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Claiming lunch as a tax deduction - Simplified

Next time you grab a coffee or a meal at your local cafe between back-to-back client meetings and think about claiming this as an expense because you are self-employed and it’s just part of your work day, think again. Inland Revenue has confirmed that these expenses are not deductible for self-employed taxpayers in all but very limited circumstances. As per my previous post, there are over 37 pages to interpret Statement IS 21/06 – Income Tax and GST - Treatment of Meal Expenses. So, be...

New Sick Leave - Some tips

There are some misconceptions around the new sick leave legislation, here are some tips for you: Sick leave is paid time off work if an employee, their spouse, partner, dependent child, or other person who depends on them is sick or injured. Minimum sick leave entitlements increased from 5 to 10 days per year from 24th July 2021. All employees, including part-time and casual employees, are entitled to 10 days' sick leave per year if: they have six months’ current continuous employment wi...

How Does a Bookkeeper Help Your Business

A great bookkeeper can help you reach the next level of growth in your business. Instead of having to focus time on your bookkeeping, hiring a bookkeeper instead allows you to focus on the core reasons you went into business in the first place. This now frees you up so you can keep your eyes on the long term goals of the business. When you use a bookkeeper in your business, things will become a lot more clearer and accurate as well. Not all bookkeepers are created equal, therefore not everyone c...

Value added to our clients

This month has seen great results for our clients making me incredibly proud of what we do. Our first client They sell goods locally and overseas. Her GST returns previously were not reflecting this and GST on sales and expenses were not correct. When we became involved we recalculated her returns. As a result - a GST refund of over 10k. Second client This client is a tradie and has retentions on his jobs. He was wanting to track these so I setup a separate code in the chart of accounts in the ...

Multi-factor Authentication with Xero

Some of you may have realised that Xero has instigated compulsory Multifactor Authentication for logging into their software.  You can either use a generic authentication app or Xero have made their own app to help with this. Xero Launches Xero Verify Xero has launched its own authentication app, Xero Verify, to give small businesses world-class data protection. The new app makes it easy for users to set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) on their Xero accounts. It eliminates the need for...

Why do you need us?

This week I was told by a client I had a great business. "Thanks so much" I said then thought about what that meant to them and also to me. I did feel quite proud actually, proud of what I provide them as the client and how as a Qualified Bookkeeper we can can provide the services we do. What we offer our clients is above and beyond expectations and this is what is relayed to me a lot by our clients and what I pride myself on. So, why do you need us? We can give you back your time Having the add...

Bookkeepers Value in Your Business

I have written about this before in 2020, but this has proven to be highlighted again to me this week what value a great bookkeeper has compared to someone who tells you they are a bookkeeper. So why can a great bookkeeper be worth so much to you and your business? If they are accurate and consistent they will save you a lot of time and money. It is amazing how accurate your accounts can be when everything reconciles and is allocated correctly, then you don’t need to spend time trying to work ...

Why You Need Bookkeeping Services for Your Business

A lot of small business owners start by doing everything themselves, and that includes the financial side of things also. But at a certain point, your bookkeeping and accounting needs will become too much for what you can do yourself. So, here are 5 reasons you need to hire a bookkeeper for your business. #1: Because Your Time is Valuable How much do you charge per hour? And how long does it take you to do your bookkeeping every week or every mon...

Take back control

Helping businesses understand and grow your business by providing uncompromising service and reliability, with innovative solutions and business insights so you gain more time and feel more in control of your business”.Bookkeeping - Your 4th Emergency Service - Here to help. We live inside small businesses everyday....

The Value of a Good Bookkeeper

It has been one of those weeks this week where it has been highlighted to me once again the value of a good bookkeeper. At times when we are asked to quote a job and at times the opposing quote is so much less than you. Some will discount to get the job only to find out there is a lot more involved than you first thought, right?. After all it is only Bookkeeping and the role is nowhere as ‘important’ as the advisor or accountant, right?, WRONG. Talking to accountants and business owners who ...

Sustainable Business - Business Trips

Travel can be an issue for me as I live out of a main centre or town and I have looked at the impact this can have, how I can make a difference in what I do and how I can still maintain my presence for my clients. All trips now are integrated in some way with other business planned and one day a week if possible so I have reduced my travel days from 3 or 4 days a week to 1 or 2 days maximum per week. This has also made me more productive in my business as well. I have not yet reached the point i...

Sustainable Business of the Year 2020 part 3

Paperless office - Reality? Well, yes it can be. All clients are advised to send or have their invoices and statements emailed or sent direct to Xero if on Xero or small receipts uploaded to receipt-stash. I have even looked at clients who still have their PO Boxes and if they do not need these any longer, we have stopped these subscriptions as this not only saves money but also the unnecessary paper flow. Zoom, Drop-box, Slack, email, Receipt-stash and teams are the norm for us in the office a...

Sustainable Business of the Year 2020

Following on from my recent win in the Institute of Certified NZ Bookkeepers annual awards, I thought that I would share with you a snippet of what this means to be sustainable to me in my business. I have changed all light bulbs in the office and now the house to LED and also encouraged clients to do the same, with one who has a large workshop and warehouse doing so. Not only do LED bulbs use less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs, but they also last approximately 1...

