Your small business accountant

A small business accountant looks after the compliance and financial side of your business so you can run it. That means preparing and lodging your tax returns and BAS as a registered tax agent, keeping the bookkeeping current, coordinating payroll and super, and advising on structure and year-end planning. Just as importantly, we help you read your own numbers — profit, tax owing and cash position — so you can make day-to-day decisions with real figures rather than only finding out where you stand at year-end.

Not every sole trader does, but most benefit once income grows, GST registration applies, or deductions become more involved. A good accountant usually earns its keep through correctly claimed deductions, fewer ATO headaches and time saved. If your affairs are genuinely simple we will tell you honestly rather than over-service it. For what is involved, our sole trader tax return page sets out the income, deductions and depreciation we work through, and when a company or trust starts to make sense.

It depends on your profit, your appetite for risk, who else is involved and your plans for the business. A company can cap the tax rate on retained profit and add a layer of asset protection, while a trust can offer flexibility in how income is distributed. Each also brings extra cost and compliance. This is general information, not personal structuring advice — the right answer should be decided with advice for your situation, and our business structure advice page covers the trade-offs in more detail.

Yes, and many owners prefer one team across the whole cycle. We can take on the bookkeeping, lodge your BAS as registered agents, coordinate payroll, then prepare the annual return knowing the underlying records are already clean. Keeping everything in one place means your BAS and year-end figures tell the same story, which keeps lodgements consistent and reduces the risk of queries. It also means a single point of contact when something needs sorting quickly.

For self-employed owners, lenders generally assess borrowing capacity from your tax returns and financials, so how those numbers read matters. Keeping returns up to date and lodged on time helps when you apply. Because we work as accountants and mortgage brokers under one roof, we can keep your compliance tidy with a future application in mind. Any loan is still subject to the lender’s assessment, lending criteria and your circumstances — this is general information, not credit advice, and we cannot guarantee an outcome.

Fees depend on your structure, turnover and how much you want us to handle — return only, or bookkeeping, BAS and payroll as well. We quote upfront and use fixed fees where we can so there are no surprises. Many owners prefer a set monthly fee covering everything, which also spreads the cost across the year. Our fees page gives an indicative guide, or get in touch for a tailored quote based on what your business actually needs rather than a one-size estimate.

Yes, and you are not alone. Disorganised records are one of the most common reasons owners come to us. We work through the backlog, reconcile your accounts and bring lodgements up to date, then put a simple system in place so it stays clean from there. Once it is sorted we can keep running the bookkeeping for you, or set you up to manage it yourself with proper support and review in place. There is no judgement — only a plan to get current.