09 FAQ
Questions we are actually asked
Fourteen of them, in the words people use on the phone. Each service page carries three more of its own.
Fees and getting started
04What does the first meeting cost?
Nothing, and there is no obligation afterwards. Bring last year's return, a notice of assessment and a rough idea of what the business does. Forty-five minutes is usually enough for us to tell you what we would charge and whether we are the right fit.
How are your fees worked out?
Almost everything is a fixed annual fee, quoted in writing after the first meeting. We do not bill by the six-minute unit, and phone calls and short emails are not charged on a fixed-fee package. One-off work like a catch-up or a forecast build is quoted as a single number before we start.
Can I switch accountants partway through the year?
Yes, any time. We write to your current accountant for the handover file, which they are professionally obliged to provide, and you do not have to have that conversation yourself. Most transfers are done inside three weeks.
I am years behind. Will you take me on?
Yes, and it is more common than you would think. We list what is outstanding, quote one fixed fee for the whole catch-up, and deal with the ATO ourselves. Nobody here is going to lecture you about how it got to that point.
Deadlines and records
05What records do I actually need to keep?
Anything that supports a claim, kept for five years from lodgement. In practice, if the bank feed shows it and you can say what it was for, that is usually enough. Our sole trader records checklist lists the items that trip people up, mostly cash purchases and anything with private use.
How does the client portal work?
It is a secure area where you upload documents, sign returns electronically and pull up any return or statement we have prepared for you. Nothing sensitive travels by email attachment. Existing clients get access at their first appointment.
When are my lodgements actually due?
Most individual returns lodged through an agent are due in May rather than October, and quarterly BAS gets an agent concession of roughly four extra weeks. We put your specific dates in the engagement letter so there is no ambiguity.
How much notice do you need at tax time?
From complete records, most returns take one to three weeks. From July to October we are busier, so a return sent through in August will be back faster than one sent in April. Fixed-fee clients are scheduled ahead of time and do not have to think about it.
What software do you work in?
Whichever cloud file you already have. We will not make you migrate for our convenience. If your file genuinely cannot be worked with we will show you why before recommending anything.
Reviews, audits and the rest
05Do you work with businesses outside Toowoomba?
Yes. About half our work is out through Oakey, Pittsworth, Cambooya, Crows Nest, Dalby and Millmerran. We drive out for property visits and do the rest by phone and through the portal.
What happens if the ATO reviews or audits me?
We deal with it. Reviews come to us first as your agent, we assemble what they have asked for and we respond within the deadline. For a client we already do the bookkeeping for, most reviews are answered from records we already hold and never turn into anything.
Do you do audits?
No. We prepare accounts, so we cannot audit them independently. For SMSF work we arrange an external auditor and pass on their fee at cost, which is what the law requires.
Can I meet at my property instead of your office?
Yes, anywhere on the Downs, and there is no travel charge for fixed-fee clients. It is easier to talk about a livestock account standing in the yards than across a desk in town.
Do you help with bank and lending applications?
We prepare financial statements in the form lenders actually accept and answer broker questions directly. We do not arrange the finance ourselves and we do not take referral commissions from anyone who does.
MoreBy service
Questions attached to one kind of work
Averaging, farm management deposit timing, agent concession dates, when a company starts being worth it: all on the page for that service.
- ATO liaison and lodgement catch-up 3 questions
- Bookkeeping and payroll 3 questions
- BAS and GST lodgement 3 questions
- Cash flow forecasting 3 questions
- Tax planning 3 questions
- Business advisory and structuring 3 questions
- Tax returns and financial statements 3 questions
- Farm and primary production accounting 3 questions
- SMSF review and administration 3 questions
07The first meeting
Ask it in person
Forty-five minutes, no charge, no obligation afterwards. Long enough for us to tell you what we would charge and whether we are the right fit. In the office, at your property or on the phone.
What to bring
- Last year's return and the notice of assessment
- Access to whatever bookkeeping file you already have
- Bank statements for any account the business uses
- A rough idea of what the business does and where it is going
- Anything you have been putting off opening
Or skip the form
(07) 5550 0080- Mon to Thu 8:30am to 5:00pm
- Fri 8:30am to 4:30pm
- Sat Closed, except by appointment from July to October
- Sun Closed
Leave a message and we return it the next business morning. Fixed-fee clients can book an evening or early-morning call through the client portal, which suits people who are on a job site or in a paddock during office hours.
Thanks, that is everything we need
Demonstration only. Nothing was sent and nothing was stored. On a live site this would reach hello@tabletopaccounting.com.au and a booking would be confirmed by phone.