© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 1

Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

Making you Count

P: 1300 85 61 81 F: 1300 85 73 93 E: admin@icb.org.au W: www.icb.org.au

Bookkeepers helping Bookkeepers helping Business

November 2016

News, views and things you need to know.

Welcome to ICB's November 2016 Newsletter.

Contents

Important News 3 ICB Annual Bookkeepers Survey

3 ATO Supports Stressed Business Owners

Best Practice Bookkeeping 4 Christmas Related Matters - Annual Shutdowns and Public Holidays

8 Does Your Charity Have the ACNC Tick?

9 ATO Super Entitlement Tools

BAS Agent World 11 ATO Working With Registered Agents - They Admit They Need To

12 TPB Forum for BAS Agents

15 The New TPB Website - What do you Think?

17 TPB Refuses BAS Agent

Continued Professional Education 17 This Month From the ICB CPE Page

17 ICB Annual Conference - Bookkeeping 2017

ICB Network Meetings 18 November 2016 Question of the Month - GST on Processed and Unprocessed Milk

18 October 2016 Question of the Month - Claiming GST - ICB's Response

19 Upcoming Network Meetings

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 2

Other Things Happening in the World 20 Xero Loves Bookkeepers

This Month From the ICB 21 How to Use the ICB Website

23 ICB Christmas 2016 Closure Notice

23 What's New this Month from ICB

24 November 2016 eBrief - Business Newsletter

Products and Solutions 24 Income Protection Insurance - New Policy for Bookkeepers

25 Inside Small Business Magazine

From the ATO 26 ATO Small Business Benchmarks

26 AUSkey Update

26 ATO Forum Report

28 ATO "Connect with Us" Showcase Event Report

29 Upcoming Portal Maintenance

ICB Membership Statistics

ICB Supporters and Sponsors

Additional Information for Members Only In this month's Members Newsletter you will find the following additional information:

Important News Valid KPIs for a Bookkeeping Practice Artificial Intelligence or Automated Intelligence?

Best Practice Bookkeeping Casual Workers Christmas Related Matters - Christmas Parties and Gifts, Business Information Sheet, Christmas Bonus’ Who do You Want to be in 2017? Software Comparison Update

BAS Agent World Dealing with Non-Compliant Clients

Continued Professional Education ICB Technical Webinar - Overseas Sales and Purchasing A Practical, Plain-English Guide to Modern Awards ICB Technical Webinar - The Bookkeeping Cycle - End of Month ICB Technical Webinar - Review of Payroll Entitlements

From the ICB November 2016 eBrief, Customisable Newsletter for your Clients

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 3

Important News

ICB Annual Bookkeepers Survey

The 2016 Annual Bookkeeping Survey provides information to you about your world with questions such as "How many bookkeepers are actually using bank feeds?" "How many bookkeepers charge their clients for travel time?" "How much are bookkeepers charging?"

ICB provide the independent survey results to government, software companies and the education sector to assist them to understand the reality of the bookkeeping profession. Help us to help them!

Which survey is right for you?

Contract Bookkeepers providing services to multiple clients:

Access the Bookkeepers in Business Survey

Employed Bookkeepers providing services to one clients:

Access the Bookkeepers in Employment Survey

Results will be published in January. You do not have to be an ICB member and you do not need to log in. We anticipate the survey to take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We do not capture your email address for any subsequent marketing without your permission. Everything you say is totally confidential.

Pass the link on to any colleagues, employees or even your accountant to complete, as the more information we can get, the better. You can access the past years results here.

If you are having any problems accessing the survey, please contact us at admin@icb.org.au. We know your time is valuable, so we really appreciate your response.

ATO Supports Stressed Business Owners

The ATO recognises that stress, depression or anxiety can have a negative impact on a business owner’s quality of life and ability to run their business. This can in turn affect people involved with the business, including employees, contractors, partners and clients.

The ATO also acknowledges that these circumstances can affect a business owner’s ability to meet tax and super obligations. Business owners can speak to the ATO directly, or have their registered agent speak on their behalf.

Financial Hardship

The ATO has options to help business owners who are experiencing financial stress or hardship.

Financial hardship for a business applies only in certain circumstances, for example, impending business closure, repossession of business vehicle, imminent legal action against the business and so on.

BAS agents can submit a request for priority processing via the BAS agent portal. Agents can also set up payment plans for clients or arrange a lodgement and payment deferral.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 4

Some proof of hardship is required and may include documents such as bank statements, overdraft statements, eviction notice, disconnection notice, notice of legal action, staff records and supplier contracts.

Support Organisations

There are various organisations that exist to support people in distress and help them with mental health issues and wellbeing.

Beyondblue - learn more about anxiety, depression and suicide prevention, or talk through your concerns with their support service.

Lifeline Australia - a national charity providing Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour support and suicide prevention services.

Suicide Call Back Service - provides free national telephone and online counselling for anyone affected by suicide.

Heads Up - a Beyondblue and Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance initiative that provides business owners with free tools and resources to look after their mental health at work and achieve a mentally healthy workplace.

Business in Mind - a program developed by the University of Tasmania focusing on mental health especially tailored to small and medium business owners.

Mates in Construction - a charitable organisation focused on reducing the high level of suicide among Australian construction workers.

Return To Work - designed to help anyone involved in the process of returning to work after absence due to depression, an anxiety disorder or other mental health issues. Information is available for employers, employees, colleagues, family and friends who can assist in a successful return to work.

Council of Small Business Australia - COSBOA supports and represents privately owned small businesses, with socially responsible practices and awareness being a focus.

References ATO - Business Owners Experiencing Mental Health Issues ATO - Serious Financial Hardship ATO - Priority Processing

Best Practice Bookkeeping

Christmas Related Matters - Annual Shutdowns and Public Holidays

Annual Shutdowns

Many businesses have a scheduled period of closing business operations during the Christmas and New Year period. How an employer must treat this depends on the award or agreement the employee is governed by. These guidelines apply to permanent employees - casual employees do not have to be paid during a scheduled shut down.

Award or Agreement allows employer to direct leave If the award or agreement provides for the employer to direct leave to be taken at specific times, then the employer can do this so long as they follow the guidelines about how much notice is required.

