True Tally Bookkeeping

08/10/2026

One of the most common issues I find when a new client comes on board is GST being applied incorrectly, usually on products or services that are actually GST-free.

Fresh food, certain health services, some educational supplies, exports. The list is specific and it matters.

We've put together a full breakdown of what's GST-free and what's taxable in Australia, so you can check your own setup:

https://truetally.com.au/gst-exemptions-in-australia-whats-gst-free-whats-taxable/

If you're not completely sure what GST applies to your income streams, drop a comment below.

02/10/2026

Victoria's payroll tax threshold sits at $1 million in annual wages, roughly $83,333 per month.

For a lot of growing businesses that number creeps up quietly. You hire a few more people, add some subcontractors, bump some salaries, and suddenly you've crossed it without realising.

We've put together a full guide on VIC payroll tax rates, thresholds, and what to do if you think you're close:

The SRO is not known for being lenient about late registration, so if your wages bill is growing, it's worth checking sooner rather than later.

01/10/2026

STP finalisation is one of those payroll deadlines that's easy to lose track of during a busy end of financial year, but it directly affects your employees' ability to lodge their own tax returns on time. Once your business has made its last pay run for the financial year, Single Touch Payroll requires you to finalise the data for each employee, confirming to the ATO that the figures reported throughout the year are complete and correct. Until that happens, employees see a "tax ready" status delayed on their income statement in myGov, which can hold up their own tax return.

The most common issues at STP finalisation time aren't complicated, they're accumulated small errors, an allowance coded incorrectly earlier in the year, a termination payment categorised wrong, or a correction that was made in the payroll system but never actually reported back to the ATO through an update event.

For small businesses running payroll through Xero or similar software, checking each pay item and employee record against actual STP reporting throughout the year, not just at the end, makes finalisation a formality rather than a scramble.

If your finalisation process last year felt stressful, it's worth reviewing how pay items are being coded throughout the year instead.

Read more via the link below for the full STP finalisation guide. ✅

URL:

Step-by-step guide to STP finalisation: what it means, when it's due, how to finalise in Xero, what employees see in myGov, and what to do if you miss the 14 July deadline.

30/09/2026

Allied health practices have bookkeeping needs that look quite different from a typical small business, which is why a generic approach to the books often falls short for a bookkeeper for allied health clinics in particular. Physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology and similar practices commonly deal with a mix of income types in the same week, private billing, Medicare rebates processed through the practice, health fund claims, NDIS funded sessions, and sometimes WorkCover or TAC claims, each with different timing, reconciliation requirements and GST treatment.

The other common issue is timing mismatches between when a service is delivered and when payment actually lands, particularly with health fund and NDIS claiming, which can lag behind the appointment by days or weeks. Without reconciliation processes built around this lag, it's easy to lose visibility.

For allied health practices across Melbourne and the inner west, having a bookkeeper for allied health who understands these income streams means reconciliation actually matches what happened clinically, not just what hit the bank account. We set up Xero to handle split billing, associate payments and multiple funding sources correctly from the start.

If your practice's bookkeeping feels like it's fighting against how the clinic actually operates, it may be worth a proper review of how income is being coded.

https://link.msgsndr.com/sp/9173202cd8a

Specialist bookkeeping for physio clinics in West Melbourne. BAS lodgement, payroll, Xero setup & NDIS compliance, tailored for allied health practices.

30/09/2026

The big job cash flow map 🗺️

Most trades businesses don't struggle on small jobs. It's the big one with a six-week gap between costs going out and claims coming in.

Save this map and use it on your next quote.

https://www.truetally.com.au

29/09/2026

Health is GST-free ✅*

The asterisk matters. Three conditions need to be met, and products or non-treatment services can still carry GST.

Save this before your next BAS.

Still unsure? Give us a call today.

29/09/2026

Getting the contractor vs employee classification right has become a higher-stakes decision for small businesses since two landmark High Court decisions reshaped how the distinction is assessed. The focus has shifted toward the actual written contract terms rather than looking mainly at how the relationship operates day to day, which means a contract that doesn't reflect genuine independence can result in a worker being treated as an employee for tax and super purposes, even if both parties intended otherwise.

We help small businesses across Melbourne review how contractor and employee costs are recorded and reported, so payroll obligations, PAYG and super are handled correctly for genuine employees, and contractor payments are tracked separately and accurately. We can make sure your bookkeeping reflects the arrangement correctly once it's confirmed.

Read more via the link below for how this plays out for service-based businesses specifically. ⚖️

URL:

An ABN does not make someone a contractor for super purposes. The SGC results test and 2024 High Court decisions mean many Melbourne businesses owe super to workers they've treated as contractors.

28/09/2026

Most business owners I work with didn't set out to become their own bookkeeper.

They started a trade, a health practice, a services business because they were good at it. Not because they wanted to learn payroll codes and BAS schedules.

Outsourcing your bookkeeping isn't about giving up control. It's about putting the right person on the right job so you can focus on the work that actually grows your business. It's an accountability to ensure you are regularly reviewing your numbers and planning for cash flow for the next 90 days, and reviewing those expenses that have been creeping up.

If you've been doing your own books and wondering what that time is really costing you in opportunity costs, it might be time to claim a free bookkeeping audit.

28/09/2026

Most payroll problems aren't dramatic. They're one small setting that's been wrong for months. These 7 checks catch nearly all of them.

Save it and run it before every pay run. Send it to whoever does your payroll.

28/09/2026

Outsourced bookkeeping is becoming the default choice for a growing number of small businesses in Australia, rather than the fallback option it was once seen as. The appeal is straightforward: instead of hiring an in-house bookkeeper, managing their leave, training and software access, a business engages an external bookkeeper or firm to handle reconciliation, BAS preparation, payroll processing and reporting on an ongoing basis, scaling the level of support up or down as the business changes.

The distinction worth understanding is between bookkeeping and accounting, since outsourced bookkeeping specifically covers the ongoing transactional side, bank reconciliation, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, and BAS lodgement, while accounting typically covers annual tax returns, structuring advice and higher-level financial strategy. Many small businesses use both, an outsourced bookkeeper handling the week-to-week work and an accountant handling tax time, with clean handover between the two because the books are accurate and current.

What makes outsourced bookkeeping work well isn't just cost, it's consistency. A business owner doing their own books around everything else they're managing often falls behind during busy periods, which is exactly when accurate numbers matter most.

https://link.msgsndr.com/sp/80be1335f8d for the complete guide. 📊

Outsourced bookkeeping and accounting in Australia explained: what is included, what it costs, outsourced vs in house, and how to choose the right provider.