Kevin Philistin

You might expect to run into Kothes Accounting Group Merimbula office director Kevin Philistin at a local car show, on the golf club, at the beach or at a food and wine event. Or you might see him down at the Merimbula Tourism Information Centre advocating for the area’s enormous tourism potential. Wherever you see him, you are assured he will have a ready smile and during football season, you can always rely on him for the latest tips on his favourite AFL team Essendon or Rugby League’s Melbourne Storm.

Kevin works from the Merimbula and Bombala offices, specialising in small to medium businesses. He has an extensive knowledge of the tourism industry and having worked previously with the Australian Taxation Office, he knows all about tax and compliance. He is proud to be working with a chartered accounting firm whose staff have undergone extensive and dedicated training to offer highly specialist professional advice.

Kevin enjoys the team office environment at Kothes where staff from the seven offices have opportunities to grow and further their skills. One of the adages he lives by is to be professional and take a genuine interest in your colleagues and your clients. He loves helping his clients and places great value on having trusting relationships, something he says is essential in the accounting profession where you are helping people manage their money and achieve their business and financial goals.

Skills and experience

• Registered Tax Agent
• Associate – Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
• Bachelor of Business in Accounting
• Graduate Diploma in Accounting
• Justice of the Peace

Kevin’s tip for businesses

Be upfront and don’t promise something you can’t deliver.

How he got here

While in his final years at secondary school, Kevin wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do. His uncle was an accounting and economics lecturer at Victoria University in Melbourne and he enrolled in a Bachelor of Business and Accounting. After graduating, he started working at the head office of National Mutual Insurance in Melbourne. He then worked for the Australian Tax Office before taking a sea change and moving to Merimbula to work for Kothes in 1987. Two years later he became a director, and believes he is living in the most beautiful location in Australia.