Example: The Clerks Private Sector Award does allow employers to direct employees to take leave during an annual shutdown, and they must be given at least 4 weeks’ notice (before the first day of leave), in writing.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 5

What if the employee doesn’t have enough leave? The employer can agree to pay annual leave in advance or the employee can take unpaid leave. However, from FairWork: “If an employee doesn’t agree to either, they have to be paid their ordinary pay rate for the shutdown. They can’t be forced to take unpaid leave”.

Award or agreement is silent If the award or agreement is silent on the issue, then the employer may not force an employee to use their leave during a scheduled closure. The employer can negotiate with the employee to take paid or unpaid leave, or half pay leave if the award/agreement allows this.

The employee is not covered by an award or agreement Note that this is rare - the majority of employees are governed by an award.

If there truly is no award or agreement governing the employee, then the employer can direct the employee to take leave if the direction is ‘reasonable’. See below for detail on what is ‘reasonable’.

Public holidays during leave Public holidays that fall during a period of paid leave are always paid as normal work days; they should not be taken as annual leave days. If an employee usually works a given number of ordinary hours and overtime hours, then they will be paid only for the ordinary hours on a public holiday, they will not be paid for the usual overtime hours. If a public holiday falls during a period of agreed unpaid leave, the public holiday is not paid.

What is ‘Reasonable’? From FairWork Best Practice Guidelines: “What is 'reasonable' will depend on factors such as the kind of business run by the employer, the nature of the work performed by the employee, the employee's personal circumstances (including family responsibilities) and how much notice was given to the employee”.

An employer can refuse a request from an employee if they do not feel it is reasonable; this applies also to the employee refusing a request from an employer they do not feel is reasonable.

This will be governed by factors such as: the effect on the workplace and the employer's business of approving the request, including the costs of doing so and negative impacts on efficiency, productivity or customer service; the inability to organise work among existing staff; and, the inability to recruit a new employee or the practicality or otherwise of the arrangements that may need to be put in place to accommodate the request.

Public Holidays Public holidays form part of the National Employment Standards (NES) that every employer is bound by. In addition to the NES, employees are governed by an award or registered agreement or other legal instrument. The NES allows an employee to be absent from work on a public holiday and to be paid for it. An employer may request an employee to work on the public holiday, but the employee has a right to refuse the request.

Public Holidays Worked If the employee works on a public holiday, they should be paid public holiday penalty rates or provided with an acceptable alternative. Awards and agreements differ in the treatment of working on public holidays. Some awards state that a worked public holiday must be paid accordingly. Others allow for substitution of another day off in lieu of the public holiday.

An employer may not coerce an employee into substituting a day in lieu if the employee wishes to be paid penalty rates. If an employee normally works overtime on a day of the week that a public holiday falls on, the employee is only due to be paid ordinary hours for that day. They would not be due to be paid the overtime they have missed out on.

Example from the Clerks - Private Sector Award 2010 31.0 Public holidays

31.1 Public holidays are provided for in the NES.

31.2 An employer and the employees may by agreement substitute another day for a public holiday.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 6

31.3 Work on a public holiday or a substituted day must be paid at double time and a half. Where both a public holiday and substitute day are worked public holiday penalties are payable on one of those days at the election of the employee. An employee required to work on a public holiday is entitled to not less than four hours pay at penalty rates provided the employee is available to work for four hours.

Public Holidays Worked Interstate If an employee is required to work interstate on a day that would be a public holiday in their usual state of employment, this must be recognised as a worked public holiday, even if the state being visited is not observing the same public holiday.

Refusing to Work Public Holidays An employer may request an employee to work on a public holiday if it “reasonable” and an employee may refuse a request if it is “reasonable” according to FairWork.

Factors to consider: The nature of the employer’s business and operations The nature of the work performed by the employee and the basis of employment The employee’s personal circumstances and family responsibilities The amount of notice given to the employee in requesting them to work the public holiday and/or the notice

given by the employee of refusal to work Any agreements in place that reflect an expectation of working on public holidays

Annual Shutdown of Business, Leave and Public Holidays If a business schedules an annual shutdown, for example over the Christmas period, the leave arrangements are not so straightforward.

An employer may not force an employee to take leave during an annual shutdown, nor can they force an employee to take unpaid leave if they don’t have enough annual leave available. The employer can offer to pay leave in advance; however, the employee is not obliged to take up this offer. If the employee does not want to use their annual leave, and refuses leave in advance, and refuses to take unpaid leave, the employer must pay the period of absence from work, including any public holidays that fall during that period of shutdown.

If the employee does choose to take unpaid leave, the employer is not obliged to pay the public holidays during the annual shutdown. However, many employers do choose to pay the public holidays as a gesture of goodwill and in thanks for taking unpaid leave during the shutdown. If the employer is not intending to pay public holidays during the shutdown, this must be communicated in writing to the employee before the shutdown commences.

Part of the NES provisions is that the employee should not suffer a loss of pay because of public holidays or enforced annual shutdown of the business. See ICB – Annual Shutdowns for more detail on this topic.

Bookkeeping Process Public holidays are not required to be shown separately on payslips unless worked. If not worked, they are simply paid as ordinary hours. If worked, penalty rates must be shown on the payslip, (unless a day in lieu arrangement has been made. Check that the relevant award allows for days in lieu to be taken). If the public holiday is paid, this incurs SGC. If a public holiday falls while the employee is on leave, the annual leave taken is reduced by the number of public holidays in that period of leave.

Paydays on Public Holidays You will need to consult the relevant award to see if there is particular provision for this scenario. In most cases, if payday falls on a public holiday then payment can be made on the next day. The FairWork Act is silent on this issue. If the day the employee will receive the wages is going to be later than usual, best practice is to notify the employees in writing well in advance.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 7

Trading Restrictions It is common for trading restrictions to apply for the retail sector and this is generally regulated by the state body. Check your state’s business.gov or Fair Trading website for details about restricted trading hours on public holidays.

What Days are Public Holidays? The following days are public holidays under the NES:

1 January (New Year’s Day) 26 January (Australia Day) Good Friday Easter Monday 25 April (ANZAC Day) Queen’s birthday holiday (the day on which it is celebrated in a State or Territory or a region of a State or

Territory) 25 December (Christmas Day) 26 December (Boxing Day)

Note: In 2016 Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. Monday 26 December, 2016 is Boxing Day public holiday; because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, Tuesday 27 December, 2016 is scheduled as a replacement holiday.

New Year’s Day also falls on a Sunday, therefore Monday 2 January, 2017 is the replacement public holiday.

Both the actual day and the additional holiday are treated as public holidays.

