Harris Black is proud to be the founding member of the Brentnalls National Affiliation, which has been ranked 33rd in the Australian Financial Review Top 100 Accounting Firms of 2024.
This recognition not only celebrates Brentnalls’ success but also underscores the collaborative efforts of its talented team. The firm’s strategic initiatives and focus on delivering exceptional value to clients have been key drivers in achieving this notable ranking.
Congratulations to Brentnalls on this well-deserved honour, reflecting their ongoing pursuit of excellence and leadership in the accounting profession.
Harris Black hosted a memorable Melbourne Cup celebration at Malt Dining in Brisbane. The event featured delicious food, fine champagne, and an exciting atmosphere as everyone watched the race.
Everyone enjoyed the celebrations, with some even trying their luck on a few bets.
It was a day filled with fun, laughter, and great company, making it a truly special occasion.
Introducing Rebecca, a dedicated and passionate senior bookkeeper here at Harris Black who brings both professionalism and a vibrant personality to the team.
Bec’s passion for food and diverse cuisines is undeniable. Her perfect meal would be a seafood platter—whether homemade or from Georges Paragon. In the kitchen, she enjoys preparing dishes such as bruschetta, kheer (Indian rice pudding), tofu smoothie bowls, and bouillabaisse. With Italian cuisine as her top choice. Her favourite drink is calming rooibos tea. If given the opportunity, she’d share a meal with an inspiring mix of Marilyn Monroe, Prince, the Dalai Lama, and Shah Rukh Khan.
An avid reader and nature lover, Bec’s hobbies include curling up with a good book, gardening, and watching Bollywood movies. She’s passionate about learning and dreams of mastering multiple languages, including Italian, French, and Arabic. If she had a superpower, it would be the ability to fly, soaring alongside the birds.
Bec’s connection to relaxation and mindfulness is clear. The most calming place she’s ever visited was a Buddhist retreat in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and she’s eagerly anticipating an upcoming yoga retreat on North Stradbroke Island. She’s also determined to tick the Galapagos Islands off her bucket list one day.
Bec’s flair for colour and creativity is clear in her love for the bold vibrancy of ’80s clothing and her dream of joining the Spice Girls if given the chance. If she could go back in time, she’d travel to the 1920s to experience the world of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. With her love of renovation shows, she could even give a 40-minute presentation on the topic with no preparation!
Bec’s expertise, creativity, and positive outlook make her an integral part of the Harris Black team. We are proud to have her with us and look forward to seeing her continued contributions to our clients and team.
Pay income tax for taxable large and medium taxpayers, companies and super funds. Lodgment of return is due 31 January 2025.
Pay income tax for the taxable head company of a consolidated group with a member deemed to be a large or medium taxpayer in the latest year lodged. Lodgment of return is due 31 January 2025.
Pay income tax for companies and super funds when lodgment of the tax return was due 31 October 2024.
21 December 2024
Lodge and pay November 2024 monthly business activity statement.
21 January 2025
Lodge and pay quarter 2, 2024–25 PAYG instalment activity statement for head companies of consolidated groups.
Lodge and pay December 2024 monthly business activity statement except for business clients with up to $10 million turnover who report GST monthly and lodge electronically.
Written by our Brentnalls Affiliate: Toni Monisse – Brentnalls WA
Small business owners often face the challenge of juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities—from managing client relationships to overseeing day-to-day operations. The sheer volume of information you need to stay on top of can quickly become overwhelming. One solution is adopting a “Second Brain” system—a digital method for capturing, organising, and utilising knowledge. Created by productivity expert Tiago Forte, this approach can streamline how you manage your business and improve decision-making.
Why Implementing a Second Brain is Critical for Business Owners
The constant influx of emails, client requests, project updates, and financial data can lead to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and added stress. By building a Second Brain, you establish a system that acts as an external memory for your most important business information, helping you:
Boost Efficiency: A well-structured Second Brain minimises the time you spend searching for crucial information. Instead of rummaging through scattered notes or documents, everything is systematically organised for easy access.
Improve Decision-making: With all your key data, insights, and notes in one place, you can make quicker, more informed decisions, drawing on complete and up-to-date information.
Reduce Cognitive Overload: Offloading important information into a trusted system frees up mental capacity. This lets you focus on high-priority tasks like strategy development and business growth.
Building Your Second Brain: The CODE Model
Creating a Second Brain doesn’t require you to reinvent your processes—it’s about integrating a system that helps you manage and act on information more effectively. Consider the CODE model as a way to build and leverage your second brain:
Capture Whenever you come across valuable information—whether it’s from a client meeting, new business ideas, or market research—capture it immediately in a digital tool like Evernote, Notion, or OneNote.
Organise Group your notes and information by relevant contexts, such as specific projects, client accounts, or strategic goals. This ensures that the information you need is readily available when it’s time to take action.
Distill Set aside time to regularly review and refine your stored information, update it, and remove anything outdated. Keeping your Second Brain organised and relevant ensures it remains a valuable resource for your business.
Express The point of a Second Brain is to translate knowledge into action. Whether you’re refining business strategies, managing client projects, or reviewing financial performance, apply the knowledge captured with greater creativity, strategic insight and speed.
Practical Example: Putting It to Use
For example, you’ve just wrapped up a meeting with a key client full of actionable insights about improving their business. By immediately storing your notes in your Second Brain, categorised under the client’s project, you ensure that all the essential details are easily accessible when you need them. The next time you sit down to work on that account, instead of relying on memory or hunting for information, you’ll have everything at your fingertips, letting you focus on delivering great results.
Implementing a Second Brain system isn’t just about boosting productivity—it’s about creating a strategic edge for managing your business more effectively. By capturing and organising essential information in one central system, you’ll reduce inefficiencies, make better decisions, and free up mental space for innovation. Start small and fine-tune the system as you go, and soon it will become an indispensable tool in running your business smoothly.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact your Harris Black team member.
If you are aged 55 years or older, the downsizer contribution rules enable you to contribute up to $300,000 from the proceeds of the sale of your home to your superannuation fund (eligibility criteria applies).
The most likely age someone makes a downsizer contribution is between 65 and 69. From age 65, a downsizer contribution can be withdrawn from super if your circumstances change, even if you are still working. Those aged 55 to 64 generally won’t have access to these funds until they are at least 60 and retired.
Downsizer contributions are excluded from the existing upper age test, work test, and the total super balance rules (but the amount that can be moved to a retirement pension is limited by your transfer balance cap).
For couples, both members of a couple can take advantage of the concession for the same home. That is, if you or your spouse meet the other criteria, both of you can contribute up to $300,000 ($600,000 per couple). This is the case even if one of you did not have an ownership interest in the property that was sold (assuming they meet the other criteria).
To be eligible to make a downsizer contribution you do not have to buy another home once you have sold your existing home, and you are not required to buy a smaller home – you could buy a larger and more expensive one and make a downsizer contribution if you have access to other funds.
Please contact us if you would like the full facts about downsizer contributions.
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Today’s financial environment demands a regular review of strategy and a focus on execution.
