Bookeeper dilemma

I was wondering what you guys would advise on my dilemma.

I have a bookeeper that usually comes to my office once a month to do reconciliations on my MYOB bookeeping software for my small business. She charges 70 dollars an hour. I usually do the credit and debit entries before her visit. Every quarter she generates a BAS statement and lets me know the super that I need to pay my staff.

Now the end of financial year is coming but she has gone on holidays until the end of July.

This is not good for me as certain things need to be done with MYOB for end of financial year.

1. Generate group certificates for staff (the staff don't like waiting)
2. Generate BAs
3. Rollover payroll
4. Generate super amounts

I am wondering whether it is possible for another bookeeper to come and do the above as a once off without stuffing it up.

Can any bookeeper familiar with MYOB just work off an myob file? Is there an online service for this?
 
I was wondering what you guys would advise on my dilemma.

I have a bookeeper that usually comes to my office once a month to do reconciliations on my MYOB bookeeping software for my small business. She charges 70 dollars an hour. I usually do the credit and debit entries before her visit. Every quarter she generates a BAS statement and lets me know the super that I need to pay my staff.

Now the end of financial year is coming but she has gone on holidays until the end of July.

This is not good for me as certain things need to be done with MYOB for end of financial year.

1. Generate group certificates for staff (the staff don't like waiting)
2. Generate BAs
3. Rollover payroll
4. Generate super amounts

I am wondering whether it is possible for another bookeeper to come and do the above as a once off without stuffing it up.

Can any bookeeper familiar with MYOB just work off an myob file? Is there an online service for this?

We use MYOB and I would think anyone familiar with the program could do this for you without any probs. These are not really hard to do. Probably easier if they did it at your office rather than exporting / importing your file.
 
I can't help with the immediate problem I'm sorry. Just a few thoughts:

1. $70ph for bookkeeping sounds high. And to charge that and to go on leave without making backup arrangements for EOFY is almost negligent.

2. Group certificates (technically called payment summaries but everybody still calls them group certificates) are not only nice to have- by law they must be done within two weeks of the start of the new FY.

3. Super is easy, and anyway could be delayed

4. Take a copy of your MYOB file (which is good practice anyway)- there is a backup option which compresses the file

5. Any accountant worth their salt could either do the job or recommend somebody. Presumably you do have an accountant and not just a bookkeeper.
 
We use MYOB and I would think anyone familiar with the program could do this for you without any probs. These are not really hard to do. Probably easier if they did it at your office rather than exporting / importing your file.

This is what I suspected but have always wondered whether a complete stranger to my business would be able to work out how the various accounts in my myob file were structured. For example, with regards to my business, there is a daily transaction account, a business credit card, a high interest savings account etc. I would be worried that a misunderstanding could really bugger up the reports and group certificates.
 
This is what I suspected but have always wondered whether a complete stranger to my business would be able to work out how the various accounts in my myob file were structured. For example, with regards to my business, there is a daily transaction account, a business credit card, a high interest savings account etc. I would be worried that a misunderstanding could really bugger up the reports and group certificates.

No, the group cert creation is pretty straight forward, if you pay allowances they may need clarification if these are taxable or exempt, but beyond this the program does it all.
 
I can't help with the immediate problem I'm sorry. Just a few thoughts:

1. $70ph for bookkeeping sounds high. And to charge that and to go on leave without making backup arrangements for EOFY is almost negligent.

2. Group certificates (technically called payment summaries but everybody still calls them group certificates) are not only nice to have- by law they must be done within two weeks of the start of the new FY.

3. Super is easy, and anyway could be delayed

4. Take a copy of your MYOB file (which is good practice anyway)- there is a backup option which compresses the file

5. Any accountant worth their salt could either do the job or recommend somebody. Presumably you do have an accountant and not just a bookkeeper.

Thank you.

1. I think $70 per hour is charged because she is a qualified accountant and comes to my office.

2. This time frame is the cause of my concerns as my staff may report me.

3. I like to keep on top of my super committments.

4. I have a copy but worry that a new bookeeper may not understand it.

5. I need to ask the accountant and see what he can do.
 
I would ask your current bookkeeper what she plans to do while she is away, to make sure her clients' work is managed, especially those tasks that are time-crucial.

My SIL is a bookkeeper and she would never leave her clients in the lurch like this.
 
