THE PAYROLL TAX SPECIALISTS
BRISBANE | SYDNEY | MELBOURNE

Tobin Partners

Specialising In Payroll Tax law

One of only a few in Australia.

Professional Lawyers Specialising in Payroll Tax.

Our Offices in Australia

We have offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. You will find us professional, friendly and most importantly highly experienced in all matters relating to payroll tax. We welcome enquiries, so please feel free to contact us at any time. We can help you stay on top of your payroll tax related matters, anywhere in Australia.

Payroll tax services offered throughout Australia

We have offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne but we offer advice for all Australian states and territories.

Peter Tobin

Payroll tax is a major cost to business.
An expert review could reduce your costs.

Payroll tax relief has been a major lever used by states and territories to ease costs for business during the COVID-19 crisis.

The fact that governments see this type of relief as significant, clearly highlights that payroll tax is a significant burden on business. It’s an issue that affected businesses should address.

Reviewing your payroll tax arrangements with Tobin Partners, specialist payroll tax lawyers, could provide ongoing relief for your business.

How can you reduce your payroll tax? Start with an expert review.

Contact us Today

SOLUTIONS. NOT JUST ADVICE.

As a specialist law firm, Tobin Partners is firmly focused on the unique needs of their clients around Australia. We are dedicated to providing realistic, workable, and achievable solutions rather than simple taxation or payroll tax advice.

Our Taxation & Other Services

Our professional services also include highly developed tax solutions and comprehensive legal services for payroll tax which is imposed on employers. State payroll tax is calculated as a percentage of wages that the employer pays their staff members, directors and possibly contractors.

We also provide complete notary public services for the witnessing, certification and legalisation of documents particularly for international use purposes.

For solutions and not just advice – we invite you to get in touch with Peter Tobin direct on 0438 001 809.

Australian Payroll Tax Specialists

We are one of only a few legal firms in Australia that specialise in payroll tax. We truly understand that our clients often require innovative solutions in order to achieve their objectives – ultimately, to build upon, grow and further develop their business. As a specialised law firm, you can rest assured that the advice you receive from us will be specific to your needs and that the information we provide is second to none. We will take the time to get to know your business, how you operate and how your payroll is structured so that we can assist you in ensuring that you are compliant with the current laws and regulations around these specific matters.

What is payroll tax?

Payroll tax is collected by each state or territory government from businesses located in their jurisdiction. The tax is calculated on the amount of wages, superannuation, and any other benefits you pay your employees and includes directors’ fees and sometimes payments to contractors.  Payroll tax lies in contrast to income or company tax, which the Federal Government collects from individuals and companies. 

We understand that understanding these various taxes does not always come easy to business owners which is why we do our best to ensure you have all the information you need to meet your legal requirements and obligations. Not doing so may result in penalties and interest charges which takes a toll on any business owner. We are here to answer your questions and provide you with detailed advice and information, so you always know where you stand.

