Decision guide
Bookkeeper or accountant?
Two different jobs, two different registrations, two different price points — and one expensive mistake most small businesses make.
What's the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
A bookkeeper records and reconciles transactions — invoices, bills, bank feeds, payroll — and keeps the file accurate month to month. A registered BAS Agent (a bookkeeper with TPB registration) can also prepare and lodge BAS and handle GST, PAYG withholding and STP. An accountant, and specifically a registered Tax Agent, prepares financial statements and income tax returns, advises on structure and tax, and represents you with the ATO. Only a Tax Agent may charge a fee to lodge your income tax return.
- Bookkeeper: records and reconciles
- BAS Agent: can lodge BAS and manage GST/PAYG
- Tax Agent: can lodge income tax returns
- Check both on the TPB public register
Who does what
Scope, registration and cost.
| Bookkeeper | BAS Agent | Accountant / Tax Agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data entry and reconciliation | Yes | Yes | Yes (at a higher rate) |
| Payroll and STP | Processing only | Yes, including advice | Yes |
| Lodge BAS for a fee | No | Yes | Yes |
| Financial statements | No | No | Yes |
| Income tax returns | No | No | Yes |
| Structure and tax advice | No | Limited to BAS matters | Yes |
| Represent you with the ATO | No | For BAS matters | Yes, fully |
| Typical cost | $45–$70/hour | $70–$110/hour | $180–$350/hour, or fixed fee |
| Registration required | None | TPB BAS Agent | TPB Tax Agent |
Rates are market observations for Brisbane, not our fees — we bill fixed monthly amounts instead. See our published fee schedule.
The expensive mistake
Paying twice for the same reconciliation.
The common pattern: a cheap bookkeeper keeps the file, then the accountant spends six hours at year-end fixing coding, reconciling accounts and rebuilding the balance sheet before the return can even start.
You pay for the same work twice
Once at bookkeeping rates to enter it, again at accounting rates to correct it. The cheap hourly rate becomes the expensive total.
The BAS was probably wrong too
Coding errors don't wait for year-end — they were lodged quarterly. Amendments cost money and attract attention.
Decisions were made on bad numbers
If the file didn't reconcile, every margin and cash-flow figure you looked at during the year was fiction.
Year-end takes a month longer
Files bounce between providers while each waits for the other. Meanwhile your finance application sits unsubmitted.
The fix isn't always one provider — plenty of good bookkeepers work perfectly well alongside us. It's making sure someone is accountable for the file reconciling, not just for transactions being entered.
FAQ
Common questions.
Do I need both a bookkeeper and an accountant?
If you're GST-registered with employees, you need both functions — though not necessarily two firms. Bookkeeping keeps the data right week to week; accounting turns it into compliance, tax and advice. Using one provider for both usually costs less overall because the same reconciliation isn't paid for twice.
Can a bookkeeper lodge my BAS?
Only if they're a registered BAS Agent with the Tax Practitioners Board. An unregistered bookkeeper can prepare the numbers but cannot legally charge a fee to lodge your BAS. Always check the TPB register — it takes thirty seconds.
Can a bookkeeper do my tax return?
No. Preparing and lodging income tax returns for a fee requires registration as a Tax Agent, which is a higher registration than BAS Agent. A BAS Agent's authority covers GST, PAYG withholding, STP and related obligations only.
Which is cheaper?
Bookkeeping is cheaper per hour and more frequent; accounting is more expensive per hour and less frequent. The expensive combination is bad bookkeeping followed by an accountant fixing it at accounting rates — which is exactly what happens most often.
Should I just do the bookkeeping myself?
Plenty of owners do it well, especially with bank feeds and receipt capture. The test is whether your file reconciles, your GST coding is right, and you're not spending Sunday nights on it. If any of those fails, the cost of doing it yourself is higher than it looks.
What about an offshore bookkeeper?
They can be cost-effective for data entry. What you lose is Australian award and super knowledge, BAS Agent registration, and someone who tells you when something looks wrong. We often review and lodge from offshore-kept files — but we won't sign off a file we can't verify.
Ready when you are
Talk to a Brisbane tax accountant.
Free 15-minute consultation. No obligation — just clear advice on what you need, what it costs, and what you could be saving.