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BGL appoints executive team

By Accountants Daily, In the Media, NewsNo Comments

Written by Josh Needs
Published by Accountants Daily
on 17 July 2023
Click here to read on Accountants Daily website

The selections will help drive the firmโ€™s strategic growth and innovation, says BGL.

Australian company compliance and SMSF software provider BGL Corporate Solutions has appointed a seven-person executive team to help drive the strategic growth and innovation of the firm.

BGLโ€™s managing director Ron Lesh said he is excited by the high calibre of individuals that the executive and the combined knowledge will bring to the positions.

โ€œIโ€™m so proud of each member of the BGL executive team,โ€ said Mr Lesh.

โ€œComprised of seven individuals with a combined total of 123 years of service at BGL, these leaders bring extensive experience and unwavering dedication to driving BGLโ€™s strategic growth and innovation.โ€

โ€œOur products, clients and team could not be in better hands.โ€

The firm said the appointed executive team will have a strong emphasis on driving growth and development to retain, educate and grow their staff, clients, partners and the industries it works in.

The appointed members of the BGL Executive team are:

  • Ashley Avileli โ€“ chief technology officer โ€“ Mr Avileli joined BGL in 2006 as an IT manager and has worked within the company ever since. BGL said his focus and effort help keep BGLโ€™s cloud software running every day.
  • Adriana Cavallo โ€“ head of customer experience (APAC) โ€“ Ms Cavallo joined the firm in 2012 and BGL said sheโ€™s been focused on ensuring BGL clients have positive experiences ever since.
  • Nadine Freitag โ€“ people and culture manager โ€“ Despite only joining BGL two years ago, the firm said Ms Freitag is crucial to its commitment to developing its team and providing a beneficial workplace environment.
  • Ron Lesh โ€“ founder and managing director โ€“ Mr Lesh started BGL in 1989 and has maintained his commitment to create and innovate products important for the industry.
  • Warren Renden โ€“ head of CAS 360 โ€“ With over 16 years of experience at the firm, it said Mr Renden has a relentless focus on product, team and client experience within CAS 360.
  • Jeevan Tokhi โ€“ head of Simple Fund 360 โ€“ After joining BGL in 2005 as a support consultant, the firm said Mr Tokhi is a critical strategic thinker who has provided crucial outcomes for the firm and its clients.
  • Daniel Tramontana โ€“ chief executive officer โ€“ With 26 years of experience at BGL, it said Mr Tramontana has driven the company forward with his passion for leadership and his dedication to the BGL team, its clients and the community.

Mr Tramontana said the appointment of the executive team has been a positive next step as the firm looks to continue to build and grow.

โ€œAs we venture into the next season of BGL, we are super excited about the opportunities ahead,โ€ said Mr Tramontana.

โ€œWe will continue to build great products. We will deliver exceptional client experiences and moments.โ€

โ€œAnd we will do this with the highest level of gratitude and respect for the countless clients (some across four decades) who continue to support us with an unwavering belief that inspires us to be the best version of ourselves.โ€

BGL supplies simple SMSF reporting with accountantsGPS integration

By Accountants Daily, In the Media, NewsNo Comments

Written by Josh Needs
Published by Accountants Daily
on 06 April 2023
Click here to read on Accountants Daily website

The collaboration will provide clients with a comprehensive analysis of a fundโ€™s compliance and financial situation, says the firm.

BGL customers will be able to simplify their SMSF reporting thanks to the firmโ€™s latest integration with Melbourne-based fintech accountantsGPS.

BGL managing director Ron Lesh said he was excited to bring the collaboration with accountantsGPS to his clients.

โ€œThis integration allows Simple Fund 360 clients to produce a new SMSF check-up report using accountantsGPSโ€™s proprietary technology โ€” a first for the SMSF market and available exclusively to BGL clients,โ€ said Mr Lesh.

โ€œThe digital SMSF check-up report provides a comprehensive analysis of a fundโ€™s compliance and financial situation to evaluate how a fund is progressing in many key areas.

โ€œThe report includes SMSF documentation, investment performance, investment policy development, contribution strategies, investment property performance (including debt position), insurance and estate planning.โ€

Mr Lesh said the report would also help Simple Fund 360 clients determine whether the trustees and members of a fund would meet their compliance obligations and longer-term investment and retirement goals.

