Small business tips & insights
Practical advice on bookkeeping, tax, BAS, Xero, and running a healthy Australian small business, from people who live and breathe this stuff.
Director Loan Accounts in the Books: Recording Division 7A the Clean Way
Division 7A bookkeeping is about recording every dollar between your company and you as wages, a dividend, an expense or a loan. Here's how to keep director loan accounts clean in Xero and ready for your accountant.
ATO Payment Plans for Tax Debt: What Australian Small Businesses Should Expect Before They Call
An ATO payment plan lets your business pay overdue tax in instalments. Here's how to choose online, phone or your BAS agent, what the ATO expects while the plan runs, and how to prepare before you apply.
Bank Reconciliation in Xero: A Plain-English Guide for Australian Small Businesses
Bank reconciliation in Xero keeps your GST, profit and cash figures honest. Here's how to reconcile step by step, choose between Match, Create, Transfer and Discuss, and prove Xero agrees with your bank.
Made a Mistake on Your BAS? How to Fix GST Errors (and When to Revise Instead)
Found a mistake on a BAS you've already lodged? Most GST errors can be corrected on your next BAS at 1A or 1B. Here's how the ATO's time and value limits work, when you need to revise instead, and how to stop it happening again.
TPAR for Contractors: Who Must Report and What Bookkeepers Check
If you pay contractors in building, cleaning, courier, IT or security services, you may need to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report by 28 August. Here's who must report, what to include, and how clean books make August straightforward.
STP Reporting Under Payday Super: Qualifying Earnings Explained
From 1 July 2026, Single Touch Payroll must report qualifying earnings and superannuation liability year-to-date each payday. Here's what those fields mean, what not to include, and what bookkeepers check.
How Long to Keep Business Records in Australia: What the ATO Actually Requires
Most Australian businesses must keep tax and super records for five years, and some for seven or longer. A plain-English guide to the ATO's record-keeping rules, receipts, tax invoices, payroll records and setting up a system that works.
Remote Bookkeeping Australia: How Working With an Online BAS Agent Actually Works
Remote bookkeeping lets a registered BAS agent look after your books, BAS and payroll online, from anywhere in Australia. Here's how it works day to day, the ATO agent nomination step, how to check your bookkeeper is registered, and what it costs.
GST Registration Threshold Australia: When You Must Register (and What Changes When You Do)
Once your GST turnover hits $75,000, you have 21 days to register. Here's how the rolling turnover test works, who must register regardless of income, whether voluntary registration makes sense, and what changes in your books once you're in.
Fuel Tax Credits on Your BAS: A Plain-English Guide for Tradies and Transport Businesses
Fuel tax credits can put real money back in your pocket, but only for the right fuel, in the right vehicle, at the right rate. Here's who can claim, what belongs at BAS label 7D, the simplified methods for claims under $10,000, and the records to keep.
MYOB to Xero Migration: A Practical Guide for Australian SMBs
Moving from MYOB to Xero is doable without wrecking your BAS. Here's how Australian small businesses choose a cut-over date, clean the file, convert (or open balances), and validate GST, banks and payroll before going live.
IAS vs BAS: What's the Difference and Which One Do You Lodge?
IAS vs BAS Australia: a BAS reports GST (and often PAYG) for GST-registered businesses; an IAS covers PAYG instalments or withholding without GST. Here's who lodges which — and how often.
BAS Due Dates 2026–27: When Is Your October Quarter BAS Due?
Your October quarter BAS is due 28 October 2026, but online lodgers and clients of a registered BAS agent may get longer. Here is every 2026–27 BAS due date from the ATO, what changed for super under Payday Super, and how to get Q1 lodged without the scramble.
What Does a Registered BAS Agent Cost in Australia?
Wondering what a registered BAS agent costs in Australia? Here's what drives the fee, Girl Friday's published starting prices, and how to compare quotes so you know whether you're buying lodgement only or a full bookkeeping ally.
Catch-Up Bookkeeping Australia: How to Fix Months (or Years) of Mess
Months or years behind on the books is fixable. See how catch-up bookkeeping works in Australia, what to gather first, how overdue BAS and GST get sorted, and how Girl Friday Australia rebuilds clean records so you can lodge with confidence.
Employee vs Contractor in Australia: Bookkeeping, Super and PAYG Risks for Small Business
An ABN and an invoice do not make someone a contractor. See how the ATO frames employee vs contractor, what changes in your books for wages, STP, super and PAYG, and how Girl Friday keeps the records clean while classification advice goes to your tax agent or lawyer.
How to Prepare and Lodge Your BAS in Xero (Without Guessing GST)
Preparing your BAS in Xero is a checklist, not a guessing game. Reconcile first, fix GST codes, review the Activity Statement, then lodge and pay by the ATO due date — or hand it to a registered BAS agent.
Instant Asset Write-Off Australia 2026: What Small Businesses Can Claim (and How Your Books Need to Show It)
For 2025–26, eligible Australian small businesses can instantly write off assets under $20,000. Here’s who qualifies, what your books must show, and when to speak to your tax agent.
