VdV Legal is a boutique commercial practice in the heart of the Adelaide CBD providing high levels of expertise in taxation law, trust law including superannuation funds and the structure and restructure of business and wealth management entities. VdV Legal specialises in working with accountancy firms, financial planners and other law firms based in South Australia and interstate; private businesses and high wealth individuals.

The firm provides assistance to professional advisers and their clients dealing with complex entities, transactions and disputes. Our focus is to provide technical tax and equity opinions, advices and documentation that are practically and commercially useful to our clients.

VdV Legal is proud to maintain a reputation for making complex legal issues clear and manageable so that commercial decisions can be made based on the best information. Every client is important and receives our full attention.

The firm was founded by Julie Van der Velde whose extensive experience and technical expertise is the foundation of its success. Julie is the Tax Institute’s SME Tax Adviser of the Year for 2017 and is a founder member and former Chair of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) in South Australia.
VdV Legal is a Law Society Gold Alliance firm and listed with the international Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

“We have worked with Julie for a number of years always finding her efficient, knowledgeable and reliable. She has always looked after our clients expertly and provided succinct and accurate legal advice on issues ranging from taxation to estate planning.”

– Paul Bartley, Accountant & Registered Mediator

Community Involvement

Volunteer

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Since 2010 VdV Legal has been a proud supporter of the Hutt Street Centre
Within the heart of the south-eastern corner of the City of Adelaide, Hutt St Centre is a frontline agency for homeless and vulnerable people. The Centre is accessed by people who sleep in our adjacent parklands, squat in nearby buildings, and reside in cheap hotels, boarding houses, community housing and public housing.

Upcoming Events: VdV Legal will be sponsoring the Hutt St. Angel for a Day on 4 January 2024 and our staff will be present one day that week to assist with preparation of meals.

Specialist Areas

vdv legal business-structuring

Business Structuring

Setting up a new business venture VdV Legal will ensure the legal and organisational structures involved are those most conducive to operating a successful enterprise. This includes consideration of the set up cost of different structures and also of the ongoing costs of operating and administering structures and their taxation implications. VdV Legal works with business owners and their advisors to structure business operations and provides customised documentation to ensure that whether corporate, trust, partnership or combined structures are used each business is set up for success.

vdv legal business succession

Business Succession

Whatever your legal structure and whatever your hopes for the future VdV Legal can help ensure a successful transition. With years of experience assisting businesses and their advisers to successfully transition business operations whether by sale, family succession, management buy out or merger, VdV Legal understands the commercial and personal issues involved. We can help to ensure an effective transition whether you expect your eventual retirement to be after a sale or if a family succession plan is needed. We prepare and assist you to implement the agreements and structures you will need in place to prepare for the eventual transfer of ownership and control in a way that puts the business and every party in the most favourable position for successful transition.

vdv legal business-transactions

Business Transactions and Restructures

The many federal tax concessions available combined with the recent stamp duty changes in South Australia mean that this is the time to ensure every business is operating in the best structure. With extensive experience in restructuring business operations and developing optimal structures for business transactions VdV Legal is ideally placed to ensure that each transaction is commercially efficient and tax effective. Commercial documentation is prepared for each individual transaction and VdV Legal provides advice on accounting for transactions from both a financial and taxation perspective.

vdv legal commercial-documents

Preparation of Commercial Documentation

Preparation of effective contractual documentation when buying or selling assets, taking on staff or hiring contractors is essential. Confidentiality, loan, licensing and rental agreements must fit not only the agreed transaction but ensure that each party is clear about their responsibilities and liabilities and provide clear and unequivocal procedures for dealing with the unexpected. VdV Legal prepares commercial documentation you can rely on.

vdv legal state texes

Stamp Duty, Payroll Tax and Land Tax

South Australia has some of the most complex state tax legislation in Australia. With a detailed understanding of South Australian legislation VdV Legal is able to provide clear and comprehensive advice on the application of Stamp Duties, Land Tax and Payroll Tax legislation to each business. We have the experience that is essential in dealing with the complexities of these laws. While VdV Legal never engage in needless confrontation with RevenueSA we have the experience and the ability to litigate matters where this is needed to ensure the best outcome for our clients.

vdv legal superannuation-funds

Superannuation Funds

Superannuation is one of the fastest changing areas of the law. In an environment that was designed to be conducive to long term planning the pace of change is confrontational particularly for those approaching retirement. VdV Legal structures and provides advice on the operation and administration of self managed superannuation funds (SMSF) and prepares clear and reliable documentation to get the best results from superannuation savings. We also assist with the form and management of your death benefit nominations to ensure your superannuation is used as you intend.

