Australian Bookkeepers Network

Our top takeaways from our chat with Alex from Oncord !

📌 Team pages on websites often outperform expectations - clients research the people, not just the service.

📌 A notepad on the desk is the ultimate content cheat code. Jot ideas as they come up in client conversations and you'll never run dry on content.

📌 Good content compounds. Alex has watched firm owners build genuine reputations off the back of consistent, original content.

📌 Use AI to structure and proofread, not to write.

Read the full article here: https://austbook.net/news/why-bookkeepers-need-to-own-their-website

We sat down with Alex from Oncord last week, and we talked about the importance of owning your website, and how to use (and NOT use) AI most effectively.

It was a great chat! You can read the whole article here: https://austbook.net/news/why-bookkeepers-need-to-own-their-website

"I'm a very heavy AI user. I can tell a mile away if a website is the result of a very short chat with Claude. Or if someone pasted the first answer ChatGPT gave them. The more you use these tools, the easier it is to spot. Empty openers like "In an ever-changing landscape", and fake-profound hooks like "Let that sink in", are some examples. They don't communicate a point. They don't connect. They're just fluff. Especially disappointing when I know an operator is just such a character and their clients would be super keen to hear their opinion. Unique, original content written by a human is more valuable than ever."

Looking for an event created JUST for bookkeepers? A line-up of speakers tackling issues specific to our industry, and a room full of sponsors with tools built for bookkeeping businesses?

Look no further!

The Bookkeeper Event 2026 is the biggest bookkeeping conference in the country, with every speaker, session and sponsor chosen specifically for bookkeepers.

Meet 300+ bookkeepers from around the country and hear from outstanding leaders in the industry.

We've only got a few tickets left, so get in quick.

📍 Sunshine Coast
📅 8–10 October 2026

See you there 🌴

A bucket list trip for some of our ABN directors - Xerocon in Denver! ✈️

Denver turned out to be a lovely mid-western city: clean, tidy, friendly, with plenty to see and do. Between conference sessions the team squeezed in the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a Rockies baseball game and a bit of shopping.

Xerocon itself was two terrific days at the Colorado Convention Centre - heaps of tech on display, exhibitors we don't usually see in Australia, great sessions, and a chance to mix with bookkeepers and accountants from the US, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia (plus a big blue bear and Andre Agassi 👀). Some big advances happening in AI too, with plenty set to land in Australia soon.

And the after party at the funky Mile High Station Denver was a highlight - Class of 2026 themed, with Grease costumes, cheerleaders and retro gear everywhere. A great chance for our directors to hang out with American bookkeepers and accountants too.

One of the regular publications that our members get access to is our Bookkeeper Knowledge Base.

Our Bookkeeper Knowledge Base is Darren's in-depth technical resource, released quarterly, packed with worked examples so you're not just reading theory, you're seeing exactly how it's applied.

If you've never opened it, now's the time.

Find the latest edition: https://austbook.net/editions/categories/bkb

Not a member? Find out more or join here: https://austbook.net/join-us

In case you missed it, we dropped the latest episode of BK Pod last week, and we think you're going to LOVE it!

Kellie and Darren dive right into Motor Vehicle Purchases (where they talk about what a car actually is), before Peter and Kerrie breakdown the Payroll Pitfalls bookkeepers should keep an eye out for, and tips on how to handle them!

Head to https://share.transistor.fm/s/e9d60c9c or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

For Sonya Prosper, the future of bookkeeping is exciting and ready to be shaped just as you like it and not trying to become something you're not.

It's about recognising just how much more a bookkeeper can do with the client information they already have.

A long-time friend of the Australian Bookkeepers Network (ABN) and familiar face on the conference stage, Sonya, Founder of bookkeeping firm Prosper in Business and Author has spent years helping businesses move beyond traditional bookkeeping services.

Now, as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation continue to reduce the amount of manual and transactional work bookkeepers perform, she believes the profession has an opportunity to rethink where its value really lies.

Sonya will take the stage at The Bookkeeper Event 2026, presented by Australian Bookkeepers Network (ABN), with her keynote The Strategic Bookkeeper Shift (grab your tickets here: https://bkevent.com.au/ )

Ahead of her presentation, we spoke with Sonya about the changing role of the bookkeeper, why “advisory” is a real option for all, and how understanding what clients truly value can unlock entirely new opportunities.

Read the full article here: https://austbook.net/news/from-bookkeeper-to-strategic-growth-partner-

Have you been finding more ways to use AI in your practice?

The Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) has finalised its guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by tax and BAS agents, which can be read here: https://www.tpb.gov.au/tpbgs-552026-use-artificial-intelligence-and-code-professional-conduct

The guidance, released in July following consultation earlier this year, confirms that practitioners can use AI, but remain responsible for the work it helps produce.

Practitioners are expected to understand the capabilities and limitations of the tools they use, exercise reasonable care, and review AI-generated outputs.

Unreasonable, unclear, or just unsure - how are you feeling about using AI in your role as a bookkeeper?

The Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) has finalised its guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by tax and BAS agents, but Australian Bookkeepers Network (ABN) Director, Peter Thorp, says more practical support will be needed as AI becomes increasingly embedded in accounting software and general practice.

The guidance, released in July following consultation earlier this year, confirms that practitioners can use AI, but remain responsible for the work it helps produce. Practitioners are expected to understand the capabilities and limitations of the tools they use, exercise reasonable care, and review AI-generated outputs.

“The tricky part is that ‘reasonable care’ sounds straightforward until the AI is doing something you can't easily see,” Peter said. “If an AI function embedded in your accounting software automatically categorises a transaction based on previous activity, and there’s no obvious reason to question it, how much checking should a bookkeeper realistically be expected to do? That's where I think the guidance leaves some questions unanswered.”

While the practitioner remains responsible for meeting their professional obligations, the guidance does not establish a separate assurance framework for AI systems embedded in commercial accounting software, leaving the question of where responsibility sits when an AI error is not reasonably apparent.

The full TPB Guidance Statement, TPB(GS) 55/2026, is available from the Tax Practitioners Board here: https://www.tpb.gov.au/tpbgs-552026-use-artificial-intelligence-and-code-professional-conduct