Annual cost examples for sole traders, companies and trusts, DIY versus outsourcing, automation payback and what to put in an engagement letter.
The fastest way to understand an accounting quote is to rebuild it yourself: list the jobs, estimate the hours, add the government fees and software, and compare that with the price you were given. These guides do exactly that with illustrative numbers.
The checklist for choosing an accountant is the starting point. From there, work through a sole trader's annual accounting costs, the yearly compliance bill for a company and family trust, and when doing your own books stops being cheaper. The automation worked example puts a payback period on bank feeds, rules and receipt capture. Two guides help before and after you appoint someone: what an engagement letter should cover and how to switch accountants without losing records.
The calculators use the same arithmetic as the examples. Replace every figure with your own hours, rates and quotes.
Worked Quotes and Checklists
The clauses an Australian small business should check in an accountant's engagement letter, including scope, exclusions, fees, responsibilities, deadlines, data ownership and ending the engagement.
Worked Quotes and Checklists
A step-by-step worked example of automating an Australian small business's bookkeeping, from bank rules and receipt capture to a monthly review routine, with payback arithmetic.
Worked Quotes and Checklists
A step-by-step checklist for choosing an Australian small business accountant or BAS agent, from TPB registration and scope to software, deadlines and comparing quotes fairly.
Worked Quotes and Checklists
What a year of accounting and government fees costs for a typical Australian small business group of a trading company, a family trust and its corporate trustee, with arithmetic shown.
Worked Quotes and Checklists
How to work out whether doing your own books and BAS saves money once your time, error risk and clean-up fees are counted, with a break-even formula and worked examples.
Worked Quotes and Checklists
A worked example of what a year of accounting costs an Australian sole trader under three set-ups, from DIY with software to full outsourcing, with the arithmetic shown.
Worked Quotes and Checklists
A step-by-step guide to changing accountants or BAS agents in Australia, covering timing, ATO agent nomination, records, software access, final invoices and what can go wrong.
