The Fringe Benefits Tax Content Clients Actually Need Before the 31 March Deadline

Every accounting firm's content calendar has a tax-time sprint built around 30 June. Almost none have anything built around 31 March — even though that's when the FBT year actually closes. We love a tidy content calendar, but if yours jumps straight from "new financial year" in July to "tax time" in June, you're skipping the one compliance date most clients have genuinely never heard of. 💖 Novated leases, work utes, staff functions and workplace parking are all more common now than a decade ago, which means more clients have FBT exposure they don't know about until it shows up as a surprise liability.

What most accounting firms get wrong with FBT content

Firms tend to do one of two things: skip FBT publicly altogether, treating it as a niche advisory conversation rather than a marketing one — or publish a generic "what is FBT" post with no dates, no segmentation, no action items. Both miss the opportunity: a short, well-timed checklist sent to the right clients in February, while there's still runway to fix a lapsed logbook or flag a forgotten benefit before 31 March.

How to build this into your content calendar

1. Map both deadlines separately: 31 March for FBT, 30 June for EOFY — each needs its own send date, not one combined "tax time" push.
2. Segment clients by benefit type (vehicles, entertainment, parking) rather than one generic email to everyone.
3. Send the first checklist in early-mid February so there's genuine time to act.
4. Follow up once in March with a shorter, more urgent version.
5. Use it as a bridge into an advisory conversation about benefit structuring for next year.

Mistakes to avoid

• Publishing a generic "what is FBT" post with no dates or actions. It explains the concept but gives nobody a reason to act before 31 March.
• Sending the reminder after 31 March has passed. This happens more often than it should, usually because FBT gets lumped into the June EOFY calendar.
• Sending one email to the whole client list. Clients with no cars, entertainment or parking benefits will tune it out, diluting attention for those who actually need it.
• Treating it purely as compliance, not advisory. An FBT reminder is a natural entry point into structuring benefits for the year ahead.
• Assuming clients already know the FBT year doesn't match the income tax year. Most don't, and that gap is exactly why timing matters.

Frequently asked questions

Does every client need FBT content, or just the ones with cars and entertainment spend?

Just the ones with actual exposure. Sending irrelevant FBT content dilutes attention and can make genuinely relevant emails easier to ignore later.

Can this content double as a way to attract new clients?

To a degree — a public explainer can support SEO and demonstrate expertise, but keep claims general and avoid implying a guaranteed saving for a prospective client's specific situation.

Will a checklist email actually fix a client's lapsed logbook?

No, not on its own. It prompts the right question at the right time, but fixing a genuinely lapsed record needs a direct conversation — the email's job is to surface the issue early, not resolve it.

How far in advance should the first email go out?

Early-to-mid February gives most clients real runway before 31 March — leaving it until March only gives them time to react, not to properly fix anything.

Keep reading 🤓

• The Div 7A Conversation: Explaining Loans From a Company to Its Owners Without the Jargon
• Turning the Instant Asset Write-Off Into a Client Email Instead of a Footnote
• The Quarterly Client Email Accounting Firms Should Be Sending (And Mostly Aren't)