May 8, 2010
Picking a Bookkeeper in Australia
Bookkeeping in Australia has become more complicated since the new legislation was passed that in order to provide certain services to businesses. The new legislation requires that agents must become certified BAS Agents to perform BAS services. These services include discovering liabilities, give advice, or possible representation of obligations, or entitlements of an entity that arise or could arise under a BAS provision. BAS provisions include but are not limited to the GST law, wine equalization tax law, luxury car taxes, fuel tax laws, fringe benefits laws for collection and recovery, pay as you go withholding and pay as you go installments. Finding a proper bookkeeper to address your needs is important and there is the Australia’s Largest Bookkeepers Directory that can find the perfect match. Individuals looking to provide basic bookkeeping services to individuals and not companies do not have to become a BAS Agent.
BAS services can include preparing or lodging approved forms about a taxpayer’s liabilities, obligations or entitlement. Some examples of services include installing computer accounting software and determining default GST codes that are tailored to the client. The coding of tax invoices and transferring data onto a computer program for clients. reconciling data entry to place the figures to be included on a clients activity statement and filling in the activity statement on behalf of an entity or instructing the entity which figures to include, and discovering the withholding obligations for the employees of the client, which includes the preparation of payment summaries. If any of these services are required than a BAS Agent must be used and one can be located thru Australia’s Largest Bookkeepers Directory. Allowing a non BAS Agent to do this services could result in the bookkeeper getting fined for performing these services.
Non BAS agents are allowed to do basic accounting and bookkeeping. The can also install computer accounting software that doesn’t need default GST codes that are tailored to the client. They can also code tax invoices and transfer data onto a computer program for clients under the instruction and supervision of a registered BAS agent. They can also give general training in relation to the use of computerized accounting software, can prepare bank reconciliations and enter data. One service that can not be provided by a BAS agent is advising on the pension obligations for a client. Australian tax laws have made things more complicated that they use to be but by accessing the Australia’s Largest Bookkeepers Directory you are able to find a bookkeeper that can assist with your needs. The most important thing to remember is to make sure that the agency bookkeeper is qualified for the job that they will be completing for the company.
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