December 2021 Newsletter
A message from our Directors...
2021 came and went with rapid speed with Christmas now upon us. It gives us the chance to reflect and put a plan in place for 2022 and beyond if you don’t have one already. Where would you like to be and what actions do you need to take to achieve this? We are here if you need our help.
It’s been another big year for our team at Milanese & Co, welcoming many new staff members which have been great additions to our team. Jess joined our team at the start of the year as our new receptionist before going on maternity leave, which saw us welcome Erin as her replacement. Excitingly, Onnley came back to join our team and lastly, we welcomed Tomos as an undergraduate accountant.
This year we were given the opportunity to assist clients in many ways, including two of the largest transactions we have dealt with to date. We had the pleasure with dealing with an ASX listed company to get a business sale over the line resulting in a great result for both parties. We also managed to finalise the well planned out succession planning that had been on the go for a number of years come to light with the finalisation and transition of a family-owned business to the next generation.
We have some exciting changes for the new year! Milanese & Co Accountants will be opening a second office in Northgate approximately 10km from the CBD. The official opening of that office will be 10th January, 2022. Our home will always be Gawler, but we are excited to be able to grow to help provide more individuals and businesses with the service they need and deserve whilst ensuring our focus of customer service is maintained with our current clients. We will continue to see our clients where it works best for you.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their ongoing support. We hope you all get to enjoy the Christmas & New Year break! Here’s to an even better 2022!
Robert Milanese and Adam Taylor – Directors of Milanese & Co Accountants
Festive Season Trading Hours
Our office will be closed from 12pm on Thursday 23rd December 2021 and re-open at 8:30am on Monday 10th January 2022. The team is excited to take a well-deserved break and look forward to coming back refreshed and ready to hit 2022 hard with you!!
Tis the Season to FBT
With the festive season upon us again, it’s a time that many employers look for ways to reward their employees for their hard work over the past 12 months. We take this opportunity to refresh your memory regarding Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT). The magic number to remember is $300! This is important to remember when it comes to the Christmas party and gifts staying FBT-free. Christmas party and gift costs are only exempt from FBT when they cost less than $300 per employee.
If you have any questions about FBT, please contact our office to discuss with one of our accountants to assist.
Facts you probably didn't need to know
In the song "12 Days of Christmas", the sum of all of the presents equals 364. That's a present every day of the year except for Christmas!
Artificial Christmas trees were invented by a toilet brush company.
Christmas trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.
Tips for Small Business Owners Preparing for Christmas
1. Plan your cashflow over the festive period
Planning your cashflow in advance and taking into consideration what your needs are throughout the festive period will assist you ensuring you have adequate funds. Consider items like foresting cash flow, invoicing early, clearing excess stock, following up late payers to name a few.
2. Staying organised
It’s important to stay organised to ensure there are minimal hiccups throughout the silly season. If your business closes over Christmas, make a list of the tasks which can be done in advance such as payroll, scheduling payments to creditors etc.
3. Website and Email Messages
If your business is closing over the festive period, it’s important to set an out of office reply on your emails and communicate your closure times on your social media/website. This ensures that you remain current as well as keeping any potential clients/customers aware of any delayed response times.
4. Don’t Forget to Take Time to Relax!
Take the time to relax and recharge ready to hit the ground running in 2022.
Christmas Recipe
A simple and easy to make recipe for your Christmas table that our staff enjoy! YUM!
Mars Bar Christmas Crackles
Ingredients
200 g Mars Bars chopped
2 tbs pouring cream
2 tsp cocoa powder sifted
3 cups Rice Bubbles
1 canola oil spray
100 g white chocolate
24 Smarties
Method
Spray mini-muffin tray with canola oil.
Melt the Mars Bars, cream and cocoa. Stir the mixture until smooth.
Put the Rice Bubbles in a separate large bowl, pour in the chocolate mixture and stir.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray and press down gently.
Refrigerate for 2 hours and turn out onto a tray to decorate.
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave checking and stirring it at 30 second intervals. Pour it into a piping bag while warm and snip the tip off.
Turn the crackles upside down and pipe the chocolate on. Finish with a smartie on top of each one.
*you could use Snickers, or Caramello to name a few
Christmas Jokes
Where do elves hedge their bets?
On the stocking exchange.What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck?
A Christmas Quacker!How do snowmen get around?
They ride an icicle!