Any other day or part-day declared or prescribed by or under a law of a State or Territory is to be observed generally within the State or Territory (or a region of the State or Territory) as a public holiday.

Related References ICB - Christmas Related Matters ICB - Christmas Parties and Gifts ICB - Business Information Sheet - Christmas Related Matters ICB - Business Information Sheet - Payroll and FairWork ICB - Payroll Resources ICB - Guide to Employer Obligations ICB - Payroll Resources ICB - Public Holidays ICB - Tax on Commissions and Bonuses Worksheet ICB - Guide to FBT FairWork – Working on Public Holidays FairWork – List of Public Holidays FairWork – Pay Calculator FairWork - Small Business Best Practice Guidelines FairWork - 5 Things you Should know about Public Holidays FairWork - Annual Shutdowns Business Victoria - Trading Hours on Public Holidays (Check your state’s business or fair trading websites

for detail) ATO - Tax Table for Back Payments, Commissions and Bonuses ATO - FBT and Christmas Parties ATO - FBT and Entertainment for Small Business ATO - FBT and Entertainment for Government ATO - FBT and Entertainment for Non Profit Organisations ATO - FBT and Christmas Parties for Tax-Exempt Bodies

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 8

Does Your Charity Have the ACNC Tick?

Introducing the ACNC Charity Tick

Our 2015 Public Trust and Confidence research showed that support of charities is closely entwined with trust, and that charities are the third most trusted group in Australia (behind doctors and the police).

Importantly, when the ACNC’s role as the charity regulator was explained to research survey respondents, their trust in Australia’s charities grew significantly. This increase in trust is partly derived from the credibility which well governed charities generate and also from the fact that there is a regulatory body keeping watch over the sector, finding those that do the wrong thing, and taking action to ensure that all charities operate with integrity and good practice.

A similar concept to the charity tick already exists in Scotland, and in the United Kingdom and New Zealand charities have a unique ‘charity number’ that can be used when fundraising.

We see the benefit of the charity tick as two-fold; registered charities can display their charity registration status in a simple way and donors can instantly be confident that they are giving to a registered (and regulated) charity.

The charity tick will only be able to be downloaded by a registered charity via the Charity Portal. Its use will be governed by terms and conditions which the charity must agree to before they can download the file. The ACNC will track the use of the tick by each registered charity and take action where we are notified of a breach of the terms of use.

The charity tick will be available for charities to download in the Charity Portal by the end of November, ahead of the traditional Christmas charitable giving period.

All registered charities will receive an email when the Charity Tick becomes available. The ACNC will be conducting a public information campaign to support the release of the tick.

Over time, we hope that the charity tick will become synonymous with a charity that is well governed, reputable, and worthy of public donations.

Reproduced from ACNC Spring 2016 newsletter.

References

Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission ICB - Not for Profit

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 9

ATO Super Entitlement Tools

The ATO have released their new tools to check superannuation entitlements. The three tools address eligibility, entitlement estimate, and complaint about an employer.

1. Eligibility Tool – Are you Entitled to SGC Contributions? Example – Employee

Are you an employee?

Confirm you are paid more than $450 per month Enter age. (If under 18, you will be asked if you have worked more than 30 hours in a week). Then are a series of questions relating to domestic work, CDEP, non-resident, JPDA, foreign executive. Result: entitled to super.

You are entitled to super

Based on the information you have provided you are entitled to super guarantee contributions from your employer.

Example – Contract Bookkeeper

Are you an employee?

Answer is based on the concept that you are performing work to achieve a result and using your intellect

and expertise; you are not providing solely physical labour. Result: not entitled to super.

You are not entitled to super

Based on the information you have provided you are not entitled to super guarantee contributions from your employer.

You are not eligible to super guarantee contributions because you are not an eligible employee for super purposes.

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2. Estimate Tool This tool enables the employee to determine the amount of super they are entitled to, excluding the current quarter. If they are trying to determine an estimate for the current quarter, an error message is received advising that the employer has until the 28th of the following month to pay and therefore they are unable to calculate.

Enter the time frame you want the estimate for.

The employee is then required to enter the Ordinary Times Earnings, which is where they may need

help as not every employee understands what OTE is. There is a question mark that they can tick that gives them the basics of OTE.

The calculation tool then provides an estimate and advises that this estimate does not take into consideration any salary sacrifice.

3. Complaint Tool This form enables the employee to report any unpaid superannuation to the ATO

Employee first needs to check super fund to confirm that they have not been paid the super they are expecting

Confirm eligibility, i.e., $450 per month has been earned Enter ABN of employer, confirm that it is your employer

Then enter the period the enquiry relates to Enter personal details, (name, DOB, TFN, email address, details of superfund Then confirm you give permission for the ATO to contact the employer, providing any other relevant details If you do not allow the ATO permission to contact the employer, “processing of your enquiry may be delayed

if we are unable to refer to you by name when contacting your employer”.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 11

References ICB - Contractor or Employee ATO - Check Super Entitlements ATO - Employee or Contractor

BAS Agent World

ATO Working With Registered Agents - They Admit They Need To

Working Together – Have Your Say

Would you Agree the ATO and the Tax Profession Depend on Each Other for Success?

Together with members of the tax profession, we’ve described the relationship we need to work together effectively now and into the future.

This will guide our interactions and establish roles in our working relationship.

Working with the Tax Profession

The ATO and tax profession are known for working together to provide expert services that help Australians and businesses succeed.

In Australia, tax professionals have a critical role in the tax and superannuation systems. They are intermediaries, conduits and influencers of behaviour; providing expert advice to, and completing the necessary transactions (record keeping and lodgements) for clients to meet their obligations.

Taxpayers can choose to deal directly with the ATO and self-prepare, or use a tax professional to help them meet their taxation and superannuation obligations. It is recognised that the more complex the affairs of a taxpayer, the more likely they are to need the services of a tax professional.

Both the ATO and the tax profession work together to facilitate taxpayers effectively and efficiently through the tax system – helping individual Australians and businesses to prosper, while meeting their various tax (and other regulatory) obligations.

