Articles by: Stephen Burns
Stephen Burns is a seasoned entrepreneur and company director with over 20 years of experience helping businesses grow, scale, and navigate complex financial and operational challenges across Australia, the US, and Asia. Today, he leads organisations that support thousands of clients while operating in highly regulated, fast-moving environments, including ASX- and NASDAQ-listed markets, with a professional background that spans executive leadership, company directorships, and global operations.
He is the Founder and Managing Director of Accountants Direct, a public accounting firm serving more than 8,000 clients worldwide, supporting business owners with practical, scalable accounting and advisory solutions. Stephen is also a Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of Payou, a payments technology business built on Australia’s New Payments Platform (NPP), as well as a Co-Founder of Cyclion Energy, a cleantech venture focused on converting plastic and organic waste into fuel or electricity. His leadership and business involvement are also recognised across global founder and startup ecosystems, including F6S, and through industry collaborations such as Accountants Direct’s partnership with Annature to streamline e-signing for corporate and personal tax returns.
Earlier in his career, Stephen was Chief Operating Officer of OzEmail Ltd, where he led a team of over 200 staff across Australia and worked closely with its parent company, MCI WorldCom, across the US and Asia. He also served as a Founding Director of the Gold Coast Titans NRL bid team, playing a key role in securing the club’s National Rugby League licence.
Stephen is an active angel investor and advisor with a particular interest in cleantech and fintech. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Griffith University, an MBA from the University of Technology Sydney, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a member of the Institute of Public Accountants, with his professional footprint additionally reflected across recognised business intelligence and directory platforms.
Tax Deductions for Social Housing Workers in Australia
Tax Guide for Caseworkers and Housing Support Officers Social housing workers support individuals and families who access public, community, or crisis housing. Duties include assessing eligibility, assisting tenants with applications, coordinating services, conducting property inspections, managing tenancy issues, maintaining case notes, liaising with government agencies, community organisations, property managers, and support services, and assisting clients…
Australian Tax Guide For Videographers
How Videographers Are Taxed in Australia Videographers work across film, TV, corporate media, advertising, weddings, events, online content production and social media. Duties include filming, lighting setup, audio capture, editing footage, managing equipment, location scouting, client consultation, production planning, colour grading, file management and maintaining creative assets. Work is performed both on location and in…
Tax Deductions for Freelance Copywriters & Content Writers in Australia
Tax Guide for Freelance, Agency and Remote Copywriters Copywriters create written content for advertising, marketing, websites, social media, scripts, blogs, product descriptions, branding, and corporate communications. Duties include researching topics, drafting and editing copy, conducting interviews, developing creative concepts, optimising content for SEO, preparing client proposals, maintaining portfolios, liaising with clients and creative teams, and…
Australian Tax Guide For Editors
How Editors Are Taxed in Australia Editors review, refine and prepare written content for publication across books, magazines, newspapers, digital platforms, corporate communications, advertising, academic journals and government documents. Duties include proofreading, structural editing, fact-checking, formatting, liaising with writers and stakeholders, ensuring clarity and consistency, applying style guides, managing revisions, and meeting publication deadlines. The…
Museum Technicians Tax Deductions in Australia
Tax Checklist for Museum and Heritage Technicians Museum technicians assist in the preparation, preservation, installation, cataloguing and display of museum, gallery or archival collections. Duties include handling and storing artefacts, setting up exhibitions, maintaining collection records, assisting conservators and curators, conducting condition checks, monitoring environmental controls, guiding contractors, and ensuring safe collection management practices. The…
Tax Deductions for Art Curators in Australia
Art Curator Income and Expense Tax Guide (Australia) Art curators research, select, interpret and manage artworks for museums, galleries, cultural institutions and private collections. Duties include developing exhibitions, writing interpretive materials, conducting provenance research, liaising with artists and lenders, overseeing installation, managing acquisitions, cataloguing works, maintaining collection documentation, coordinating conservation, and developing public programs. The…