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I recently noticed that many of my Facebook friends list their birthdate in their profile information. This is asking for trouble because it leaves them at risk of identify theft. Some people even display their full postal address and birthdate in their Facebook profile!

Together this data can be used to impersonate you by thieves calling the call centre support lines of companys you deal with

Having your identity stolen can be devastating both financially and emotionally and can occur in many ways:

• from somebody using your credit card details illegally to make purchases,
• having your entire identity assumed by another person to open bank accounts, take out loans and conducting illegal business under your name,
• or thieves gaining benefits like government social security by pretending to be you.

In it’s Social Networking Security tips the Commonwealth Bank says:

Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are a great way to keep in contact with friends and update professional associates. Unfortunately they also offer cyber criminals another way to gather information about you. To protect yourself while using these social networking sites:

• Make sure your profile pages are only accessible to people you trust and not to the general public by customising the security settings
• Never publish personal or sensitive information such as your birthday, home address, phone number, drivers license number, tax file number or bank account details

You make it easier for identity thieves when you make lots of information about yourself public like your birthday, address or phone number because these are often used by call centre workers at your phone company, bank, insurance company etc as security questions before they change your password or postal address.

So think carefully about what information you put on Facebook, MySpace and other places where you meet and interact with other people online.

Your real friends already know your birthday, phone number and home address – there is no need to publish this information online where it can be used against you

Visit the Rambling Thoughts Blog regularly to read articles about Technology, Personal Finance, TV Shows, Politics, Environment, Books and more

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The HTC Magic Google Android Smart Phone from 3 Mobile is a huge improvement to the original HTC Dream both aesthetically with its sleek black design and because it ships with new much improved Android 1.5 software.

New features include: video recording, desktop widgets, Bluetooth A2DP for wireless stereo headsets, an onscreen keyboard, faster web browsing and more RAM (memory) which made the whole phone faster.

This is an initial review after using the HTC Magic on 3 Mobile for a few days. I’ll be updating this review during the next few weeks before this media/press loan handset gets returned to HTC Australia.

HTC Magic Photos

Features & Specifications

• Special Features – Exclusive HTC “Teeter” game, G-sensor (accelerometer), Digital Compass, Trackball (glows when new Mail or other messages arrive!)
• Screen – 3.2-inch TFT/LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution
• Weight – 116 grams with battery (26% lighter than HTC Dream, 14% lighter than iPhone 3GS)
• Memory – 512 MB ROM, 288 MB RAM (96mb more RAM than the HTC Magic Vodafone version)
• Storage – Sells with 2GB microSD card. The Magic supports MicroSD 2.0, which means technically it can go up to 32GB (though few cards have been made of that size, so it’s only tested to 16GB, but since it should be compliant with the standard, there should be no problems)
• Camera – 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
• 2G and 3G Frequencies – HSDPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz (upto 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds) + Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• Google Integration – One-touch access and full integration with Google mobile Internet services (Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Maps™, Google Talk™, Calendar, Google™ Search etc).
• Music/Audio/Video – Records Audio and Video. plays MP4, AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MIDI, MP3, WMA, WMV
• Applications – There are lots of interesting Android applications to use
• Microsoft Exchange support – Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
• Battery – Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1340 mAh (25% more batterylife than HTC Dream)

HTC Magic Tips

• If you’re used to older style phones where you have to press buttons to do everything the Touchscreen may seem weird at first. After a little while you’ll wonder how you ever did without it because its such a natural way to scroll through information on screen like a newspaper article
• Make sure you explore the Android Market and install some of the interesting 3rd party Android applications, many of which are free or low cost
• The lack of standard headphone jack is quite annoying. I had to buy a “3.5mm ADAPTER FOR T-mobile HTC G1 G-1 Phone Dream touch” from EBAY seller sitedv88 to be able to listen to music on the phone while using my own headphones
• This is an expensive phone and the touchscreen can be scratched and damaged really easily so I recommend that you buy and use the InvisibleShield protective covering for the HTC Magic.
• @MarkBennett suggests using the (paid) “Better Keyboard” application on Android phones because it’s got a better keyboard layout than the default, including long press to type numbers and T9 mode using number keys which is handy for bumpy situations.

