Davidsons Accountants and Business Consultants

02/06/2026

𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.

For many businesses, employee retention is getting harder to solve with pay rises alone. The smarter play? Looking at the total value of the remuneration package.

That’s where fringe benefits tax gets interesting.

When structured correctly, FBT-effective benefits can help employers offer meaningful value beyond salary, including:

✅ work-related devices
✅ professional development
✅ minor recognition benefits
✅ eligible electric vehicle arrangements
✅ relocation support for hard-to-fill roles

The catch? These benefits need to be properly classified, documented and reviewed. A well-intentioned perk can quickly become an unexpected FBT issue if the details are missed.

In our latest article, Kylie McEwan explores how businesses can use FBT-effective benefits to support employee retention while staying commercially and tax-aware.

Because keeping good people is not just about offering more.
It is about offering smarter.

Read the full article here: https://www.davidsons.com.au/fringe-benefits-tax-employee-retention

31/05/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.
From 1 July 2026, super must be paid on or before payday, not weeks later.

If you haven’t already:
- Start paying super with each payroll run
- Test your payment timing to ensure funds are received within 7 business days
- Confirm your payroll system is configured correctly

June is your final testing window.

Need help? Just call us on 03 5221 6399

29/05/2026

The weekend forecast? A strong chance of good racing. ⛵️

We’re proud sponsors of the 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 at Royal Geelong Yacht Club, kicking off tomorrow from 12:55 pm.

Winter sailing has its own kind of energy: crisp conditions, sharp tactics, committed crews and plenty of action on the bay. And like any good strategy, success comes down to preparation, timing and making the right calls when conditions change.

The season launches alongside the Women on Water Sailing Development Program from 10:00 am, which we’re delighted to support from the sidelines.

Good luck to everyone hitting the water.

28/05/2026

International Burger Day at Davidsons 🍔

The team took a well-earned break today to enjoy tasty burgers – in the tea room and out on the office deck, overlooking the oval in the sunshine.

Good food, good company, a short break from the busy EOFY workload, and a totally unplanned but impressive staff height gradient! 😆

Good fun.

25/05/2026

19/05/2026

An audit should give you confidence, not just a tick

For many organisations, an audit can feel like a checklist:
- Files requested.
- Questions answered.
- Report delivered.
- Requirement complete.

But a good audit should do more than tick the box.

In a recent conversation with Michael Phillips, CEO of Portarlington Golf Club and Chair of Community Clubs Victoria, he shared something that stayed with us:

“Y𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘹 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦.”

That is exactly what Beyond the Balance Sheet means to us.

Taking the time to understand the organisation behind the numbers, asking the right questions, and giving leaders confidence that the numbers, and the governance behind them, stack up.

A sincere thank you to Michael and the team at Portarlington Golf Club for the trust they place in Davidsons.

That is audit, done beyond the balance sheet.

18/05/2026

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 (𝗦𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗛)?
It’s time to change.

The SBSCH closes on 30 June 2026. Employers need an alternative clearing and payment solution in place well before then.

Options include:
- Activating Auto‑Super in your payroll software (if available), or
- Registering with an industry super fund clearing house

Leaving this until June creates unnecessary risk.

Need help? Just call us on 03 5221 6399

13/05/2026

The 2026–27 Federal Budget signals one of the most significant shifts in Australia’s tax settings in years.

At its core, the Budget points to a clear rebalancing of the tax system, with proposed changes affecting investment assets, discretionary trusts, negative gearing, small business concessions, R&D incentives and electric vehicle FBT treatment.

Key proposed measures include:
• Replacing the 50% CGT discount with cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax from 1 July 2027
• Extending CGT to future gains on pre-CGT assets
• Introducing a 30% minimum tax on discretionary trust income from 1 July 2028
• Restricting negative gearing to new residential builds from 1 July 2027
• Introducing a $250 Working Australians Tax Offset
• Making the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent for small businesses
• Introducing permanent 2-year loss carry-back rules and new loss refundability measures for early-stage companies

While these measures remain proposals and are not yet law, they signal a material shift in how investment, structuring and long-term planning decisions may need to be approached.

With reform of this scale, don’t rely on AI assistants, generic online summaries or headline commentary to decide what it means for you. The detail, timing, eligibility rules and personal implications matter.

If you have investments, a discretionary trust, negatively geared property, a business structure, or longer-term tax planning considerations, we recommend speaking with Davidsons before making any decisions.

The key is not to act prematurely, but to understand your potential exposure, consider the implications, and ensure these proposed changes are factored into forward planning.

We’ve prepared a summary of the key tax and superannuation measures from the 2026–27 Federal Budget, with a focus on what they may mean for individuals, business owners and investors.

Read the full report here:https://www.davidsons.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Davidsons-2026-2027-Federal-Budget-Report-5.pdf