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Our Procedures

Here are our Terms and Conditions, and our Privacy Policy.

Our promise:

  • We will abide by the Tax Practitioner’s Board Code of Professional Conduct. We will act with integrity, honesty and openness in our conversations with you and in everything we do for you. We will treat you, your staff, your customers and your suppliers with respect and consideration. 
  • We treat the trust you place in us as a privilege and we will respect the confidentiality of our working relationship
  • We will not disclose information relating to your business to a third party without your express permission.
  • We will return your phone calls within 24 hours.
  • We will lodge all BAS/IAS forms electronically by the due date unless it has been arranged with your Accountant for them to lodge on your behalf.
  • We will meet the ATO compliance deadlines, and if unable to do this due to circumstances beyond our control, we will communicate this with you.
  • We will advise you of missing tax invoices.
  • We will advise you of non-tax deductible transactions.
  • We will take reasonable care in ascertaining your GST obligations and ensure that GST laws are applied correctly.
  • We will communicate regularly with your Accountant to seek clarification of some matters where necessary.
  • We will provide you a Session Checklist at the end of each session which will inform you of the work completed and the hours worked.
  • We will empower you around your finances by providing you with timely and accurate financial information and make ourselves available to discuss these with you on a regular basis.
  • When we become familiar with your products, services and your target market, we will actively seek referrals for your business.

Your Commitment: 

  • You will act with integrity, honesty and openness with all members of our team at all times. You will treat all our representatives with respect and consideration. You will let me know immediately of any concerns you have about our work or conversations.
  • You will follow the systems that we have set up for you to gather the information we need and present that work to us for processing at the frequency agreed. 
  • You will provide Tax Invoices over the threshold in order to claim the correct GST. 
  • Where Tax Invoices are not provided you understand that we will process the transaction without claiming the GST using the NTI (No Tax Invoice) GST Code.
  • You will take responsibility for ensuring transactions are genuine tax deductions and comply with taxation law.
  • You understand your record keeping obligations and are aware of the consequences of not keeping adequate records.
  • You understand that using the business bank and credit card accounts for personal use complicates the processing, resulting in the bookkeeping taking extra time to complete and is contrary to advice from the ATO.
  • You will sign the relevant BAS authorisation forms for every BAS and/or IAS lodged electronically by us.
  • If the work is to be done on-site, you will provide us a suitable computer and printer and access to your office at an agreed time.
  • You will make yourself available to review Session Checklists and if you have any concerns about the work completed, the time taken or any other matter you will call me within 48 hours.
  • You will make yourself available to answer queries regarding your bookkeeping. 
  • You will make yourself available to discuss your Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and other reports on a regular basis.
  • You agree to abide by our Trading Terms (see following section) and will ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account to cover the payment in full.
  • You will not approach the bookkeeper assigned to work directly for your or any associated entity.
  • If you are happy with the services we provide, you will give consideration to referring at least one other business who you believe would benefit from an association with us.

No Audit Conducted 

You and your employees are responsible for the maintenance of the accounting systems and internal controls for all the business entities.  That includes the keeping and maintenance of all required books of account.  Our firm is not being engaged to conduct a statutory audit of the financial records of any of your business entities and we will not express an auditor’s opinion as to the truth and fairness of the financial statements.

Ownership of Documentation 

The financial statements and any other documents that we are specifically engaged to prepare, together with any original documents given to us by you, shall be your property.  Any other documents brought into existence by us, including general working papers and draft documents will remain our property at all times. If our services are terminated, we shall be entitled to retain all documents that we have prepared or hold until payment in full of all outstanding fees.

Invoicing Policy, Trading Terms and Payment Methods

  • Invoices for New Client Start Up and Training will be issued weekly and must be paid for prior to next session
  • Invoices for Rescue Jobs (any work more than 3 months behind) will be issued and payable upfront in 10-hour blocks.  Work will not commence until that invoice has been paid as cleared funds.
  • Weekly maintenance work will be invoiced fortnightly and must be paid within 14 days
  • Other maintenance work will be invoiced monthly and must be paid for within 14 days
  • Travel time to your site (greater than 30 minutes) will be charged at the normal hourly rate.
  • Additional costs incurred will be charged to your account such as stationery, courier charges and parking
  • Our preferred method of payment is by direct debit. Your monthly invoice will be issued at the end of the month. You will receive an email on or around the 13th of each month notifying you of the amount to be deducted and the date it will be processed. The invoiced amount will then be debited on or around the 15th of each month.
  • Price increases will take effect on expiry of current contract.