Chief executiveย and co-founder of the Fiduciary Group and accountantsGPS, George Haramis, said the firm was thrilled by the capabilities it had provided in the SMSF check-up report and integrating with BGL.

โ€œIt is particularly exciting for our business to partner exclusively with BGL and offer this unique and valuable service to their accounting clients,โ€ said Mr Haramis.

โ€œAccountants can now undertake a comprehensive analysis of their clientsโ€™ SMSF across a number of key areas adding additional value to trustees and members and eliminating the time, cost and angst of trying to create a report manually, if achievable at all.

โ€œIt is a long-awaited development for the SMSF sector that has finally arrived.โ€

Head of Simple Fund 360 at BGL, Jeevan Tokhi, said the integration would streamline the creation of an SMSF report.

โ€œThe integration allows BGL clients to log in to the accountantsGPS platform using their Simple Fund 360 credentials,โ€ said Mrย Tokhi.

โ€œClients can then authorise Simple Fund 360 to pass information relating to all or a select number of their SMSFs to the accountantsGPS platform.

โ€œBGLโ€™s API will pre-fill 95 per cent of the information required to complete the SMSF check-up report, making this a simple streamlined process that takes just a few minutes per fund.โ€

Founded in 1983, BGL Corporate Solutions has grown to become one of the largest developers of compliance software in the world, with more than 180 employees globally.

BGL partners Syla to automate crypto transaction data

By In the Media, NewsNo Comments

BGL partners Syla to automate crypto transaction data

Australia-basedย BGL Corporate Solutionsย has partnered with Australia-based cryptocurrency tax softwareย Sylaย to automate crypto transaction data.

Through this partnership, BGLโ€™s Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 solutions have become integrated with cryptocurrency tax software Syla to support the automation of cryptocurrency transaction data for SMSF, company, individual, and trust portfolios. In essence, BGL clients can sync their clientsโ€™ crypto transaction data from any digital currency exchange connected to their Syla account into their Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 software.

According to australianfintech.com.au, BGLโ€™s free and open API is being used extensively across the industry, with more than 350 data feed and integration partners in the BGL Ecosystem working to provide a comprehensive experience to BGL clients.

BGL officials cited by the same source revealed that 1 in 4 Australians are investing in crypto, a trend that poses new challenges to accountants when it comes to compliance work, as a single portfolio can sometimes include hundreds or even thousands of crypto trades. With Syla, accountants can automate the journal entry process for every crypto purchase and sale thus saving time and effort.

Syla representatives also highlighted how tedious it can be to enter manual journals for every crypto purchase. They also talked about the partnership with BGL and how it can help clients to sync all crypto trades, income and other transaction data from any crypto exchange into their Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 software.

Cryptocurrency tax in Australia

According toย koinly.io, crypto is legal in Australia and is taxed as property. Furthermore, cryptocurrency exchanges operating in Australia need to register with AUSTRAC as a financial service provider. In the eyes of the Australian government, cryptocurrencies are classified as properties and represent an asset for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) purposes.

This includes cryptocurrency coins, tokens, NFTs, and stablecoins. However, depending on the specific transaction, these digital assets may also be viewed as additional income and taxed as Income Tax. The way Australian citizens are taxed depends on the circumstance and the specifics of the transaction.

Crypto investors in Australia are subjected to a Capital Gains Tax (CGT) whenever they dispose of their assets either by selling them for AUD or another fiat currency, swapping crypto for crypto, gifting crypto, or spending it on goods and services. Holding crypto for at least a year before disposing of it makes the holder eligible for a 50% discount on any capital gain.

BGL provides automated crypto data with Syla

By Accountants Daily, In the Media, NewsNo Comments

Written by Josh Needs
Published by Accountants Daily
on 04 April 2023
Click here to read on Accountants Daily website

The integration will make it easier for accountants facing increased crypto compliance measures as digital currency increases in popularity, says the firm.

BGL customers can now automatically sync cryptocurrency data to their accounts thanks to integration with Australian cryptocurrency tax software Syla.

BGLโ€™s managing director Ron Lesh said he was pleased to bring the Syla integration to the firmโ€™s customers.

โ€œWe are excited to add Syla to the BGL ecosystem,โ€ said Mr Lesh.