Case Studies

Client Testimonials

Kurt Hoole
Kurt Hoole
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Our company called upon the services of Peter Tobin due to his extensive experience with Payroll Tax and we were not disappointed. Peter is a true professional who is knowledgeable, detailed and treated all our staff and contractors with respect. He was very open and friendly during a very stressful and challenging time and was always available to help. We found Peter to be a trustworthy and competent Lawyer and feel that we have developed a great professional relationship during our dealings with him. We highly recommend Peter when negotiating the complex issues around Payroll Tax.
Dieter Steinbacher
Dieter Steinbacher
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We recently experienced some very complex Payroll Tax issues. As a family company we have always prided ourselves in meeting our obligations. However, in this situation we were really under a lot of pressure and thankfully a friend of ours suggested Peter who was able to help us enormously in both simplifying the matter and, more importantly, resolving it with the OSR.
Karl Ellaway
Karl Ellaway
Managing-Director | Lifestyle Centred Services Pty Ltd | www.lifestylecentred.com.au
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I can highly recommend Peter and his team. Tobin Partners have, and continue to support my company, Lifestyle Centred Services with very complex Payroll Tax matters. Peter and his team have provided the prompt, expert representation and guidance required to keep my company operating at its highest level.
Lesley Andrew
Lesley Andrew
Bribie Island
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I have been dealing with Peter Tobin off and on, via phone calls and emails for several weeks and met him briefly for the first time today.During this period I have found him to be extremely helpful on several levels. From my first conversation with him regarding matters that were quite foreign to me at the time, he was approachable and accommodating. I have also had dealings with a number of government departments relating to the same matter, in which I have found myself confronted with a brick wall at times. After discussing this matter with Peter he has been able to access the required information for me. He is prompt with his replies, able to oblige with time restraints and has very reasonable rates. I highly recommend Peter to anybody that requires his services
Mark McLean
Mark McLeanPartner | Ulton | Chartered Accountants | www.ulton.net
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Our firm has used Peter’s services on a number of occasions all with outstanding success. Peter is an expert in payroll tax law. He has assisted our clients in disputes with the Office of State Revenue on various matters including contractor payments and grouping provisions. We have always been very impressed with Peter’s knowledge in this area and his ability to find a solution for our clients. Peter’s services have saved our clients a lot of money and we are more than happy to recommend his services.
Miguel Jimenez
Miguel Jimenez
Managing Director | Control Automation Solutions Pty Ltd | ca-solutions.com.au
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We were facing the very real possibility of a very large six figure payroll tax assessment from the OSR as a result of company groupings. Peter was able to understand our position and successfully apply for an exclusion, which resulted in the OSR excluding our company and dropping the assessment. We found Peter very knowledgeable in the sector and prompt in our dealings. We would highly recommend Peter Tobin to anyone.
Dilshan Ratnapala
Dilshan Ratnapala
Client Manager | Affinity Accounting Plus | www.affinityplus.com.au
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Throughout the entire process of lodging a multimillion dollar objection against OSR, I found Peter to be very helpful from the initial enquiry stage, through to submission of final objection. Peter’s knowledge and expertise in this area was quite apparent from our initial conversation and I believe this experience helped reassure our client of a positive outcome, right from the get-go! I would have no hesitation in recommending Peter’s services to anyone seeking an objection regarding an unfair OSR assessment.
Robert Pearson
Robert Pearson
Director | Optima Joinery Pty Ltd | Wetherill Park, NSW | www.optimajoinery.com.au
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I first contacted Peter Tobin for advice on how we could reduce payroll tax on some of our contractor payments. Peter quickly identified the relevant exemptions for contractors under the Act and without much trouble he convinced the Office of State Revenue that some of our payments should be free of payroll tax. Peter’s expertise and experience was very evident to me and he saved our company quite a lot of money. Because more than two of our companies were grouped for payroll tax I went back to Peter for further payroll tax advice. Peter advised that we should make an application for de-grouping as he thought we would have good grounds for an application. Peter was able to draft the application for exclusion and provided detailed and compelling grounds to the OSR so our companies could be de-grouped. Once again, Peter was successful in dealing with the Office of State Revenue and our application was approved by them. We are very glad we engaged Peter for payroll tax advice and have recommended Peter to our accountants in case they have any clients needing his services. We have no hesitation in recommending Peter for any sort of legal advice on payroll tax.
Dan Scougall CPA
Dan Scougall CPA
Director | Mobbs and Company Accountants | www.mobbsandcompany.com
