How Australian Businesses Can Hire Outsourced Accountants for Compliance

Hi, I’m Zoe Hadley, and I’ve been an accountant here in Australia for about 35 years now. That’s long enough to have seen more payroll errors, shoeboxes of receipts, and panicked phone calls than I can count. And let me tell you  most of the stress I’ve seen in business owners doesn’t come from bad sales or tricky customers. It comes from compliance.

When I say compliance, I mean the whole lot  BAS, payroll, audits, ATO reporting, GST, superannuation. The stuff nobody starts a business dreaming about. I’ve yet to meet a café owner who says, “I can’t wait to do payroll this week.” What they usually say is something like, “Zoe, I don’t even know if I’m paying the right super!”

And that’s exactly why so many businesses are now hiring outsourced accountants. It’s not about giving up control  it’s about getting peace of mind.

Let me walk you through what that process looks like, and I’ll share a few real stories along the way.

Why Compliance Trips Up So Many Businesses

I remember working with a young couple who ran a small restaurant. They could whip up a meal for fifty people without breaking a sweat, but their BAS? A total nightmare. Invoices were stuck to the fridge, staff hours were scribbled on napkins, and when the ATO reminder letter arrived, they’d both panic.

It wasn’t because they were careless. It’s because compliance is fiddly. One missed super payment, one wrong award rate, one forgotten receipt  and suddenly you’ve got penalties or angry staff.

The most common issues I see are:

• Payroll errors (especially super not paid on time).
• BAS confusion (what goes where, what’s GST-free, what isn’t).
• Messy records (receipts in gloveboxes, invoices lost in inboxes).
• Fear of audits (because the books aren’t neat enough to face questions).

That’s where outsourcing makes all the difference.

What an Outsourced Accountant Actually Does

Here’s how I explain it to clients:

“You run the business. I’ll handle the rules.”

An outsourced accountant for compliance usually takes care of:

• BAS and GST lodgements.
• Payroll compliance — wages, super, leave, PAYG, STP.
• Year-end accounts (profit & loss, balance sheet, reconciliations).
• Getting everything audit-ready.
• Answering those “Zoe, what on earth does this ATO letter mean?” calls.

For one construction business I helped, outsourcing meant the difference between chaos and calm. Before, their invoices were all over the place. After outsourcing, everything was reconciled, and year-end stopped being a nightmare.

As a trusted bookkeeping outsourcing company, Globus Prosourcing helps small and medium businesses gain clarity, accuracy, and peace of mind with tailored bookkeeping solutions. Whether you need ongoing support or a full financial cleanup, Globus Prosourcing ensures your books are always in perfect shape  saving you time and protecting your profits.

The Process of Hiring One

If you’re wondering how to actually hire an outsourced accountant, here’s the simple process I usually walk people through.

Step 1: Work Out What You Need

Some businesses only want help at year-end. Others want the whole lot  payroll, BAS, compliance. For example, one tradie I know just wanted someone to check his books once a year. Meanwhile, a tech startup I worked with wanted to outsource everything.

Step 2: Do Your Homework

Not all accountants are the same. Look for someone who understands Australian laws. I’ve seen businesses use cheap offshore services that didn’t know Aussie payroll rules  and it ended up costing them much more in penalties.

Step 3: Ask Questions

I always tell business owners to ask things like:

• Do you know my industry?
• How do you handle payroll?
• Which software do you use?
• How do we stay in touch?

A good accountant won’t mind these questions  in fact, they’ll welcome them.

Step 4: Hand Over the Records

This is the part most people hate. But let me reassure you  I’ve seen it all. One farmer once handed me a literal shopping bag full of receipts. A café owner gave me invoices covered in coffee stains. Don’t be embarrassed  a good outsourced accountant expects a mess and knows how to fix it.

Step 5: Ongoing Work

The accountant will tidy things up, fix mistakes, prepare the reports, and keep you in the loop. It’s not just about numbers  it’s about building trust.

Step 6: Compliance Ready

By the end, your BAS, payroll, and year-end statements will be ready. No frantic all-nighters, no ATO letters gathering dust on the counter. Just calm, sorted compliance.

Payroll: The Trouble Spot I See Most

If I had to name one thing that causes the most compliance stress, it’s payroll.

People think it’s just paying staff, but it’s much more complicated:

• Making sure you pay the right award rate.
• Calculating overtime correctly.
• Paying super on time.
• Recording leave properly.
• Withholding the right amount of tax.
• Lodging reports through Single Touch Payroll (STP).

I had one small landscaping business owner swear to me that everything was fine because “the boys get paid on Fridays.” When I checked, super hadn’t been lodged for six months. He went pale when I explained the penalties. Luckily, we fixed it before the ATO stepped in.

That’s why I always tell business owners  if nothing else, outsource payroll. It’s the most sensitive part of compliance because it affects your staff directly.

Why Outsourcing Works

After three decades, I’ve seen what happens when businesses outsource their compliance. Here’s why it works so well:

• It saves time — no more weekends spent buried in receipts.
• It lowers stress — business owners stop dreading tax time.
• It reduces mistakes — especially in payroll.
• It builds confidence — you know you’re meeting ATO rules.
• It frees your mind — so you can focus on customers and growth.

One client described it best. He said outsourcing felt like “taking off a backpack full of bricks.” I couldn’t agree more.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, hiring an outsourced accountant for compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes for the ATO. It’s about protecting your business, your staff, and your peace of mind.

After 35 years, I’ve learned that business owners don’t want to become experts in payroll, BAS, or audits. They just want to know it’s being done properly so they can get on with running their business.

And when you’ve got the right support, compliance stops being a storm cloud over your head. It just becomes one less thing to worry about.