With Interest

Craig Blair, who is responsible for oversight of SMSF Auditors at the ATO, talks to Claire Grayston at CPA Australia about the ATO’s SMSF auditor compliance program findings for the 2016-2017 year. Craig discusses the outcomes from the ATO’s focus on low cost auditors and sole practitioners who provide both tax advice or accounting services to SMSFs as well as the audit. He also identifies the ATO’s focusses for 2017/2018, how the ATO is identifying high risk auditors and highlights ways in which the ATO are seeking to work co-operatively with SMSF trustees and their auditors. The recent Super changes present new risks for SMSF auditors, including low cost SMSF audits that are seen as high risk by the ATO and may trigger an inspection. Craig explains what auditors need to look out for in their 30 June 2017 year end audits. 

Host: Claire Grayston, Policy Adviser - Audit & Assurance, CPA Australia

Guest: Craig Blair, Director - Superannuation, ATO

Craig Blair, who is responsible for oversight of SMSF Auditors at the ATO, talks to Claire Grayston at CPA Australia about the ATO’s SMSF auditor compliance program findings for the 2016-2017 year. Craig discusses the outcomes from the ATO’s focus on low cost auditors and sole practitioners who provide both tax advice or accounting services to SMSFs as well as the audit. He also identifies the ATO’s focusses for 2017/2018, how the ATO is identifying high risk auditors and highlights ways in which the ATO are seeking to work co-operatively with SMSF trustees and their auditors. The recent Super changes present new risks for SMSF auditors, including low cost SMSF audits that are seen as high risk by the ATO and may trigger an inspection. Craig explains what auditors need to look out for in their 30 June 2017 year end audits. 

Host: Claire Grayston, Policy Adviser - Audit & Assurance, CPA Australia

Guest: Craig Blair, Director - Superannuation, ATO

In this episode we hear from motivational speaker, author and mind coach, Anthony Bonnici, who helps us take the complexity and fear out of influence. Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends & Influence People in 1936. A lot has changed in the 80 years since that book was written, but people still need to influence others. We need to sell things. We need to persuade people. We need to get our point across. Anthony was sick of people thinking that influence skills were a “soft” skill. Tired of people associating some out of date, “used car salesman” association of influence and persuasion as tacky or subversive. Frustrated by witnessing really intelligent people fall flat on their face when they attempted to get their point across. This episode will provide insights, knowledge and skills to influence broadly, authentically and purposefully.

In this episode we hear from motivational speaker, author and mind coach, Anthony Bonnici, who helps us take the complexity and fear out of influence. Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends & Influence People in 1936. A lot has changed in the 80 years since that book was written, but people still need to influence others. We need to sell things. We need to persuade people. We need to get our point across. Anthony was sick of people thinking that influence skills were a “soft” skill. Tired of people associating some out of date, “used car salesman” association of influence and persuasion as tacky or subversive. Frustrated by witnessing really intelligent people fall flat on their face when they attempted to get their point across. This episode will provide insights, knowledge and skills to influence broadly, authentically and purposefully.

A great illustration for rational arguments can be found in the dying minutes of a World Cup soccer final – imagine you’re selected to kick for goal in a penalty shootout to decide the game. Where do you aim? Left? Right? Or the centre? Before you decide let’s look at the facts. Statistical data tell us that if you kick the ball to the left, the goalie will jump to his right, thus blocking your shot, 57 per cent of the time. If you kick the ball to the right, the goalie will be there 41 per cent of the time. But, if you choose to kick it to the centre, the same stats show that the goalie will only be there 2 per cent of the time. So where do you kick the ball? The centre, where the odds are clearly in you favour? Most don’t, with only 17 per cent of penalty goals kicked to the centre. In business we have to choose where to kick the ball. But, even when we’re armed with the facts we don’t always follow rational arguments.

Presenter: Bri Williams CPA, Principal Consultant, People Patterns

Recorded at CPA Australia Congress on Monday 29 September, 2014 in Sydney, NSW.

A great illustration for rational arguments can be found in the dying minutes of a World Cup soccer final – imagine you’re selected to kick for goal in a penalty shootout to decide the game. Where do you aim? Left? Right? Or the centre? Before you decide let’s look at the facts. Statistical data tell us that if you kick the ball to the left, the goalie will jump to his right, thus blocking your shot, 57 per cent of the time. If you kick the ball to the right, the goalie will be there 41 per cent of the time. But, if you choose to kick it to the centre, the same stats show that the goalie will only be there 2 per cent of the time. So where do you kick the ball? The centre, where the odds are clearly in you favour? Most don’t, with only 17 per cent of penalty goals kicked to the centre. In business we have to choose where to kick the ball. But, even when we’re armed with the facts we don’t always follow rational arguments.

Presenter: Bri Williams CPA, Principal Consultant, People Patterns

Recorded at CPA Australia Congress on Monday 29 September, 2014 in Sydney, NSW.

Chair of the Black Economy Taskforce, Michael Andrew, talks with CPA Australia following the release of the taskforce’s interim report which is now out for comment.  The black economy refers to people who operate entirely outside the tax and regulatory system or who are known to the authorities but do not correctly report their tax obligations.  Participation in the black economy penalises honest taxpayers, undermines the integrity of Australia's tax and welfare systems and creates an uneven playing field for the majority of small businesses doing the right thing.  As the economy changes in nature towards being a more services based economy, the Taskforce is reporting seeing an acceleration in the Black Economy with significant ramifications for the broader tax system.

Chair of the Black Economy Taskforce, Michael Andrew, talks with CPA Australia following the release of the taskforce’s interim report which is now out for comment.  The black economy refers to people who operate entirely outside the tax and regulatory system or who are known to the authorities but do not correctly report their tax obligations.  Participation in the black economy penalises honest taxpayers, undermines the integrity of Australia's tax and welfare systems and creates an uneven playing field for the majority of small businesses doing the right thing.  As the economy changes in nature towards being a more services based economy, the Taskforce is reporting seeing an acceleration in the Black Economy with significant ramifications for the broader tax system.

Doug Niven at the Australian Securities and Investment Commission talks to Claire Grayston at CPA Australia about ASIC’s audit inspection findings for the 18 month period to December 2016, released in June 2017. Doug highlights ASIC’s key findings on audit files and firms’ quality control systems, which identifies the areas which firms can focus on in order to improve audit quality. He explains which firms are inspected, ASIC’s own quality processes and how ASIC’s findings are reviewed prior to release. He also identifies initiatives for firms to improve audit quality and the work being done internationally on tackling audit quality

Doug Niven at the Australian Securities and Investment Commission talks to Claire Grayston at CPA Australia about ASIC’s audit inspection findings for the 18 month period to December 2016, released in June 2017. Doug highlights ASIC’s key findings on audit files and firms’ quality control systems, which identifies the areas which firms can focus on in order to improve audit quality. He explains which firms are inspected, ASIC’s own quality processes and how ASIC’s findings are reviewed prior to release. He also identifies initiatives for firms to improve audit quality and the work being done internationally on tackling audit quality