Battery Tips

The HTC Magic employs a battery that requires overcharging and topup charging. You must charge it as much and as often as possible. The more you charge the better the battery life becomes. So after a few charges you should see the benefit of this. Letting the charge drain out undoes this so try and charge as often as possible

In terms of drain, it depends what you’re doing with it. For example, if you make a few calls, surf a few pages and get a few emails a day, you’re looking at a much better lifespan than continual media playback.

This might be a shock for anyone used to a more basic phone like a Sony Ericsson Walkman, that does much less, and lasts for ages. Seasoned smartphone users are used to daily charging – its the price you pay for a 400-600mhz processor, touchscreen, constant ‘cloud’ interaction such as sync etc.

If you’re concerned about your level of battery usage, I’d certainly leave it a few weeks to see if it improves. Other than this, you can always turn wifi, bluetooth off when not needed, set the screen brightness down, or even carry a spare battery. Such practices are the unwritten ‘Smartphone Code’.

HTC Magic versus iPhone 3GS

My friend Derek (@ozdj on Twitter) has bought the HTC Magic and iPhone 3GS so I’m adding his comparison comments here:

• Out of the Box Setup: HTC Magic wins the out of box experience with no iTunes palava like iPhone 3GS
• Wifi: Magic thumps the 3GS for wifi reception/sensitivity. On par with (perhaps a little better than?) Touch Pro in this respect
• Web Browsing: 3GS cleans up on gen. web browsing, but Magic (with trackball) more efficient on pages with tight nav menus. Both better than Opera browser on WinMobile
• Application Switching/Multitasking: App switching is *fast* on 3GS but still no ability to run general apps in background like Android or WinMobile
• 3rd party Applications: 3GS wins for overall quality/variety sheer number & range of applications. Android has most useful free apps, marketplace is faster & apps more ‘edgy’. ;
• Music: HTC Magic still missing 3.5mm audio jack (good to see HTC Hero will have one). 3GS easily wins the audio ease of use battle
• Cloud Synchronisation: HTC Magic/Android nails this out of the box. 3GS Mobile Me is expensive
• View in bright daylight: Little difference between 3GS & Magic – quite acceptable but not spectacular
• GPS time to acquire: (cold boot with Assisted GPS on): 1st = Magic, 2nd = 3GS (but very little time between them).

Other People’s Reviews of HTC Magic

Quite frankly I was disappointed by all the other reviews I read about the HTC Magic. There were small mistakes in many of the review articles even on professional technology/gadget sites.

I suspect the journalists in question didn’t use the phone for very long and don’t actually own Google Android phones themselves so aren’t aware about the subtle features, best 3rd party applications and the fact that new operating system features from Android 1.1 to 1.5 can be applied to the HTC Dream/G1 as well as the HTC Magic/G2.

Those interested in the differences between the HTC Dream and the HTC Magic will find the most outstanding changes in its physical design. Gone is the Dream’s bulky size, and with it, its full-size QWERTY keyboard. Instead, the Magic makes use of a 3.2-inch HVGA (480×320) touchscreen display with a built-in software keyboard. This omission means the Magic is impressively slimmer, and we also find it to be much sleeker and sexier too.

We really like the size and shape of the Magic; a colleague in the US referred to it as being slim with a chin. The chin is a small, curved lip around the base of the phone, visible from side-on, which really helps to hold the phone comfortably in your palm. This shape appears to assist with single-handed operation, with most common tasks being simple to complete with just one hand, and thanks as well to a jogwheel tucked away beneath the Magic’s display.
…
We like the Magic, maybe even love it a little bit, but we can’t deny being disappointed at the parts of this phone that are missing. The Magic is perfect for young, hip, tech-savvy types for whom the lack of decent multimedia will be a major turn off, especially when compared with the iPhone’s excellent iPod capabilities. This wouldn’t be such a huge problem if it shipped with an iTunes-like syncing and conversion software, but it doesn’t.

Confusingly, the Magic will be released in Australia in two variants; one offered by Vodafone with a couple of consumer-focused additions like geotagging, and the other offered by 3 Mobile with baked in Microsoft ActicSync compatibility.
- ZDNET Australia

It’s definitely a lot more stylish and, despite being aimed at the younger “online” crowd, would do well in business applications. It has full native support for Microsoft Exchange email. The lack of a physical keyboard will be a turn-off for many but in most other respects, the Magic is a far superior handset to the Dream.

There are downsides to the Magic, though. There’s no standard 3.5mm jack for headphones; it uses a mini USB connector. It doesn’t have a lot of storage either; just 512MB internally plus a microSD card slot (2GB card supplied). It’s no match for the iPhone’s minimum of 8GB.