โ€œThe integration allows BGL clients to easily sync their clientsโ€™ crypto transaction data from any digital currency exchange connected to their Syla account directly into their Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 software.โ€

Mr Lesh said software needed to accommodate greater tracking of cryptocurrency data as accountants tried to meet its compliance demands.

โ€œWith one in four Australians investing in crypto, itโ€™s becoming more challenging for accountants to get the compliance work done, particularly when investors could be using any crypto exchange,โ€ he said.

โ€œA single portfolio could have hundreds or even thousands of crypto trades.โ€

โ€œIntegrating Syla will automate the journal entry process for every crypto purchase and sale, saving BGLโ€™s Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 clients significant time and effort.โ€

Syla co-founder Nick Christie agreed with Mr Lesh and said the integration would make meeting compliance obligations easier when it came to cryptocurrency.

โ€œA portfolio with crypto investments could be a bit of a trauma-inducing experience in the past, particularly when it came to compliance work,โ€ said Mr Christie.

โ€œThe tedious entry of manual journals for every crypto purchase and sale surely sent many accountants close to madness. With the launch of this integration between Syla and BGL, weโ€™ve really flipped the experience entirely around.โ€

โ€œManual journals are out, and instant sync is in. BGL clients can now sync all crypto trades, income and other transaction data from any crypto exchange into their Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 software, ensuring the compliance work can be easily sorted.โ€

Founded in 2018, Syla was developed by Australian accountants to make it simpler to deal with crypto and blockchain tax compliance. The firm says its automation software equips investors, traders and businesses with certainty and accuracy when dealing with their crypto investments.

Founded in 1983, BGL Corporate Solutions has grown to become one of the largest developers of compliance software in the world, with more than 180 employees globally.

BGL releases AI-powered document-to-data feature

By Accountants Daily, In the Media, NewsNo Comments

Written by Josh Needs
Published by Accountants Daily
on 15 March 2023
Click here to read on Accountants Daily website

The SmartDocs Email to Fund software will automatically search and match transactions and attach the source document, says BGL.

BGL Corporate Solutions has added a feature to its SmartDocs software, Email to Fund, that uses AI to send documents and their data to corresponding BGL software.

Managing director Ron Lesh said the product was a result of hard work and dedication from the firmโ€™s software development team.

โ€œThis release is a unique achievement by our big data and Simple Fund 360 product teams, who have dedicated more than two years to the project,โ€ said Mr Lesh.

โ€œClients can now email documents directly into their Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 software where BGL SmartDocs will extract the data, automatically code and attach the source document to the transaction.

โ€œNo other SMSF administration or accounting software offers this exceptional technology.โ€

The firm said its SmartDocs document reader used AI technology with optical character recognition to extract information from bank statements, contract notes, dividend and distribution notices, rental statements and invoices.

Head of Simple Fund 360 Jeevan Tokhi said the added SmartDocs features would make it much easier for those running portfolios through the software.

โ€œWith the new BGL SmartDocs features each SMSF, trust, company and individual portfolio in Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360 will have a unique email address for accountants, advisers, administrators or trustees to send documents,โ€ said Mr Tokhi.

โ€œWhen BGL SmartDocs extracts the document data, it will automatically search for the corresponding transaction within the entity (SMSF, trust, company or individual) and attach the source document to it.โ€

โ€œThe most exciting feature, however, is that the data auto-fills transaction details in the smart matching screen for uncoded bank transactions, eliminating the need for clients to create data rules.โ€

Mr Lesh said the release was the next step in the firmโ€™s goal of developing zero-touch technology.

โ€œIt will eliminate the administrative burden of analysing, checking and storing hundreds of documents annually for SMSFs and investment portfolios,โ€ he said.

โ€œIt also bolsters the existing transaction matching and AI-powered smart matching in Simple Fund 360 and Simple Invest 360.โ€

The firm will demonstrate the feature at Accountex in Sydney this week.

BGL provides services to over 9,500 businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the UK with clients ranging from major accounting firms to individual trustees.

BGL hits the road for Xero Roadshow 2023

By BGL Update, NewsNo Comments

BGL has hit the road for Xero Roadshow 2023

We are excited to hit the road this week for the Xero Roadshow 2023!

