What Accountants Should Be Doing for Clients Before 30 June
Most practices leave significant value on the table every year — not through bad advice, but through conversations that happen too late. Here's what to do, and exactly when to do it.
... days to 30 June. Most effective strategies require 4–6 weeks of lead time. The time to act is now.
The lead-up to 30 June is the one period in the year where accountants can have a direct and immediate impact on client outcomes. Done well, it strengthens relationships and delivers results. Done reactively — or left until June — most of the best opportunities have already closed.
Action timeline — April to 30 June
- Review YTD financials
- Identify trust distribution strategy
- Model super contributions
- Flag CGT disposals
- Implement timing strategies
- Confirm asset purchases
- Carry-forward super analysis
- Review bad debts & stock
- Initiate super contributions
- Prepare trustee resolutions
- Confirm Div 7A repayments
- Vary PAYG instalments
- Trustee resolutions executed
- Super received by fund
- Assets installed & in use
- Bad debts written off
Start with a Current Financial Position
No year-end strategy is worth anything without a clear, current picture of where each client stands. This is not simply about estimating tax payable — it's about identifying which levers are available and which have already closed. The conversation needs to happen now, not the final week of June.
- Year-to-date P&L compared to prior year and budget
- Current cash position and expected cash flow to 30 June
- Any material structural, ownership, or operational changes during the year
- Estimated taxable income and preliminary tax payable
- Outstanding loans, UPEs, and related party balances identified
Income and Expense Timing
Timing is one of the simplest and most consistently effective planning tools. It must be tailored — what works for a business with a strong year does not suit one with a temporary income dip. Always weigh the cash flow implications alongside the tax benefit.
- Prepay rent, interest, insurance up to 12 months in advance (within ATO guidelines)
- Professional memberships and subscriptions
- Training and development already planned
- Repairs and maintenance scheduled for next quarter
- Advertising for Q1 FY27
- Invoice timing where client has genuine discretion
- Large one-off receipts near year-end
- Strongest case where current year income is elevated vs next
- Must comply with accruals principles
- Commercial implications must be weighed
Superannuation Contributions
Superannuation remains the most effective legitimate tax planning mechanism available, particularly for business owners. The critical rule: contributions must be received by the fund before 30 June — allow a minimum of 3–5 business days for EFT clearance plus any fund cut-off requirements. Mid-June at the latest.
| Contribution type | Current cap | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Concessional (CC) | $30,000 | Includes employer SG + salary sacrifice + personal deductible contributions |
| Carry-forward CC | Up to 5 prior years | Total super balance below $500,000 at prior 30 June |
| Non-concessional (NCC) | $120,000 | Not available if TSB ≥ general transfer balance cap |
| NCC bring-forward | Up to $360,000 | Subject to age and TSB eligibility |
| Spouse contribution offset | Up to $540 | Spouse income below $40,000; max offset on $3,000 contribution |
- Total concessional contributions confirmed — do not exceed $30,000
- Carry-forward eligibility checked — TSB at prior 30 June below $500,000?
- Personal deductible contributions: Notice of Intent lodged and acknowledged by fund before return is lodged
- All contributions initiated by mid-June to ensure receipt by fund before 30 June
- Division 293 impact modelled for clients where income + CC exceeds $250,000
- Spouse contribution assessed where applicable
Charge Rates & Salaries Report — June 2026
Know exactly what your peers are charging and paying. Benchmarked data from across the Australian accounting industry — the essential reference for every practice heading into the new financial year.
View the Report →Trust Distributions and Trustee Resolutions
For clients operating through discretionary trusts, 30 June is the most critical deadline in the year. There is no recovery from a late trustee resolution.
- Trust deed reviewed — confirm what is permitted re income streaming, CGT, and franking credits
- Expected trust income estimated and distribution strategy determined
- Marginal tax rates of all potential beneficiaries assessed — including under-18 beneficiaries (Division 6AA applies)
- Section 100A risk assessed — particularly where corporate beneficiaries hold UPEs and funds remain in the business
- Prior year UPEs reviewed — Division 7A loan treatment and minimum repayment obligations confirmed
- CGT discount streaming confirmed in resolution where applicable
- Franking credits streamed to the beneficiary who can effectively utilise them
- Trustee resolution drafted, executed, and dated before 30 June
Capital Expenditure and Depreciation
Year-end asset purchases are a common planning conversation. Three questions must be answered before recommending any purchase: Is it commercially justified? Will it be installed and ready for use before 30 June? And does the cash outlay make sense?
