Frequently Asked Questions

A small business accountant assists in navigating the complex Australian tax system which includes; setting up your business, lodging your business activity statement (BAS), discussing your structure (company, trusts, sole trader) to assisting with year-end tax returns and Australian Tax Office (ATO) lodgements. They can further help with preparing for any government grants, provide support when applying for finance with your bank or work to help you grow your business.

You can complete your own tax work up to a certain point in small business, then it’s always wise to get a professionally qualified Chartered Accountant to assist with your Australian Tax Office (ATO) dealings. As your business starts to grow, you need to focus on your skillset and customers knowing full well a trusted tax advisor ensures the ongoing viability of your business.

In short, no. If you’re not yet familiar with the Xero accounting software, our small business accounting Melbourne team will bring you up to speed and help you set up your new account.

We believe the best management of your business accounts is through quality accounting software. That’s why we are a certified Xero Accounting Partner and work with all our clients to migrate to Xero to ensure ongoing access to accurate and correct business performance information.

We believe in a tailored approach to each client. In our discovery meeting, we get to understand what you are looking for from your accountant to ensure we are the right fit. We charge our clients monthly with an annual review to ensure you are happy with our services. All our prices are disclosed upfront so there are no surprises.

A mortgage broker is your trusted home loan adviser. We bridge the gap between you and the banks to provide the best home loan options and education possible. Unlike staff at a bank, we are not loyal to one lender and are regulated to work in your best interest. From sourcing a pre-approval to settling on your home, building that dream house or refinancing for a better rate; a home loan broker is there to help you through all your mortgage options and needs.

We use our list of 30+ banks to help find the best home loan solution for you. The best bank depends on your situation and that’s where we start our discussion; getting to know you better. Our home loan review process factors in 4 key areas; what is the price of your home loan, is it the cheapest, what are your finance needs (interest only, principal and interest, fixed or variable) and finally what is your personal situation? Are you self-employed? Do you need a guarantor? Are you a medical or law professional? All these questions play a part in helping our team of mortgage brokers find the right home loan solution.

As mortgage brokers, we are specialists in home loans and borrowing capacity assessments. With 15+ years of experience in finance and working with over 30 banks, we use our internal assessment guidelines and bank calculators to provide an accurate assessment of your lending capacity. This factors in your income, expenses, liabilities and any home loan criteria you need!

99% of our mortgage brokering clients do not pay any fees. We are regulated by the government to find the best home loan solution for you at no cost (to keep the banks honest!). We get paid by the bank if you choose to settle a loan through them, known as an upfront commission, and then an ongoing trailing commission to help manage your finance needs thereafter. We conduct annual reviews to ensure the home loan is the cheapest and in your best interest until the day it’s gone.

A quality advisory firm brings together a number of skillsets to help clients progress forward. At Elephant, we provide Accounting, Business Advice and Mortgage Brokering for clients all over Australia. They’re a number of subsets within these broad categories that we would love to chat to you about.

Our accounting department is run by both a Chartered Accountant (CA) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Both have a great pedigree in delivering exceptional accounting for small businesses within Melbourne and wider Australia.

Our finance and accounting teams are one. We sit in the same offices, we collaborate together and work to help clients run a profitable business and then leverage these into property assets. A quality mortgage broker who understands self-employed lending can be hard to find, so we ensure our staff are well equipped to meet clients’ needs.

We offer our services across Australia as we run a digital-based business. Through our discovery process, we ensure that we are the right fit for you and your current situation, always ensuring a long term relationship.