How Kelly wiped over $215,000 in ATO debt and protected her home and business
Key results at a glance
Kelly’s story
Kelly
Western AustraliaOperating as a sole trader tiler since 2014, Kelly’s business was her only source of income. Unfortunately, without a system to set aside money for taxes, her ATO debt spiralled to nearly $350,000. With jointly owned real property, motor vehicles, and her livelihood on the line, she needed a plan to manage her historical tax debt while allowing her to continue trading. We helped her establish a Personal Insolvency Agreement (PIA) that protected her assets, saved her business, and wiped over 60% of her debt.
Age
Unspecified
Employment status
Sole trader
Location
Western Australia
Household type
Joint property owner
Employment
Tiler
The challenge
Despite having a viable business and correcting her financial habits for the future, the sheer size of Kelly’s historical ATO debt threatened everything she had built.
Mounting tax debt
Without a proper system for setting aside tax funds, Kelly accumulated nearly $350,000 in ATO liabilities over several years.
Assets at risk
She jointly owned real property and motor vehicles, all of which were highly vulnerable to collection action if the situation escalated.
Business continuity
Her tiling business was her sole source of income, meaning any aggressive debt recovery or bankruptcy proceedings would severely impact her ability to earn a living.
Lack of a resolution framework
While Kelly had a plan for the future, she needed a formal, binding agreement to deal with the existing ATO debt without losing her tools of trade.
The solution
Comprehensive financial assessment
Strategic protection
Favourable creditor negotiation
Tailored repayment structure
Why this approach worked
Getting started is easy and straightforward
Significant debt reduction and asset protection
By establishing the PIA, we successfully wiped approximately $215,320 (over 60%) of Kelly’s ATO debt. Crucially, this agreement secured her jointly owned home and motor vehicles, entirely removing the risk of forced asset sales.
Business continuity
Because a PIA does not carry the same strict trading restrictions as bankruptcy, Kelly was able to continue operating her tiling business. Consolidating her overwhelming tax obligations into a single, affordable weekly payment meant her profits were protected moving forward.
The result
Kelly successfully executed a Personal Insolvency Agreement, removing the immediate threat to her livelihood and personal assets. With over $215,000 of debt wiped and a clear, five-year instalment plan in place, she secured her financial future while confidently continuing to run her tiling business.
Additional benefits
Avoided the severe professional and personal restrictions associated with declaring bankruptcy
Provided a much fairer financial return to creditors
Mental clarity and the complete removal of constant stress from looming ATO actions
A structured, predictable five-year pathway to completely resolving her historical tax liabilities
Consolidating massive tax debt
After years of running his own business as a shotfirer, Dom was left with $130,000 in debt – mostly owed to the ATO – and no way to manage it as a regular employee. Bankruptcy would have returned nothing to creditors and left him with little to show for his working years. We arranged a Personal Insolvency Agreement, wiping 40% of his debt and consolidating the rest into a single affordable weekly payment, letting him keep his vehicle and move forward free of ATO pressure.
Halving severe business debt
When Michael’s business collapsed in the wake of COVID, he was left with $133,000 in debt across the ATO, credit cards, and personal loans. After attempts to negotiate directly with creditors failed, we structured a Part X Personal Insolvency Agreement – allowing him to retain his vehicle, avoid bankruptcy, and settle his debt at just 50 cents in the dollar.
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