For open-source and Google Apps fans, it’s one of HTC’s most convincing handsets to date.
- The Age/SMH Newspapers

The biggest improvement the Magic offers over the Dream is its design. The Dream was chunky and quite bland, but the Magic is slim, glossy and stylish. It features rounded edges and a curve below the screen. It weighs less than the Dream despite retaining the same 3.2in screen size. Unfortunately, the glossy finish means the Magic is highly prone to fingerprints and is almost impossible to keep clean.

Unfortunately, unlike Vodafone’s HTC Magic with Google the HTC Magic on 3 doesn’t allow over-the-air firmware updates; you’ll need to perform these manually by plugging the phone into your PC via the included USB cable. This version of the HTC Magic also lacks the ability to geotag photos, but unlike the Vodafone version it supports Microsoft Exchange and displaying PDFs and other documents out of the box. It also has what 3 calls a “smart dialler”. The smart dialler allows you to quickly filter contacts when you begin to dial a number or type the name of a contact.
- PCWorld Australia

Buying the HTC Magic in Australia

In Australia the HTC Magic on 3 Mobile is available with various cap prices.

The same version has been spotted at prices around $750 including postage on EBAy including 288mb RAM + 8gb class6 sdhc card and screen protector.

The similar HTC Magic on Vodafone (without Exchange support and with 96mb less RAM) is white instead of black and is available for outright purchase online from Australian websites Mobicity and Becextech initially for $950 but prices have dropped to less than $800.

If you’ve got an HTC Magic please contribute your experience using it, comparisions to your previous phone, tips and tricks etc – thx

Visit the Rambling Thoughts Blog regularly to read articles about Technology, Personal Finance, TV Shows, Politics, Environment, Books and more

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On 25th June 2009 Annabel Crabb announced that Fiona Katauskas had won the 1st prize of $6000 in the 2009 newmatilda.com competition for political cartooning.

Judges including Annabel Crabb, Peter Broelman and Bill Leak. 2nd place and $1000 went to Andrew Weldon and Luke Watson won the 3rd prize of $500.

You can watch a video below of Annabel Crabb announcing the winners (apologises for bad quality audio, you’ll have to turn up the volume as it was recorded on a HTC Magic smartphone)

Read more information about the New Matilda Prize For Political Cartooning and see all the contender cartoons for each of the 10 heats which were culled down to 12 finalists including 2 wildcards

Visit the Rambling Thoughts Blog regularly to read articles about Technology, Personal Finance, TV Shows, Politics, Environment, Books and more

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The Insight Exchange is a series of monthly topic driven lunches that offers executives a chance to gain valuable information in a short period of time while networking with like minded people. Yesterday I attended their discussion forum : “Twitter’s Impact on Media & Journalism”

Overall I think Beth, Ross and Jess organized the event well and the general vibe from attendees was that it was well worth turning up to for quality content at a fair price including free wifi, a decent buffet lunch & dessert at the Radisson hotel.

Live Coverage of Conversation

Topics Discussed

This was updated after the event with some notes taken from the comments in the Live Coverage of Conversation.

• An audience poll shows Twitter is used mostly to connect with friends/colleagues… Followed by “used for news”
• 59% of #timj audience feel twitter *is* a viable source of news
• An audience member said that there were appx 18 million twitterers globally – freelance journalist Brad Howarth questioned that number saying: “how many of those 18 million Twitters have posted in the last month? And is the current growth sustainable?”
• Brad said his own opinion is Twitter will improve journalism, in the same way the telephone, fax and email did. It will not harm or replace it.
• Ross Dawson asked Is social media allowing us to integrate our lives and personalities, or will multiple accounts fragment who we are?
• Commenting from afar in Queensland, virtual onlooker Edward Harran told me : “I am really curious about the changing context/ambiguity of what a journalist actually is. If we all have broadcast reach to niche audiences … what remains? Intentions of journalist vs passionate blogger changes context of the news source – one paid, one identity”

