Wednesday, 26 October 2016

5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring Bookkeeping Services in Australia

Here’s a fact: Hiring the wrong bookkeeper services in Australia can have catastrophic effects on your business. It’s imperative that you interview prospective bookkeepers using these important questions before selecting one to handle your bookkeeping and accounting needs.

1. What professional memberships and qualifications do you hold?

According to the Tax Agent Services Bill 2008, anyone providing bookkeeping services for a fee needs to be a registered BAS agent. At a minimum, the bookkeeper should have a Certificate IV in Financial Services. It’s also important that you choose someone who is a member of various Australian professional bookkeeping associations, including the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers.

2. Do you have insurances?

Registered BAS agents should, at a minimum, have professional indemnity insurance.

3. Who will take care of BAS preparation and data entry?

Most accounting firms work as teams, and there is nothing wrong with this as long as they establish exactly who will handle what. Ask whether the same bookkeeper will consistently manage your account. If other team members work on it, ask whether the work is always reviewed and by whom. Depending on your needs, you might be more comfortable with a larger firm or a smaller team that specialises in helping small businesses in Australia in particular.

4. Do you have references?

It’s worth taking the effort to find out what other clients have to say about the bookkeeper before you sign that dotted line. Look for the firm or bookkeeper in third-party websites that offer independent reviews. You can also ask them directly for references that you can contact. 

5. What will your services cost?

Some of the best bookkeeping services in Australia implement dynamic pricing so that you only pay for what you need. There are no long-term contracts, either, so you can cancel anytime if you are unhappy with the service.

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