5 Cash Flow Mistakes Small Businesses Make (and How to Fix Them)
In short: The five cash flow mistakes are mixing business and personal money, spending as if busy months will last, not saving for tax, paying bills late and not tracking expenses. For Australian freelancers and sole traders, the fixes are a separate business account, a buffer of at least three months of essential expenses, 30% of every payment set aside for tax, bills paid on time and real-time tracking.
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Tax Deductions for Etsy Sellers: A 1099 Guide
In short: US Etsy sellers who run their shop as a business can deduct Etsy's fees, shipping supplies and postage, packaging and craft fair booth fees, while materials are generally tracked as cost of goods sold. Etsy only has to send a Form 1099-K for more than $20,000 in gross payments and more than 200 transactions in a year, but all shop income is still taxable.
Read MoreGST for Small Business: When to Register and How to Track It
In short: The ATO requires you to register for GST if your business has a GST turnover of $75,000 or more in the current or previous 12 months, or expects to reach $75,000 in the coming 12 months. Taxi and rideshare drivers must register regardless of turnover. Once registered, record the GST on every transaction, keep your tax invoices for five years and reconcile before each BAS.
Read MoreAustralian Federal Budget 2026-27: Every Tax Change for Sole Traders, SMBs and Accountants
In short: Australia's 2026-27 Federal Budget (12 May 2026) brought a permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off and a $1,000 flat deduction for wage earners from 1 July 2026. From 1 July 2027, CGT indexation replaces the 50% discount and negative gearing is limited for established residential property bought after Budget night. These four are now law; the proposed 30% discretionary trust minimum tax from 1 July 2028 is not.
Read MorePermanent $20,000 Instant Asset Write-Off Explained
The permanent instant asset write-off 2026 is now law. The Australian Government announced in its 2026-27 Federal Budget, delivered on 12 May 2026, that the $20,000 instant asset write-off (IAWO) would be made permanent from 1 July 2026, and Parliament has since passed it in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 2) Act 2026 (assented to on 26 August 2026). That ends the annual cycle of extensions and sunset clauses that has made planning difficult for small businesses since the scheme was expanded during COVID. If you've been using the IAWO for years without thinking much about it, not much will change day-to-day. But if you've ever delayed an equipment purchase because you weren't sure whether the scheme would still exist next financial year, that uncertainty is now gone.
Read MoreInstant Asset Write-Off: What Small Businesses Can Claim in 2026
In short: For the 2025-26 financial year, Australian small businesses with aggregated turnover under $10 million can immediately deduct the full cost of each new or second-hand asset costing less than $20,000. The threshold applies per asset, and the asset must be first used or installed ready for use by June 30. The 2026-27 Federal Budget announced the threshold would be made permanent, and that change is now law.
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