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Australians are no strangers to drought and flood, however, with more of us on the coastal fringe, it can be easy to forget the challenges of farming Australia's agricultural land.

With NSW 100% drought declared, farmers have taken to social media, crowd-funding, and other fundraising to help keep their properties and businesses viable. Which begs the questions: What can Australian consumers do to help?

This month we explore just how far Australian consumers are willing to go to support Australian grown and made products when they make decisions about what to put in their shopping basket. We also explore what you could be doing that is holding back your business, changes to Australian tax residency rules, and how the vacancy rules apply to foreign-owned residential property.

As always, if you have any queries, contact our team on 9957 4033.

	Will Australians pay more for a good cause? As NSW farmers face down a devastating drought and pleading for Australians to pay a little more for their dairy products, Dick Smith announces that he is closing his food brand. So it begs the question: Will Australians pay more to help?
	4 ways you could be holding back your business Overcoming the biggest problems in business often comes down to the simple things, but there are also a few simple things you can do to capitalise on opportunities and reduce risk.
	Simplify the individual tax residency rules The Board of Taxation has released its review of the current tax residency rules for individuals, concluding that the existing residency rules are no longer appropriate and should be reformed.
	Updated property development guidance The ATO has published draft guidance to help determine whether the sale of a property is the mere realisation of a capital asset or a disposal in the course of carrying on business or a one-off profit-making venture.
	How the annual vacancy fee applies Foreign owners of residential dwellings in Australia are required to pay an annual vacancy fee if their dwelling is not residentially occupied or rented out for more than 183 days (six months) in a year.
	Clothing deductions hung out to dry The Australian Taxation Office is closely examining work-related clothing and laundry expense claims of taxpayers submitting their 2017-18 tax returns.

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Disclaimer

This article is provided for information purposes only and correct at the time of publication. It should not be used in place of advice from your accountant. Please contact us on 02 9957 4033 to discuss your specific circumstances.