Tax and BAS help for Doreen tradies and home-based businesses.

From Hazel Glen to Laurimar

Until 1895 this area was known as Hazel Glen, and it only became Doreen when the local post office took that name. You'll still see the old name on Hazel Glen Drive, home to the Laurimar Town Centre, which was developed between 2005 and 2010 around a Woolworths. Spreading out from it are newer estates filled with young families.

Doreen has no train station of its own (Mernda is the nearest), and it doesn't have a long commercial strip either. Much of its business life happens from home: a ute in the driveway, a laptop on the kitchen bench and a phone that rings while you're on the tools.

Tradies with a ute and an ABN

If you're a carpenter, sparky, plasterer or landscaper who has recently gone out on your own, the paperwork arrives quickly. Getting an ABN is the easy part. Then come the questions. Should you register for GST now or wait? How do you show it on a quote? What goes on the BAS each quarter? We can register you, set up invoicing so GST is handled properly, and prepare and lodge your BAS on time.

After you lodge a return that shows business income, the ATO may place you into PAYG instalments, a regular prepayment of next year's tax. It catches a lot of new contractors off guard. We'll explain what the amount is based on and whether it's worth varying.

Receipts are the other headache. Fuel, tools and materials from the trade suppliers in Epping and Thomastown tend to end up as faded slips on the dashboard. A receipt app linked to Xero, QuickBooks Online or MYOB lets you photograph each one at the counter, and we can set that up as part of getting your software running.

Side businesses alongside a day job

Not every Doreen business is full time. Some locals run a cake business, a photography service or an online store on top of a wage. That income still has to be declared, records still need keeping, and expenses like a car or a home office have to be split sensibly between private and business use. Our tax return service brings your salary and side income together in one lodgement, prepared by a registered tax agent, and a little bookkeeping during the year means nothing is forgotten in June.

Whittlesea or Nillumbik?

Doreen straddles two municipalities, with part of it in the City of Whittlesea and part in the Shire of Nillumbik. It pays to know which one covers your address before you chase a permit or apply for support. Whittlesea runs programs like the B2B Grant and its free Business Network for businesses with a physical location in the municipality. Nillumbik offers a free business concierge service to help local operators work through council requirements. Whichever side of the line you're on, we can point you to the right place.

Working with us from Doreen

Doreen is about 13 km from our Greensborough office. Brian can meet you at home, at a time that suits a working day, or you can come to the office or talk by phone. Most of the regular work happens in your cloud software, so you can keep quoting and building while we keep your records straight. Send a photo of a receipt or a question by text whenever it suits, and we'll deal with it before it becomes a problem at BAS time.