BAS and bookkeeping for bookkeepers and virtual assistants, without the Sunday-night spreadsheet
The person who keeps everyone else’s books is usually the last to do their own. A bookkeeper or VA’s statement is a handful of client retainers paid monthly, some paid late, a stack of software subscriptions (accounting partner plans, Microsoft 365, Canva, a password manager, time tracking), Tax Practitioners Board registration and professional indemnity insurance if you provide BAS services, association fees, CPE courses, and a home office that is a real office.
FlowFi reads the statement, categorises every line, flags the overseas subscriptions that carry no GST, separates client software you on-charge from your own, and prepares your BAS. You keep the client work in their software and your own books in ten minutes a month.
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
What FlowFi does for bookkeepers and virtual assistants
Tracks retainers by client
Monthly client payments are recognised as income and matched to your invoices, with reminders for the ones that drift past due.
Sorts software subscriptions and checks GST
Accounting partner plans, Microsoft, Canva and overseas tools are categorised, with GST flagged only where the invoice actually shows it.
Flags registration, insurance and CPE
TPB registration, professional indemnity, association memberships and training are categorised as they appear.
Keeps the home office record
Log working-from-home hours alongside your transactions so the fixed rate claim, or the actual cost method, is supported.
Prepares your own BAS
Upload the quarter, review the pre-filled G1, 1A and 1B, and copy them into ATO Online, or lodge through your own agent registration.
How it works
Upload your bank statement
Export a CSV or PDF from your bank (CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, Macquarie and most others) and drop it into FlowFi. No bank login, ever.
AI sorts every transaction
Income, expenses, equipment and transfers are categorised, GST is worked out on each line and likely deductions are flagged for you to confirm.
Review and lodge your BAS
Check the pre-filled labels, copy them into ATO Online in about five minutes, or export the pack for your accountant. FlowFi does not lodge for you.
Common deductions for bookkeepers and virtual assistants
Expenses bookkeepers and virtual assistants often claim. FlowFi flags these categories as they appear in your statement so you can confirm each one.
- Tax Practitioners Board registration, professional association memberships and CPE
- Professional indemnity and cyber insurance
- Software subscriptions: accounting partner plans, office suites, design tools, password managers, time tracking and practice management
- Client software licences you buy and on-charge, tracked so income and expense match
- Computer, monitors, desk and chair, written off or depreciated on the business-use portion
- Home office running costs at the fixed hourly rate or actual cost, and occupancy costs only if the office is a place of business
- Phone, internet and headset on the business-use portion, unless covered by the fixed rate
- Website, marketing, networking events and subcontractor VAs
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
Email me the quarterly BAS checklist
The checklist now, then a few short notes on getting your BAS done. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Pricing
Flat monthly pricing. No percentage of your income, no lock-in, cancel any time. Every account starts with 14 days of Pro free, no card needed.
Pro
or $290 a year (two months free). 14-day free trial, no card.
- Unlimited transactions and uploads
- Unlimited invoices with automatic reminders
- Full AI categorisation and deduction flags
- BAS preparation with a copy-guide for ATO Online
- Receipt scanning, mileage and cash-flow forecast
- One-click accountant export
Business
or $590 a year (two months free). For anyone with a bookkeeper or partner in the books.
- Everything in Pro
- Unlimited bank accounts
- Up to 5 users with role-based access
- Advanced AI insights
- AI support and API access
Questions bookkeepers and virtual assistants ask
Do I need to be a registered BAS agent?
If you provide BAS services for a fee, such as preparing or lodging activity statements or advising on GST, you must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board or work under a registered agent. Data entry and reconciliation without BAS advice do not require it. Registration and the insurance it requires are deductible.
Do overseas clients pay GST?
Services supplied to a client outside Australia, for use outside Australia, are generally GST-free exports. Report them in G1 but add nothing to 1A. Australian clients are charged GST once you are registered. Keep the client’s location on file.
Most of my income is from one client. Does that matter?
It can. If your income is mainly a reward for your personal skills and effort, the personal services income rules may apply and limit some deductions unless you meet the results test or other tests. Ask your accountant; the answer depends on how you contract and how many clients you have.
Can I claim the software I buy for clients?
Yes, as an expense, and the amount you on-charge is income. Record both sides so the GST is claimed on the purchase and collected on the invoice. FlowFi keeps them as separate lines so nothing is netted off.
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
Keep reading
FlowFi for related trades
Do your own books in the time it takes to make a coffee
Upload one bank statement and see client payments, subscriptions, registration and GST already categorised.
Start 14-day free trial14 days of Pro free. No credit card. Then $29 a month or $290 a year.