 

Publications

vdv legal taxation advice

Taxation Advice and Tax Disputes

Companies, trustees, partnerships and individuals are all taxed in different ways with different areas of the income tax and capital gains tax legislation applying to each. Advising on tax effective structures and transactions VdV Legal has significant experience in all areas of federal tax legislation and where necessary negotiating or contesting matters with the Australian Taxation Office. VdV Legal actively maintains a cutting edge knowledge of tax changes, providing monthly update tax breakfasts for clients and regular seminar presentations for a variety of professional organisations in South Australia.

vdv legal trust structures

Trust Structures

There are many forms of trust structure each of which has its own particular issues and benefits. Trust structures may be as varied as human imagination and the drafter’s skill allow. VdV Legal specialises in drawing customised trust instruments including discretionary trusts, hybrid trusts, unit trusts, class trusts, family succession trusts, testamentary trusts, protective trusts, special disability trusts, superannuation trusts, custodian trusts and trusts which are able to access stamp duty concessions. Each trust deed is designed to be easily and cost effectively customised as every client is an individual.

 

Publications

vdv legal wealth management structuring

Wealth Management Structuring

Wealth management structuring involves considering not only the wealth the client has built up but also how they intend to use and to pass on that wealth. Different structures can be used to ensure that each client’s wealth is managed in a commercial and tax effective manner and that it is passed on as the client intends to his or her chosen beneficiaries.

vdv legal Wills and Estates

Wills and Estates

Effective estate planning is the ability of a person to dispose of his or her property upon death to those he or she wishes to benefit. This is not the preserve of the very wealthy but for every individual. Misunderstandings about what happens to property, businesses and superannuation on a person’s death abound; most commonly many believe that dying without a will just means your spouse gets everything – not necessarily. The only certain result of dying without a will is that it will take longer, be more complex and cost your family more to deal with your estate – to this is often added the worry of not knowing what the deceased actually wanted. VdV Legal can provide advice and documentation to help ensure that when you die your property is dealt with as you wish rather than in accordance with impersonal legislation.

Publications

Personal Profiles

Julie Van der Velde

B.Sc. Business Administration (Hons); LLB (Hons); GDLP; MTAX; FTIA; FCPA; CTA; TEP

Julie Van der Velde is the founder and principal of VdV Legal. She works with businesses and their advisors to help ensure practical commercial outcomes. Julie has a particular interest and significant expertise in taxation and revenue law, intergenerational transfer, business succession, estate planning and superannuation. She has experience across a range of sectors including professional and financial service firms, property sale and development, information technology, not for profit entities and primary production.

Prior to establishing VdV Legal Julie worked with a range of accounting and legal practices including several years as an Associate Director with an international accounting firm where she was involved in drafting submissions to Treasury on various matters including the modifications to the anti-avoidance provisions of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and proposals for the reform of the taxation of trust structures. This experience demonstrates Julie’s high level of technical knowledge which she combines with commercial acumen. Julie understands commercial operations and family business and the importance of providing clear and commercially useful opinions and advices.

Julie is a founder member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners in South Australia and served on the committee for over ten years from its inception in February 2010 to May 2020. She also served as a co Chair of the Branch.

A Chartered Tax Adviser, a Fellow of the Tax Institute, a Fellow of CPA Australia and a registered Trust and Estate Practitioner; Julie is a regular presenter on taxation and commercial matters for many professional bodies throughout South Australia. She is a recommended Wills and Estate Planning Lawyer in Doyles Guide each year for 2017 to 2020 and winner of the prestigious Taxation Institute Chartered SME Tax Adviser of the Year in 2017.

Julie is admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia, and to the High Court of Australia.

View Julie’s full profile on   logo-2c-21px-tm

Technical Presentations

We have worked with Julie for a number of years always finding her efficient, knowledgeable and reliable. She has always looked after our clients expertly and provided succinct and accurate legal advice on issues ranging from taxation to estate planning.

Paul Bartley, Accountant & Registered Mediator

Articles

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