- Installed and ready for use by 30 June — ordered or paid is not sufficient for the deduction
- Instant asset write-off: $20,000 threshold for businesses with turnover below $10M (confirm current rules at time of advice)
- Temporary full expensing has ended — standard effective life applies above the threshold
- Luxury car limit applies for FY26
- A tax deduction is worth, at most, the client's marginal rate multiplied by the cost
- An asset that creates cash flow pressure is never a good tax planning outcome
- Confirm the asset is genuinely needed and will be actively used
- Instant asset write-off rules have shifted repeatedly — verify before advising
Capital Gains Review
The most common and costly oversight is disposing of an asset just before the 12-month threshold for the 50% CGT discount. Verify acquisition dates before any disposal is confirmed.
- All capital events identified — acquisition dates confirmed and 12-month holding period verified before disposal
- Unrealised capital losses reviewed — consider crystallising to offset existing gains before 30 June
- Assets with unrealised gains: assess whether deferring disposal to FY27 is appropriate
- Small business CGT concessions eligibility tested for any business asset disposal — 15-year exemption, active asset reduction, retirement exemption, rollover
- CGT discount streaming confirmed in trust resolutions where applicable
Division 7A: Private Company Obligations
Division 7A is one of the most consistently mismanaged areas of private company compliance. A deemed unfranked dividend is an avoidable outcome. Year-end is the time to ensure every obligation is identified and met.
- All shareholder and associate loans identified — complying loan agreements in place?
- Benchmark interest rate for FY26 confirmed and correctly applied to all loans
- Minimum annual repayments (principal + interest) made before the lodgement day
- New loans made during the year identified and either formalised or repaid before year-end
- Payments by the company for private expenditure of shareholders or associates correctly characterised
- Trust UPEs to corporate beneficiaries — Division 7A treatment confirmed and minimum repayments made
Balance Sheet Housekeeping
The condition of the financial records directly affects taxable income and the quality of any planning advice. This work is less visible but equally important.
- Must be formally written off in the accounts before 30 June to be deductible this year
- The decision must be evidenced — not merely anticipated
- Review aged receivables with clients now, not in July
- Stocktake required at year-end
- Valuation flexibility: cost, market selling value, or replacement — per item
- Obsolete or damaged stock can be written down below cost
- Assets scrapped or disposed of must be removed
- Residual book values written off
- Particularly important where prior years involved heavy asset investment
- Bank, debtor, and creditor reconciliations up to date
- Intercompany and shareholder loans reconciled before year-end
- The step that surfaces Division 7A and UPE issues before they become problems
PAYG Instalments and High-Income Considerations
PAYG Instalment Variations
Where a client's income has been lower than expected, the final quarterly instalment may be varied down to preserve cash flow. The caution: if the variation results in an underpayment exceeding 15% of the actual liability, the ATO applies a GDP adjustment factor penalty. Model it carefully.
- Division 293 tax modelled — combined income and CC above $250,000?
- Medicare Levy Surcharge position confirmed — private hospital cover held, or surcharge factored in
- Salary sacrifice arrangements reviewed — opportunity to maximise before 30 June
- Income protection insurance premiums — deductibility confirmed and payment timing considered
The Principle That Underpins All of It
Tax planning should support good commercial decisions — not drive poor ones. Every recommendation in this period should pass a simple test: does this make commercial sense for this client, independent of the tax effect?
Clients do not need maximum possible deductions. They need a clear picture of their position and confident, commercially grounded advice. That is the difference between a compliance provider and a trusted adviser — and the lead-up to 30 June is where that distinction becomes most visible.
We would welcome the opportunity to assist with a completely confidential, obligation-free — and honest — conversation about your practice.
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About Rob Knights & Co
Specialists in benchmarking, data analysis, and strategic insights for Australian accounting practices. With over 50 years of industry experience, we provide the information practice owners need to make sound, data-driven decisions.
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