Photo: Cindy Dyball, Nyree Ashton, and Georgie Boulding.
Nyree Ashton has been running accounting firm Infinity Advisory & Planning for over three years with nearly 30 years’ experience under her belt.
From 13-years-old Nyree would help her father, a fellow accountant, with his clients’ tax returns and business record keeping.
Now Nyree lodges between 300 and 400 tax returns a year and has completed her CPA studies and public practicing certificate. She is also a full member of both the Institute of Public Accountants and CPA.
She was previously the treasurer at both the Yass Valley Business Chamber for over two years and the Irish Celtic Music Festival.
Nyree’s business name origin, a shortened version of the phrase ‘infinite solutions to accounting problems’, offers some assurance for those that find tax season daunting.
“I’m for simplifying things where possible for clients,” she said. “Making the processes as painless for them as possible.”
“We just take that sort of headache away from the clients.”
Joining Nyree at her practice are Georgie Boulding and Cindy Dyball.
Nyree had worked with the pair in the past so when they were unfortunately made redundant from their previous firm the two took up positions with Infinity.
Georgie, a qualified accountant and CPA, has worked in public practice for over 20 years. The majority of those were at the same accounting firm, where she handled accounts for several business and got to know her clients quite well.
On the other hand, Cindy among other things is an experienced bookkeeper after 13 years working in banking and another 13 at an accounting firm.
Nyree said Georgie and Cindy, who happen to be sisters, work very well together.
“That’s why I’ve put them on, I know their work ethic and I know what they’re like and we worked well in the past,” Nyree said.
“There’s no one-person specialising in something and can’t do anything else,” she said.
“That’s the advantage of small public practices – the scope of work and what we deal with on a day-to-day basis.”
This is compared to a larger firm in Canberra or Sydney Nyree said, where accountants have areas that focus on a particular industry or type of tax return whereas in regional areas it’s more diverse.
Nyree said tax returns, particularly for businesses, are becoming more complicated as time goes on.
About half of Infinity’s clients are in rural areas and often have difficulties with the ATO portal and unstable internet.
“We deal with tax returns on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “We know more about what you can and can’t claim.”
“If you have excessive deductions then making sure that they are being claimed correctly is important.”
Infinity also offers discounted services to local not-for-profits auditing their accounts and ensuring the books are up to standard.
By Brianna O’Rourke
