Cobram sits on the Victorian bank of the Murray with its twin, Barooga, on the New South Wales side, sharing a bridge, a postcode and most of an economy. Federal tax ignores the river; state taxes do not. SMT Accounting is a registered tax agent that works with households and businesses in both towns, by phone, WhatsApp and video, with the Shepparton North office there for anyone who wants to sit down in person.
How Cobram–Barooga clients work with us
We have one office, at 53 Mootwingee Crescent, Shepparton North, and Google Maps puts it about 47 minutes and 62 kilometres from Cobram via Labuan Road. That is far enough that we built the practice around not needing the trip. You photograph or upload your documents, we send a draft with a short list of questions, you sign on your phone, and we lodge. Video calls cover the conversations that deserve more than a message, such as a new business, a structure change or a cross-border payroll question. The work is done by Sohail Yasin (CPA, registered tax agent) and Syed Shah (IPA member, registered tax agent), not passed to a back office.
The two towns' economy and who we help
Cobram is the administrative seat of Moira Shire and its second-largest town, with 6,148 residents at the 2021 Census and a further 1,888 across the river in Barooga. Orchards, dairy farms and wineries surround it, and the town is the birthplace of the Murray Goulburn dairy co-operative; milk processing, a large abattoir and orange juice factories remain its major employers, with Bega's Strathmerton cheese plant a short drive west. Italian families who arrived after the war built much of the fruit industry, and a large Iraqi community has added to the town's working population. On the river, Thompsons Beach, the golf and bowls clubs on the Barooga side and the biennial Peaches and Cream Festival support caravan parks, holiday rentals, cafés and boat hire.
The clients we typically act for in Cobram–Barooga are:
- Orchardists and citrus growers with seasonal picking payroll, packing-shed staff, horticultural plant write-offs and water entitlements bought and sold apart from the land.
- Dairy farmers needing primary production returns with income averaging, Farm Management Deposits and livestock valuations.
- Processing-plant, abattoir and juice-factory workers on shifts, with protective gear, laundry and union fees to substantiate.
- Accommodation, hospitality and river tourism operators whose income peaks in summer and at festival time, with GST on every booking and casuals on the roster.
- Employers with staff on both sides of the Murray, where payroll tax, workers compensation and long service leave follow state rules.
- Tradies, transport operators and main-street businesses who need BAS, bookkeeping and advice on structure as they grow.
Cross-border issues on the Murray
Income tax, GST, PAYG withholding and super guarantee are federal, so a return, a BAS and a Payday Super obligation look identical in Cobram and Barooga. The state-based layer is where errors creep in:
- Payroll tax is levied separately by the State Revenue Office in Victoria and Revenue NSW, each with its own threshold and rate. Nexus rules generally tie an employee's wages to where the work is performed in a month, and employers with wages in both states have their threshold apportioned.
- Workers compensation is handled by WorkSafe Victoria and, in NSW, by icare. Cover generally follows the state where a worker usually works, so a business with staff on both banks may need two policies.
- Land tax and stamp duty differ between the states and affect anyone buying, leasing or holding a shop, shed or holiday unit on either side.
We flag these as part of the engagement and say plainly when a question needs the state revenue office, an insurer or a lawyer. We give tax advice, not legal or insurance advice. The same border issues arise downstream at Echuca–Moama, where we also work.
Services Cobram clients ask for
- Individual tax returns and sole trader returns.
- Business and company tax, including farm partnerships and trusts.
- BAS, GST and IAS with fuel tax credits where eligible.
- Bookkeeping and payroll with STP, including Payday Super from 1 July 2026.
- Farm and orchard accounting, with the ATO rules cited.
Frequently asked
I live in Barooga and work in Cobram. Does the state line change my tax return?
Not your income tax. It is a federal tax, so your return is prepared and lodged the same way whichever side of the bridge you sleep on, and the ATO pre-fills your wages regardless. What changes with the border is state-based: land tax and stamp duty on property you own, and for employers, payroll tax and workers compensation.
My orchard is in Cobram but I pack fruit in a shed in Barooga with staff from both towns. Which payroll tax applies?
Victoria and New South Wales each levy payroll tax under their own legislation, with nexus rules that generally look at where the work is performed in a month, and employers paying wages in both states have their tax-free threshold apportioned between them. Whether you are above the threshold at all depends on total wages across the group. We work through it with you and refer you to the State Revenue Office or Revenue NSW where a ruling is needed.
How far is SMT from Cobram?
Google Maps estimates about 47 minutes and 62 kilometres from Cobram to our office at 53 Mootwingee Crescent, Shepparton North, via Labuan Road. You are welcome to make an appointment, but almost every Cobram–Barooga client works with us by WhatsApp, phone, email and video instead.
We run a houseboat and a holiday unit near Thompsons Beach. Is that a business or an investment?
It depends on how it is run. Short-stay accommodation and vessel hire with active management, marketing and services usually point to a business, which brings GST registration into play once turnover reaches $75,000. A unit simply let through an agent is generally rental income. The two are reported differently, so we look at the facts before the first BAS or return is prepared.