent, repayments, expenses and buffers. Includes an illustrative cash-flow example and preparation checklist.
Read article →Understand the difference between offset and redraw, the questions around interest deductions, and what to check before moving money.
Read article →Buying the building your business runs from? Compare personal name, company, trust and SMSF ownership on funding, commercial exposure, cash flow and exit before you sign.
Read article →Bathla is in voluntary administration. What NSW off-the-plan deposit trust rules protect, what home building compensation cover pays, and the finance and refinancing traps buyers hit.
Read article →Diesel is near $2.50 a litre, fuel excise is back to 53.7c and the RBA decides on 29 September. What rising fuel costs mean for Australian business cashflow.
Read article →Queensland land tax 2026-27 assessment notice checklist: review landholdings, taxable value, exemptions and QRO contact details before you pay or dispute.
Read article →The ABS says Australia's dwelling stock fell $34.1 billion in the June quarter 2026. Here's which cities fell, what negative equity means on a 5% deposit, and the proposed 30% trust tax.
Read article →A practical Australian property market discussion based on 17 Melbourne open homes: weak attendance, interest rates, affordability and vendor expectations.
Read article →Queensland's 1 August 2026 transfer-duty change can remove home, first-home and vacant-land concessions for temporary residents. Check your visa, buyers and contract date before signing.
Read article →The Division 7A benchmark interest rate is 8.77% for 2026-27. A practical repayment and records review for Australian owner-directors.
Read article →Victoria commercial property tax buyer checklist: check qualifying use, entry date, 10-year transition and future duty treatment before buying.
Read article →A state-by-state 2026-27 guide to land tax thresholds, trust rules, surcharge risk and portfolio planning for Australian property investors.
Read article →WA first home owner rate thresholds from 7 May 2026: $600,000 no-duty homes, concessions to $800,000, and $450,000/$550,000 vacant-land rules.
Read article →Company loss carry-back returns from 1 July 2026. A practical guide to planning the two-year look-back and potential tax refund for eligible companies.
Read article →What the August 2026 draft consultation means for spouse inheritance, property records and grandfathered negative gearing.
Read article →The documents that prove a property was held or under binding contract before 7:30pm AEST, 12 May 2026.
Read article →The permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off starts from 1 July 2026. A practical buy-and-record checklist for eligible Australian small businesses.
Read article →Family trust CGT planning after 1 July 2027: streaming capital gains, beneficiary selection, trust deed amendments, the 30% minimum tax interaction, and whether to realise gains pre-2027.
Read article →The legislated tax cuts from 1 July 2026 and 1 July 2027 change your take-home pay. Here's how to model it and three smart uses for the extra cashflow.
Read article →Payday super business owner obligations explained - cashflow timing, payroll software changes, and how to pay yourself super on 1 July 2026 when you run an SMSF.
Read article →Trust tax return changes for Tax Time 2026: new distribution pre-fill, why beneficiaries see it in their return, and the trustee checklist to avoid delays.
Read article →The government wants to widen the CSLR levy beyond financial advisers. Large super funds and SMSFs are on the table. Here's what's actually being proposed and how to plan for it.
Read article →The ban on new SMSF residential LRBAs is now law. Here's the contract-date deadline checklist to beat it: what qualifies, what evidence you need, and your alternatives if you miss it.
Read article →NSW first home buyer duty rates for 2026-27: current price caps, what full exemption vs reduced duty means, and a before-you-exchange checklist.
Read article →New build property investment Australia strategy: comparing house and land packages vs established property after negative gearing changes. Construction loans, cashflow, holding costs, and how to model the real numbers.
Read article →Payday Super starts 1 July 2026. SMSF trustees need their ESA active, NPP-ready bank account, and fund details correct or contributions will bounce. Here's the complete checklist.
Read article →The negative gearing crackdown is in Parliament. Who's grandfathered, what changes from 1 July 2027, and what high-income property investors should do before it's too late.
Read article →How SMSF borrowing works through LRBAs. The bare trust structure, rules, restrictions, and what you need to know before borrowing in super.
Read article →How business owners buy commercial premises through their SMSF and lease it back. Tax advantages, rules, and how the leaseback strategy works.
Read article →The 50% CGT discount is out from 1 July 2027. Inflation indexation and a 30% minimum tax replace it. Here's what that means for shares, property, and whether to sell before the deadline.
Read article →How NSW land tax works for investment properties and why your holding structure matters. The family trust trap, thresholds, and planning.
Read article →Negative gearing vs positive gearing explained for Australian property investors. Tax treatment, cash flow impact, and how to decide.
Read article →Labor's first home buyer scheme has pushed prices up 6.7% in qualifying areas. What it means for investors and high-income earners in 2026.
Read article →The EOFY tax checklist I give my high-income clients - super, CGT, trust distributions, deductions and more. Act before June 30.
Read article →RBA inflation warnings are a reminder to stress-test your cashflow and tax strategy. A practical 2025-26 guide for Australians earning $120k+ on what to review now.
Read article →SMSF property investment Australia: tax rates, LRBA rules, eligibility, and who should and shouldn't buy. A complete guide by Sydney CA Andrew Romano.
Read article →Learn how family trust income splitting works in Australia, the real tax savings using 2025-26 rates, Section 100A risks, and the NSW land tax trap.
Read article →Personal name, trust, company or SMSF? Compare every investment property structure in Australia with tax rates, CGT impact and case studies.
Read article →Eight tax planning areas for higher-income Australians in 2025-26, including super, property, trusts, CGT and business structures. General information only.
Read article →How higher-income Australians can assess property ownership, debt, cash flow, land tax, CGT and portfolio decisions without chasing deductions alone.
Read article →Review an investment-property proposal across assumptions, ownership, debt, cash flow, tax, risks and exit before buying, refinancing or restructuring.
Read article →Compare personal, joint, trust, company and SMSF property ownership across tax, land tax, finance, control, administration and exit planning.
Read article →A practical guide for Australian business owners coordinating property, company cash, ownership, borrowing, asset protection and succession decisions.
Read article →What Australian investors should review before buying: ownership, land tax, loan purpose, cash flow, CGT, asset protection and exit planning.
Read article →