Small Business News Alert

Hello and welcome to another News Alert. It's almost tax time again, and in this issue we look at the highlights of the government's proposed tax reforms, as well as bringing you some practical tips that could help you improve your tax position before year end.

It's also time to start setting goals and making plans for the new financial year. To give you a head start, we've described how to go about building your annual business plan in five simple steps. You can also take advantage of our free New Year's Resolution toolkit, which is packed full of ideas and resources to help you make the new financial year a winning one for you and your business.

Certainly the new year looks set to be more upbeat than the last. Commonwealth Bank research shows that business owners are more optimistic than ever before, while retail sales are at last starting to recover. But with interest rates rising and the government's stimulus package tailing off, there could still be testing times ahead. That makes careful planning even more important.

As always, your local Business Banker is there to help. If you would like to find out more about any of the topics discussed in this issue, or talk about their implications for your business, contact your Business Banker or call the team on 13 1998, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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In this issue

	What the government’s tax reforms mean for small business. There was plenty of good news for small business in the government's response to the Henry Tax Review, and only a few negatives. Read article...
	Five tips for tax time June 30 is almost upon us — but there's still time to get your house in order and take steps to reduce your tax bill. Read article...
	Retail sales bounce back Retail sales rose strongly in March across all states, according to the latest Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator. Read article...
	Planning for the new financial year Have you written your new year business plan yet? A good annual plan sets out where you want to go and how you intend to get there. Read article...

• Important information. 
  As this advice has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should before acting on this advice, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances including by considering the terms and conditions of any product or service mentioned.