Investment Accountants
What is an Investment Accountant?
This is an accountant who has experience of preparing accounts and tax returns with respect to investment portfolio's, including direct residential or commercial property investments. These investment portfolio's are typically held in a variety of entities including:
- Unit Trusts
- Discretionary or Family Trusts
- Testamentary Trusts
- Hybrid Trusts
- Partnerships - common law and registered
- Individually held
Accounting for investments is different from accounting for small businesses or preparing BAS or tax returns for individuals or small businesses (services that you can obtain from a small business focussed tax agent or accountant).
Most public accountants and tax agents do not deal with very many asset rich individuals, nor with the variety of asset types that are often held by such clients. For instance, in our experience with taking on clients from sole tax practitioners some practitioners struggle to account correctly for options and warrants, or for antiques, art, or collectible cars, or for international shares. Most fundamentally the way assets are treated is different in accounting for investments - Assets in investment accounting go up in value, in busines they are depreciated.
What does your service include?
In addition to getting the accounting and tax right, we also offer advice on the best way to hold your assets - from a range of perspectives - and relating to the relevant issues which are important in your specific circumstances, including the tax and asset protection perspective.
We do this in conjunction with our in house solicitor and AFSL licensed Investment Advisory service. Our Investment Accountants work collaboratively with our in hosue Lawyer and investment mangement team to assist you to ensure when it comes to your investments, you've got the right assets, in the right entity.
We are experienced advisers in this area, including in regards to:
- The tax impact of asset type, entity type, and the relevant personal context - now, ongoing, on divestment, and on death
- Impact on whether your personal assets or other assets can be targetted by claimants. If balance sheet movements (movement of assets and liabilities in your trust, company or partnership) impact adversely on liabilities of individuals and related entities (are creditors or liquidators able to access your other or personal assets?)
Our principals are experienced Investment Accountants and as appropriate and as needed can work closely with our in house solicitor and AFSL licensed investment advisors to make sure that in timely fashion:
- You are aware of relevant estates and asset protection matters that you may wish to consider
- You are fully informed of the investment risks and exposures you are taking in your investment approach
- You can access relevant and qualified research on most available investment grade assets in Australia from some of the largest investment research houses.