Straight Forward Accounting Solutions

01/10/2026

🚗 Personal lease or novated lease — do you know the difference?

They may sound similar, but they’re not the same thing.

💰 Before you sign on the dotted line, let’s break down what each means for your car expenses

Find out more about car expenses at https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/income-deductions-offsets-and-records/deductions-you-can-claim/work-related-deductions/cars-transport-and-travel/motor-vehicle-and-car-expenses

01/10/2026

🚨 BIG CHANGE FOR BUSINESSES FROM 1 OCTOBER 2026!

💳 Card surcharges are changing.

If your business currently adds a surcharge when customers pay by EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard or American Express, it’s time to review your payment systems and pricing.

👉 From 1 October 2026, card surcharges will no longer be permitted.

Is your business ready?

https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/resources-tools-centre/card-surcharging-ban

28/09/2026

💳 Big changes ahead for Australian small businesses!

Starting 1 October 2026, businesses will no longer be able to apply surcharges for customer payments made via eftpos, Mastercard, Visa, or American Express.

If your business currently passes on card processing fees to customers, now is the time to start preparing. Here is a quick checklist to get ready:

✅ Review your systems: Check EFTPOS terminals, online gateways, POS software, and invoices.
✅ Check your pricing: Evaluate your payment costs and review product/service pricing.
✅ Talk to your provider: Reach out to your merchant service provider regarding upcoming software/system updates.
✅ Update customer info: Remove surcharge notices from menus, signage, and websites prior to launch.

Stay ahead of the deadline! Read the full guide and access the communications kit here:

👉 https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/resources-tools-centre/card-surcharging-ban

From 1 October 2026, businesses will not be able to add a surcharge when customers pay by eftpos, Mastercard, Visa or American Express. If your business currently applies card surcharges, you may need to update your payment systems, pricing and customer information before the change begins.

25/09/2026

🏆✨ THREE YEARS IN A ROW! ✨🏆

We are incredibly proud to announce that Lisa Stoneham has been named a Finalist for the 2026 LUCA Awards in the prestigious category:

🌟 Professional Bookkeeper of the Year – Practice Owner 🌟

This marks the 3rd year in a row that Lisa has been recognised as a finalist — an incredible achievement and a wonderful reflection of her dedication, expertise and commitment to excellence in the Australian bookkeeping profession. 👏💙

A huge thank you to the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers and the LUCA Awards for recognising the hard work and passion that goes into supporting our clients and our profession. 🙏

🎉 Congratulations, Lisa!
We are so proud of this achievement and excited to celebrate this milestone!

🏆 The winner will be announced at the 2026 LUCA Awards Dinner, held during the Australian Bookkeepers Summit on:

📅 Friday, 30 October 2026
📍 Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia

Fingers crossed and best wishes to all the finalists! 🤞✨

04/09/2026

🔎 IS DIY BOOKKEEPING STILL WORKING FOR YOUR BUSINESS? 🤔

Doing your own bookkeeping can make sense when your business is small and things are straightforward.

But as your business grows 📈, your books can quickly become another job on your never-ending to-do list. 😩

🚩 HERE ARE 5 SIGNS IT MIGHT BE TIME TO GET HELP:

1️⃣ ⏰ YOU’RE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR BOOKS

Hours spent entering transactions, chasing receipts 🧾 and reconciling accounts 🏦 are hours you could be spending on your customers, your team and growing your business. 🚀

2️⃣ 📚 YOUR BOOKS KEEP FALLING BEHIND

You planned to update them this week…
Then next week…
Then suddenly, you’re months behind! 😬

When your bookkeeping becomes a backlog, your financial reports can quickly become outdated. 📊

3️⃣ 🤷‍♀️ YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT YOUR NUMBERS ARE TELLING YOU

Your bank balance tells you how much money is in the account 💰 — but do you know your:

💵 Actual profit?
📥 Outstanding invoices?
💳 Operating expenses?
🌊 Cash-flow position?

If you’re constantly guessing, your books may not be giving you the visibility you need.

