Azure Group Blog

What goes into writing a positive Grant Application?

ourteam@azuregroup.com.au (Michael Derin) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 21:40:20 GMT

In order to develop a positive Grant Application, you need to mix a few ingredients!
When it comes to gaining grant funding, you have to be aware that any ‘Grant Funder’ will want to know your story e.g. what your organisation does and how the grant funding will improve your business and the overall economy. Your business story may be the hook, but unless you can strongly back it up, it is likely that you won’t receive the funding. The alchemy of a winning proposal is how you mix the ingredients to get it just right!

Here's our Top 6 Tips on getting the mix right....

FBT Year End is getting close: What corporate Fringe Benefits can you provide to your Employees?

tmoran@azuregroup.com.au (Tanya Moran) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 22:46:09 GMT

In a competitive employment market many employers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves and show benefits to employees. Rather than focusing on salary many companies opt to offer their employees other benefits in lieu of a financial payment. These might include things such as using a work car for private use or paying for an employee’s gym membership. Because these incentives do actually represent a monetary value they are still seen as an income in the form of fringe benefits and as such the employer needs to pay tax on these items known as Fringe Benefits Tax or FBT.

The three common approaches to Transfer pricing in Australia

tquinn@azuregroup.com.au (Timothy Quinn) — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 20:25:28 GMT

Multinational groups will often transfer goods and services between their member companies in different countries. Given that every country has its own corporate tax rates there is an obvious incentive for profits to be shifted to the country with the lowest tax rates. To prevent this, most global tax jurisdictions apply the concept of Transfer Pricing so that related parties deal with each other on an arms’ length basis. This is a complex area of international tax law, but broadly this means to deal with rated parties on the same terms that you would deal with an external party, in order to avoid artificial shifting of profits across borders.

ATO Business Portal Changes: Follow this simple guide to AUSkey replacement prior to 31 March 2020

tmoran@azuregroup.com.au (Tanya Moran) — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 23:02:32 GMT

The way you access government online services is changing. If you are currently accessing the ATO’s Business Portal using your Auskey or Manage ABN Connections, you will need to complete some actions prior to 31 March 2020 in order to maintain your access.

Government Grants and Incentives: Which one is right for my Business?

ourteam@azuregroup.com.au (Michael Derin) — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 20:47:00 GMT

Getting a Government Grant and Incentive can be a great booster to elevate your business to the next level. There are lots of Grants and Incentives out there to consider and they can make a big difference to your business. For example, Research and Development (R&D Tax Incentives) and the Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) which don’t focus on whether you’re generating a big revenue as eligibility criteria but rather focusing on your expenses so these can be a good opportunities for startup and small businesses.

Startups and Scaleups: R&D Tax Incentive Deadline of 30 April 2020 is fast approaching

ourteam@azuregroup.com.au (Azure Group) — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 04:26:34 GMT

Want to apply for the R&D Tax Incentive? There is no better time than now!

A gentle reminder for companies with 30 June 2019 financial year end who plan to register for R&D Tax Incentive program, the deadline of 30 April 2020 is fast approaching.

How to raise capital….under any market condition

ourteam@azuregroup.com.au (Azure Group) — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 00:35:00 GMT

Raising capital is hard work, particularly for startups or non listed companies. While there are always lots of people who want to invest, there are also many businesses like yours seeking investment. For those ventures that are not yet profitable or even generating revenue the battle for capital is even tougher.

Why Your Business Needs Professional Tax Preparation Services?

tmoran@azuregroup.com.au (Tanya Moran) — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:26:21 GMT

With the growing number of cloud based accounting software's and their supporting phone apps, small businesses may start to see that their accounting and therefore tax preparation is becoming easier and easier.

Whilst that may be true, often it's the work that leads up to preparing your tax return that adds the most value.

Here are our top 5 reasons why your business should be using professional tax preparation services:

How to scale your Startup with AI Tools?

ourteam@azuregroup.com.au (Azure Group) — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 20:22:16 GMT

The term artificial intelligence (AI) still feels very futuristic. It feels like it is so state of the art and cutting edge that it is completely out of the grasp of a startup or small business. However, we already have AI operating in our day-to-day lives and sometimes so subtly we don’t even realise it. While it still might feel like it is technology better suited for large scale business, it is in fact having the most impact on smaller startups to help them efficiently and quickly scale up as they grow.

New Year – Revised Business Strategy: Make yourself an Outsider!

ourteam@azuregroup.com.au (Azure Group) — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 21:00:00 GMT

At the beginning of each new year we tend to review our business strategy. It is a perfect time to reflect on the year that has been, celebrate your successes with you team, set goals and revise your strategies for the year ahead. But what is the right way to review your business and set a new strategy?