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I came across Peter Tobin of Tobin Partners in 2016 through his website, as a client of ours was needing some specialist payroll taxation advice. Upon speaking to Peter he was very easy to get on to and very helpful. The nature of the matter was quite unique and Peter managed to assist with getting the best outcome for the client. I was very impressed by both his knowledge and professionalism. I would have no hesitation in using Peter and Tobin Partners for further advice, and given my personal experience would happily endorse his services.
Mark Hutson
Mark Hutson
Managing Director | Appsure-Australia Pty Ltd | www.appsure.com.au
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We recently engaged Peter to assist us in regard to the grouping of our businesses for payroll tax. His expertise, knowledge and professional approach removed the pending burden on our businesses in this tough time in a timely manner.
Rohan Cropley
Rohan Cropley
Financial Controller | Darwin Waterfront Corporation | www.waterfront.nt.gov.au
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I originally sought advice from one of the “Big 4” accountancy firms on a complex payroll tax matter but after my initial meeting with the accounting firm I didn’t feel that they understood my payroll tax issue nor was it a priority. I decided to seek another opinion, after talking to Peter Tobin of Tobin Partners I decided to use Peter’s services because he seemed so knowledgeable and experienced in payroll tax. I am so glad I did. Peter has been of great assistance and found a solution to what was a very complex matter. I am very happy with the outcome. Peter has exceeded my expectations and I would not hesitate to use Peter’s services again on anything to do with payroll tax.
Steve Morgan
Steve Morgan
Managing-Director | Total Focus Concepts Pty Ltd | totalfocuscleaning.com
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We are a cleaning contracting business, providing services to large supermarkets across some 300 sites in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, our accountant referred us to Peter Tobin for payroll tax advice after we were recently contacted by the Office of State Revenue (OSR) Qld in late 2017. We were obviously shocked and very concerned when the OSR issued payroll tax assessments against our company, amounting to millions of dollars in back payments, fines, interest and retrospective to July 2011. The OSR alleged that our business came within the definition of an employment agent under the Payroll Tax Act. Peter took on our case and lodged an objection to the assessments based on a similar case which had recently been won in the NSW Supreme Court against the NSW Payroll Tax Office. Peter is a real expert in this area, quickly able to identify and analyse the issues and build a case to represent us. We were absolutely thrilled and extremely relieved when the OSR upheld Peter’s objection and our case and withdrew the assessment. It was certainly a great win for us as while we are a substantial operation, we didn’t have the resources to pay this additional and retrospective multimillion dollar payroll tax. Peter’s payroll tax advice not only won our case but possibly saved our business from going into liquidation. I highly recommend Peter Tobin to anyone who has payroll tax issues and my recommendation to other companies, is to get professional advice on payroll tax as it is a very serious issue.
Stephanie Karst-McGrath
Stephanie Karst-McGrath
Chief Executive Officer | All Pacific Travel Concept (APTC) | www.aptc.com.au
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I turned to Peter Tobin for a complex Payroll Tax matter and I was very impressed with Peter’s highly efficient & effective advice! Peter handled our case with a great level of expertise and I appreciated his friendly and straightforward support! I highly recommend Tobin Partners.
Alan Cornick
Alan Cornick
Principal | Alan Cornick Real Estate | Rockhampton | www.alancornickrealestate.com.au
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I recently engaged Peter Tobin of Tobin Partners in a legal matter which was drawn out over a 9 month period and involved the accumulation and coordination of large amounts of evidence. Throughout the course of these proceedings Peter’s guidance was fantastic. His concise communication was par excellence. At all times I felt Peter was across the issues surrounding the case. There were occasions where Peter had to diplomatically explain to me why my preconceived ideas were based on emotion than reality. I again witnessed firsthand Peter’s negotiation skills when the matter reached mediation. His ability to read the play and structure remedy paths throughout the course of that long day of mediation was amazing. An excellent result was achieved preventing me from having to proceed to a full court hearing with months of stress and thousands more dollars to be spent ahead. If I ever had a legal issue in the future, God knows I would never wish for that experience again, however if it did happen I would not want anyone else but Peter Tobin to act on my behalf.
Colin Wisemantel
Colin Wisemantel
Principal | PCS Accountants and Business Advisors | www.pcsqld.com.au
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As a professional firm we rely on strong business affiliates to ensure our clients receive the best advice. It has been refreshing to find a legal firm that not only offers a personal service, but that also has extensive expertise in different areas including Payroll Tax, Stamp Duty and the application of Division 7A legislation. Peter and his team are extremely efficient and provide commercial options that can be implemented and managed for the benefit of our clients. We value the fact Peter is more than happy to meet clients at our office and ‘pick up the phone’ and talk with us.
Lucy Nalbandian
Lucy Nalbandian
