Build a clean, ATO-ready structure that protects your income, funds wealth creation, and still keeps lending options open.
Medical professionals often earn well, but that doesn’t automatically mean you’re structured well. The wrong setup can create unnecessary tax, asset protection risk, and painful admin — and it can also damage your borrowing capacity when you want a home, investment property, or practice finance. We help Melbourne medicos design simple, defensible structures that match how you actually earn, invest, and plan to grow.
IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?
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You’re unsure if you should be operating as a sole trader, company, trust, or a mix — and you don’t want to guess.
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You’re paying more tax than feels reasonable, but you also don’t want “clever” strategies that won’t survive an ATO review.
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You’re building investments (property/shares) and want the ownership structure to support long-term outcomes, not just this year’s tax return.
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You’re considering buying into a practice (or starting one) and want the right entity setup from day one.
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You’re worried about professional risk and want stronger asset protection without making everything complicated.
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You need your tax position to line up with lending (banks don’t love messy structures or aggressive add-backs).
HOW IT WORKS
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Clarify your income streams
We map how you earn (PAYG, contractor, PSI risk, private billing, practice distributions, investments) and what’s changing over the next 12–24 months. -
Risk + compliance check
We identify PSI/PSB issues, ATO “red flags,” and what would be hard to defend — so your structure is built on solid ground. -
Design the structure blueprint
We recommend the simplest setup that achieves the goal (tax efficiency, asset protection, future flexibility), including which entities own what and why. -
Implement and register cleanly
We coordinate ABN/GST/PAYG, trust deeds, company setup, and the practical “who does what” so it runs properly, not just on paper. -
Ongoing review as your career grows
Your structure should evolve as your income, family situation, investments, and practice plans change — we review and adjust proactively.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
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Advice-first structuring → not template-first setups
You get a structure built around your real-world income and risk profile, not a one-size-fits-all trust/company combo. -
Tax + lending considerations together → fewer nasty surprises
We consider bankability (serviceability, income verification, add-backs, retained profits) while we design the tax structure — so you don’t “save tax” and then get stuck later. -
Defensible strategy → built to withstand scrutiny
If something relies on loopholes or aggressive positions, we’ll tell you. The goal is confidence, not cleverness. -
Melbourne-based, practical implementation → not just a recommendation doc
We help execute the setup properly and keep it running cleanly year after year.
Frequently asked questions
Do all doctors need a trust or a company?
No. Some medicos are best staying simple, especially if most income is PAYG and there’s limited business activity. A trust/company only makes sense when it matches your income type, PSI position, asset protection needs, and longer-term plans.
What’s the big deal with PSI (Personal Services Income)?
PSI rules can limit income splitting and deductions if your income is mainly a reward for your personal effort (common in contracting). If PSI applies, the structure needs to be handled carefully — otherwise you can end up with tax problems, penalties, and an “it looked fine until it didn’t” situation.
Will a company structure hurt my borrowing capacity?
It can — but it doesn’t have to. Banks treat company income, retained profits, and distributions differently, and they often want extra documents. That’s why we design your structure with your lending goals in mind (home loan, investment, practice buy-in) so it supports approvals instead of complicating them.
How long does it take to set up properly?
Most setups can be implemented within 1–3 weeks depending on complexity, trust deed finalisation, and whether we need to coordinate with other parties (practice managers, solicitors, lenders). If there’s a deadline (property purchase, partnership entry), we plan around it.
What will it cost and do I have to commit ongoing?
We can scope this as a one-off structuring engagement, or as part of an ongoing tax and advisory relationship. Costs depend on entity complexity and implementation steps — we’ll outline it clearly upfront so there are no surprises.
Next Step
If you want a structure that’s tax-smart, defensible, and won’t box you in when you go to borrow or invest, let’s map it properly. We’ll review your income streams, risk exposures, and goals, then recommend the simplest structure that actually fits.
Chat with DFG today
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