Monday, May 23, 2016

Bankruptcy in Canberra - Will my income be altered if I go bankrupt?


Bankruptcy Canberra is a complicated process, and you need to ensure you get the right recommendations. And when it comes to your income being affected, the answer to the question is maybe. The first thing you have to know about going bankrupt is there is no rule on how much you can earn. However, I will mention that your income is a significant consideration when working through when it comes to Bankruptcy.

The first thing you need to know about this area of Bankruptcy is just how much you can earn before you start paying back money to your creditors via your trustee (see table below).

Net income is the pre-tax/ in the hand sum you earn per year. A dependant is someone who lives with you and earns less than $3,124 per year (regardless of their age).

You can apply for a hardship variation that raises the threshold amount, if you have costs in Canberra such as medical, child care, serious travel to and from work, or a situation where your partner used to work but is not able to add to the family income.

Some of the useful parts of Bankruptcy is that your employer will not be told when you file for bankruptcy. Also, Child support is always considered in bankruptcy, if you receive child support that is not factored in as income. If you pay child support this will be also thought about, for example if you provide $5,000 child support each year and you have no dependents living with you then your amended net income limit will be $55,332.10.

There are more issues covering income and what is or isn't regarded as income - if you're uncertain, it's best to get specialist advice. The reason you need to consider your income as a part of the Big 5 questions here is that bankruptcy is in some situations not an economically sensible option.

If one of your creditors is the ATO (for unpaid taxes), then your tax refund will be taken by the ATO whilst you are bankrupt to add toward your tax bill. If you don't have a tax bill then you will keep your tax refund provided that doesn't take you over your threshold income caps.

If you believe that when it comes to Bankruptcy, your situation is more complicated, then feel free to get specialist advice in Canberra. I may seem like a broken record, but keep in mind that it's always a good idea to overcome these options before declaring bankruptcy, due to the fact that once you have filed the paperwork it's far too late to change your mind.


If you would like to find out more about what to do, where to turn and what issues to ask about Bankruptcy, then don't hesitate to contact Bankruptcy Experts Canberra on 1300 795 575, or explore our website: bankruptcyexpertsCanberra.com.au.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Bankruptcy in Canberra - Are you going to get bitten?


When people in Canberra ask me about Bankruptcy, I tell them the classic Native American Fable of the little boy and the Rattlesnake. An old rattlesnake asks a passing young boy to carry him to the mountain top to discover one last sunset before he dies. The boy was reluctant, but the rattlesnake promised not to bite him in exchange for the ride. They journeyed together only for the snake to in the end attacks the boy despite his vow not to do so. The snake's answer was 'You knew what I was when you picked me up.

Asking for the right financial advice in Canberra when it pertains to Bankruptcy is a whole lot like that little boy's journey, tangled up with risk and danger, and typically skewed for the benefit of the person presenting the advice. Often you'll get bitten except if you know what you've picked up long before you move forward (avoid the rattlesnakes). I learned the problem with obtaining financial advice as a teenager, and it has been vital to Bankruptcy. I'd been working hard for a few years, and saved up a little bit of money I wanted to invest. It was the early 1980s so interest rates were pretty high and investing your money was really profitable. I spent time researching different investment options, and I went to visit a few financial advisors. It was transparent that they had more money than I did: they had good suits and plush offices; they all appeared to exude confidence and have all the answers. What struck me was that they all had a very different strategy of what I should do. This puzzled me so much that it put me off the entire idea of going with any of them.

I'm sure currently you have read enough on the internet to be totally bewildered about Bankruptcy and precisely what to do. It would probably be easier for me to help you learn about the nature of the financial snakes you might be grasping while you are trying to get to the bottom of your financial problems in Canberra. Essentially, you have to try and recognize what your overarching options are, do your very own research into where to proceed with your plan for Bankruptcy and after that approach what you feel is best in Canberra for your requirements. Basically, you have 3 options for who to turn to.

The first option is a Solicitor - This may seem like the go-to choice when you appear to be in trouble. But certainly there is only just so much help they can give on this matter. There are certainly specialist legal advisors in bankruptcy, but their experience comes with a hefty price.

Another possibility you may think of is your accountant - they are incredibly useful and vital to the task of operating your business, but for the most part, when you are thinking about Bankruptcy, your accountant won't be much help to you anymore.

