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Catch-up bookkeeping in Australia: how it runs
LedgerBPO's catch up bookkeeping services Australia businesses turn to clear a backlog of unposted months reconcile every AUD bank and card account inside Xero or MYOB, rebuild missed GST and BAS figures period by period, and hand you a tax-ready file reviewed by a second accountant.
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What it covers
LedgerBPO's catch up bookkeeping services Australia businesses turn to clear a backlog of unposted months reconcile every AUD bank and card account inside Xero or MYOB, rebuild missed GST and BAS figures period by period, and hand you a tax-ready file reviewed by a second accountant.
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What you get
Every back month posted, reconciled and reviewed before sign-off
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How it runs
Quoted per back month after a short review of your file
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What you see
Ends with a tax-ready package and a clean handover to monthly service
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A named accountant, a backup and a team lead
Inside your own software, on a fixed close calendar, with a reply from a person within 1 business day. Call +1-657-777-0006 or start a quote.
Get a custom quote 06 / 06
What is different in Australia
Catch-up bookkeeping in Australia usually starts because BAS lodgments have fallen behind, and the ATO can apply failure-to-lodge penalties that grow the longer a backlog runs. Rebuilding the file means recomputing GST period by period against bank statements, checking Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 reporting was submitted correctly for every pay run, and tagging contractor payments the Taxable Payments Annual Report will need. Most files we take on run in Xero or MYOB, with Dext used to process any surviving paper receipts. Figures are rebuilt in AUD and reconciled to the last lodged BAS as a starting point. We report progress weekly and answer questions inside AEST hours from our second office in Pakistan.
AU rules that shape the work
Failure-to-lodge penalties add up
The ATO can apply a failure-to-lodge penalty for each overdue BAS or return, calculated in penalty units that increase the longer the backlog runs. We prioritise the oldest unlodged periods first so your BAS agent can bring lodgments current sooner.
STP Phase 2 gaps get checked
If payroll was run without correct Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 reporting, we rebuild the pay event data alongside the ledger so wages, PAYG withholding and super all agree before the backlog is called clear.
Contractor payments tagged retrospectively
Where the business pays contractors in a TPAR industry such as cleaning or courier work, we tag the historical payments so a missed Taxable Payments Annual Report can still be lodged accurately once the catch-up is done.
We rebuild, your BAS agent lodges
Every rebuilt period includes a BAS workpaper for your TPB-registered BAS agent or accountant to review and lodge. LedgerBPO never lodges BAS, even for the back periods we reconstruct.
What's included
- File review and written scope listing every month and account to be cleared
- Bank, card and loan statements collected for the whole backlog period
- Every transaction posted and categorized to a chart of accounts you agree
- Receipts and bills matched where documents exist, flagged where they do not
- Sales invoices and customer payments recorded and applied
- Payroll journals rebuilt from provider reports for each pay period
- Payment-processor payouts matched to sales, fees and refunds by month
- Sales tax, VAT or GST liability recomputed by period for your preparer
- Monthly reconciliations of every bank, card and loan account for every back month
- Opening balances tied to the last filed return or reviewed period
- Second-accountant review of the rebuilt trial balance
- Tax-ready year-end package and a list of open questions for your CPA
Deliverables and KPIs
| Deliverable | KPI we report |
|---|---|
| Back months posted and reconciled in AUD | Each month reconciled to statement before the next is started |
| GST recomputed by period | GST payable or refundable rebuilt for every unlodged BAS period |
| STP and super check | Pay events and super paid verified against payroll reports for the backlog |
| Tax-ready handover | Reconciled file and BAS workpapers issued after second-accountant review |
AU software we work in
Pricing in AUD
Pricing depends on volume and scope. Get a custom quote within 1 business day. Quotes for Australia clients are issued in AUD.
Security and compliance
- Statements shared through an encrypted portal, never by unencrypted email attachment
- Read-only bank access where possible; we never move money
- MFA on every login, access logged, files deleted from our side at project end
Full control list on the security page and country rules on the compliance page. Certifications are listed only when held.
Frequently asked questions
How much do catch up bookkeeping services cost in Australia?
Pricing depends on volume and scope, so we send a custom quote within 1 business day of reviewing your file. As a market reference, Australian bookkeepers charge A$40 to A$100 per hour for project work, registered BAS agents charge A$75 to A$150 per hour, and ongoing fixed-fee bookkeeping runs A$300 to A$1,500 per month once current (Australian bookkeeping fee surveys, 2026).
Do you lodge the overdue BAS for us?
No. We rebuild and reconcile each unlodged period and prepare the BAS workpapers, then your TPB-registered BAS agent or accountant reviews and lodges them with the ATO, including any overdue periods. LedgerBPO never lodges BAS, even to close out a backlog.
Do you cover AEST hours?
Yes. Our catch-up team overlaps Australian Eastern Standard Time from our second office in Pakistan, so you can get a progress update or answer a question about a missing statement during your working day.
Will the ATO penalise us for the backlog?
The ATO can apply failure-to-lodge penalties for overdue BAS periods, and they grow the longer lodgment is delayed. We cannot remove penalties already applied, but rebuilding and lodging the backlog as quickly as possible through your BAS agent stops them from growing further.
How far back can you rebuild our books?
As far as bank and payroll records exist, which is usually one to three years for most catch-up projects. Banks typically provide 18 to 24 months through feeds and longer as PDF statements on request, so document availability sets the limit more than our capacity.
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