New Zealand Qualified Bookkeepers Association

Need key tax and payroll info at your fingertips?

Our Bookkeepers Essential Guide is a practical reference packed with income tax rates, GST information, payroll tax codes, contribution rates, pay period charts, plus a handy business expense checklist.

A free go-to resource built for everyday bookkeeping work.

🔗 https://www.nzqba.co.nz/resources/free-business-downloads/bookkeepers-essential-guide/

🕵️ MISSION DEBRIEF: Natalie Tolhopf

A HUGE thank you to for joining us again at Mission Impossible: Bookkeepers – and this year, she brought a friend.

Meet Saly. She's cardboard. She's fabulous. And she certainly knows how to make an entrance. 😂

Natalie's session was all about something every bookkeeping business should be thinking about: how do you keep great clients AND create more revenue from the clients you already have?

She challenged our delegates to think beyond simply winning the work – looking at the entire client journey, strengthening relationships, spotting opportunities to add more value and creating the kind of business clients genuinely want to stick with.

And because this is Natalie, sitting quietly and listening for an hour was never going to be an option.

Our delegates were up on their feet playing netball to demonstrate the flow of a sale – bringing the process to life in a way we're pretty sure they won't forget anytime soon. 🏐😂

It was practical, interactive, full of energy and packed with ideas our Bookkeepers could take straight back to their businesses.

Natalie, thank you for challenging our delegates to think differently about client retention and revenue, for bringing ALL the energy, and for once again being such a fantastic part of our conference. 💙

And Saly… it was lovely to meet you. 😂

🕵️ MISSION DEBRIEF: Mission Intelligence – State of Play

What happens when you get some brilliant people together and ask them to talk honestly about what's happening in the bookkeeping profession right now?

A VERY good conversation. 🙌

A massive thank you to Chantelle Good from Varntige, Mel Curwood and Tracey Turner from Inland Revenue NZ for joining us for our Mission Intelligence panel at Mission Impossible: Bookkeepers.

We wanted this session to be a chance to look beyond the day-to-day and talk about where the profession is heading, the challenges Bookkeepers are facing and the opportunities sitting in front of us.

And you absolutely delivered.

Thank you for your honesty, your ideas, your experience and for being so willing to share it all with the room. 💙

And once again, a huge thank you to Lauren Parsons for leading the conversation and asking the questions that got everyone talking.

These are exactly the conversations we need to keep having as a profession – and we're very grateful to everyone who was part of this one.

🕵️ MISSION DEBRIEF: Protect Yourself and Your Clients

A HUGE thank you to Ata McGregor from 2Shakes, Sam Kerr from SHARE General and Tamara Liebman from Calibrate Legal for joining us at Mission Impossible: Bookkeepers on Friday.

This panel tackled some of the stuff Bookkeepers really need to be thinking about – protecting yourself, protecting your clients and understanding where the risks can hide.

From client onboarding and ID verification to insurance, contracts, confidentiality, privacy and the risks that come with AI, there was SO much practical information packed into one hour.

Exactly the kind of conversation we want to create at NZQBA: practical, relevant and focused on the things that actually affect Bookkeepers and their businesses.

Ata, Sam + Tamara – thank you for sharing your expertise so generously with our community. You were amazing! 💙

And a huge thank you to Lauren Parsons for expertly guiding the conversation and somehow keeping everyone on track! 😂

🕵️ MISSION DEBRIEF: Natalie Coombe

The Math Doesn’t Math: The Hourly Rate Trap … and judging by the conversations afterwards, Natalie definitely got a few Bookkeepers thinking about their own numbers! 👀

A HUGE thank you to Natalie Coombe - Agency Profit Expert for joining us at Mission Impossible: Bookkeepers and delivering such a practical, thought-provoking session.

Bookkeepers spend their days making the numbers work for everyone else – but what happens when the numbers in your own business don't quite add up?

Natalie unpacked the hidden gap between what you charge and what you actually earn, why becoming faster and more efficient can actually work against you when you're charging by the hour, and how shifting towards profitable packages and higher-value advisory work can completely change the equation.

There were plenty of lightbulb moments in the room!

Natalie, thank you for sharing your knowledge so generously, challenging our Bookkeepers to look differently at the way they price their expertise, and giving them practical ideas they can actually take back and use in their businesses.

You were amazing, and we absolutely loved having you there. 💙

💙 Can we just take a moment for Lauren Parsons Wellbeing?

If you were at Mission Impossible: Bookkeepers on Friday, you'll understand why.

Lauren stepped into our conference at incredibly short notice – and when we say short notice, we mean she received the ultimate information dump late on Wednesday afternoon. 😂

Then she turned up, took over MC duties, facilitated both of our panels AND delivered an absolutely brilliant keynote on How to Stop Technology Ruining Your Life.

And somehow made the whole thing look easy.

Lauren, we honestly cannot thank you enough.

You brought energy, humour and warmth to the room, kept the day moving beautifully and gave us plenty to think about when it comes to the role technology plays in our lives.

You did not miss a beat.

We are incredibly grateful that you said yes – partly because Kenn + Sandi would otherwise have had to MC the whole thing ourselves, and frankly that sounds hard. 😂

But mostly because you were AMAZING.

Thank you, Lauren. 💙👏



📸 Nigel from White Door Photography

🏆 MEET YOUR 2026 NZQBA BOOKKEEPER OF THE YEAR! 🏆

A huge congratulations to Emma Diver from Balanced Books - Qualified Accountant, who was named Bookkeeper of the Year at the 2026 NZQBA Bookkeeping Awards!

Emma couldn't be with us in person on Friday, but there was absolutely no way we were letting that stop us from celebrating her! She joined us via phone as we announced the result – and we loved being able to share the moment with her.

The Bookkeeper of the Year Award recognises an outstanding Bookkeeper who demonstrates excellence in their work, a genuine commitment to their clients and a positive contribution to the bookkeeping profession.

Emma, we are incredibly proud to recognise you as our 2026 winner.

Please join us in giving her a HUGE congratulations!

And stay tuned… Emma will [hopefully] be joining Kenn + Sandi for a special winner's episode of Behind the Books very soon.



📸 Nigel from White Door Photography