Bookkeeper or accountant, and why most businesses need both

They are different jobs. Most businesses need both, and the two working together costs less than either working blind.

What a bookkeeper does

The ongoing work. Transactions coded, bank accounts reconciled, invoices out and bills in, payroll run, superannuation lodged, BAS prepared and lodged, records kept, reports produced while the numbers are still worth acting on. It is the running of the books rather than the interpretation of them.

What an accountant does

The annual and structural work. Your income tax return, financial statements, business structure, tax planning, capital gains, Division 7A, advice on buying or selling. Higher level, less frequent, and generally charged at a higher rate.

Why clean books make your accountant cheaper

An accountant given a reconciled file starts on the actual work. An accountant given a mess starts by doing a bookkeeper's job at an accountant's rate, and you pay the difference. This is the single clearest financial argument for regular bookkeeping and it is why we say clean data makes their analysis straightforward.

What a BAS agent adds

A registered BAS agent sits inside the bookkeeping role but is authorised to lodge activity statements and deal with the ATO on those matters. It means the quarterly obligations do not have to wait on your accountant's schedule, and it means somebody can pick up the phone to the ATO on your behalf.

How the relationship should work

• The bookkeeper keeps it accurate and current through the year
• The accountant reviews, advises and lodges the income tax return
• Both talk to each other rather than through you
• You get answers in plain terms from whichever one owns the question

We work alongside your existing accountant. We are not trying to replace them and we will not put you in the middle.

General information only, not advice about your particular arrangements.