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@asporty wrote:

Surprising how many people jump for posting such as these trying to prove how honest and straight forward they are when dealing with ATO. In the course they forget what the original query was about, they just want to show off.

 

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asporty, Its not a question of "showing off " or "proving how honest I am ". People come to the boards seeking answers to questions which have legal reprucussions. If I am going to offer an opinion that people may act on, I do my best to advise what the legal position is. This does not mean I always agree 100 % with the ATO's position. My concern is if people offer their own interpratations of the law based on personal opinion of " what should be law "  instead of " what is law " people may read and act on the advice. If the advice is innacurate it could be very expensive and traumatic for the people concerned. I have expressed my own personal opinion on other threads which is, if a low income family make a few dollars to pay the school fees, or a pensioner makes some money to have a snitzchel at the RSL on Thursday night, good luck to them. If some-one is running a proffesional business turning over a reasonable amount, they should declare it. Obviously my personal opinion does not meet every single letter of the law, and I try not to let it influence opinions or advice I express on legal matters. I am not a trained accountant, but over the years have done extensive study in business management including taxation matters.  Many of the regular posters who take the time to answer questions are highly experienced people with a combined knowlege over a wide range of subjects. I will admit that some regulars become a little bit "comfortable" on the boards at times but in most cases I believe they share their experiences out of a genuine desire to assist other members rather than as a means of "showing off"