• Mark Pesce began by displaying a Bob Woodward quote ““Social media? It’s noise. Twitter? Facebook? It’s all a diversion. Good reporting is always going to be about hard work; about waking up every morning with the thought: What are the bastards hiding today?” – but is just a diversion? could the same be said about many of today’s newspapers which are increasingly covering banal shallow news?
• Pesce also predicted that Twitterlike services will kill Wire services like AAP etc. Info on Twitter isn’t necessarily better but its raw and twitter sources are often present when an important news event occurs
• Newspapers are relying more on wire services. They are building their houses on sand, when the wire services get supplanted by citizen journalists reporting on their local events where will newspapers be then after sacking most of their journos?
• Twitter is already an interactive backchannel for TV Programs like the ABC’s New Inventors. Hash tags have helped promote and prolong the converstaion in real time
• I commented that : “the future of journalism could = people like me sitting with my Kogan Netbook, HTC Dream & HTC Magic reporting on the #timj event. No editor, no publisher – information supplied straight to audience”
• Pesce says Twitter is biased, partial and incomplete but the richness of content and it’s network connections results in its revolutionising how news events break and spread

• ZDNET editor Renai Lemay attempted to defend the honour of ‘noble lady’ journalism beset by the “evil assault of the PR industry”, falling revenues and closing newspapers
• Renai says Twitter is not a threat to journalists bu an opportunity. It represents a way to get back to grassroots of sourcing news.
• Twitter allows journalists to connect with readers in a very personal way. Unlike the slightly tweaked media release type of journalism which is unfortunately common today.
• Renai says hyper local journalism is a great example of an opportunity waiting to be grasped in Australia

• Paul Colgan said the pace of change in journalism and associated web technologies is frantic. Youtube, Facebook etc have made sharing so easy and are ubiquitous – CNN got rightly slammed for not being on the ball regarding the #iranelection, but how can they verify info from sources like Twitter?
• Colgan says journalists should make friends with developers in their organizations to make use of API’s to incoproate twitter , flickr and other tools into their workflow
• Corrie from Espresso Comms says Twitter is a great place for PR’s to hang around to help connect journos with info about their clients products/services
• Corrie sees Government as the next big user of Twitter PR (Mosman Council already doing this really well)
• Victoria Sennitt asked are individual journalists becoming brands rather than publications? Ross Dawson replied saying Twitter is making individual journalist brands more important – becoming known for who they are as ppl makes their writing more trusted

Consumers today are demanding news as it happens and Twitter is quickly becoming that source of instant information.

But is Twitter Journalism? And how is this new phenomenon affecting the way traditional media providers capture and deliver the news?

With the overlapping of personal and professional lives on Twitter, how does this impact trust and objectivity with regards to journalism? Is journalism becoming opinion based? How does this impact facts and reporting?

Twitter transforming breaking news: Is hyper-locality the next wave of journalism? Who will be responsible for delivering national news? Discuss how crowdsourcing will affect breaking news and possibly change journalism.

How is Twitter impacting “content” of journalism? Are journalist’s reputations at risk if personal opinions are expressed? What about personal safety?

Twitter and the business of media and journalism. Discuss how it’s helping/hindering the business of news/media and distribution. From fact checking to marketing to distribution to communication amongst all involved.

Further Information About Twitters Impact on Media and Journalism

The first thing #timj attendees should do after the event is read Julie Posetti’s excellent series about Twitter & Journalism at the PBS Mediashift website

Then they should watch Clay Shirky’s recent TED Talk about the new social media landscape where we are all both consumers and producers (as he says, it’s like if you buy a book and they throw in a printing press for free).

He talks about the recent earthquake in China, reported by ordinary Chinese citizens over social media, as it happened. Using Twitter, photo-sharing sites and email, news came pouring out of China. Donation sites sprang up, activism cropped up around the destroyed elementary schools. And then China shut it down.

But China’s censorship system depends on a top-down approach to media. And social media breaks that model. As China learned this week, to censor tweets and photos, you need to block Twitter and Flickr.

A story from the Obama campaign (which Shirky calls one of the most innovative uses of social media ever). During the campaign, Senator Obama announced that he would be changing his vote on FISA. A group formed on his own campaign website, MyBO.com, called “President Obama, Please Get FISA Right.”

The group grew larger and more vocal. Obama engaged with the group, explained his vote. The group members still weren’t happy – but then they realized that, though they had nearly taken over Obama’s campaign site, nobody had ever tried to hide the group, to delete it, to take it off the site – the role of MyBO.com was to convene their supporters, but not to control their supporters

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The Nokia E63 is in essence the baby brother budget version of the very popular Nokia e71 but with the same core features.

