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.
Mahesh Reddy Principal | M&R Accountants | Public Accountants & Tax Agents February 8, 2017
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.
Wayne and Marlene Hoppen Directors | Hoppens Carpets – Cairns | www.hoppens.com.au February 8, 2017
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.
Scott McVinish Partner | McVinish + McInally | SME Accountants | www.mcmcsme.com.au February 8, 2017
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.
Dan Scougall CPA Director | Mobbs and Company Accountants | www.mobbsandcompany.com February 8, 2017
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.
Alan Cornick Principal | Alan Cornick Real Estate | Rockhampton | www.alancornickrealestate.com.au February 8, 2017
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.
Colin Wisemantel Principal | PCS Accountants and Business Advisors | www.pcsqld.com.au February 8, 2017
“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”.
Lesley Andrew Bribie Island February 17, 2017
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.
Miguel Jimenez Managing Director | Control Automation Solutions Pty Ltd | ca-solutions.com.au May 8, 2017
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.
Steve Morgan Managing-Director | Total Focus Concepts Pty Ltd | totalfocuscleaning.com August 27, 2018
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.
Dilshan Ratnapala Client Manager | Affinity Accounting Plus | www.affinityplus.com.au August 30, 2018
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.
Mark McLean Partner | Ulton | Chartered Accountants | www.ulton.net September 3, 2018
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.
Chairman of multiple companies with businesses in Tasmania, NSW, Victoria and Queensland March 26, 2019
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.
Stephanie Karst-McGrath Chief Executive Officer | All Pacific Travel Concept (APTC) | www.aptc.com.au December 9, 2019
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 in Victoria and beyond. Peter and his team have provided the prompt, expert representation and guidance required to keep my company operating at its highest level.
Karl Ellaway Managing-Director | Lifestyle Centred Services Pty Ltd | www.lifestylecentred.com.au December 9, 2019
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.
Rohan Cropley Financial Controller | Darwin Waterfront Corporation | www.waterfront.nt.gov.au February 11, 2020
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.
Robert Pearson Director | Optima Joinery Pty Ltd | Wetherill Park, NSW | www.optimajoinery.com.au May 7, 2020
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.
Mark Hutson Managing Director | Appsure-Australia Pty Ltd | www.appsure.com.au April 6, 2021
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.
Lucy Nalbandian Director | Elite Accounting & Finance | www.eliteaccountingfinance.com.au April 6, 2021
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.Peter Loveday Director | Hastings Data Loggers Pty Ltd | www.hdl.com.au May 21, 2021
In late 2020 my business was contacted by the QLD Office of Sate Revenue in relation to a historical Payroll Tax review for our Queensland Operations. The timing could not have been worse, just a couple of weeks before Christmas and with deadline for data submission in early January 2021. After reviewing my due diligence on this matter from when I purchased the business, I determined that I needed specialist payroll tax advice to verify my position. This is when I reached out to Peter Tobin.
From our first interaction I was impressed with the depth of knowledge and experience that Peter has in these matters. Equally important was his ability to guide me in the data collection, preparation process and response to OSR at a time of the year when everyone is typically closing down. Peter was available in January to complete the submission and begin discussions with the OSR case manager. His advice is direct, practical and easy to work through.
As part of this process, Peter also provided advice on a business restructure that more clearly defined our business practices and gave us a clearer view on our payroll tax position. This change ignited a transformation in our business model which enabled us to plan for future growth with the security that we are not at risk of any payroll tax issues.
After almost 18 months, this matter was finally settled in our favour. The submission, experience and guidance from Peter Tobin was fundamental to achieving this successful outcome.
I absolutely recommend that you have a chat with Peter Tobin, you won’t be disappointed.
Ben Ward Managing Director | 2Wards Driving Pty Ltd March 2, 2022
The Australian Institute of Fitness engaged Peter Tobin on a complex Payroll Tax matter involving all the entities of the national franchise. Although costly in total over a 2 year period, it proved to be a good investment, as the eventual settled sum with the Queensland Revenue Office was reduced by more than two thirds compared to the initial claim made by QRO. It is hard to imagine we would have achieved this sort of result unassisted. On a personal level, whilst completely professional, Peter is relaxed in manner and easy to deal with. He was also pragmatic in his legal advice, so that we were not encouraged to pursue every legal avenue available to us, when the likelihood of a positive outcome was not high. I am happy to be contacted personally for confirmation or elaboration.
Russ Creagh The Australian Institute of Fitness October 6, 2022
We recently had Peter and his team investigate a Complex Grouping Payroll Tax issue for us and they didn’t disappoint. We set about providing our company information and structure to Peter and he did the rest. His knowledge in this field is second to none. Should we ever need further Payroll Tax advice I know there is no one better to assist and would have no hesitation in recommending Peter and his team at Tobin Partners.
Phil Gisler, Director, Recom Electrical Services Qld Pty Ltd https://www.recomelectrical.com.au/ January 19, 2023