Principles for working together effectively:

The ATO and the tax profession depend on each other for success. The ATO and the tax profession take responsibility for developing the necessary expertise to support their

respective roles in the tax and superannuation system. Clients can choose to interact directly with the ATO or use a tax professional – materials and services are

designed to reflect this choice. Services offered by the ATO and the tax profession:

are contemporary aim to improve productivity and viability for businesses and the community allow clients to meet a variety of regulatory obligations – following the ‘write once, use many’ tenet are provided early and upstream to help people get it right from the start keep people connected and aware of their position – so that things aren’t left alone or don’t get off

track.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 12

The Future

Administration of the tax and super systems will change in the coming years because of:

Greater automation and digital business Reduction in transactional requirements Increased data sharing between taxpayers, third parties and

government Whole of government services.

Challenges and Opportunities

As both the ATO and tax profession modernise, new products and services will need to be co-designed to suit the majority.

The changes in administration are likely to impact on the viability of some tax professionals whose work is based on a business model of low complexity, low margin and high volume.

Do you Think this Reflects the Working Relationship we Need?

Give the ATO your feedback by commenting on the discussion board.

Reproduced from the ATO Tax Professionals Community - Working Together - Have Your Say

TPB Forum for BAS Agents

TPB Forum Melbourne 26 October, 2016

TPB members in attendance:

Ian Taylor Russell Smith Rosemary Holloway Jeanette Wu

Presenter for the day was Russell Smith who gave a great presentation and interacted well with the BAS agent audience.

Emerging Issues With Your Practice

Accounting Software

Software selling direct to clients causes issues that still require a BAS agent interaction.

Incorrect bank feeds and allocation of such by clients Clients deliberately allocating transactions that are not compliant

The TPB reiterated ICB’s position, that is, automation doesn’t necessarily mean we are out of a job. We still have a role in ascertaining and advising, even if we do less data entry.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 13

Single Touch Payroll

STP is due to start on 1 July 2018. This will initially be a requirement for large business with small businesses able to opt in. Software companies are preparing now.

Australia is one of a few in the western world that doesn’t currently have a solution like STP and is the slowest country in western world in recouping PAYG payments.

Simpler BAS Russell reiterated that this didn’t mean we had to do less. We still need to allocate, code and review to ensure compliance and correctness; again, the same position as ICB is saying.

Code of Conduct Considerations Russell stressed that we need to follow the TPB codes when processing clients’ work.

Code 7 - Ensure you are not performing work that you are not competent in. He gave the example if you only know Fuel Tax Credits and had no experience in any other area, then that is the only help and advice you should be providing. Code 9 - The importance of checking a client’s state of affairs and ensuring you take reasonable care. However, they were unable to state what reasonable care really is defined as, because there is no set formula as to what is “reasonable”. They suggested that we discuss with other BAS agents to help make the decision as to whether you are taking reasonable care. What your professional peers believe is important. Use the ICB forum or Facebook group or your local network meeting to raise these sorts of issues for discussion. New BAS agents especially should seek the advice of more experienced agents to help clarify the concept of “reasonable care”.

Code 5 - Ensuring you manage potential conflicts of interest. We discussed the disclosure requirement in regards to recommendation of software as well as other situations with clients. See references below for ICB resources that can assist.

Cloud Computing Covered subscriptions in your name, ownership of the file, how to

manage ownership issues. Concerns that if the file is in your name, you still need authority to add

another user as this qualifies as disclosing information to a third party. Concerns that others are now able to change the file and introduce

possible errors etc. However, audit trails can usually show who has done what when.

Reiterated emphatically the requirement for BAS agents to obtain authorisations for every lodgement. This is a legal requirement by ATO which BAS agents must uphold at every stage.

Outsourcing and Offshoring Outsourcing is defined as transferring portions of the services you provide to a third party rather than doing yourself, (or having an employee do it). Stressed that authority to do so must be provided by the client. Recommended to include in Letter of

Engagement if you use outsourced service providers.

Offshoring is defined as the use of a third party in an offshore location to undertake elements of the agent services you provide. Reiterated the need to check the provider’s competency and understanding of our tax law. Reminded that ultimately the agent is responsible for the work and sometimes the checking time involved

can negate the savings of lower offshoring costs. Reiterated quite strenuously Code 7 in regards to the competency of the work and Code 6 in regards non-

disclosure to a third party without authority.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 14

Russell advised that the TPB website has many factsheets and webinars that are updated regularly for registered agents to use.

Expanded BAS Services

The BAS services definition has been expanded on 1 June, 2016 to include advising on superannuation, setting up a clearing house, and lodgement of Tax File Number declarations.

Technically this has not been passed as law, because the Government hasn’t yet met the 15 sitting days of parliament as of today.

Unregistered “Agents” Russell talked about their programme to identify unregistered BAS agents.

Out of 1,000 advertising as BAS agents, 130 were not registered. Cease and desist letters were sent out with most subsequently doing the correct thing. 20 are still being monitored.

Advised that civil penalties could apply. Also following up on BAS agents that have chosen not to renew registration, to ensure they are not still

providing BAS services after their registration period has ceased.

There was discussion about the reporting of unregistered providers or issues with existing BAS agents.

Stressed the need to report to the TPB. Advised it can be done anonymously but you need to provide significant information for them to take action. The TPB receives roughly 1,600 complaints per year which is 0.5% of agents. 48 agents were terminated last year. Case studies and examples where agents have been penalised, terminated etc.

Registration Renewal Financial advisers only came under the Act on 20 April 2014 and they have 19,500 registered who will be due for review in 20 months’ time, which may cause delays in renewals of BAS agents due to increased workload for the TPB during that time.

Russell advised that this shouldn’t impact much, as your registration continues until the TPB have made a decision. When you are renewing, you are able to continue providing BAS services, even if the TPB take longer than usual to process your renewal.

Reminder to download and use the TPB registered agent symbol.

Annual Declarations There was discussion about why agents need to make annual declarations.

Pick up any changes during 3 year period Pick up failure to meet requirements Change of details of the agent Ensure Professional Indemnity Insurance is up to date Ensure CPE requirement is being met

Panel Discussion: Russell Smith, Ian Taylor and Rosemary Hollaway

Russell Smith was asked about the changes he has seen since BAS agent regime came on board.

Responded that the biggest change is the recognition of the professional bodies Change in technology and moving forward with that

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 15

What does a BAS agent need to consider when recommending software?

Disclosure of commission No single software suits all business owners and agents, so agents need to be advising about options

available to the client

Can you get electronic signatures for lodgements?

Yes

What do you do when receiving information from the accountant that you feel is wrong?

Again use reasonable care, ask the questions and if still not happy go with your gut and apply accordingly.

