Tips&Advice

August 2020 marked the first time Australia’s new-car market was dominated by a hybrid vehicle. The popularity of the Toyota RAV4 hybrid has almost single-handedly driven curiosity in the burgeoning technology, with almost every major manufacturer exploring hybrid technology in some capacity.

With increasingly affordable options available and battery sizes and ranges on the rise, electric cars are becoming more of a mainstay in the Australian car industry. We’re past debating the merits of the cars themselves – we know they’re up to the task, and they’re only going to improve – but questions remain about charging them.

The instant asset write-off scheme was introduced in 2015 as a way of allowing small business to claim the depreciation amount (i.e. the amount of value something is likely to lose over time) of a work-related purchase like a car or a computer in one hit, rather than gradually over a multi-year period.

When it comes to time to putting a new car in your driveway, there are a lot of financing options available. We take a look at the four basic methods for funding your next vehicle. This story was originally published in 2015. The loan is probably the simplest financial product to understand: a financial institution lends you a big wad of cash and you use it to buy something. Depending on your circumstances and preferences, a personal loan can be either secured or unsecured.

Another financial new year has come and gone, so it’s time for most of us to start thinking about our taxes. Here are a few tips that may help with some of your car-related tax work. Unless you’re on a novated lease, any kilometres you do in your car for your job or business can contribute towards a tax deduction. If you’re on a novated lease, this article does not apply to you and you're already entitled to a series of potential tax benefits, which we'll talk about in a future feature.