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TaxBanter

TaxBanter

TaxBanter

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Recent Episodes

Episode 72: Cyber Security for Accounting & Wealth Firms: 20 Practical Steps to Strengthen Your Firm
FEB 26, 2026
Episode 72: Cyber Security for Accounting & Wealth Firms: 20 Practical Steps to Strengthen Your Firm
<p>Knowing your obligations is one thing but implementing effective cyber security strategies is where many firms struggle.</p> <p>In this episode of TaxYak, Senior Tax Trainer George Housakos is joined by Caillin Goss, Jen Pascarl and Jacques Louw from Priority Networking and Greg Gardiner from Count.</p> <p>That’s why in this session, we will walk through a practical framework built around 20 key questions designed to test your firm’s cyber security posture.</p> <p>These questions cover areas such as:</p> <ul> <li>Governance and accountability</li> <li>Staff awareness and training</li> <li>Access controls and identity management</li> <li>Backup and disaster recovery</li> <li>Incident response planning</li> <li>Vendor and third-party risk</li> <li>And ongoing monitoring and improvement</li> </ul> <p>When these strategies and controls are successfully implemented, they don’t just help protect your business, they also support your ability to meet increasingly onerous compliance requirements.</p> <p>Think of this as a health check for your firm’s cyber maturity: a way to identify gaps, prioritise actions, and build a more resilient and secure operating environment.</p> <p>And as mentioned earlier, if you’d like a copy of our Cyber Security Checklist to support this process, please feel free to contact Cailin Goss at PNET.</p> <p><strong>Special Offer:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://taxbanter.com.au/offer/"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1013399 size-full" src="https://taxbanter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/cyber-security-assessment.png" alt="Cyber Security Assessment" width="710" height="172" srcset="https://taxbanter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/cyber-security-assessment.png 710w, https://taxbanter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/cyber-security-assessment-300x73.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px" /></a><br /> Priority Networking is offering all Tax Yak listeners a <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://taxbanter.com.au/offer/">$2,400 comprehensive cyber security assessment</a></span>. This covers the Essential 8 Framework and other key cyber security measures, including your policies and procedures, and will help assess whether your business has the capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents, should they occur in your business.<strong> </strong></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://taxbanter.com.au/offer/">Find out more</a></span></p>
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28 MIN
Episode 71: Cyber Security for Accounting & Wealth Firms: Cyber Threats and Your Compliance Obligations
FEB 12, 2026
Episode 71: Cyber Security for Accounting & Wealth Firms: Cyber Threats and Your Compliance Obligations
<p>Accounting and wealth advisory firms are increasingly prime targets for cyber criminals. You’re holding highly sensitive financial and personal information, and attackers know that even a small vulnerability can have serious consequences – not just financially, but reputationally as well.</p> <p>In recent years, we’ve seen a significant increase in phishing attacks, ransomware, data breaches and business email compromise impacting professional services firms. At the same time, regulatory expectations around data protection and cyber resilience continue to rise.</p> <p>In this episode of TaxYak, Senior Tax Trainer George Housakos is joined by Caillin Goss, Jen Pascarl and Jacques Louw from Priority Networking and Greg Gardiner from Count.</p> <p>This podcast is the first in a two part Cyber Security Series. This session focuses on the key statutory and regulatory requirements firms need to be aware of, including privacy obligations, data security expectations, and what “reasonable steps” actually means in practice.</p> <p>This session will also unpack some of the most common questions we hear from accounting and wealth advisory firms, such as:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>What are my legal obligations if there’s a data breach?</li> <li>How far does my responsibility extend when using cloud providers and third-party platforms?</li> <li>What does the regulator expect in terms of governance, documentation and controls?</li> <li>And how do I balance compliance with practical, day-to-day operations?</li> </ul> <p>Our aim is to give you clarity on your obligations, highlight where firms typically fall short, and help you understand why cyber security is no longer just an IT issue – it’s a core business risk.</p> <p><strong>Special Offer:</strong> Priority Networking are offering all Tax Yak listeners a <a href="https://taxbanter.com.au/offer/">$2,400 comprehensive cybersecurity assessment</a>. This covers the Essential 8 Framework and other key cybersecurity measures, including your policies and procedures, and will help assess whether your business has the capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents, should they occur in your business.</p> <p><a href="https://taxbanter.com.au/offer/">Find out more</a></p> <div style="height:100px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.taxbanter.com.au/episode-71-cyber-security-for-accounting-wealth-firms-cyber-threats-and-your-compliance-obligations/">Episode 71: Cyber Security for Accounting &amp; Wealth Firms: Cyber Threats and Your Compliance Obligations</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.taxbanter.com.au">TaxBanter</a>.</p>
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38 MIN
Episode 71: Cyber Security for Accounting & Wealth Firms:  Cyber Threats and Your Compliance Obligations
FEB 5, 2026
Episode 71: Cyber Security for Accounting & Wealth Firms: Cyber Threats and Your Compliance Obligations