Where does your obligation end with a client that has unpaid super and client isn’t acting on it?

Refer to separate article in the November 2016 ICB Newsletter: Dealing with Non-Compliant Clients

Summary

Overall it was an informative session, especially for agents who are not members of a bookkeeping body. ICB has advised members about all the issues discussed.

Related References ICB - BAS Agent Code of Conduct ICB - BAS Agent Authority Templates ICB - BAS Agents ICB - Applying and Renewing as a BAS Agent ICB - Disclosing Commissions ICB - Ownership of Cloud Based Software ICB - Simpler BAS ICB - Single Touch Payroll

The New TPB Website - What do you Think?

A message from the Tax Practitioners Board

As you may be aware, we have been working to make it easier for tax practitioners to use our website. Over the last 12 months we have invested significant time and effort into the development of a new TPB website. We have worked with tax practitioners, stakeholders and the general public to ensure that we are building a website that meets users’ needs. After three rounds of user testing, we are pleased to announce that the beta test website is now available for you to preview.

Until the final site is completed, the current TPB website still remains the official website and you should continue to use the current site for the most up-to-date information and online forms. We will let you know when the final website goes live.

What’s new on the beta test website?

The focus of the website is to improve user experience – especially with ease of finding information quickly. The beta test website reflects key feedback received from our user groups and takes into consideration the different user pathways. You will see significant changes to design and layout.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 16

Following feedback from our user groups, some key changes in the new site include:

A landing page for each user group such as tax agents, BAS agents and tax (financial) advisers to improve navigation

Grouping of content within each user group landing page to reflect the registration life-cycle: Apply to register Maintain your registration Ending your registration

Access to TPB Register page from Home as well as the user-group landing pages Access to My Profile on the top right hand corner from every page.

What we would like you to do?

We invite you to take a tour of the TPB beta test website, exploring and navigating your way through the various menus and links. We have migrated a number of pages to enable you to experience the beta test website. However, as not all pages have been migrated yet, you may notice some broken links.

Click here to go to the TPB beta test website.

We would like your feedback on your experience using our beta test website and if it meets your needs.

We would also appreciate your assistance in promoting this beta test website to tax practitioners who are members of your association, and have attached an article you may wish to use.

We look forward to hearing what you and your members think of our beta test website. Your feedback will help us deliver a better website

To provide comments or suggestions about our beta site, please use the feedback form on the beta test website. You can access this form from the About the TPB menu or the footer.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 17

TPB Refuses BAS Agent

TPB Said They Were not Qualified to be a BAS Agent

A recent application to be a BAS Agent sought to rely on his attendance at seminars, engagement in continuing professional development activities as a Fellow of CPA Australia, and his previous employment as a finance and administration manager to justify that he had met the requirements to complete a TPB approved course in basic GST / BAS taxation principles.

The TPB applied the standards and requirements of the registration regulations and stated that it was not sufficient. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) agreed that they had failed to meet the relevant education qualification requirements. The AAT affirmed the TPB’s policy requiring independent assessment as part of an approved course.

TPB - Summary of penalties sanctions and terminations

Continued Professional Education

This Month From the ICB Continued Professional Education Webpage

ICB Events and Webinars Classroom Online

ICB Annual Conference - Bookkeeping 2017 Nationally, March 2017

ICB Technical Webinar - Overseas Sales and Purchasing Webinar, 6th December, 2016

ICB Technical Webinar - The Bookkeeping Cycle - Banking Webinar, 8th December, 2016

A Practical, Plain-English Guide to Modern Awards Webinar, 8th December, 2016

ICB Technical Webinar - The Bookkeeping Cycle - End of Month Webinar, 19th January, 2017

ICB Technical Webinar - Review of Payroll Entitlements Webinar, 31st January, 2017

Reckon One Certifications Multi-Locations Multi-Dates

Clients in the Cloud: Making your practice scalable and valuable Classroom, Sydney, NSW 23rd November, 2016

Budgets and Cashflow Management Classroom, Balcatta, WA 28th November, 2016

Reckon Accredited Partner Training Days Multi-Locations Multi-Dates

Learn Calxa in a Day Classroom, Balcatta, WA 2nd December, 2016

Xero Accounting & Xero Payroll Classroom, Perth, WA Multi-Dates

ATO Let's Talk Webinars Online Multi-Dates

Excel Training Courses Online Multi-Dates

MYOB Training Courses Online Multi-Dates

Xero Training Courses Online Multi-Dates

MYOB News Channel Online Multi-Dates

TPB Webinars Online Multi-Dates

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 18

Reckon Advanced Certificate Training Multi-Locations Multi-Dates

Learn Calxa in a Day Multi-Locations Multi-Dates

The Power of Calxa for Your Practice Online Multi-Dates

Effortless Bookkeeping with Receipt Bank Online Multi-Dates

ICB Network Meetings

Question For You to Discuss This Month - GST on Processed and Unprocessed Milk

This month's question for you all to debate at your network meeting is:

Why are dairy farmers charged GST when their milk is picked up from the dairy, (before any processing), but it is sold at the supermarket GST free?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Last month we asked you:

My client recently registered for GST, effective 1 July. He had issued invoices prior to July and is now being paid for them. Does he have to pay GST? (He is on cash basis). Or because they were issued as GNR, does he get to keep all the money?

He also purchased business items in June but didn’t pay for them until July. Should he claim the GST credits for the June invoices?

ICB's Response:

If your client registered by choice without reaching the compulsory registration threshold of $75,000 then the answer is no. He gets to keep the money. He is only required to report the GST on the invoices issued after 1 July.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 19

However, if your client reached the threshold and was required to register then he must forfeit 10% as GST payable to the ATO. He could reissue the invoices adding the 10% GST onto the original cost, but the customer is obliged to pay only on the original invoice issued – so good luck getting the extra money from the customer!

Because he is on cash reporting, for the purchases, he should claim the GST credits as he has paid for the goods in July.

Related References

ICB – GST and BAS Reconciliation ATO – Accounting Methods

Upcoming Network Meetings

Join a network meeting, not just to share, but to also network and keep informed.

All ICB Network Facilitators volunteer their time to assist ICB in keeping you up to date and informed and without the help of these fantastic people these valuable meetings would not happen.

If you are unable to attend your local meeting due to time restraints or there isn't a meeting in your area, why not join us via webinar on the 2nd week of each month.

