Having trouble viewing this newsletter - click here to view it online.

NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012

Peregian Accounting Services
Unit 3 12 Grebe Street
Peregian Beach Q 4573

Christmas tree.png2012 has been a tough year for many people, we hope you get a chance to unwind and celebrate over the Christmas and New Year period. We'll be taking the opportunity to relax a little too: the office will close at 5pm on Friday December 21 2012. We will reopen at 9am on Monday January 7 2013. We will regularly check for any messages left on our automated telephone system.



Xero - It's Always a Good Time to Switch Over

Xero logo Many of you have already started with Xero, and you know how easy it is.

For those of you we have not spoken to yet, Xero is an alternative to MYOB and Quicken with many great features that make it a real competitor. It has had fantastic growth in the last 12 months and is fast gaining a large part of the accounting market in Australia. Features include:

  • Automatic importing and coding of your bank transactions - if all your money comes in and goes out of a bank account Xero can do up to 90% of the data input from bank feeds and you can teach it so it remembers next time. The best part of all is that bank feeds for unlimited bank accounts are included in the price. There is no extra cost!
  • For people out and about all the time - once set up, it is easy to email and invoice when you're out and about, which is great for tradespeople and others who don't work from an office.
  • You can log in to your software anytime and anywhere via a web browser, including from smartphones and tablets.
  • An easy-to-read dashboard that shows at a glance all your bank balances, invoices, bills and expenses, and can be updated with just a click.
  • Updating fixed assets and depreciation schedules throughout the year, so you can get more accurate financial statements.
  • Several people can use the program at the same time. We can be working with your file at our office while you are face-to-face with customers producing and emailing invoices, all at the same time!
If we do your bookkeeping we will undertake that your total bookkeeping cost for this year, including Xero, will not be more than last year. You get all the benefits of Xero, at no extra cost to you.

If you do all your bookkeeping and use spreadsheets, Xero will pay for itself in reduced end-of-year costs and far less hassle to do your books. Plus, if you make sure all transactions go via the bank account, you will never be in danger of forgetting to claim something again. You can use your smartphone to update your books while waiting at the doctors surgery, catching a bus or train or anywhere you have internet access.

Switching over is very simple and can be done throughout the financial year. There are some Xero plans that are only available via accountants (the less expensive ones), so contact us to discuss your options: info@adaptive.net.au

Peregian Beach near our office
Peregian Beach near our office
LINKS
ATO Home page
ASIC Home page
Institute of Public Accountants Home page
Xero home page
MYOB Home page
Quickbooks Home page

Contact
Peregian Accounting -
Adaptive Accounting

Web:www.adaptive.net.au
Email: info@adaptive.net.au
Phone: 61 7 5448 1218
Fax: 61 7 5448 1221



Upcoming Due Dates

  • January 21 : December 2012 monthly BAS due date for lodging and paying (only for those on montly reporting cycles).
  • January 28 : December 2012 superannuation guarantee payments due.
  • February 21 : January 2013 monthly BAS due date for lodging and paying (only for those on montly reporting cycles).
  • February 28 : December 2012 quarterly BAS due date for lodging and paying (if lodging electronically).
  • February 28 : Annual 2012 GST return lodgement due date for lodging and paying.
  • February 28 : PAYG Instalment due date for paying (lodgement only required if varying the instalment amount).

Thanks for your help

Thank you for the items supplied for our window display. If you've visited our office recently you would have noticed the display of old photographs and news articles of the Sunshine Coast - a timeline of development in this area - created with the images we were kindly given the use of. In recent weeks many beachgoers have stopped to read the articles and admire the photos, taking in a little local history of their holiday destination.

We still have more room if you have been meaning to send us a photo but haven't yet got around to it. We can take the photos in any format or scan them and return them to you straight away. If you wish we will also acknowledge source.

Please also come down to the office and have a look at the display next time you're in Peregian Beach Square.

Property Investment News: The Iron is Hot, Strike Now

How are your cash investments performing at the moment? With further interest rate cuts forecast in the new year, investors in cash savings accounts are likely to face decreasing returns, so now might be perfect time to convert to other forms of investment. Property is still a particularly inviting form of investment, and particularly so at the moment with low interest rates on property mortgages, a buyer's market in property sales and strong rental returns of between 5% and 6%.

Latest figures from Australian Property Monitors show strongly rising rental yields in Perth, Darwin and Brisbane. Perth and Darwin recorded double-digit rises of 11.4% and 15.2% respectively in weekly rental amounts, and investors in these cities already enjoyed the highest rental returns of all Australian apartment investors. Brisbane is close behind Perth and Darwin for rental returns on apartments, and still achieving higher rental returns than those with apartments in Sydney and Melbourne.

December/January is also an excellent time to purchase property because it is traditionally the slowest time of the year to sell property. Buyers are few, being distracted with the Christmas and summer holiday season, and sellers may be more willing to discount on their property's purchase price especially if it has been on the market for some time.

Now for the cautionary words:
First, do your research. Some areas - even suburbs within Perth, Darwin and Brisbane - may cost more to purchase for comparatively lower rental yields than other areas or there may be a greater number of rental properties in some areas than others, reducing your potential rental return.

Second, most property pundits are predicting low growth in overall property assets and some are predicting more falls to come (although they are in the minority now). Any investment carries risk and we can no longer use the term "safe as houses", but a quality property in a good location, with a ten year time frame, purchased at the bottom of the property cycle should do well. No one can predict the future, and investment is always a risk but there are some bargains out there now; you should try and stack the odds in your favour.

Last, you should also investigate whether or not you will be able to depreciate the building costs of your intended investment property. You may be able to claim depreciation on the building costs for investment properties over either 25 years or 40 years (depending on the date of construction), reducing the tax payable on the income you get from the property. Tax Depreciation Schedules prepared by qualified Quantity Surveyors are relatively inexpensive and could save you a lot more than they cost.

If you have any feedback or suggestions for our newsletter please email us at newsletter@adaptive.net.au

Until our next contact
Good Health & Good Luck

Privacy Policy & Disclaimer | Unsubscribe from newsletter | Contact us| www.adaptive.net.au
© 2012 Peregian Accounting Services - Adaptive Accounting Pty Ltd