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Company, trust and partnership returns

Entity returns are where good accounting quietly pays for itself — or where a missed distribution minute costs you years later. We prepare accounts that are compliant today and defensible when someone looks back at them.

A company or trust return is not just a bigger version of an individual one. It carries obligations that compound: franking account balances, Division 7A loans, trust distribution resolutions that must be made before 30 June, and the constant question of whether the structure you set up years ago still suits what the business has become.

We prepare the financial statements and the entity return together, so the numbers reconcile and the story they tell is consistent. Then we look past compliance — at how profit is being extracted, whether the current structure is costing you tax, and what needs to happen before the next 30 June rather than after it.

If your structure is genuinely wrong for where you are headed, we will tell you plainly and cost out the alternative. Restructuring is disruptive and it is not always worth it. That is a judgement call, not a sales pitch.

  • Financial statements and entity return prepared together
  • Division 7A loans reviewed and documented
  • Trust distribution minutes done before 30 June
  • Franking account tracked and reconciled
  • Fixed fee from $1,760 including GST
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What’s included

What entity work involves

01

Annual financial statements

A full profit and loss, balance sheet and equity reconciliation prepared to accounting standards — the document your bank and any future buyer will ask for.

02

Company tax returns

Lodged with franking account balances tracked, loss carry-forward tested, and the base rate entity test applied correctly to your company tax rate.

03

Division 7A

Loans and payments from a company to shareholders or associates reviewed, minimum repayments calculated, and compliant loan agreements put in place before they become deemed dividends.

04

Trust distributions

Resolutions prepared and signed before 30 June — not backfilled in October. Streaming of capital gains and franked dividends handled where it benefits beneficiaries.

05

Partnership returns

Income and deductions allocated correctly across partners, with each partner's individual position considered rather than treated in isolation.

06

Structure review

An annual look at whether your entity still fits. Growth, new partners, property purchases and succession plans all change what the right answer is.

How it works

How we run an entity engagement

Step 1

Scope and quote

We look at your last return and current bookkeeping, then quote a fixed fee for the year’s work.

Step 2

Books reconciled

We work in your Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks file — or clean it up first if the numbers do not yet reconcile.

Step 3

Accounts and return

Financial statements and the entity return prepared together, with Division 7A and distribution checks built into the process.

Step 4

Debrief and plan

We walk you through the result, the tax payable and what to do differently before the next 30 June.

From $1,760, fixed before we start

Company or trust financial statements and the entity return start at $1,760 including GST, covering franking and Division 7A checks or distribution minutes. Quarterly BAS for a company or trust is $385. Our Company and Trust Care Plan bundles BAS, the entity return, the director’s personal return and unlimited support from $330 a month.

See full fee schedule
FAQ

Company and trust questions

It depends on profit level, risk, who else needs to be paid and where you are headed — not on what worked for someone you know. Companies cap the tax rate on retained profit but make extracting money more complicated. Trusts offer flexibility in who receives income but demand discipline around resolutions. We will model the options against your actual numbers rather than give you a general rule.

If you take money out of your own company other than as wages or a franked dividend, the ATO can treat it as an unfranked dividend and tax you on the whole amount. Division 7A is the set of rules that prevents that — usually by putting a compliant loan agreement in place and making minimum repayments each year. It is one of the most common and most expensive things we see missed.

Before 30 June of the relevant year — not when the return is prepared. If a valid resolution is not in place by then, the trustee can be assessed on the income at the top marginal rate. We diarise this for every trust client and prepare the minutes in the weeks before year end.

Yes, and it is straightforward. We request your file and prior returns from the outgoing accountant through the standard ethical clearance process — you do not need to have an awkward conversation. Most transitions are complete within a fortnight.

Related services
BAS & GSTBookkeepingTax planningFull fee schedule

Talk to us about your structure

Bring your last return and we will tell you what we would do differently — and what it would cost. The first appointment is free.

Book an appointment Call 0413 115 225