The right structure, before it gets expensive.
We compare sole trader, partnership, company and two kinds of trust against your business. We tell you which one to use, then we set it up.
What's included
We compare five structures against your business.
We weigh each option on your assets, your tax and who else is coming in.
- We compare sole trader, partnership, company, discretionary trust and unit trust. A discretionary trust lets the trustee (the person running it) choose who gets the income. A unit trust splits the income into fixed shares.
- Asset protection means keeping your own things safe if the business owes money. We show what a creditor (someone you owe money to) could take under each option.
- How profit is taxed, how you take it out, and the yearly running cost.
- How ownership splits when a partner or investor comes in, and what changes.
- Moving your current business into a new structure. The small business restructure rollover is a tax rule. It can delay the tax on the change if you qualify.
- Our advice in writing, with the reasons. You can look back at it when the business changes.
Next step
Once we pick it, we register it.
The team that gave the advice does the registration. You get a registered structure with the records in order.
Company registration
We register your new company with ASIC (the company regulator) and the ATO (the tax office). We record the directors (who run it) and shareholders (who own it) the way the advice said.
Register a companyTrust setup
We set up a discretionary or unit trust. That means the trust deed (the document that sets up the trust), the trustee and the registrations. Distributions (payments of income out of the trust) can then be made the way the advice said.
Set up a trustSMSF establishment
An SMSF is a self-managed super fund, a super fund you run yourself. We set it up and register it. Ask us if you are thinking about one.
Establish an SMSFCompare
Sole trader, company or trust, side by side.
The three most common choices in plain words. A partnership is like a sole trader with two or more owners.
| What differs | Sole trader | Company | Trust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is liable | You, with everything you own | The company, not you, unless you sign a personal guarantee. Directors can still be chased for some tax debts | The trustee. Many people use a company as trustee to limit this |
| How profit is taxed | At your personal rate | At the company rate | In the hands of beneficiaries (the people who get the income) |
| Paperwork each year | Your own tax return, with a business section | A company tax return, an ASIC review and a record of decisions | A trust tax return and a written decision on who gets the income |
| Best for | Starting small on your own with low risk | Keeping business debts away from home, or bringing in investors | Families who want to share income and keep assets safe |
How it works
How we get from a chat to a registered structure.
We follow Australian rules. Nothing is registered until you have agreed the price.
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We map what you own and who is involved
You tell us what the business does, what it owns and who else has a stake. Thirty minutes is usually enough to get five options down to two.
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You get a price for the comparison
We agree which structures to compare and what the written advice covers. You see the cost and the finish date before we start.
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We register it and keep the file
The accountant who advised on your structure registers it. They lodge (send in) its returns each year. They tell you when it is time to look at the structure again.
Related services
Your structure decides how we do your tax.
Once it is registered, these two services keep it running.
Tax & compliance
The structure decides how we do your returns. We lodge income tax, GST (goods and services tax) and the BAS (the GST form you send the ATO) on time for every business we set up.
See tax and complianceAdvisory & payroll
You are thinking about a partner, an investor or an exit (selling or leaving the business). We advise on the numbers behind that choice. Once you have staff, we run your payroll.
See advisory and payroll