Some tradie files reach your team ready for BAS preparation. The accounts are reconciled, payroll matches the general ledger, and the information needed to complete the work is already there.

Others need hours of bookkeeping work before the BAS can even begin.

That’s where the right bookkeeping partner can make a real difference. We work to your firm’s preferences and stay firmly within the bookkeeping role. If we’re unsure how you want something handled, we ask rather than assume. If something requires accounting or tax advice, we raise it with you and follow your instructions.

You remain the client’s accountant and trusted adviser. Our role is to make sure the file you receive is clean, current and ready to work with.

With the 25th August agent deadline for the April–June BAS followed by TPAR on 28th August, files that aren’t ready can put unnecessary pressure on your team.

Here are six signs your firm is doing bookkeeping triage rather than BAS preparation.

1. The Bank Reconciliations Aren’t Complete

The bank accounts should be reconciled to 30th June before your team begins preparing the BAS.

If transactions are still waiting to be matched or explained, your team first has to complete the reconciliation and follow up anything it can’t identify.

Until that work is done, the figures in the file can’t be properly reviewed.

Completing the bank reconciliation may be straightforward, but it is still bookkeeping work your team shouldn’t have to take on at BAS time.

2. The Coding and GST Treatment Haven’t Been Checked

A transaction showing as reconciled doesn’t necessarily mean it has been treated correctly.

Bank rules may have been applied without proper review, transactions may have been coded without enough information, and tax invoices may still be missing.

Your team then has to work through the detail to determine whether the coding and GST treatment can be relied on.

Regular bookkeeping includes reviewing transactions, obtaining the supporting information and correcting any issues before the file reaches your firm.

If we’re unsure how you want a transaction treated, we check with you rather than making a decision your team may need to reverse later.

3. Payroll Doesn’t Agree With the General Ledger

The payroll reports should agree with the wages, PAYG withholding and super accounts in the general ledger.

If they don’t, your team needs to investigate the difference before confirming the BAS figures.

The discrepancy may relate to a pay run reversal or a payroll payment that hasn’t been allocated correctly in the accounts.

When payroll is reconciled regularly, differences are identified and corrected at the time rather than being carried through to the end of the quarter.

4. The Super Balance Can’t Be Confirmed

The super payable balance should agree with the payroll records and the payments that have been processed.

If it doesn’t, your team may need to compare payroll reports, super payment records and bank transactions to establish what has been paid and what remains outstanding.

Seeing a payment in the bank account isn’t enough on its own. It also needs to be processed and matched correctly so the remaining liability is clear.

The super position should be maintained throughout the quarter, not first worked out when the BAS or year-end accounts are being prepared.

5. The Other Balance Sheet Accounts Haven’t Been Reconciled

Reconciled bank accounts don’t automatically mean the whole file is ready.

Credit cards, business loans, equipment finance and clearing accounts also need to be reviewed and reconciled.

If these accounts contain unresolved amounts, your team has to investigate them during the BAS work or carry the issues through to year-end.

Either way, the clean-up remains with your firm instead of being completed as part of the regular bookkeeping.

6. Your Team Has to Chase Missing Information

A BAS job quickly becomes difficult to schedule when your team has to stop and ask the client for tax invoices, explanations or other missing information.

The file is reviewed, questions are sent, and the job is put aside while your team waits for a response. Once the information arrives, someone has to return to the file, make the necessary changes and continue the review.

This stop-start process takes longer and puts added pressure on your team as the deadline gets closer.

With regular bookkeeping, missing information is followed up throughout the quarter while the transactions are still recent.

Anything requiring your professional judgement is raised directly with your firm, together with the relevant information. You make the decision, and we carry it through correctly.

TPAR Can Add Another Clean-Up Job

TPAR is due on 28th August, only three days after the agent deadline for the April–June BAS.

If subcontractor details and payments have been maintained throughout the year, the report can be checked and lodged without becoming a separate project.

If they haven’t, your team may need to identify the relevant subcontractors, check their details and confirm the amounts paid during the financial year.

That is more bookkeeping work landing with your team during one of its busiest reporting periods.

What a Weekly Bookkeeping Partner Changes

Weekly bookkeeping keeps the file current throughout the quarter instead of bringing it up-to-date immediately before a deadline.

The bank and balance sheet accounts are reconciled. Payroll agrees with the general ledger. The super position is clear. Coding and GST treatment have been checked, supporting information has been obtained, and subcontractor records are complete.

Your team can begin the BAS work without first having to finish the bookkeeping.

That makes the time required for each client more predictable and allows your team to focus on the work that genuinely requires its accounting expertise.

We Work to Your Firm’s Preferences

Every accounting firm has its own systems and preferences. We respect that.

You can tell us how you want the chart of accounts structured, how you prefer transactions to be coded, what reports you require, and how you want questions handled.

If we’re not sure, we ask. We don’t guess, make assumptions or leave unresolved bookkeeping issues for your team to discover at BAS or year-end.

We provide the ongoing bookkeeping support while your firm retains the tax, structuring and advisory relationship.

Think about the tradie BAS files that regularly take longer than expected. Those clients may simply need more regular bookkeeping support than your firm is structured to provide.

If a tradie client is creating too much preparation work for your team before the BAS can begin, let’s have a conversation.