Webinars

Online - 12pm 9th December, 2016

Online - 5pm 12th December, 2016

ACT

Canberra - Northside TBA

Canberra - Phillip 13th December, 2016

New South Wales

Albury TBA

Ballina 9th December, 2016

Balmain TBA

Bathurst TBA

Bellingen TBA

Blue Mountains TBA

Brookvale 5th December, 2016

Central Coast TBA

Dubbo 1st December, 2016

Hawkesbury Region 29th November, 2016

Hills Region (Rouse Hill) TBA

Hornsby 9th February, 2016

Lower North Shore TBA

Moorebank 14th December, 2016

Newcastle TBA

Newport 6th December, 2016

Orange TBA

Port Macquarie 13th December, 2016

Randwick - Bondi 7th December, 2016

Shoalhaven 5th December, 2016

Southern Highlands 5th December, 2016

Sutherland TBA

Wollongong TBA

Queensland

Atherton Tablelands 7th December, 2016

Brisbane North 13th December, 2016

Brisbane South 6th December, 2016

Bundaberg TBA

Burpengary 13th December, 2016

Cairns TBA

Dalby TBA

Gold Coast - AM 13th December, 2016

Gold Coast - PM 13th December, 2016

Hervey Bay TBA

Ipswich 17th January, 2017

Logan 18th January, 2017

Moreton Bay 12th December, 2016

Nth Sunshine Coast 9th December, 2016

Paddington TBA

Port Douglas 16th December, 2016

Sth Sunshine Coast 8th December, 2016

Toowoomba 9th December, 2016

Townsville 9th December, 2016

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 20

South Australia

Adelaide West TBA

Mt Barker 13th December, 2016

Para Hills TBA

South Adelaide 2nd February, 2017

Unley 8th December, 2016

Victoria

Brunswick TBA

Bulleen 13th December, 2016

Burwood 7th December, 2016

Chadstone 12th December, 2016

Cobram 2nd February, 2017

Craigieburn TBA

Docklands 9th December, 2016

Echuca TBA

Frankston 8th December, 2016

Geelong 13th December, 2016

Lilydale TBA

Macedon Ranges 13th December, 2016

Mordialloc 13th December, 2016

Mt Waverley 13th December, 2016

Narre Warren 6th December, 2016

Point Cook TBA

Sale 8th December, 2016

Warragul TBA

Yarra Valley 9th December, 2016

Western Australia

Broome TBA

Bunbury TBA

Busselton TBA

Cockburn Central TBA

Geraldton 2nd December, 2016

Joondalup 15th December, 2016

Kalgoorlie 15th December, 2016

Melville 14th December, 2016

Noranda 8th February, 2017

Welshpool TBA

Tasmania Northern Territory

Hobart TBA

Launceston TBA

Darwin 12th December, 2016

These meeting are conducted in a relaxed and informal environment to promote discussion amongst those attending the meetings.

No meeting in your area?

We are always on the lookout for facilitators to run meetings in their local area so if you are interested please contact Carmel Wright here.

ICB Network Meetings are proudly supported by MYOB

Other Things Happening in the World

Xero Loves Bookkeepers

Paul Dunn (B1G1 Chairman) interviews Rod Drury (Xero CEO) (The following text starts after the 14 minute mark)

Paul Dunn: Bookkeepers are more naturally used to connecting with their clients more frequently. "You guys are switched on!"

Rod Drury: Quick secret - bookkeepers do the work, they are the ones that are in sweating every transaction, making sure it is right.

In Australia, the bookkeeping community has gone nuts, bookkeeping is well organised, it has Matthew at ICB who is an icon in the industry, who is really driving that and all over the A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) thing and really positive and proactive and driving that.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 21

The Australian bookkeeping industry is a really defined and well-respected tier and we are trying to take some of the lessons learnt there. Bookkeeping is a very noble profession, and actually in there helping small businesses, usually it's cost effective and what Xero are doing is to help bookkeepers scale to help many more businesses.

Bookkeeping is a super exciting thing, it is moving from just doing the numbers to really checking and making sure it is right.

Rod Drury and Paul Dunn sharing some great insights from B1G1 on Vimeo.

This Month From the ICB

How to Use the ICB Website

The ICB website is packed with great information for ICB members - and much of this is available publicly to non-members as well. There is so much information available on our website, take a minute to review the information here to make sure you are making the most of what ICB offers.

Main Website Sections

Home Page: The latest news feed and essential locations within the website, including links to the following sections.

Corporate Information: An overview of ICB, who we are and what we are involved in.

Membership: The benefits of being a member, how to apply or renew as a member and ICB’s code of conduct.

Members: This section provides access to MyICB, technical support, member benefits and more.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 22

Resources: ICB produced technical resources - see below for details.

Professional Development: Opportunities for Continuing Professional Education, further education and ICB assessments.

Products and Solutions: ICB offers products and solutions relevant to bookkeepers. ICB affiliates offer accounting software, insurance, Human Resources advice, books and manuals and other services such as budgeting tools, debt collection, IT support and digital signatures at member prices.

Network Meetings: ICB network meetings are fun around Australia by ICB members. Search for meetings in your area or join by webinar.

Who Are You: Dedicated information for members, BAS agents, bookkeepers, business owners, not-for-profits, students, accountants, media and educators.

Resources

Resources are divided into the following main sections. Resources are mainly for members only, although there are some news items that are listed in resources indexes, which are publicly available.

BAS Agents: Provides templates and checklists for BAS agents to use with their clients, guidance on professional conduct, and information on using the ATO portal and other technology relevant to BAS agents.

Bookkeeping: Provides general bookkeeping cycle information, processes, principles and checklists.

Business Matters: Includes information related to business systems, compliance and daily running of business.

End of Year: Processes, systems, checklists, reviews, lodgements and preparation of accounts for the tax agent.

GST & BAS: Topics relevant to the detail of how GST applies to different aspects of accounts and preparation of a BAS.

Payroll: All aspects of payroll that a bookkeeper may get involved in, including Fair Work and human resources matters.

Software: Product updates, partner programs and technology issues relevant to bookkeeping and business.

Your Bookkeeping Business: Addresses various issues and aspects of being in business as a bookkeeper, as well as providing checklists, templates and authority forms.

Student Resources: Student focussed resources about the basics of bookkeeping and essential information.

Templates and Checklists: Provides access to ICB’s checklists, templates and authority forms from all areas of resources, all on one webpage.

How To Guides: Another way of searching for resources, the focus being on practical “how to” information.

