BAS and bookkeeping for mobile mechanics, without the Sunday-night spreadsheet
A mobile mechanic’s bank statement is Repco, Burson and Bapcor trade accounts paid monthly, a wrecker or two paid on the day, fuel for the van every second day, a scan tool subscription that renews when you least expect it, and income that arrives three different ways: card on the driveway, cash for the quick jobs, and a fleet customer that pays thirty days after the invoice. Some of the parts you buy are on-charged with a margin, some are warranty rework you wear yourself, and one line every month is the servo pie.
FlowFi reads the statement you already have, separates parts from tools and consumables, works out the GST on trade accounts and on-charged parts, categorises the van, and builds the quarter’s BAS. You check it, copy the labels into ATO Online, and get back under the bonnet.
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
What FlowFi does for mobile mechanics
Separates parts from tools and consumables
Brake pads, filters and belts land as parts for on-charging. The new scan tool, jack or battery tester is flagged as equipment so you can decide whether to write it off this year or depreciate it. Oil, coolant, rags and gloves go to consumables.
Tracks the van on actual costs
Most work vans are over one tonne, so cents per kilometre is off the table. FlowFi categorises fuel, servicing, tyres, insurance, registration and finance interest so the business share can be claimed on actual costs with the records to back it.
Keeps trade accounts and wreckers apart
Trade account statements carry GST; a private seller or an unregistered wrecker does not. FlowFi categorises each purchase and flags the lines to confirm, so you check the GST on the odd ones before 1B is copied rather than claiming one eleventh of everything.
Invoices from the driveway
Send the invoice from your phone before you leave the job, with parts and labour itemised, GST shown, and a pay link. Fleet customers who pay slowly get automatic reminders without you chasing.
Builds your BAS from the bank statement
Upload the quarter, review the pre-filled G1, 1A and 1B, and copy them into ATO Online. Cash jobs you have banked are already counted; add the ones you have not.
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 mobile mechanics
Expenses mobile mechanics often claim. FlowFi flags these categories as they appear in your statement so you can confirm each one.
- Parts and consumables bought for jobs, whether or not you on-charge them, including oil, coolant, fasteners and shop supplies
- Tools and equipment, written off in the year under the instant asset write-off or depreciated: scan tools, jacks, compressors, battery and diagnostic gear
- Van running costs on the business-use share: fuel, servicing, tyres, insurance, registration and finance interest
- Diagnostic software and data subscriptions, booking and invoicing apps, and the phone you run the business from
- Trade licences, repairer registrations, refrigerant handling and other certifications your state requires
- Public liability, product liability, tools-in-transit and income protection insurance premiums
- Protective clothing, steel-cap boots, branded workwear, sun protection and laundering
- Waste oil and parts disposal fees, hire of a hoist or bay when a job needs one, and a share of your home office for the paperwork
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
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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 mobile mechanics ask
My van is over one tonne. Can I use the cents per kilometre method?
No. Cents per kilometre only applies to cars, which the ATO defines as carrying fewer than nine passengers and less than one tonne. A work van over that limit is claimed on actual costs at the business-use percentage. Keep the fuel, servicing, insurance and registration transactions, which FlowFi categorises, and a record of business versus private use. A logbook is not compulsory for a non-car vehicle but it is the best evidence you can hold.
I buy parts and add a margin when I invoice. How does the GST work?
The purchase is an expense with GST you claim at 1B, and the amount you invoice, including the margin, is income with GST you collect at 1A. Both sides go on the BAS. Parts from a private seller or an unregistered wrecker carry no GST, so there is nothing to claim on those, but the sale to your customer is still fully taxable if you are registered.
A customer pays a deposit so I can order a part. When is the GST due?
Most sole traders report GST on a cash basis, so the GST on a deposit is due in the quarter you receive it, even if the part arrives and the job finishes next quarter. If the job is cancelled and you refund the deposit, you adjust in the quarter you refund. FlowFi works from the date the money hit your account.
I do a few cash jobs. Do I have to declare them?
Yes. Cash is income like any other, counts toward the $75,000 GST registration threshold, and has to be reported at G1. The ATO publishes small business benchmarks for motor vehicle repairs and compares your labour, parts and income figures against them, so unreported cash tends to show up as an out-of-range ratio. Bank it or record it the day you receive it.
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
Keep reading
FlowFi for related trades
Get the quarter’s BAS done between jobs
Upload one bank statement and see parts, tools, van costs, subscriptions and GST already categorised.
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