Recent content by Jan A

So much for the government wanting to increase the nation’s “productivity.” We have masses of people who won’t work because they don’t want to and are rewarded with Centrelink incomes. How about rewarding the people who actually do want to work instead of penalizing them.

Yes, most of an op shop’s stock comes consists of donations from individuals. However, occasionally they receive end-of-season or end-of-line donations from retailers. Sometimes they receive a line of “samples” that were left over from a manufacturer’s promotion or that did not sell. My local...

Perhaps think about giving your shirts and other things free through www.gumtree.com.au. Someone who needs them will be happy to have them.

The Liberal government claimed that GST would replace Sales Tax and “stamp duty”. They did not clarify that “stamp duty” did not refer to housing but to stocks and shares. In other words, the wealthy who had money in stocks and shares benefitted from stamp duty being removed while the average...

Theoretically, the large spenders with large incomes would pay more GST. However, large spenders tend to be eligible for GST registration through their companies or “entities” (as defined for GST purposes) and are then able to channel their spending through their “entities” and claim back at...

Please see discussion here: https://seniorsdiscountclub.com.au/threads/family-feuds-and-final-wishes-she’s-dead-serious-about-drawing-the-line.77323/page-2#post-823156 My friend’s long-term partner (a gay couple) passed away unexpectedly in his 40s. He left no will. It has taken my friend 2...

On a note of caution, if you have jewellery items you want to leave to charity, be aware that leaving them to charities to sell in their shops may not yield the result you want. Charity shop managers and staff have shown me valuable items they have “diverted” to their own use without the...

Making a will is by no means the certainty we tend to think it is. It is also the case that relatives apart from offspring can make a claim. I know of a case where the adult son, who was the sole child and only beneficiary, lost part of his inheritance under a court ruling to his uncle (his...

Many people are in a similar position. It is concerning that the courts do not respect your wishes as expressed in your will and will take it upon themselves to redistribute the assets contrary to what you wanted. You might want to ask your solicitor or accountant whether you can put the...

If you leave children out of the will entirely, you give them grounds to appeal it on the basis of “abandonment”. Unfortunately, judges in this country are prone to giving money to the adult children if they claim they need it for themselves or their children for some reason like health or...

Charity shop management has changed from focussing on providing affordable goods for low income people to setting up “boutique-style” shops to make profits. As a very long-term fan of charity stores, I have noticed the difference over the past few years. Listen up management: We do not go...

To find Part 1, scroll down about 10 entries below Part 2 in the “From the Experts” forum list. Part 3 will be coming soon.