Search the Website

The ICB website has two search functions. 1. Global search of the entire website - top right of every webpage. 2. Resources search - only available from within the Resources pages, this function searches resources and

news items.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 23

Shop

ICB offers merchandise, events and books for sale from our website. Some items are member-only and some are also available to non-members at a different price.

Forum

The ICB forum is a space for questions and answers, allowing anyone with interest to post questions and participate in discussions with others in the forum community. This is a great way to share information, exchange views and processes, and learn from your peers in the wider community of bookkeepers around Australia.

Although not directly available from our website, another forum for exchange of ideas and information is the (members only) ICB Discussion & Support Facebook group.

ICB Christmas 2016 Closure Notice

ICB's office will be closed from:

4.00pm Friday 23rd December, 2016 (AEDST)

until

8.00am Tuesday 3rd January, 2017 (AEDST).

We would like to take this opportunity to with you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

What's New this Month from ICB

New and updated resources for November 2016

Second Hand Goods

November 2016 Network Meeting Webinar

October 2016 Members Newsletter Podcast

Click here to view the latest news for the month.

ICB Q & A Space - You can check out all the latest threads here. Feel free to ask your questions regarding any issue you may be having or if you require clarification, we are here to help. The Latest Updates lists all the topics in order of replies.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 24

November 2016 eBrief Newsletter for Your Business

The November 2016 Bookkeeping eBrief is now available for you to download.

November 2016 Bookkeeping eBrief Newsletter - PDF

Back copies are available here.

"The best bookkeepers using the best resources".

Products and Solutions

Income Protection Insurance - New Policy for Bookkeepers

Personal Accident and Illness - Exclusively for ICB Bookkeepers

We all see those ads on TV for Income Protection, Life Insurance, Personal Accident and Illness etc. and they are meant to arouse a call to action but do they?

Have you ever thought what if I got sick or injured and couldn’t work for an extended period? How would I survive?

Most of us get sick once or twice a year with a cold or flu; Income Protection Insurance is not designed to cover this.

It is for that significant life event that can have dire consequences should one not be able to earn an income following a serious illness or injury.

Most income protection policies restrict policy payments to 85% of your taxable income, and like all self-employed people, your taxable income might further be reduced by your accountant / tax agent to minimise the tax paid. This has a significant impact on the overall benefits paid.

Let’s look at an example:

A bookkeeper bills out $76,000 for services rendered and receives an additional $2,000 in commission. Their tax return deducts costs such as car, conferences, rent, subscriptions, memberships, equipment purchases and depreciation etc.

The new taxable income is now $60,000 and income protection only pays 85% of this which is $51,000.

Solution: Exclusive to ICB Members:

The new Bookkeeper Personal Accident and Illness policy which has been exclusively tailored for our ICB Members only and offers a unique product which is based on 100% of your invoicing for labour and includes commissions earned on sales of ancillary services such as software etc., i.e. You are covered for all income which is forfeited due total disablement resulting from accident or illness to the maximum sum insured.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 25

Ok, how does this work?

Again, let’s use the same example - A bookkeeper bills out $76,000 for services rendered and receives $2,000 commission on software sales They pay the relevant premium for $1,500 per week i.e. annual cover for $78,000.

Any ongoing commission you receive on a monthly or regular basis for software or ancillary sales which will continue to be paid to you by the supplier, would be deducted from the $78,000 insurance cover. However, if for any reason commission is no longer received, then it would be added back into the claim and would be covered. This means you would have full cover for income forfeited as opposed to current policies on the market.. This additional benefit can be as much as $27,000 per year.

To Summarise: "After the 14 or 28 day waiting period that you have selected, the policy will pay 100% of the $1,500 per week less any commissions you still receive.”

More good news!

The following additional benefits have been included:

All benefits paid up to age 70, (no restrictions), most policies only available up to 65 Death and Capital Benefits automatically included to $20,000 Cover available from age 70-75 (some restrictions apply)

This cover is only available from Insurance Made Easy. For assistance, please contact our Specialist Bookkeeping Team on 03 9757 8181 or toll-free 1800 641 260.

Inside Small Business Magazine

Inside Small Business looks at how Australia’s small businesses can enhance the way they manage operations, resources, staff, marketing, finances and technology to create a more positive and profitable outcome.

ICB members can subscribe to the Inside Small Business magazine (digital edition), quarterly at no cost at all! Simply add to cart and fill the details to access the magazine immediately and all archived issues. Log in and click here for the link to subscribe.

ICB members are also entitled to a 20% discount on any purchase on the Inside Small business website for either books, subscriptions, reports and much more.

Product Description

Your digital subscription to Inside Small Business magazine. Access anywhere around Australia and the world, from mobile, tablet or computer. Keep up to date with the latest exclusive news, advice, coverage and opinion about the small business industry including leading educational series in marketing, finance, human resources, risk and eCommerce.

Inside Small Business Subscription

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 26

From the ATO

ATO Small Business Benchmarks

ICB are involved in a working group with small business owners, tax professionals, industry groups and ATO representatives to review the existing Small Business Benchmarks material on the ATO webpage.

We will provide further information as the project develops.

For now, visit the current information on Small Business Benchmarks.

ATO’s cash and hidden economy program Small business benchmarks main page – this page include links to the

detailed list of benchmarks How benchmarks can help your business – includes the benchmark formula

and links to how they are calculated and can be calculated What it means to be outside the benchmark Small business benchmarks methodology and ratio calculations – this page

provides links to a review of the methodology we use and a detailed description of the methodology

How benchmarks are calculated – provides information on how a business or a tax professional can calculate a small business benchmark for themselves or their client

Taxation statistics – comprehensive statistical summary of information taxpayers report to the ATO

AUSkey Update

AUSkey is now compatible with Chrome. Chrome users need to download an extension to allow the AUSkey to function within Chrome, click here.

See also ICB - AUSkey in the Cloud.

ATO Forum Report

The Melbourne ATO Forum was informative and interesting. The ATO are keen to improve communication to the partners - including BAS agents. This report provides an overview of topics discussed.

