A friend’s accountant suggested that they could reduce interest on non-deductible debt by using company cash to offset their personal
mortgage, then transferring the cash back by 30 June. Is this an acceptable strategy?
This might initially sound like a brilliant strategy but what is really happening is that you are using company funds to derive a personal
benefit. Doing this once might not attract attention, but doing this more than once might trigger a deemed unfranked dividend under Division
7A. Section 109R is designed for scenarios like this.
If this occurs, the repayment you made will be ignored, meaning that a deemed dividend could be triggered in relation to the funds
initially borrowed from the company unless a complying loan agreement is put in place, in which case minimum loan repayments would need
to be made to prevent a deemed dividend from arising.
For example, let's assume you are a shareholder of the company (or an associate of a shareholder) and you borrow money from the company on 1
July 2022. This loan would generally fall within the scope of Division 7A, but a deemed dividend can be avoided if the loan is fully repaid
by the earlier of the due date and actual lodgement date of the company's 2023 tax return.
However, if you repay the loan but it appears that you intend to borrow a similar or larger amount from the company when making the
repayment then the repayment can be ignored. The main exception to this is where the repayment is made in a way that is taxable to the
individual (e.g., dividends or directors’ fees are set-off against the loan balance).
One of the most common situations where section 109R could apply is where funds are taken from the company bank account and placed into a
director's home loan offset account.
Even if the funds are transferred back to the company before the end of the year, there is a significant risk of section 109R applying if the pattern repeats. That is, the money will be treated as a dividend and taxed as assessable income.
Give us a call or email if you'd like help to understand what this means for you and your business.
Please note: This event is not until March 2027 — AI agent technology is moving fast, so the workshop content will continue to evolve to bring you the latest of what is happening in the AI agent space.
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in MORNINGTON with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
Please note: This event is not until February 2027 — AI agent technology is moving fast, so the workshop content will continue to evolve to bring you the latest of what is happening in the AI agent space.
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in PERTH with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in GOLD COAST with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
AI-Enhanced Automation for Accounting and Finance Professionals: Leveraging ChatGPT, Copilot & Claude for Innovation and
Productivity.
Join SkyBots’ 2-day Workshop in MORNINGTON with automation expert Daryl Aw to revolutionise your workflow using
cutting-edge Agentic AI tools including Chat GPT, Claude, CoPilot and Gemini. This workshop is built for accountants,
bookkeepers, finance teams, and business owners who want to move beyond basic prompts and turn AI into a reliable, ethical, and practical
system for everyday work.
INVESTOR BRIEFING — JOINTLY PRESENTED BY SMART BUSINESS SOLUTIONS & AREA SPECIALIST
Thursday 29 October, 5:30-7:30pm, $20 per person — 100% donated to Mornington Community Support Services, Mt Martha Lifesaving Club, Mount Martha
The property rules changed — negative gearing, capital gains and more. Join SMART Business Solutions and Lauren Wild of Area
Specialist for a joint evening briefing on the 2026 tax reforms for residential property investors, plus live residential and commercial
market updates from two local experts. Find out whether the changes affect you — and what is worth doing before 1 July 2027.
Reserve a seat »
Lunch & Learn Workshop // Friday 19 February, 2027 - 12:00 - 2:30pm
$75 (incl. GST)pp includes drink on arrival & a wonderful two course Italian lunch - antipasto, pasta & pizza. Be prepared!
Bridging the gap between legal and financial expertise in family law. Many practitioners see the legal issue, but the strongest
outcomes for separating clients come from understanding the numbers behind the matter. This practical session provides family lawyers with
the financial fluency to spot issues early, guide clients with confidence, and collaborate more effectively with accountants and financial
advisers.
Falling behind on your BAS lodgements looks like an administrative problem. Left long enough, it becomes an expensive one, because the GST you collected stays payable indefinitely while the GST credits you are owed disappear after four years. Here is what that looks like in dollars.
With negative gearing now quarantined for established dwellings, new house and land has become the sensible play for investors — but there is a trap in the first eighteen months. Interest on the land is denied, while interest on the construction is not. If the bank has written one loan, someone has to do the sums. Here is why it pays to split the loan before you sign.
When the draft legislation for the trust minimum tax was released, it came with a reassurance: if you do not want to restructure, you can simply make an election instead — no restructure, and no state stamp duty. That is accurate, but it is also a very small part of the decision. Here is why you should choose your structure for the eventual sale of your business, not for the announcement.
Treasury has released the draft legislation for the new 30% minimum tax on family trusts. From 1 July 2028, income earned by a family trust will carry a minimum tax of 30 per cent, paid by the trustee. Here is what it says in plain terms, what is not caught, and why the decisions worth making need to happen well before 2028.
Fundraising Evening // 9 October, 2026 - 5:30 - 7:30pm
$35pp includes a welcome drink & nibbles
An evening of networking, meaningful conversation and fundraising with Wayne Holdsworth, supporting the vital work of SmackTalk and helping
create safer online communities.
The ATO will stop accepting direct credit card payments from 1 July 2027 — after the ATO extended the original deadline of 1 December 2026 to 30 June 2027 following community feedback — requiring businesses and individuals to switch to alternative payment methods such as debit card, BPAY, EFT or bank account direct debit. While the change affects only a small percentage of taxpayers, businesses that rely on credit cards to manage cash flow or fund ATO payment plans should act now to update arrangements, avoid missed payments and prepare for the cash flow impact of having tax obligations funded from available business funds.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Downsizing, Retirement Living & Future Care event. Access the presentation slides and materials here.
LIVE INFORMATION EVENING
Wednesday 7 October, 5:30-7:30pm
Most families don't start thinking about retirement living or aged care until they're forced to make decisions quickly. Join us for an informative evening covering retirement living, future care planning, downsizing considerations, aged care costs, estate
preservation and strategies to help families make informed decisions before they become urgent. Designed for retirees, adult children and families looking to better understand their options and plan ahead with confidence.
Following the latest RBA cash rate increase, borrowing costs and financial pressure may rise for households, investors and business owners. We explain what the decision means and why now is a sensible time to review your lending, cash flow and broader financial strategy.
Falling behind on your BAS lodgements looks like an administrative problem. Left long enough, it becomes an expensive one, because the GST you collected stays payable indefinitely while the GST credits you are owed disappear after four years. Here is what that looks like in dollars.
With negative gearing now quarantined for established dwellings, new house and land has become the sensible play for investors — but there is a trap in the first eighteen months. Interest on the land is denied, while interest on the construction is not. If the bank has written one loan, someone has to do the sums. Here is why it pays to split the loan before you sign.
When the draft legislation for the trust minimum tax was released, it came with a reassurance: if you do not want to restructure, you can simply make an election instead — no restructure, and no state stamp duty. That is accurate, but it is also a very small part of the decision. Here is why you should choose your structure for the eventual sale of your business, not for the announcement.
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