4️⃣ 🗓️ YOU ONLY LOOK AT YOUR FINANCES AT TAX TIME

Tax time shouldn’t be the only time you review your financials! 📑

Regular bookkeeping gives you valuable insights throughout the year so you can make informed decisions and plan ahead. 💡📈

5️⃣ ⚠️ SMALL BOOKKEEPING ISSUES ARE STARTING TO PILE UP

❌ Unreconciled transactions
❌ Missing receipts 🧾
❌ Uncategorized expenses
❌ Duplicate entries
❌ Records that don’t quite add up

As your business grows, these little issues can become much bigger headaches. 😓

💭 THE REAL QUESTION ISN’T:

“CAN I DO MY OWN BOOKS?”

You probably can. 👍

The better question is:

👉 “IS DOING MY OWN BOOKKEEPING STILL THE BEST USE OF MY TIME?”

Because the real cost of DIY bookkeeping isn’t just the bookkeeping itself.

It can be the ⏰ TIME, 🎯 FOCUS, ✅ ACCURACY AND 📊 FINANCIAL VISIBILITY you lose when your books keep getting pushed to the bottom of the list.

🚀 YOUR BUSINESS IS GROWING. YOUR BOOKKEEPING SHOULD KEEP UP!

If you’re spending more time catching up on your books than focusing on your business, it might be time to hand them over to a professional. 🤝

📩 NEED HELP GETTING YOUR BOOKS BACK ON TRACK?

Book a FREE CONSULTATION with Straight Forward Accounting Solutions https://www.sf-accounting.com.au/contact/

and let’s talk about how we can help take bookkeeping off your plate. 💻📚

✨ Less time stressing over the books. More time focusing on your business.

19/08/2026

🚀 What if sending an invoice could be as simple as clicking “Send”?

With eInvoicing, invoices can move directly between accounting systems—helping reduce manual data entry, minimise errors and potentially get you paid faster. 💰

Less admin. More efficiency. Faster payments.

Let Straight Forward Accounting Solutions help keep your books accurate and organised all year round. https://www.sf-accounting.com.au/contact/

06/08/2026

Why Regular Bookkeeping Matters

Bookkeeping isn't just for tax time.

Regular bookkeeping helps you:
💰 Understand your cash flow
📉 Track business performance
🧠 Make informed decisions
📅 Prepare for BAS and EOFY with confidence

The more up-to-date your books are, the less stressful compliance becomes.

Let Straight Forward Accounting Solutions help keep your books accurate and organised all year round.

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04/08/2026

Are Your Employee Records Up to Date?

Did you know?

Australian employers are required to keep accurate employee records, including:
⏰ Hours worked
🌴 Leave balances
🧾 Pay slips
💰 Superannuation contributions

Accurate payroll records not only help you comply with Fair Work requirements but also make tax time much easier.

If you're using Xero Payroll, we can help ensure everything is recorded correctly.

Need help? Contact us
https://www.sf-accounting.com.au/contact/

22/07/2026

🔊 Reminder…this is when your June quarterly BAS is due.

Before lodging:
✅ check you're using the correct fuel tax credit rates for the period you're claiming
✅ review your BAS for any errors
✅ use our fuel tax credit calculator to work out your claim.

Reduced fuel tax credit rates apply for fuel acquired between 1 April and 30 June. Using the wrong rate could mean overclaiming and having to make corrections later.

16/06/2026

The Fair Work Commission has announced this year’s Annual Wage Review decision.

The National Minimum Wage will increase to $1,004.90 per week or $26.44 per hour.

Minimum award wages will increase by 4.75%, provided that:
-the lowest rate in any award that applies to ongoing employment must be at least $1,004.90 per week or $26.44 per hour
- any entry-level rate that applies to the first 6 months (or less) of employment must be at least $978.10 per week or $25.74 per hour.

These increases apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.

We’re working to update our pay tools and website info with the new rates. You can find more info about the minimum wage increase and subscribe to our email updates to be notified when the new rates are available here: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/workplace-laws/annual-wage-review/annual-wage-review-2026