We are travelling the length and breadth of the country, attending a total of 13 locations. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet new and current clients, our ecosystem partners, and the accounting community to continue sharing the benefits of the BGL Suite (Simple Fund 360, Simple Invest 360 and CAS 360).ย 

Showcasing our latest features

The last few months have released amazing features. Such asโ€ฆ

Company Tax Return, making it even easier for BGL clients to prepare and lodge tax returns in Simple Invest 360!

New two-way integration with Xero Practice Manager, allowing clients to efficiently manage client and contact data across four applications in a single database โ€“ a dream for any professional firm!

Automated document reminder in CAS 360, making the follow-up with clients for outstanding company change documents, Annual Returns/Reviews and trust documents a breeze!

Plus, much more to comeโ€ฆ

Meet the BGL team at the Xero Roadshow

Our team is kicking off the Xero Roadshow on the 7 February in Geelong and then working their way around the country. You can meet our BGL team at 13 of the 17 locations (sorry Albury, Cairns, Parramatta, and Wollongong)!

Who will be at each location?ย 

๐Ÿ“ 7 February | Geelong (Carlos Issa)
๐Ÿ“8 February | Melbourne (Daniel Tramontana, Jesse Marmara, Nicole Truscott, and Rhys Davies)
๐Ÿ“ 9 February | Narre Warren (Rocco Agostino) and Newcastle (Rhys Davies)
๐Ÿ“ 14 February | Perth (Luca Ranellone and Jonathan Zeltzer)
๐Ÿ“ 16 February | Adelaide (Jesse Marmara and Lilli Williams) and Canberra (Damien Gunatillake)
๐Ÿ“ 20 February | Brisbane (Aaron Pantazis, Nicole Truscott and Peter di Stefano)
๐Ÿ“ 21 February | Gold Coast (Aaron Pantazis and Peter di Stefano)
๐Ÿ“ 22 February | Sydney (Adriana Cavallo and Lilli Williams)
๐Ÿ“ 27 February | Sunshine Coast (Damien Gunatillake) and Hobart (Carina Muntean)
๐Ÿ“ 28 February | Launceston (Carina Muntean)

Canโ€™t make Roadshow this year? Donโ€™t worry! In March, we will be hitting the road again for the BGL Masterclass, an excellent opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the BGL software. We will also be at AccountEx, where you have the chance to attend Daniel Tramontana and Ron Lesh’s speaking sessions!

We are looking forward to seeing you!

BGL promotes Daniel Tramontana to CEO

By Accountants Daily, In the Media, NewsNo Comments

Written by Miranda Brownlee
Published by Accountants Daily
on 23 December 2022
Click here to read on Accountants Daily website

Software firm BGL Corporate Solutions has promoted its chief operating officer to the role of chief executive, effective 1 January 2023.

BGL has announced that Daniel Tramontana will be promoted to chief executive officer from next year, with Ron Lesh to continue in his role as managing director.

Mr Lesh said he was incredibly proud and excited to see Mr Tramontana step into the chief executive role.

โ€œThis is a momentous moment for BGL, the team, our clients and our community,โ€ said Mr Lesh.

โ€œDaniel’s contribution over his almost 26-year tenure at BGL has been incredible. Starting in software support to helping BGL grow from 10 to over 200 people, Daniel has had his hand in every pie. BGL would not be where it is today without him.โ€

Mr Tramontana first joined BGL in 1997 as a member of its support team.

With a Bachelor of Computer Science & Accounting, BGL said that Mr Tramontana has added a new area of competency to BGL’s support and training teams.

Through his time at BGL, he obtained a Master’s in Business Administration and a Six Sigma Black Belt while performing in roles including general manager and, most recently, chief operating officer, the software company said.

After almost 26 years at BGL, Mr Tramontana said it was an honour to have been promoted as chief executive.

โ€œSoftware is at the core of what we do. It’s the reason thousands of firms choose to transact with us,โ€ he said.

โ€œOur market-leading solutions will continue to evolve from strength to strength as we grow our presence in Australia and overseas. But clients stay at BGL because of our people, community and culture.

โ€œMy desire is for clients, prospects and the community to engage with us because of who we are, what we stand for, and the memorable moments we deliver. Our people are our greatest point of differentiation, and I am truly blessed with the best.โ€