Forensic Accountant and Property Accountant: Investigation Skills Behind Every Engagement
Most accountants report the numbers they are given. A forensic accountant tests them. Steven P. Rider CA CPA JP brings both disciplines to the table, so clients get property and tax advice backed by the same investigative rigour used in court-ready expert reports.
Alongside his property accounting practice, Steven leads AuditTrace Forensic Accountants, the specialist forensic division of the Tenfold Wealth Group. That work involves tracing money through companies, trusts and bank accounts, rebuilding incomplete records, and valuing property and businesses when the figures are in dispute. Those same skills sharpen every property structure, CGT calculation and tax return he prepares.
How Forensic Skills Strengthen Property Advice
Investigation experience changes how a property accountant looks at a portfolio. Here is where it makes a practical difference:
Following the Money
Experience tracing fund flows across accounts, companies and trusts means loan accounts, deposits and related-party transactions are checked properly, not taken on faith.
Rebuilding Incomplete Records
Missing statements or messy ledgers are reconstructed from source data, including Xero and other cloud accounting systems, so cost bases and deductions can be substantiated if the ATO asks.
Property and Business Valuations
As a Member of the Australian Property Institute and a Licensed Real Estate Agent, Steven understands how values are tested in disputes, settlements and restructures.
Tax Consequences Up Front
As a Registered Tax Practitioner and Associate of The Tax Institute, he makes sure CGT and tax outcomes are worked through before a sale, transfer or settlement, not after.
Due Diligence on Deals
Before you buy into a development, partnership or business, the financials are reviewed with a forensic eye for gaps, inconsistencies and risk.
Independent, Standards-Based Work
Forensic engagements are performed under APES 215 Forensic Accounting Services, the professional standard that governs expert evidence prepared by accountants.
Court and Tribunal Experience
Steven has prepared expert witness statements, technical affidavits and single expert reports for matters in:
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA)
- Supreme Court of New South Wales
- District and Local Courts of New South Wales
- NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT)
Who Steven Helps
- Property investors and developers who want structures and records that stand up to scrutiny
- Separating couples who need the property and business side of their finances made clear, working with their lawyer
- Family and commercial lawyers who need asset tracing, valuations or a review of an opposing expert report
- Business owners and boards concerned about fraud or misappropriation
Learn More About Steven's Forensic Accounting Practice
For full details of Steven’s forensic qualifications, court experience and the matters he takes on, visit the About page at AuditTrace Forensic Accountants.