Think Tax, think Anastasios

Principal of Think Tax, and director of strategy at the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI), Anastasios Koutsikos, has been in the numbers game for 20 years, his thirst for all things financial is still powerfully.

"I've been very much into accounting and economics...I love it, I enjoy it, accounting offers so much more than just the standard impression that may exist out there," he told Neos Kosmos.

Koutsikos, an accountant with a bachelor of business (majoring in accounting) from Victoria's Monash University, has been the principal of CPA accountants firm Think Tax, in Melbourne, for eight years now. He said while the company does compliance work-anything associated with tax-there is a focus on business consultation.

 "We see ourselves as business partners helping our clients to create wealth and we look at the overall wealth position of a client and we work together in order to achieve their goals and their dreams and the compliance work effectively become a by product of those pursuits," he said.

Koutsikos said tax legislation is not user friendly and for all new and existing business professional advisers are necessary.

"The tax legislation is complex and tricky. Professional advice is paramount," he said, adding "you need to have a good relationship with your accountant".

After working in auditing, public practice and in industry, Koutsikos is enjoying being his own boss back in the public practice sector. "It does give me a bit of independence running my own business, I still need to put in the hours but I put in the hours when I choose; this is the Greek thing coming out," he jokes.

"I also enjoy the challenge of growing something from nothing, assisting start-up clients to get up and going in business and taking pride in their success". Koutsikos said in running a business it is vital to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

"It's a journey, you got to respond to what the economic climate offers you at the time," he said. His current focus is on making HACCI relevant and attracting the contemporary Greek business person emerging through the network of businesses in Australia.

Asked to define the contemporary Greek business person, Koutsikos said he considers them to be educated, sophisticated, tech savvy and capable of making a real contribution to Australia. Resilience, fortitude, flair and exuberance are the key characteristics to the Greek businessperson's identity.

"There's an inner strength that I see in Greek business people; they want to be successful, they want to contribute to the community, they want to be independent, and they're very proud to be running their own show".

As the Director of Strategy at HACCI, Koutsikos said he bridges networks between organisations and creates affiliations, synergies and relationships.

"I think if we're active, prominent and we're engaging thought and debate and providing a forum for our members to be able to engage in peer to peer networks -with local or federal government and with our community groups- then I think we'd be doing our job," he said.