I recently used it for 2 weeks on loan from 3 Mobile while testing the “Email On 3″ push email service and thought it was solid and had quite a good full keyboard which was easy to type with even with my big fingers

Nokia isn’t famous for phones that look good so I was surprised that the Ruby Red version of the Nokia E63 is quite stylish and although it doesn’t have all the features of new smartphones like the HTC Magic/iPhone 3Gs the e63 makes up for it by costing about $600 less!

I’m not sure why I hadn’t heard of the Email On 3 service before because its pretty easy to use, gives you unlimited email access including attachments and is available at the bargain price of $5 per month without the need to buy a datapack (already included in the cost of X Series packs $8 and above).

Common Questions Answered about Nokia e63

The Nokia e63 has quite a decent feature set but lacks the GPS chip and HSDPA data capability of its big brother the e71:

• Shape: Block with full keyboard
• Dimensions: 113 x 59 x 13 mm
• Weight: 126 g
• Keyboard: Full QWERTY
• Display: 2.36inches 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA) displaying up to 16 million colours
• Connections: 3.5 mm standard headphone jack + Micro-USB connector (cable not included which is disappointing)
• Battery: 1500 mAh (3-4 days normal use. Upto 2 days if Email on 3 is on during waking hours)
• Frequencies: Quad band + WiFi 802.11b/g
• Camera: 2.0 megapixel with LED flash
• Video: maximum 320 x 240 (QVGA) at 15 fps
• Music formats playable: .mp3, .wma, .aac, AAC+, eAAC+

Email On 3 Questions & Answers

Email on 3 Supports upto 6 email accounts – Exchange/OWA (Outlook Web Access), Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail and any personal or Internet Service Provider (ISP) email accounts such as iiNet, Bigpond, Internode which can be accessed via POP or IMAP.

“Email on 3″ is an application and service created by SEVEN and branded by 3 Mobile. It is sometimes effected by issues in the SEVEN servers outside of 3 Mobile’s control because messages go via the SEVEN server. All messages sent via this server (and only via this server) are included in the $5 unlimited usage cap.

• Why would I use Email On 3 when I can access my hotmail, gmail or yahoo via the web?

  Email On 3 provides you with instant email. There’s no need to log in every time to access you email, and you get instant notifications when you get a new email. Emails are stored on your phone.

• How do I make sure “email on 3″ doesnt result in extra charges?

  If the phone asks for an access point, you must select “Planet 3″ as the access point in order for it to be unlimited.

  Hotmail, Gmail, and Yahoo customer can use both the Nokia + Email On 3 client within the $5 Email & IM Pack. Most ISP email and OWA accounts can be use with Nokia email and all ISP and OWA email accounts can be used with Email on 3

• 3 mobile uses the SEVEN email system to run “Email on 3″. Does the email data get compressed by that service to speed up download times?

  Yes, it does. The client strips the emails down to TEXT only, and truncates the size to a maximum of 50 Kilobytes. This ensures efficiency on most handsets, and faster email download. Images and attachment can be downloaded manually at no extra cost. The Seven client also encrypts emails to enforce security.

• How can i enable audio notification for new emails on the Nokia e63?

  Menu -> Tools -> Settings -> General -> Personalisation -> Home Screen -> Mode Settings -> Home screen applications -> E-mail 1 notification (or E-mail 2 notification if you already have another account set on this one) then select the mailbox that you have configured. You can then set the type of preview you’d like on the homescreen.

Actual Customers Reviews of “Email on 3″

I’m working EmailOn3 on my 6120c and the battery overhead is reasonable given the benefits of the application for my purposes. I have always needed to charge it every second day anyhow, and with the application installed, still adhering to that cycle.

I just like the immediacy and integration of it all (I have set it up so that it fetches mail during waking hours only), and the unlimited email access it brings to 6 of my email accounts, whether they be live.com, domain, or three email, all for a flat 5 measly bucks per month (I’m on prepaid with this phone). What more do you want?
- PeterScb

View more discussion about “Email on 3″ by 3 Mobile customers on the independent Whirlpool forums website

Buying the Nokia e63 in Australia

The Nokia e63 is available on 3 Mobile’s $19/$29/$49 and higher cap plans or for $399 outright from 3 Mobile or other online stores if you want to use it prepaid.