Director | Elite Accounting & Finance | www.eliteaccountingfinance.com.au
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Peter Tobin and his team are extremely professional and they work hard for the best outcome. As a director of Elite Accounting & Finance I highly recommend their services.
Wayne and Marlene Hoppen
Wayne and Marlene Hoppen
Directors | Hoppens Carpets – Cairns | www.hoppens.com.au
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After the initial contact made from the Office Of State Revenue – Queensland, requiring us to register for Payroll Tax, we immediately contacted our accountants for advice. They had no other clients dealing with OSR and were unable to offer any real assistance. We then contacted our family lawyer and asked for his help. He responded saying that it is a specialist field and so we should have a specialist Payroll Taxation lawyer looking after it, he then gave us the contact details for Tobin Partners – Peter Tobin. It was a huge relief after speaking with Peter, then engaging the services of Tobin Partners for help with Payroll Tax. His professionalism was immediately apparent, along with his enthusiasm for all things payroll tax related. Being up to date with the latest rulings and regulations gave us the peace of mind and confidence our business was in capable hands. We were fortunate Peter was able to get us a very favorable outcome… we would have no hesitation in recommending Peter and his company to anyone that finds themselves in the same type of situation. It has been a very positive working relationship.
Scott McVinish
Scott McVinish
Partner | McVinish + McInally | SME Accountants | www.mcmcsme.com.au
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Our client was about to enter a large transaction but first required specialist advice with regards to Payroll Tax Grouping. Peter provided quality advice and service that delivered for our client and met their short timeframe.
Peter Loveday
Peter Loveday
Director | Hastings Data Loggers Pty Ltd | www.hdl.com.au
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Three of my companies were grouped for payroll tax. I sought help from Peter Tobin. Peter is a specialist in this complex area of taxation. I found Peter friendly, helpful and professional at all times. Peter was always available when I needed to speak with him and if not, rang me back promptly. After a very long and complex issue Peter was successful in having the assessments withdrawn. If you need advice on payroll tax, I certainly recommend you talk to Peter.
Name Withheld on Request
Name Withheld on Request
Chairman of multiple companies with businesses in Tasmania, NSW, Victoria and Queensland
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I completely lost faith in the fairness of the Payroll Tax system when the Office of State Revenue Queensland, refused to de-group a farming business which I had taken over from my aging father, only to discover 20 years later that OSR insisted on grouping it with completely unrelated businesses in other States, which I had established in my own right. In my view their action, which levied Payroll Tax plus interest on employee remuneration over the last 20 years – because I was ‘able to control’ the business – was unconscionable and completely against the intention of the legislation, which is to provide a threshold to each business conducted independently of others. The threshold has an economic benefit as it enables each business to grow to a sufficient size, before bearing the burden of Payroll Tax. Peter’s achievement in successfully obtaining de-grouping of our Tasmanian company from a number of other companies, provided a tremendous boost to the hard working people in the company who will benefit through a bonus pool and a greater ability of the company to compete without this previously unfair tax impost by the State Revenue Office, Tasmania. It came at a time when our GM, in order to control costs, had been struggling to continue to repair a 3.5 tonne forklift purchased 2nd hand in 1997 and enabled him to order a new (demo) Crown unit for $39,000 based on the Payroll tax savings you have achieved for the company. Every time they use this safe, modern, machine, which is multiple times a day, they will thank Peter Tobin. Peter has the rare ability to identify the crucial requirements for de-grouping and with due attention to detail, demonstrate to the satisfaction of multiple State agencies, that companies in unrelated businesses should not be grouped. I also acknowledge the State Revenue Office of Tasmania for being very fair in applying the de-grouping rules, just like the legislation intended.
Mahesh Reddy
Mahesh Reddy
Principal | M&R Accountants | Public Accountants & Tax Agents
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My clients received a letter from the Office of State Revenue Queensland late last year. The OSR wanted to group one of my clients’ companies with other companies they controlled in Victoria and Northern Territory for calculation of payroll tax. Only one company in the group has a business in Queensland. I consulted Peter Tobin and he was quickly on top of the problem. My clients and I met with him and felt relieved straight away. He knows the Payroll Tax legislation back to front. After obtaining detailed information from me, Peter wrote to the OSR and made submissions to them on why the Queensland company should be de-grouped from the other companies. After answering a few more questions from the OSR we received a letter from the OSR a few weeks later which said they accepted all of Peter’s submissions and my clients now have no payroll tax to be paid in Queensland. My clients and I are very happy with the outcome and would not hesitate to use Peter’s professional services again. I have no hesitation in recommending Peter’s services.
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