Bookkeeping 101 Help for Tradies

From plumbers to electricians, painters to carpenters, to builders and everything in between, tradespeople are undeniably handy men and women to have around. But that doesn’t mean they’re all that handy when it comes to doing the books. As an qualified bookkeeper, I’m going to be blunt here, tradies are not known for their record keeping, bookkeeping skills and love of numbers. This is why we work so well together, you work on what you are good at and I work on what I am good at, a great t...

Cashflow will make or break a business, especially now. Having a Certified Bookkeeper on your team is an invaluable asset to have.

It's never been more important to have good business management practices in place. This also includes with the day to day management of your books. As a small business owner, you’re probably keeping a close eye on every cent you spend. However, it might mean that you are actually spending too much time micro-managing your finances and not investing in hiring people to help you in your business. Hiring a bookkeeper can be a great investment for any small business. What Does a Bookkeeper Do? A&...

Why hiring a bookkeeper is a great investment for your business

As a business owner, you’re likely concerned about every dollar you spend. That’s a good thing, because you should be keeping track of your income and expenses. It also means, however, that you might be less likely to hire people who can help your business, such as bookkeepers, who are great investments for any business.So, what does a bookkeeper do? We take care of the daily financial records for your business and make sure your books balance. We create and send invoices, track receipts and...

What is the difference between Bookkeepers and Accountants?

There are differences between bookkeepers and accountants, and there can often be confusion surrounding this, but any business requires both bookkeeping and accounting. Bookkeeping is the foundation of accounting and while there is often an overlap between what bookkeepers and accountants do, it’s not a matter of choosing one over the other. We work seamlessly together. Bookkeepers are generally across the business accounts on a more regular basis than accountants, as their job is to manage th...

Get your ducks in a row now and let us help you complete your accounts for year end.

It's not business as usual, but getting your financial end of year work done now will give you accurate data to make informed business decisions. Get your ducks in a row now and let us help you complete your accounts for year end.A new financial year is upon us and that means that it’s time to check the accuracy of your financial information in your accounting software for the past financial year, and to gather the documentation that we will need to finalise your accounts and file your tax ret...

IRD no longer accepting payments by cheque

IRD no longer accepting payments by cheque. From 1 March 2020, IRD have stopped accepting payment by cheque. This means that you will not be able to pay them by post. If you're currently making payments by cheque, you'll need to review our other payment options and find the one that works best for you....

Increase in Minimum Wage - The Largest in a Decade.

As an employer you need to be prepared for the minimum wage to increase by .75 cents to $16.50 an hour from April 1, 2018. The largest minimum wage increase since 2008 will impact all businesses, across all industries, who pay the minimum wage. Minimum wage increases are a topical public debate because this will affect everyone, employees, customers, employers. Effective 1 April 2018, the minimum wage is mandatory to be paid to an employee irrespective of the hours worked or job respon...

Helpful tips to get you through the Festive Season

This blog has some helpful tips to get you through the Festive Season. There are so many details you need to deal with at this time of the year. You have staff, payroll, clients and suppliers to think about. This is while you are also still running your business. Below are some helpful hints to get you through what can be a complicated, stressful time. Expenses:- What is deductible and what isn't? With Christmas upon us, here are some helpful hints. Most common entertainment expenses are at...

Should You Outsource locally or Overseas?

Outsource extra work to save time and resources so you can concentrate on building your business! Your phone is ringing, three new quotes are requiring attention are on your desk, GST is due at the end of the month, payroll at the end of the week and your website has crashed… again. You are the overworked small business owner. As your business has grown, the challenges and demands on your time have multiplied. You have less and less time to do what you love, run your business. Maybe it’...

Calling all Tradies

Attention all Tradies: I am your certified specialist in Bookkeeping and Administration. I can help you Gain more time, Grow your Business and Reduce your Overload. How? I can give you more time, allowing you to focus on achieving your goals and dreams by taking care of all your Bookkeeping and Administration while you work on your business doing what you do best.  Outsourcing to me will help you increase your overall productivity. This allows you to work more in your business, in turn...

Why Outsourcing is a smart choice for you and your business

All business owners know there’s not enough hours in the day to do everything  yourself. Eventually you have to hire help so you can grow your business, but what areas do you want to outsource? The key is to find areas where someone else can add value and free up your time. This is where it is smart to outsource enabling you to work more on your business, because when it’s done right it will actually increase your profits. You need to narrow down the areas where outside expertise can ad...

No Business Owner has the time to master every facet of their business - Outsource today.

No business owner has the time, or energy, to be a master at every facet of their growing business. The trade-off is to be a jack of all trades, master of none. The alternative is to outsource everything you aren't an expert at. Engaging experts in their field such as myself can fast track your growth by freeing you up to focus on what you love. Call me today on 027 337 6029 to see how I can help you in your business. Focus on Your Strengths Your growing business needs a lot of attention an...