Insights
Insolvency, in plain English.
Practical guidance on debt, directors’ liability, the ATO and staying in control — from 36 years and 1,000+ cases. No jargon, no judgement.
What Is Small Business Restructuring (SBR) and How Does It Work?
What Is Small Business Restructuring (SBR) and How Does It Work? Small Business Restructuring lets an eligible company with debts under $1 million reduce and restructure what it…
Director Penalty Notice: What to Do in the 21 Days After You Get One
Director Penalty Notice: What to Do in the 21 Days After You Get One If you've received a Director Penalty Notice, you generally have 21 days from the date on the notice to act —…
If You Don't Pay the ATO: What Happens, and in What Order
If You Don't Pay the ATO: What Happens, and in What Order If there's an ATO debt sitting on your desk and you've been telling yourself there's plenty of time, read this first. The…
Being a Company Director in 2026: Your Duties and Where They Turn Personal
Being a Company Director in 2026: Your Duties and Where They Turn Personal Most directors never read the rulebook. They start a company to run a business, not to memorise the…
Income Contributions in Bankruptcy: How Much of Your Income You Keep
Income Contributions in Bankruptcy: How Much of Your Income You Keep The single biggest fear I hear about bankruptcy is money: "If I go bankrupt, do they take my wage?" People…
Understanding Corporate Insolvency: A Director's Plain-English Guide
Understanding Corporate Insolvency: A Director's Plain-English Guide Corporate insolvency sounds intimidating, but the meaning is simple: a company can no longer pay its debts…
Trading While Insolvent: The Line Every Director Needs to Know
Trading While Insolvent: The Line Every Director Needs to Know There's one line in a director's duties that catches more people out than any other, and most cross it without…
Part X vs Bankruptcy: When a Deal Beats the Blunt Process
Part X vs Bankruptcy: When a Deal Beats the Blunt Process When personal debt gets to the point that something formal has to give, most people assume bankruptcy is the only door.…
The Real Enemy Isn't Bankruptcy — It's Waiting
The Real Enemy Isn't Bankruptcy — It's Waiting After 36 years at this, I'll tell you the biggest thing I've learned: the bankruptcy itself is rarely the problem. Procrastination…
The 9 Questions I'm Asked Most About Bankruptcy
The 9 Questions I'm Asked Most About Bankruptcy I've been at this 36 years, and I went through my own business collapse in 1988 — so I've had to ask some of these questions…
What Small Business Restructuring Actually Is (And Who Qualifies)
What Small Business Restructuring Actually Is (And Who Qualifies) Plenty of business owners hear "restructuring" and think it means they've failed. It doesn't. In practice it's…
Phoenixing Explained: Buying Your Business Back From the Liquidator — The Legal Way
Phoenixing Explained: Buying Your Business Back From the Liquidator — The Legal Way One question comes up more than almost any other: is buying your business back from the…
SBR vs Liquidation: Which Path Through Serious ATO Debt?
SBR vs Liquidation: Which Path Through Serious ATO Debt? When ATO debt gets past the point where ordinary trading can pay it down, two formal paths usually come into focus: Small…
Advisor, Accountant or Lawyer: Who Does What When You're in Trouble
Advisor, Accountant or Lawyer: Who Does What When You're in Trouble When a business starts sliding, most directors don't have a "who do I ring" problem — they have a "who do I…
Can You Settle a Tax Debt for Less? ATO Compromise Proposals Explained
Can You Settle a Tax Debt for Less? ATO Compromise Proposals Explained When someone's drowning in ATO debt, they usually think there are only two doors: pay it in full — which is…
The 10 Biggest Myths About Bankruptcy
The 10 Biggest Myths About Bankruptcy Back when my own business was collapsing, I kept it from everyone. Friends, family — I assumed they'd see me differently. I'd been to a…
Director Penalty Notices Explained: What They Are and the 21-Day Clock
Director Penalty Notices Explained: What They Are and the 21-Day Clock If a letter from the ATO is sitting on your desk with the words "Director Penalty Notice" on it, read this…
Why Using an Insolvency Advisor Is a Sign of Strength, Not Failure
Why Using an Insolvency Advisor Is a Sign of Strength, Not Failure When money's tight and the letters keep coming, it's easy to believe that asking for help is the moment you…
ATO Payment Plans: Why the "Safe Option" Can Backfire
ATO Payment Plans: Why the "Safe Option" Can Backfire Most business owners assume that setting up a repayment plan with the ATO is the safe, sensible way to manage a tax debt.…
Lockdown vs Non-Lockdown DPNs: The One Thing That Decides Your Personal Liability
Lockdown vs Non-Lockdown DPNs: The One Thing That Decides Your Personal Liability Two directors get a Director Penalty Notice for the exact same amount on the exact same day. One…
Don't Fear Bankruptcy: What You Actually Keep
Don't Fear Bankruptcy: What You Actually Keep The fear most people carry into a bankruptcy conversation is simple: "I'll lose everything." It's the single most common thing I…
Unpaid Super: The Director Debt That Turns Personal
Unpaid Super: The Director Debt That Turns Personal Unpaid super is one of the most dangerous debts a director can carry, and it's dangerous precisely because it doesn't look…
Why Winding Up Your Business Could Save You
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/why-winding-up-could-save-your-business · 5 May 2026 Why Winding Up or Liquidating Your Business Could Be the Thing That Saves You By Doug…
Small Business Owners — Are They Treated as Fairly as the Unemployed?
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/small-business-owners-treated-fairly · 5 May 2026 Small Business Owners — Are They Treated as Fairly as the Unemployed? By Doug Constable…
Unpaid super and director liability: what every company director needs to know
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/unpaid-super-and-director-bankruptcy-what-you-need-to-know · 7 Apr 2026 Unpaid Super, Director Penalty Notices and Bankruptcy: What Directors…
DIRECTOR PENALTY NOTICES (DPNs) 2026 ACCOUNTANT GUIDE
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/director-penalty-notices-dpns-2026-accountant-guide · 24 Mar 2026 Prepared by Resolvency – Trusted Insolvency Advisory Download our DPN…
Decisions Under Pressure
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/confident-decisions-under-financial-pressure · 8 Dec 2025 How Business Owners Can Make Confident Decisions Under Financial Pressure…
ATO Compromise Proposal
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/ato-compromise-proposal-guide · 3 Dec 2025 When ATO Debt Is Crushing You, There IS Another Option When someone is drowning in ATO debt, they…
Can a Sole Trader Do SBR? Eligibility and Alternatives
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/can-a-sole-trader-do-sbr-eligibility · 3 Dec 2025 Can a Sole Trader Do a Small Business Restructuring (SBR)? Short answer: No. A sole trader…
Release of Debt Owed to the ATO
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/ato-release-of-debt-guide · 1 Dec 2025 Release of Debt Owed to the ATO — What You Need to Know (From an Advisor Who’s Seen It All) When tax…
Top 5 Warning Signs Your Business Is Heading Toward Insolvency
Source: resolvency.com.au/post/top-5-warning-signs-business-insolvency · 18 Jun 2025 Top 5 Warning Signs a Business May Be Heading Toward Insolvency Running a business is…