The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is openly warning that it is closely looking at businesses that operate on ebay. The ATO has a team formulating ways to catch specialists who fail to report all their income as the growing online retail sector continues to take sales away from the traditional bricks and mortar operators. It is believed the ATO has joined with CentreLink in requesting ebay for personal records of all sellers with a turnover of more than $20,000 in 2010-11.

Now even Australian financial analysts are amazed how much media the Greek financial crisis is getting. They insist that small country is no more than 2 percent of the total European economy and the near hysteria in most popular media appears determined to paint an out of proportion black picture, presumably due to its preference for bad news.

It is extremely important to maintain your car inside and out to ensure longevity and smooth running of your vehicle. By looking after your vehicle it will look after you and provide you with a better resale value when it comes time to sell. The extra money you make in selling your car by looking after it will provide you with a greater deposit for your next car.

Ensure your car is regularly serviced by a reputable mechanic as this will also provide a better resale value as your service books will be stamped and this is something future buyers will be looking at. You will also be ensuring that your vehicle is safe to drive on road.

By keeping on top of your vehicle maintainence by doing some simple self maintenance checks in between servicing it will avoid the need for large service bills. Don’t wait until something breaks before getting it fixed. If you notice that something doesn’t look or sound right – get it seen to right away.

If you are looking to sell your vehicle ensure that it is detailed as it will also bring you a higher sell price. If your car is looked after and in a pristine condition, you won’t be giving buyers a reason not to buy your car. Once you are ready to purchase your next vehicle, ensure that you obtain a pre-approval of your car finance so you can ascertain what your budget is in buying your next car.

Mitsubishi has taken full advantage of the Melbourne Motor Show to shout out the message that it is the first company in Australia to be selling a truly all-electric plug-in battery powered car. They are now arriving at dealer showrooms where the price tag is $50,000. But industry sources are quick to point out that the coming huge production increase to battery cars will see prices tumble as volumes soar. They insist that in a few years the price for popular basic models could drop to as little as $30,000. That could really shake up everything we know about the auto business.

A sign of the times here in Australia comes with the news that the most popular tyre size to fit the large earth-moving trucks in the Western Australian mineral boom at $93,500 now costs more than the popular mid-level Mercedes car which is the SLK at $91,500. And obviously a lot more of those tyres are being sold than that model Mercedes.

The new CEO of HSV is a 21 year old DJ based in Newcastle who has had to take over the business following the sudden death of his father (Tom Walkinshaw) in December last year, Ryan Walkinshaw has stepped up to take control of the family business. Ryan seems absolutely committed to his new role and travels to Australia for 10 days each month to continue his involvement with HSV Australia and the Holden Racing Team. Ryan admits he has a lot to learn about the family business but is ready to take on the challenge and make his own mark.

Respected economic analyst BIS Shrapnel has released a report saying property prices wont experience big losses over the next three years. The report insists most of the reduction is now behind us and some capital cities should even enjoy a slight upturn but not for 12 months. However, analysts Morgan Stanley says the present lower house price could catch the big home businesses. The company insists as house prices continue their slight reduction from last year’s peak, so the bigger house property developers are budgeting for an overall drop in their businesses citing Stockland and Mirvac that have to adjust for a reduction of at least 5 maybe 10 percent.

The Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced the basic cash rate has been held at 4.75 percent for the eighth consecutive month. This decision has been made as a result of expansion in the global economy, our terms of trade continuing at high levels, unemployment remaining unchanged, our gradual recovery from the devastating floods and cyclones and modest credit growth. Most economists, however, are predicting a rate rise next month.

In an unusual statement, the RBA has gone out of its way to play down any risks some say are facing Australian banks from their reliance on overseas funding. RBA management have said it would have no trouble stepping in if credit markets suddenly seized.