Agenda Included:

Technology Digital Services

TPB

Debt Management

Superannuation Employer Obligations

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 27

Technology, Services and Support for Tax Practitioners Practitioner Lodgement Services (PLS) replaces ELS Agents’ Portal and ATO Online - Discussion re MyGov

debacle for agents Client Communication List New partnership framework - 66 committees to improve

networking Protecting you from scams Simpler BAS

Digital Services ATO Online and MyGov AUSkey alternatives Future initiatives - Single touch payroll to be implemented 1/7/2018 Latest features of the ATO App were shown

TPB - Greg Lewis Recommend to use BAS Agent logo everyone to prove registration, as TPB coming down hard on

unregistered people Explained if property sold for >$2m then a Clearance Certificate Foreign Investor form is required (FRCGA).

This is not a BAS Agent service. Confidentiality - Obliged to let clients know that your backup of their files are stored offsite by a third party. Confidentiality - Do not send client’s TFN information via email.

Debt Management - Reece Jackson Online viability assessment tool to estimate payment plan ATO - Payment arrangement calculator Change to agent portal to view debt plans of clients, though ATO could not confirm this is currently available

to BAS Agents.

Superannuation - Louie Markovski (Director of Superannuation) SuperStream impact is working well. Question raised re superannuation funds forcing monthly payment and

demanding letters for payment. Director was unaware and will look into this. Working holiday makers’ tax on superannuation (DASA) is now 95%. Question raised why add SGC to their

wage in the first place. Superannuation fees on funds killing the superannuation earned by young people. Transition to Retirement Concessional CAP changes.

Employer Obligations How future review / audit process will run - Interesting change for unpaid superannuation. If an employer

has good history with the ATO, then they will be lenient and waive SGC statement if the employer pays immediately to the funds directly. Equally, the ATO will waive penalties if employers are working towards being compliant.

Audit will include whether contractor is an employee or not. If found a contractor is an employee, the ATO will draw a line in the sand on that date of audit for the contractor to become an employee.

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 28

ATO "Connect with Us" Showcase Event Report

I recently had the opportunity to represent ICB and its members at an ATO “showcase event” in Canberra titled "Closer engagement with stakeholder for better outcomes". Invited guests included Chartered Accountants of Australia, Small Business Council, CPA Australia, Institute of Public Accountants, KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, PWC, Tax Practitioners Board, Australian Bankers Association and others. I spoke with professors of accounting, lawyers, Treasury officials and ATO staff but got the feeling that the bigger end of town were more of a focus than bookkeepers and ICB. This just increased my resolve to network with as many as possible to explain how important bookkeepers are to business and the ATO and to listen to the panelists about how the ATO is delivering better outcomes through closer engagement with key stakeholders. Those present were referred to Brene Brown’s research on "The power of vulnerability to assist with making connections".

The ATO’s consultation process provides information about Consultation.

The event highlighted the use of current technology with registration being organised with electronic or paper tickets for registration using Eventbrite and the polling and publication of audience feedback throughout the sessions using Poll Everywhere, a far more effective process than the old breakout sessions with butcher's paper. There were two panels made up of ATO representatives and industry representatives in a Q & A format.

Second Commissioner Andrew Mills led the discussions and made it clear that the ATO believes that by making connection with stakeholders they will be building trust and thereby improving outcomes by having a shared understanding of each other’s concerns. Andrew informed us that in the past there were 68 consultative forums with 1,500 people meeting over 200 times a year but lacking an outcome focus. This has now been reduced to 8 consultative forums which are outcome focused which importantly allow space in the agenda for listening and they have introduced a co-chair.

While consultation is important so too is certainty, and the Law Companion Guidelines (LCG 2016/1) is seen as assisting with this. The ATO also aims to be contemporary by bringing older rules up to speed, with smart tools such as “Ask Alex for Help” to learn from user experiences.

Consultation has also worked with policy and law design, particularly with ATO and Treasury consultations, with a service ethic managing expectations. With the administration of tax law, pre-policy discussions have proven effective. There needs to be a consistent response and the ability to adapt when problems arise with the ability to ask questions we feel are relevant.

It was felt that digital literacy is becoming increasingly important with better project management essential with activities such as Single Touch Payroll and Super Stream projects - implementation is everything.

80% of business start-ups first consult an accountant.

There are over 14,000 pages of tax law costing $40 billion a year to administer, Law Companion Guidelines are a way of simplifying this for the practitioner.

After the panel sessions there was an opportunity to visit stalls from a variety of business lines across the ATO. I visited a number of theses such as Simpler BAS, Small Business, Single Touch Payroll and My Tax, all of whom are well aware of ICB and the importance of bookkeepers in partnering with the ATO to provide a better experience for business.

John Birse Director, ICB

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 29

Upcoming Portal Maintenance

See this link for scheduled times for the full guide to system maintenance and issues.

The portals will be unavailable at the following times for scheduled system maintenance.

Regular Planned System Maintenance

Saturday 3rd December 9.00pm AEDST Sunday 4th December 9.00am AEDST

Please note the long shutdown over Christmas and New Year.

Annual Shutdown System Maintenance

Friday 23rd December, 2016 9.00pm AEDST Tuesday 3rd January, 2017 7.00am AEDST

For more details regarding BAS Agent portal maintenance, click here.

ICB Membership Statistics as at 31st October, 2016

6,515

3,529 Members maintain Fellow, Member, Associate, Affiliate and Educator membership.

ICB also has 18 Accredited Training Provider Members and 2,968 Student Members.

ICB Supporters and Sponsors

© The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers November 2016 Newsletter Page 30

Please note that, in between newsletter issues, articles maybe published straight to the Latest News section of the website.

The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers complies with the Spam Act 2003 and we have a documented Spam Policy on our website. You can unsubscribe from ICB newsletters and updates here.

ICB's Newsletter contains news articles, links and regular sections that we feel will be of interest. If there is anything that you would like to see, whether a regular feature or a one-off, please let us know. Email your ideas to admin@icb.org.au

The monthly Newsletter for members of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers.

A selection of those articles listed are accessible by ICB Members only - ICB Members, you will need to be logged onto the ICB website to view all the articles in full.

The newsletter of ICB is designed as information and resources for Bookkeepers with clients and also bookkeepers in employment.

The content of the newsletter maybe relevant in part or in whole to other publications or other purposes.

The ICB withholds all rights of all content that is restricted to member access only and that information included in the member newsletter. Member only information is not to be reproduced without specific consent from ICB.

The ICB permits reproduction of ICB articles and material contained in the non-members newsletter and available publicly on the website on the proviso that acknowledgement of ICB is specifically provided including links to the ICB website and original article. e.g. "This information has been obtained from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers from www.icb.org.au.