Other People’s Reviews of Nokia e63

Whether you call Nokia E63 the economy package – or stimulus package, in the jargon of the day – you’re looking at a capable business device. It brings the essential skills of the E71, and only sacrifices looks to round off that sweetly trimmed price tag.
- GSM Arena

If you’re choosing between the E71 and E63 we don’t envy you. The differences in hardware (no HSDPA or GPS) are made up for in its cheaper price tag. The E63 will make an excellent messaging phone for people who need to be connected without the trimmings.
- CNET

In the end, the Nokia E63 is just a fantastic little device. It gives business users most all of the functionality they need, as well as enough of the entertainment capabilities they want. The new red and blue color schemes are both visually striking, and the overall build quality of the phone is top notch.
- Mobileburn

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Tax Tips For Everyone

• Make sure you prepay membership fees for unions & professional associations and make any charitable donations just before the end of the financial year (June 30) so you can claim a tax deduction.
• Non-business taxpayers (such as employees or rental property owners) are entitled to an immediate deduction for depreciating assets which cost less than $300 if you satisfy the ATO’s rules for depreciating assets
• Prepayment of interest on a mortgage loan on a rental property will entitle you to a full deduction in the year paid.
• If you have a few $1000 in spare cash, don’t leave it in your transaction bank account earning no interest, instead put it in an Online Savings Account with a High Interest Rate and No Bank fees
• If you contribute $1000 cash to your super fund … than at the end of the year the ATO will deposit upto an extra $1500 in your super account, more details at Turn $1000 into $2500 with Super Co Contributions
• If you were lucky enough to sell assets like shares and made a large profit you’ll have a lot of potential capital gains. Check out your list of assets and see if there are any that have made losses and you were going to sell them soon anyway.

  If you do sell them this generates a loss you could claim against capital gains from the assets which made a profit when sold.

  This also frees up some money to invest in assets that have a hope of rising in value.

Tax Tips For Single People

• If you’re single and going to earn more than $100,000/year (from July 2008-June 2009) make sure you take out a basic private health insurance plan (with an Excess of $500 or less) or your Medicare levy will rise from 1.5% to 2.5%.

Tax Tips Couples Can Follow

• Make sure that any spare cash you have is kept in a Online Savings Account with a High Interest Rate and No Bank fees and open it in the name of the partner who earns less money so that the interest is taxed at a lower rate
• Similarly if you’re thinking of purchasing shares or joining a managed share fund, do it in the name of partner who earns less money so that the income earned from it is taxed at a lower rate.

  If that partner gets taxed at less than the 30% company tax rate you’ll also get a bonus tax refund on any fully franked dividends

• If you’ll earn more than $150,000* (from July 2008-June 2009) combined income a year make sure you take out a basic private health insurance plan (Excess of $1000 or less) or your Medicare levy will rise from 1.5% to 2.5%. *=threshold increases for families with 2 or more children
• If one partner is earning a lot less than the other and therefore has a much smaller superannuation account balance, see if they qualify to Turn $1000 into $2500 with Super Co Contributions

Tax Tips for Business Taxpayers

• Bad Debts – Does any amount owed to you constitute a bad debt? If so, for it to be deductible in the tax year it must be ‘written off’ by 30 June.
• Make sure you time your Stock and Asset Purchases before 30 June. Get rid of your slow moving stock by sale or disposal. Dispose of obsolete assets on your balance sheet. Review your assets register and update with all bought and sold plant, equipment and furniture. Purchase bulk consumables such as printing paper and cleaning products to get a deduction in this tax year rather than the next
• The Tax Office allows business taxpayers that are not small business taxpayers (ie. generally those with an annual aggregated turnover of more than $2 million) to immediately deduct depreciating assets costing less than $100 so by bringing forward the purchase of items such as staplers, hole-punches, small tools etc, you can claim immediate deductions which will reduce your tax payable for this financial year.
• Superannuation Guarantee is payable by employers on 9% of each employee’s (including some contractors) ordinary time earnings. In order to be deductible in the current financial year, contributions for the year April-June quarter must be received into your employees’ super funds by 30 June.

More Tax Help

The Australian Taxation Office’s FREE E-tax service lets you prepare your tax return and baby bonus claim electronically and lodge them online – Do Your Tax Return Online Using Free Etax Service

Since I wrote a few tax tips articles on this website I’ve received a lot of questions from people about their tax returns. The most popular questions I’ve answered are collected at Australian Personal Tax FAQ: Questions & Answers

Visit the Rambling Thoughts Blog regularly to read articles about Technology, Personal Finance, TV Shows, Politics, Environment, Books and more