Your best bet? A Financial Counsellor that can talk about debt consolidation, personal insolvency agreements, and virtually all you have to understand when it comes to Bankruptcy.


If you want to find out more about what to do, where to turn and what questions to ask about Bankruptcy, then feel free to get in touch with Bankruptcy Experts Canberra on 1300 795 575, or visit our website:bankruptcyexpertsCanberra.com.au.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Bankruptcy in Canberra - Changes to help Small Business and Entrepreneurs

5th February 2016 - By Charles Bosse

Do you have an idea of how much Bankruptcy in Canberra is changing? The Australian Government at the end of 2015 came up with some underlying changes to the Bankruptcy Laws in Australia. One of the most significant of these is the length of time that a person is bankrupt for. Right now, there is a minimum amount of time that you must stay bankrupt, having said that, this 3 year period may in fact be reduced down to just 12 months. So if you are inquiring about Bankruptcy, this news may be pretty important to you.



Mark Carnegie in the Financial Review on the 7th December 2015 recommended that "the proposed changes to ease the burden of bankruptcy laws didn't go far enough and the government should adopt US-style laws to protect the family home".

These alterations to the issue of Bankruptcy will take 18 months to implement. Mr Carnegie, went on to say in the Financial Review that protecting family assets was essential because "banks just terrorise small business and the mental health consequences to society are enormous".

The problem is Australia's bankruptcy laws put off investors from supporting start-ups, and as a result mentoring had been "driven out of the system".

"They naturally find it very intimidating themselves personally and with their assets at risk in a risky early-stage deal, but with their own money in the deal and a lightened-up provision I think we 'd probably see more willingness. It could be more important than the money.".

Fraudulent Behavior.

The issue surrounding this Bankruptcy issue in Canberra that some make is that this change will only reinforce fraudulent behavior opening pandora's box so to speak for the unscrupulous to violation of the bankruptcy system. We have considered the minimum, but on the other side of the issue, The government is not recommending to change the maximum term of 8 years if it deems a bankrupt has behaved in an unethical or fraudulent way, and there are no propositions to change the consequences of misrepresenting yourself or financial situation when filing for bankruptcy in Australia.

As a bankruptcy professional in Canberra, I have a decent share of experience when it comes to Bankruptcy. And having dealt with thousands of bankruptcy cases in Canberra I have never uncovered someone abusing the system or acting in an irresponsible way as to exploit the bankruptcy laws in Australia. When it comes to Bankruptcy, each week I help a small business owner or entrepreneur look at the very hard task of bankruptcy, not once have I sensed they are happy about it. The ordinary small business owner or entrepreneur in Canberra does not start out taking enormous financial risks with the intention to fail. The media prefers citing the apparent misuse that will be rampant if these changes occur, what a joke!

A Win for Small Business.

These suggested changes will be good for often the very best and brightest in Canberra not get kicked out of the game financially for financial decisions often outside of their control. Most small business owners I help with Bankruptcy, are hardworking, tax paying, companies keeping this country going.

Certainly there is a fine line with exactly what the government is trying to do here, since they are aiming to balance helping people who have made decisions out of their control, and discouraging people from making miscalculations that land them in trouble and consequently an issue of Bankruptcy. However you likewise don't want to get rid of the experience and knowledge that business owners have. You surely don't want to shatter people simply because they have had a sincere failure in a large or small start-up venture that has not worked out.

At the big end of town large well established companies have long been criticised for their failure to innovate - lets face it they would be more likely to do so if the risks of bankruptcy were scaled down because directors are worried they'll be personally responsible in an insolvency arrangement if the new endeavor doesn't work out.

The government's suggested 'safe haven' modifications for directors of companies will allow Australia to more fully explore and innovate, which will make big updates for Bankruptcy. I can not imagine, that these improvements will be harmful to Australia's economy, in fact these bankruptcy laws will save the tax payer in all areas of health - Especially in the mental health sector because the emotional cost of bankruptcy is extensive. When it comes to Bankruptcy in Canberra not a day goes by where I don't hear the tragic experiences of relationship failures, thoughts of suicide and the list goes on.


Bankruptcy helps save lives, and it could save yours. If you want some help with your debts in Canberra or are just thinking about Bankruptcy, don't hesitate to phone us here at Bankruptcy Experts Canberra on 1300 795 575, or visit our website: www.bankruptcyexpertscanberra.com.au