<p>Accounting and wealth advisory firms are increasingly prime targets for cyber criminals. You’re holding highly sensitive financial and personal information, and attackers know that even a small vulnerability can have serious consequences &#8211; not just financially, but reputationally as well.</p> <p>In recent years, we’ve seen a significant increase in phishing attacks, ransomware, data breaches and business email compromise impacting professional services firms. At the same time, regulatory expectations around data protection and cyber resilience continue to rise.</p> <p>In this episode of TaxYak, Senior Tax Trainer George Housakos is joined by Caillin Goss, Jen Pascarl and Jacques Louw from Priority Networking and Greg Gardiner from Count.</p> <p>This podcast is the first in a two part Cyber Security Series. This session focuses on the key statutory and regulatory requirements firms need to be aware of, including privacy obligations, data security expectations, and what “reasonable steps” actually means in practice.</p> <p>This session will also unpack some of the most common questions we hear from accounting and wealth advisory firms, such as:</p> <ul> <li>What are my legal obligations if there’s a data breach?</li> <li>How far does my responsibility extend when using cloud providers and third-party platforms?</li> <li>What does the regulator expect in terms of governance, documentation and controls?</li> <li>And how do I balance compliance with practical, day-to-day operations?</li> </ul> <p>Our aim is to give you clarity on your obligations, highlight where firms typically fall short, and help you understand why cyber security is no longer just an IT issue &#8211; it’s a core business risk.</p> <p><strong>Special Offer:</strong> Priority Networking are offering all Tax Yak listeners a <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://taxbanter.com.au/offer/">$2,400 comprehensive cybersecurity assessment</a>.</span> This covers the Essential 8 Framework and other key cybersecurity measures, including your policies and procedures, and will help assess whether your business has the capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents, should they occur in your business.<strong> </strong></p> <p><a href="https://taxbanter.com.au/offer/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Find out more</span></a></p>
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38 MIN
Episode 70: Denying tax deductions for ATO interest charges
JUL 17, 2025
Episode 70: Denying tax deductions for ATO interest charges
<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="1013042" class="elementor elementor-1013042" data-elementor-post-type="post"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-4eca6ee2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent" data-id="4eca6ee2" data-element_type="container" data-e-type="container"> <div class="e-con-inner"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-42832997 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="42832997" data-element_type="widget" data-e-type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <p>In this episode of Tax Yak, Tiffany Douglas chats with colleague George Housakos, senior tax trainer at TaxBanter, about a significant issue facing the tax profession from 1 July 2025: taxpayers will no longer be able to claim an income tax deduction for ATO interest charges.</p><p>George is a CPA and brings over 25 years of tax expertise, including 20 years at the Australian Taxation Office where he specialised in disputes and interpretative advice. He also has substantial experience in training and assessment within the TAFE sector. George is well known for his practical and pragmatic approach to providing taxation and superannuation advice.</p><p>This podcast explores the challenges businesses must address when financing their activities. For further insights, consider signing up to TaxBanter’s special topic on “<a href="https://www.accurium.com.au/product/financing-business-activities/">Financing business activities</a>,” which will examine the various forms of debt and equity financing, as well as their tax implications. Topics covered include:</p><ul><li>The debt-equity rules</li><li>Hire purchase versus lease finance</li><li>Leases of luxury cars</li><li>Commercial bills</li><li>Working capital funding</li><li>Non-recourse debt</li><li>Loans between related parties</li><li>Refinancing</li></ul><p><strong>Listen to Episode 70:</strong></p><p></p><p></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://www.taxbanter.com.au/episode-70-denying-tax-deductions-for-ato-interest-charges/">Episode 70: Denying tax deductions for ATO interest charges</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.taxbanter.com.au">TaxBanter</a>.</p>
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38 MIN
Episode 69: Beyond Bendel: When is a UPE not a loan?
MAR 28, 2025
Episode 69: Beyond Bendel: When is a UPE not a loan?
<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="1012895" class="elementor elementor-1012895" data-elementor-post-type="post"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-d9108b5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent" data-id="d9108b5" data-element_type="container" data-e-type="container"> <div class="e-con-inner"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-2304bb16 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="2304bb16" data-element_type="widget" data-e-type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <p>In this episode of <strong>TaxYak</strong>, our Senior Tax Trainers Phillip London and George Housakos yak with Arthur Athanasiou, Tax Partner at Thomson Geer. They take a deep dive into the burning issues resulting from the Full Federal Court&#8217;s 3:0 decision in favour of the taxpayer in FCT v Bendel issued on 19 February 2025, where an Unpaid Present Entitlement (UPE) was found not to be a loan for the purposes of Division 7A Income Tax Assessment Act (<em>ITAA) 1936</em>.</p><p>For example:</p><ul><li>Taxpayer strategies for UPEs for year ending 2024</li><li>Taxpayer strategies for UPEs for year ending 2025</li><li>What&#8217;s next (Special Leave application to the High Court/Extension of time to file/Test Case funding)</li><li>Taxpayers appeal and objection rights</li><li>Tax Agent Services Act and Breach Reporting Regime risks</li><li>Will the Commissioner now look more closely at other taxation risks:<ul><li>Section 100A Reimbursement Agreements</li><li>Subdivision EA of Division 7A</li><li>Part IVA Tax Evasion</li></ul></li></ul><p>The Bendel decision is not a green light that Division 7A cannot be triggered for UPEs. We hope you enjoy this episode of TaxYak.</p><p><a href="https://www.accurium.com.au/product/the-tax-brief-2025/"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1012872 size-full" src="https://taxbanter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Online-monthly-tax-brief-banner.jpg" alt="Online Monthly Tax Brief Banner" width="800" height="180" /></a></p><p><strong>Listen to Episode 69:</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://www.taxbanter.com.au/episode-69-beyond-bendel-when-is-a-upe-not-a-loan/">Episode 69: Beyond Bendel: When is a UPE not a loan?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.taxbanter.com.au">TaxBanter</a>.</p>
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54 MIN