The questions people actually ask first.
Straight answers on cost, software, lodgement, switching bookkeepers and what happens to a file that is badly behind.
What does a bookkeeper do that my accountant does not?
A bookkeeper keeps the day-to-day records right: coding transactions, reconciling accounts, entering supplier bills, raising invoices, running payroll and keeping the file ready for each BAS period.
An accountant works on top of those records — tax returns, structure, year-end advice. If the bookkeeping is not done, your accountant ends up doing it at accountant rates before they can start their actual job. Getting the bookkeeping right is usually the cheaper end of the problem.
How much does bookkeeping cost?
It depends on transaction volume, payroll size and how far behind the file is, so quoting a figure before seeing your file would be guesswork.
The process is: a short conversation, read access to your accounting file so we can see the real position, then a written scope and price. Catch-up work and ongoing monthly work are quoted separately so you can see what each part costs. If the scope changes materially once we are into the file, you hear about it before the work happens.
What accounting software do you work with?
Xero. We are a Xero practice and work in it every day, including files that have been left in poor shape — dropped bank feeds, a chart of accounts nobody has maintained, and years of unreconciled items.
If you are currently on MYOB, QuickBooks or spreadsheets, say so in your enquiry. Moving across to Xero is a normal thing to do and we can talk you through what it involves — but we will be straight with you about the work rather than pretending it is a switch you make on a Tuesday afternoon.
My books are years behind. Is that too far gone?
No. Behind is normal and it is fixable. Catch-up work is a large share of what we get called about, and it is rarely as bad as the owner has convinced themselves it is.
The work runs chronologically, period by period, rather than jumping around: confirm the opening position, reconcile each account, enter the missing records, then batch up the transactions nobody can identify into a single list of questions for you. See catch-up bookkeeping for how it is approached.
Can you prepare and lodge my BAS?
Yes. Xbook is a registered BAS agent (Tax Practitioners Board registration 26273787), so we can prepare and lodge your activity statements on your behalf rather than handing you a figure and leaving the lodgement to you.
The preparation is the part that matters: reconciliations completed, GST coding reviewed rather than assumed, payroll figures checked and supporting records organised. A BAS prepared from a file that does not reconcile is a number you will end up amending.
Lodging on a client's behalf is a regulated activity, so the arrangement for your business is confirmed in writing when the engagement is set up.
Do you handle payroll and superannuation?
Yes. Pay runs processed on your cycle, Single Touch Payroll reporting filed with each pay event, superannuation guarantee tracked against the quarterly due dates, and payroll totals reconciled back to the accounts rather than left to drift.
Approving the pay run and releasing payments stays with you. See payroll and super.
Am I locked into a long contract?
No. Ongoing bookkeeping is set up as a rolling arrangement with the scope and notice period stated in writing before you start. Catch-up work is quoted as a defined one-off job.
If it is not working, you should be able to leave without an argument — and take your file with you, because it is yours.
I already have a bookkeeper. Is switching a hassle?
Usually less than people expect. Your accounting file belongs to you, not to your bookkeeper, so it stays where it is — what changes is who has access to it.
Before anything moves we look at the file to see what state it has actually been left in, because that determines whether there is clean-up to do or simply a handover. You control the timing of when the previous access is removed.
Do you need access to my bank account?
We need to see transactions, not move money. That means bank feeds into the accounting file, and read-only access to statements where a feed is not available or has gaps that need filling.
Authorising and releasing payments stays with you. We prepare the payment run; you approve it.
Will you work with my accountant?
Yes, and it works better that way. Your accountant handles tax and advice; we keep the underlying records right so they receive a file that reconciles, with the supporting documents available and the queries already resolved.
If you do not have an accountant, that does not change the bookkeeping work — the records still need to be correct.
Do we need to meet in person?
Not usually. The work is done in cloud accounting files, so most clients are handled entirely by phone, email and shared file access regardless of where they are.
For businesses around Melbourne and Ballarat an in-person conversation can be arranged where it genuinely helps — but it is not a requirement and it does not change the work.
How quickly can you start?
It depends on current capacity and how urgent your situation is. If there is a BAS deadline or a payroll run bearing down on you, say so in the enquiry — that changes how the work is prioritised.
Onboarding itself is short: access set up, bank feeds checked, document flow agreed, and confirmation of who signs off on what.
What areas do you service?
Melbourne, Ballarat and regional Victoria, plus remote support for small businesses anywhere in Australia. See areas we service.