Terms and Conditions of Engagement

  • The terms and conditions of this agreement are subject to change by either party after due consultation and notice
  • Upon termination of the agreement for whatever reason by either party, payment for all services accrued up to and including the date of termination becomes immediately due and payable
  • If you fail to pay our account according to our terms then we reserve the right to suspend or cease work immediately without penalty and charge you in advance in 10 hour blocks. We reserve the right to charge 5% interest per month on all overdue accounts accruing daily until paid. If we are required to engage the services of an external debt collector you agree to pay all fees and charges associated with the collection as well as our overdue account.
  • We are not engaged to undertake a statutory audit of the financial records of any of your business entities and we will not express and auditor’s opinion as to the truth and fairness of the financial statements. In the event of an audit being conducted on your accounts our normal hourly rate will apply should you require our assistance.
  • The financial statements and any other documents that we are specifically engaged to prepare, together with any original documents given to us by you shall be your property including the Client’s Bookkeeping Manual. Any other documents brought into existence by us, including general working papers, draft documents and Checklists from the Pure Bookkeeping System will remain our property at all times. If our services are terminated, we shall be entitled to retain your source documents and/or data file until payment is made in full of all outstanding fees. 
  • All materials given by you to us are owned by you or you have the permission from the rightful owner to use such materials and you will hold harmless, protect and defend us from any claim or action which may arise from the use of such materials.
  • Upon mutual agreement the work can be completed onsite or offsite. When we are working at your premises, we will take all due care and consideration to ensure no loss and/or damage occurs. However, we shall not be held responsible for any loss and/or damage incurred while at your premises.
  • We assume no responsibility for any consequences resulting from the provision of information and services including but not limited to errors or omissions. We make every effort to provide you will accurate and reliable information and services, however all information provided is intended solely to provide general guidance and you accept full responsibility for its use. The information provided does not constitute legal, accounting, tax, financial planning or consulting services and we recommend you receive advice from professionals.
  • We are independent contractors not employees and as such we reserve the right to perform, direct and control the services we provide including hiring sub-contractors or employees to provide the services on our behalf
  • It is a breach of the agreement we have with our contractors that they approach you to work with you directly. Likewise, it is a breach of this agreement with you if you approach any of our staff or contractors and ask them to work for you directly. Penalties apply.

Accessing your bank accounts

If access to your bank accounts is required by one of our representatives it is necessary for you to sign the authorization form 

Access to your bank accounts can be for the purpose of:

  • Printing statements
  • Paying suppliers
  • Paying staff
    • In order for this to happen you need to sign the authorisation form

Our Committment To Privacy

The Privacy Act includes a set of 13 harmonised privacy principles that regulate the handling of personal information by Australian and Norfolk Island Government agencies and some private sector organisations. These principles are called the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). They replace both the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) that applied to Australian Government agencies and the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) that applied to some private sector organisations.

Your Community Bookkeeper is not subject to the APPs as it is not an APP entity under the Act. This is because we are defined as being a “small business operator”. However, although not strictly governed by the APPs, we are committed to privacy and our own Privacy Policy reflects this commitment.

Information Collected

Your Community Bookkeeper collects personal information about you (‘the Information’) in the following ways:

  • When you subscribe to receive our emails, you will be asked to provide us with your name and email;
  • When you register to comment on our Blog, you will be asked to provide us with your name and email;
  • When you complete a New Client Details Form, you will be asked to provide personal details;
  • When you provide personal details to a member of our team in the course of your dealings with them.

Use of this Information

Your Community Bookkeeper collects the Information to provide you with a specific service. For example, we may use the Information you provide us to:

  • Communicate with you via email.
  • Enable you to comment on Blog posts.
  • Create a record for you on our client database.
  • Provide services to you as a client.

Disclosure of Personal Information

Your Community Bookkeeper will not sell, rent, trade or otherwise supply to third parties any personal information obtained from you without your consent.

Security of your personal information

Your Community Bookkeeper has security measures designed to protect against the loss, misuse and/or alteration of the Information under its control. These security measures include:

Firewalls – to prevent the hacking of our database. 

Clauses in employee agreements requiring confidentiality. 

Appropriate security access to our business premises. 

Security bins for the disposal of written information

Correcting and updating your Personal Information

You may gain access to Information that Your Community Bookkeeper has collected about you, by contacting our office. You can change or update personal information via telephone, fax, email, online through our web site or letter.

Cyber Security

If you send sensitive information via open or unsecured email accounts or any other unsecured electronic means Your Community Bookkeeper is not responsible for loss, theft or compromise of that data.

We may store your electronic data via computer software applications hosted remotely on the internet or allow access to data through third-party vendors’ secured portals or cloud. Electronic data that is confidential to your company may be transmitted or stored using these methods. We use reasonable efforts to keep the data secured in accordance with our obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct however Your Community Bookkeeper is not responsible for and any loss, theft or compromise of that data caused by the third party.

Contacting Your Community Bookkeeper

If you have any questions or complaints about this Privacy Policy, you should contact Your Community Bookkeeper on 0425 726 954. Your complaint will be dealt with promptly, and if unresolved to your satisfaction, we will provide you with contact details for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.