BAS Agent vs Tax Agent: Who Does Your Australian Small Business Actually Need?
Confused about BAS agent vs tax agent? This plain-English TPB scope guide shows what each Australian registration allows, who your small business needs, and when you need both.
Payday Super from 1 July 2026: What Australian Employers Must Do in Xero
Payday Super is live from 1 July 2026: pay SG each payday at 12% of qualifying earnings, get funds within 7 business days, and report QE plus super liability in STP. Here's exactly what to check in Xero.
Australian Tax News: August 2026 — What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know Right Now
Five major Australian tax changes landed in the last 60 days — and most small business owners haven't heard of half of them. Payday Super is live, the SBSCH is gone, the ATO is pre-filling contractor income for the first time, and the TPAR deadline is today. Here's everything that changed and exactly what you need to do about it.
ATO Tax Debt in 2026: What Australian Small Businesses Need to Know Before It Gets Worse
Australian small businesses now collectively owe $35.9 billion in collectable tax debt. One in three businesses with an ATO default of $100,000 or more didn't survive the past year. And from 1 July 2025, the interest the ATO charges on outstanding debt is no longer tax-deductible. If your business has ATO debt — or is at risk of accumulating it — this is the guide you need to read right now.
Running a Company in Australia: Tax, Division 7A, Director Obligations and What Your Books Need to Reflect
Incorporating your business is one of the best financial decisions many Australian owners ever make. It's also one they consistently underestimate the complexity of. Here's the complete guide to what running a Pty Ltd in Australia actually requires — including the one tax provision that catches more company directors off guard than anything else.
Bookkeeping Services for Sydney Small Businesses: What You Need, What It Costs, and Why Getting It Right Matters in 2026
Sydney is home to more small businesses than any other city in Australia — and more of them are struggling with compliance, cash flow, and financial admin than anyone wants to admit. Here's the complete guide to bookkeeping for Sydney small businesses in 2026, including the NSW-specific obligations that catch local operators off guard.
GST in Australia: The Complete Small Business Guide for 2026 (Registration, Coding, BAS & the Mistakes That Attract ATO Attention)
GST is one of the most misunderstood — and most frequently misapplied — obligations facing Australian small businesses. The ATO has publicly flagged GST compliance as a priority enforcement area for 2026, with automated systems now capable of flagging coding errors in near real time. Here's everything you need to know to get it right.
Bookkeeper vs Accountant: What's the Difference, What Does Each Cost, and Which One Does Your Australian Business Actually Need?
Not sure whether you need a bookkeeper or an accountant for your Australian small business? This plain-English 2026 guide covers what each role does, what they cost, and why most businesses need both — working together.
The Tradie's Complete Guide to Tax Deductions and Bookkeeping in Australia (2025–26)
Australia's construction and trades sector employs approximately 1.29 million workers — and most of them are leaving thousands of dollars in legitimate tax deductions unclaimed every single year. Here's exactly what you can claim, what records you need, and the compliance obligations most tradies don't even know they have.
Sole Trader, Company or Trust? The Australian Business Structure Guide for 2026 (And What the New Budget Changes)
Choosing the wrong business structure can cost you thousands in unnecessary tax — or leave your personal assets exposed. Here's the plain-English guide to sole trader, company, and trust structures in Australia for 2026, including the major changes announced in last night's Federal Budget that every business owner needs to know about.
7 Bookkeeping Mistakes That Put Australian Small Businesses on the ATO's Radar
The ATO isn't just watching the big end of town. With a $27.2 billion small business tax gap and nearly $1 billion in new enforcement funding, Australian small businesses are squarely in its sights. The good news: most of what attracts ATO attention is entirely avoidable.
Cash Flow Management for Australian Small Businesses: How to Stop Running Out of Money
You can be profitable on paper and still not be able to make payroll. Cash flow is the silent killer of otherwise viable Australian small businesses — and the fix is simpler than most owners realise.
The EOFY Checklist Every Australian Small Business Owner Needs in 2026
The complete EOFY 2026 checklist for Australian small businesses. Reconcile your books, claim the $20,000 instant asset write-off, pay super on time, and prepare for Payday Super before 30 June.
Payroll, PAYG & Super: What Australian Small Business Owners Need to Know in 2026
Hired your first employee? Running payroll but not sure if you're doing it right? With major super changes landing in July 2026, now is the time to get your payroll compliance sorted. Here's everything you need to know.
The Small Business Tax Deductions Checklist for Australians (2025–26)
Most Australian small businesses overpay their tax every single year — not because they're doing anything wrong, but because they don't know what they're entitled to claim. Here's your plain-English guide to every deduction that matters in 2025–26.
BAS, Bookkeeping & Tax Obligations: The Complete Guide for Australian Small Business Owners
Everything Australian small business owners need to know about BAS lodgement deadlines, bookkeeping, GST, payroll, and EOFY prep — plus when to call in a registered BAS agent.