2. Group certificates (technically called payment summaries but everybody still calls them group certificates) are not only nice to have- by law they must be done within two weeks of the start of the new FY.

Funny, we just changed our terminology to this at the end of last FY

PS- what's the penalty if a day, week or month late?
 
1. Generate group certificates for staff (the staff don't like waiting
2. Generate BAs
3. Rollover payroll
4. Generate super amounts

I am wondering whether it is possible for another bookeeper to come and do the above as a once off without stuffing it up.

Can any bookeeper familiar with MYOB just work off an myob file? Is there an online service for this?

1,3,4 of the above is not an issue for any bookeeper. Mostly printing reports.

2 might depend if they have access to the ATO portal or Accounting lodgment software. Any can at least print you the MYOB report.

If you upgrade to MYOB AccountRight Live and you give a bookkeeper access to your file. They could do all that offsite and email you the reports needed, it also saves you from having different data files.
 
my business, there is a daily transaction account, a business credit card, a high interest savings account etc.

Those accounts are very normal for any small business. You appear to do the data entry and your bookkeeper just reconciles the accounts and completes the GST.

Should not be any issue for a bookkeeper. I would worry if any could not deal with these accounts.
 
They have most recent MYOB payslip with all relevant details, incl Super

How quickly are they getting tax in

I'm usually waiting on banks etc

I agree, we get the Payment Summary by 14 th Jul but I normally have to wait for bank statements and investment distribution statements to come through after that, but yes by law you are required to provide the Payment Summary by 14 th Jul.

Any qualified accountant should be able to do what you need easily, even though they don't know your business well. And yes, do have back ups just incase.

Myob is not too hard to use. I helped someone before with their myob bas and data entry and all that without knowing their business, if your current bookkeeper keeps good records then it would be relatively easy.
 
I agree even though I am self taught and now also hire a bookkeeper (she's coming tomorrow - oops!).
Make sure and do back ups first!
The payroll would be there but you may need to enter data entry for BAS and reports. Check one employee for payroll, print reports and lastly rollover.
Make a back up copy at that point in time too.
My bookkeeper charges $35/hr and she follows instructions well, but I wish she had more knowledge than me...
Like someone previously said, I am surprised no-one discussed prior arrangements for EOY compliance...
I saw and Ad on TV advertising MYOB specialists at call, perhaps give them a try?;)
Also, if you pay yearly MYOB membership you could ask them for support.
 
Any decent bookkeeper/accountant can handle this. Not a problem at all. I am an accountant and took over a job on 5 July last year,with 600 group certs to do. The previous accountant didn't want to do a hand over. Even if they have problems they will be able to sort it out but may take a few more chargeable hours.

The payment summaries are due to employees by the 14th of July but I don't think you have to submit to ATO until the 14th of August so if you don't have access to the ATO portal that lodgement could be sorted out by the old bookkeeper when they get back.

Super, bank recs etc are 'bread and butter' work for any bookkeeper so find a good one and get them in, then fire your current one. Especially with an accounting background they should know you don't take holiday at this time of the year unless you have a backup plan sorted out.
 
1. $70ph for bookkeeping sounds high. And to charge that and to go on leave without making backup arrangements for EOFY is almost negligent.

If she is knowledgeable, knows what she's doing and presents fantastic records for the accountant, she may well be 'cheap'. I've heard of bookkeepers charging anything from $40-$120/hour. Sometimes the more expensive ones (assuming you are getting what you pay for) can be cheaper. I'd rather pay a good bookkeeper $70/hour than a less knowledgeable one $40/hour and then pay an accountant $200/hr to fix all the problems caused by the "cheaper" bookkeeper. And from what I see in my work, a truly good bookkeeper must be hard to find.

Her timing for holidays could have been better though, assuming it is a flexible date vacation that she is on.
 
I would ask your current bookkeeper what she plans to do while she is away, to make sure her clients' work is managed, especially those tasks that are time-crucial.

My SIL is a bookkeeper and she would never leave her clients in the lurch like this.

Ditto. Like Footballers getting married before end of season.

I have a good friend who does this stuff (MYOB bookkeeping) and in Sydney if you want. My wife did our MYOB et all but we moved to MAC sick of MYOB issues.

The other thing you need to consider is new payroll data form 1st July for Medicare Levy and Superannuation needs to be entered correctly. MYOB provide this but the update is always a risk of crashing.

Peter 14.7
 
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