Mary Farquhar

Executive summary

Mary is a Director in BDO’s Business Services team in Melbourne, supporting foreign-owned subsidiaries and privately owned businesses.

Since joining BDO over a decade ago, she has developed deep expertise in advising medium-to-large corporate clients with global exposure. Mary works closely with the CEOs and management teams of multinational companies to navigate Australia’s complex reporting and compliance obligations.

She leads Melbourne’s outsourced statutory financial reporting function, specialising in general purpose financial reporting (GPFR). As a member of BDO’s National GPFR committee, Mary contributes to shaping national strategy and best practice.

Mary provides high-level tax compliance services to international clients operating foreign subsidiaries in Australia. She partners with BDO’s corporate tax team to address technical matters including transfer pricing, tax consolidations, thin capitalisation and withholding tax aspects. 

Drawing on her strong foundation in tax, Mary provides honest, practical advice that helps clients meet reporting obligations and achieve successful outcomes.

Expertise

• Financial reporting including special-purpose and general-purpose reporting
• GPFS readiness
• Outsourced accounting and tax compliance
• Tax-effect accounting
• Corporate tax and international matters
• Advisory and compliance services for high-net-worth individuals, start-ups, and small-to-medium enterprises
• Management reporting
• Outsourced finance function
• Family business tax planning

Experience

• Preparing complex financial statements and audit support for commercial and not-for-profit entities, including large corporate groups
• Leading a finance function review for a natural resources company and working collaboratively with our consulting team to provide an IT and systems review
• Providing outsourced accounting services to clients requiring short-to-medium-term management and financial accounting support
• Managing complex tax consolidations for internationally owned property developers including resolving high-level cross-border transactions
• Helping businesses become GPFS ready and ensuring compliance with corporate tax obligations as a significant global entity (SGE)
• Working closely with a family business in relation to their succession planning and developing a shareholder agreement in conjunction with legal advisers

Qualifications and affiliations

• Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance)
• Member, CA ANZ