RPS Accountants & Business Advisors
Tax Accountant in Meadow Heights, VIC
Sole trader and ABN returns made easy
Running your own show in Meadow Heights means every invoice, every fuel receipt and every tool purchase eventually lands on your tax return. Getting them there correctly is our job, not yours.
We prepare sole trader returns for tradies, drivers, cleaners, consultants and side hustlers across Melbourne’s north. Your business income and personal return are done together, your deductions are matched to how you actually work, and everything is explained before it is lodged.
RPS Accountants is a registered tax practice led by Ravinder Paul Singh, a Chartered Accountant and registered tax agent with extensive experience across personal and corporate accounting. First year on an ABN or your tenth, the process with us stays simple.
Mixing business and personal expenses?
One bank account for everything, the ute that doubles as the family car, the phone that takes work calls and weekend calls. Sound familiar? It is how most sole traders operate, and it is also where returns most often go wrong.
The mistakes we fix most often:
- Claiming 100 per cent of a vehicle or phone that is partly personal, which the ATO can unwind years later
- Missing the business share of home internet, power and rent because it felt too hard to work out
- No logbook or diary, so a legitimate 80 per cent work vehicle can only be safely claimed at a fraction of that
- Paying for business costs in cash with no record, and losing the deduction entirely
The fix is a fair, documented split. We work out the right business percentage for each expense, set up simple records that take minutes a week, and claim the full amount you are entitled to. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing to fear in a review.
Stay on top of BAS and GST deadlines
Once your turnover passes $75,000 you must register for GST, and from then on the ATO expects a business activity statement every quarter. Miss one and the penalties and interest start quietly stacking up.
Here is the standard quarterly rhythm:
Lodge through us and two things change. Your BAS is prepared from tidy, reconciled figures instead of a last minute scramble, and as registered tax agents we generally receive extended lodgement deadlines beyond the standard dates. Behind on a BAS or three? We will bring you up to date and talk to the ATO about the penalties.
How much should you set aside for tax?
The question every new sole trader asks, usually in the first month. The honest answer is that it depends on your profit, but the habit matters more than the exact number.
Say you expect around $80,000 profit this year. Setting aside roughly 30 cents of every dollar you earn covers your income tax, your Medicare levy and leaves headroom for compulsory PAYG instalments once the ATO starts asking for them.
Earning less? The percentage drops. Earning more, or charging GST on top? It rises. We calculate your personal number at your appointment so tax time is a transfer, not a shock.
Open a separate account, move your percentage every time you get paid, and the scariest part of self employment disappears within a quarter.
Plan ahead to reduce next year’s bill
Most tax is decided before 30 June, not after. Once the year ticks over, all an accountant can do is report what happened. Before it ticks over, there are real levers to pull.
Timing an equipment purchase to use the instant asset write off. Prepaying deductible expenses in a strong year. Topping up super before the cap closes. Reviewing whether a company or trust structure now fits a business that has outgrown a sole ABN. Each one is simple on its own, and together they can move your bill by thousands.
That is why we offer Meadow Heights clients a mid-year check in, not just a July appointment. A free initial consultation is all it takes to see which levers apply to you, and it only takes a few minutes to book.
Strategic advice to minimise liability and maximise growth, all year round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a registered tax agent?
Yes. RPS Accountants is registered with the Tax Practitioners Board, Registered Tax Practitioner No. 26161185, and the practice is led by Ravinder Paul Singh, a Chartered Accountant and registered tax agent. Registration means we are legally authorised to prepare and lodge on your behalf, and you are protected by professional standards an unregistered preparer cannot offer.
Do you offer online appointments?
Yes. Meet us by phone or video and upload your documents securely, or visit our office at 136 Gateway Boulevard in Epping, about ten minutes from Meadow Heights with parking at the door. Same accountant, same care, whichever suits your schedule. Booking only takes a few minutes.
Can you handle my dealings with the ATO?
Yes, all of them. Letters, reviews, audits, overdue lodgements and payment plans become our conversation with the ATO instead of yours. We keep you informed at every step, translate everything into plain English, and in most cases the problem shrinks the moment a registered agent takes over.
Get started with your Meadow Heights accountant
Book a free initial consultation and get your tax, BAS and business questions answered in plain English. It only takes a few minutes.