Have you Thought About Where Your Business Will Be in 5 Years?
Caroline Gillies • May 11, 2025
At Clear Vision Accountancy Group, we offer tailored services to support your long-term success—from strategic business planning to high-end tax administration. Whether you're aiming for growth, improved profitability, or a clearer direction, we're here to help you build a plan that gets results.
If you're ready to map out the next five years with clarity and confidence, contact us today on (07) 4688 2500.
Our 1-Page Business Plan will help you with:
1. Vision & Purpose
Where are you headed, and why does it matter?
- What is the core purpose of your business?
- In five years, what positive impact will you have made on your customers, team, or community?
- What do you want your business to be recognised for within your industry?
2. Growth & Scale
What does success look like, and how will you achieve it?
- What revenue, profit, or market position are you targeting?
- How many clients or customers do you want to serve—and in which markets?
- Are you planning to expand your offerings or enter new territories?
3. Team & Culture
Who is helping you build it—and how?
- What does your ideal team look like in terms of structure, culture, and capabilities?
- How will you attract, retain, and develop top talent?
- What kind of leadership values and workplace environment will you foster?
4. Operations & Systems
How will you deliver at scale—efficiently and reliably?
- What systems and workflows need to be in place to support sustainable growth?
- Which technologies or platforms will you implement to improve efficiency?
- How automated or streamlined do you want your business operations to become?
5. Brand & Customer Experience
What do customers say about you—and why do they keep coming back?
- How will clients describe their experience with your business?
- What kind of reputation or brand presence will you be known for?
- What sets your business apart from the competition?
Our Dream it. Plan it. Get it! will help you with:
1. Lifestyle & Personal Goals
How does your business support the life you want to live?
- What level of involvement do you want in the day-to-day operations?
- What does ideal work-life balance look like for you?
- What personal or financial goals will your business help you achieve?
The ATO is cracking down on people who claim too many tax deductions for properties that they use both personally and as rentals — especially holiday homes. A new draft ruling says that if you use a property for both personal use and renting it out, you must split (apportion) the expenses in a fair and reasonable way. You can only claim deductions for the portion of time or space used to earn rental income. If the ATO thinks your property is really a holiday home — for example, you block out peak times for your own use and only rent it occasionally — they can classify it as a “leisure facility.” If that happens, you cannot claim big expenses like mortgage interest, council rates, land tax or maintenance. You’ll only be allowed to claim small costs like cleaning, advertising and platform/agent fees. The ATO says many owners of holiday homes have been claiming too much by showing “rental losses” every year. They are now looking more closely at cases where the owner keeps the property unavailable for rent during busy periods. How do I stay off the ATO naughty list? If you mix personal use with rental use, be careful. Only claim the rental part of your expenses, or the ATO may deny most of your deductions.
From 1 October 2025, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) officially closed the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) to new users. Thanks to the efficiencies of Xero, this change does not impact Xero clients, as Xero includes its own built-in auto-super functionality. This means employers can make superannuation payments directly through Xero—without needing to access the ATO’s separate clearing house service. Key Dates and Details No new users: From 1 October 2025, the SBSCH stopped accepting new registrations. Full closure: The SBSCH will be fully decommissioned on 1 July 2026. Existing users: Businesses currently using the SBSCH can continue until 30 June 2026 but are encouraged to transition to an alternative solution before this date. At Clear Vision Accountancy Group, we highly recommend Xero as an efficient, streamlined, and ATO-compliant payroll and superannuation solution. If you’d like to discuss transitioning your business to Xero, call our team today on (07) 4688 2500 — we’re happy to help.
If you own a rental property or holiday home, keeping the right records is key to maximising your tax deductions and staying ATO-compliant. This week, we’re highlighting what the ATO expects you to keep when it comes to residential rental properties. Here’s a quick checklist of the documents you should hold onto: Purchase & Sale Documents – Contracts, settlement statements, and legal documents. Loan & Ownership Records – Loan statements, refinancing documents, land tax assessments. Rental Income – If you don’t have a rental statement you will need to document all rental income received, including bond money retained, insurance payouts, and any other reimbursements. Expenses & Repairs – Keep receipts and invoices for expenses like advertising for tenants, property agent fees, council rates, strata levies, repairs, maintenance, insurance, and interest on loans. Depreciation & Capital Works – Receipts for assets over $300, depreciation reports, and capital improvement records. Before and after photos of any capital works. Holiday Home Use – If your property is rented out part-time, you’ll need evidence of when it was genuinely available for rent (e.g. booking requests, advertising, availability calendars). How long to keep records: You’ll need to keep most records for at least 5 years after lodging your tax return, or longer if claiming capital works or carrying forward losses. Keeping detailed records ensures you claim everything you're entitled to—and makes things much easier in the event of an ATO audit. Need help getting your documentation in order? Reach out to our team at Clear Vision Accountancy Group—we’re here to help. To read a more detailed list of items you need to keep for your rental property visit: Records for rental properties and holiday homes | Australian Taxation Office
