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Your free EOFY rescue kit
The EOFY
Rescue Guide
The clear, step-by-step, do-it-with-me way to get your books sorted before tax time. Even if you're behind and the numbers are scary and overwhelming — that's exactly who this is for.
Made for tiny Aussie businesses 💛
Read me first
Hi — I'm so glad you're here.
If "do the books" has been sitting on your list since last winter with a little knot of dread attached — you are not disorganised, and you're not behind because you're not clever enough.
Nobody ever made this simple for you. That's all. So that's exactly what I'm going to do — break it right down into small steps, the same ones I use for my own clients, so you can tick them off one at a time and get back to the part of your business you actually love.
You don't need to understand tax. You don't need fancy software. You need a clear list and someone in your corner who's done this a thousand times. That's me — hi. 💛
The whole of EOFY, in 8 small steps
This is the entire mountain. It's smaller than it feels.
Know your deadlines. Find the few dates that apply to you (they're on the next page) and pop them in your phone.
Gather your records. Bank statements, receipts, invoices. Shoebox is fine — we'll sort it.
Separate business from personal. The single most important habit. One pile each.
Record every transaction. Money in, money out. Nothing missed.
Find your deductions. The things you're allowed to claim (list inside) — this is money back in your pocket.
Reconcile. Fancy word for "check your list matches your bank." That's all it means.
Lodge, or hand clean books to your accountant. The scary bit becomes a two-minute bit.
File it away safely. One folder, backed up. Future-you will be so relieved.
Tick as you go
Your EOFY Rescue Checklist
Don't do it all today. Do one box. Then the next. Ticking these is doing your books.
① Gather (get it all in one place)
- Your ABN and TFN somewhere handy
- Business bank statements for the full year (1 July → 30 June)
- Every receipt & invoice you can find — even the little cash ones
- Credit card statements
- Last year's tax return (if you have one)
- Vehicle logbook / km records (if you use a car for the business)
- A stocktake count, if you sell physical products
② Sort & record (money in, money out)
- Separate business and personal spending into two clear piles
- Record every bit of income you received
- Record every business expense
- Give each expense a simple category (see the claim list overleaf)
- Flag anything you paid for from your own pocket — still counts!
③ Check & finish (the relief part)
- Reconcile — tick each transaction off against your bank statement
- Chase up any invoices customers still owe you
- Write off any genuinely unrecoverable bad debts (keep a note why)
- Do a final once-over: nothing missing, nothing doubled
- Lodge your return — or hand your tidy books to your accountant
- Save everything in one folder + a backup. Done. 🎉
Pop these in your phone
The only dates you need
For the 2025–26 financial year. Not all apply to you — take the ones that do and ignore the rest.
| 30 June 2026 | End of the financial year. Everything up to this date belongs in this year's return. |
| 14 July 2026 | Finalise payroll & STP — only if you have employees. |
| 28 July 2026 | Quarterly BAS (Apr–Jun) due — only if you're registered for GST. |
| 28 Aug 2026 | TPAR due — only if you pay contractors in building, cleaning, courier, IT or security. |
| 28 Oct 2026 | Quarterly BAS (Jul–Sep) due — GST-registered only. |
| 31 Oct 2026 | Lodging yourself? This is your tax return deadline. |
| 15 May 2027 | Using a tax agent? You usually have until here. Breathing room. |
Scared you'll get it wrong? Read this.
The ATO is not out to get a small business owner who is genuinely trying. If you're honest, keep your receipts, and lodge on time (or ask for more time — you're allowed!), you are doing it right. Late or worried? Asking for help early is the smartest, safest move there is. That's a promise, not a platitude.
The bits people forget
What you can (and can't) claim
A deduction just means a business cost you're allowed to subtract before tax. Here are the ones tiny businesses most often miss — and the ones to leave alone.
✓ Often forgotten — worth a check
- Home office share of internet, phone & power
- Software & subscriptions (incl. cloud storage)
- Professional memberships
- Courses & training for your business
- Business travel — flights, accommodation, meals
- Car expenses (with a logbook)
- Website & online advertising
- Bank fees & merchant/card charges
- Insurance (public liability, professional indemnity)
- Genuinely unrecoverable bad debts
– Leave these alone
- Personal meals & entertainment
- Fines & penalties (parking, speeding, late-lodgment)
- The private share of a mixed expense
- Everyday clothing & grooming (non-uniform)
- Your commute from home to a regular workplace
- Hobbies not run as a business
- Home-loan principal (only the interest can count)
- Training unrelated to your work
- Gifts to family & friends
The golden rule: apportion & keep the receipt
If something is part-business, part-personal (your phone, your car, your home), you only claim the business share — e.g. if 10% of your home is your office, you claim 10% of those home costs. Keep the receipt, keep a logbook for the car (12 weeks is enough), and you're safe. When in doubt, ask before you claim.
If you'd like a hand
You don't have to do this alone.
This guide will get you there. If you get partway and something stops making sense, write to me and I'll point you at the next step.
Any questions
Make your accountant proud of you this year.
If you get stuck on any part of this, send me an email and tell me where you are up to. I read every one.
Email me →
This guide is general information to help you get organised — it isn't personal tax advice, and everyone's situation is a little different. For advice specific to you, have a chat with your registered tax agent or accountant. Bethany Holt is a Registered BAS Agent. 💛