Plain-English guidance from our team
What we get asked most, written so it is useful without an accountant beside you. Filter by topic to find what applies to your business.
When your BAS is due, and what to check before it is
The due date is the easy part to look up and the wrong thing to worry about. What decides whether a BAS is right is...
What JetConvert does, and what it hands back to you
A conversion tool moves your data into Xero and it does that job well. What it does not do is build the file around...
How to reconcile Stripe payments in Xero, without a bank rule
Almost every Stripe and Xero problem is the same problem wearing different clothes. The payout does not match the...
Who should be allowed to release money from your bank account
The control that matters most in a small business costs nothing and takes about ten minutes to put in place. It is...
Payday Super, and what it changes about your pay run
Superannuation stopped being a quarterly job. If your process still works in quarters, the deadline you are planning...
Bookkeeper or accountant, and who is allowed to lodge what
Ask yourself one question: who currently checks that your bank reconciliation agrees with your bank statement, and...
GST Free or BAS Excluded, and why the difference shows up on your BAS
Open your Xero file and run Account Transactions on any account where you record income that carries no GST. If...
How to reconcile in Xero, and what the green tick does not tell you
Open Xero and compare the balance on your bank account tile with the balance on your actual bank statement today. If...
Free, accredited or one to one, which Xero training actually fits
Before you choose a Xero course, answer one question: are you trying to learn the software, or trying to fix a file...
Getting BAS lodgement right the first time
Most BAS errors are not on the form. They are in the file behind it, and they show up as balances that do not agree...
Xero payroll and STP finalisation, in order
Open Xero and look at your wages payable account. If there is a balance sitting in it that nobody can explain, and...
Tracking categories for not-for-profits
Count the accounts in your chart that exist only because of one grant. If a new fund arrives and your instinct is to...
Setting up Xero properly the first time
A new Xero file takes an hour to create and years to correct. Almost every decision that matters is made before you...
Choosing a Xero plan without overpaying
Xero's Australian plans have changed names and shape, so an article that still talks about Starter or Premium is...
Xero essentials: what to learn first
There is a lot in Xero you will never need. These four things, in this order, cover most of what a business owner...
Seven ways to increase your online security
Protecting your business inside online software such as Xero starts with a handful of habits. These are the seven we...
The deductions self-lodgers miss
Think about the last financial year and ask yourself one question: of everything you spent on the business, how much...
Batch payments in Xero, one transaction not twenty
Count the payments leaving your bank account on a normal week. If each supplier bill is its own transaction, each...
Reconciling customer payments, when the amount does not match
Open your bank reconciliation and look for a customer payment you have skipped over more than once. It is almost...
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Identify common bookkeeping errors and discover simple fixes for smoother financial management, written in plain English.