BAS and bookkeeping for web developers, without the Sunday-night spreadsheet
A web developer’s expenses arrive as a wall of small overseas charges: hosting, domains, a CI service, an API bill that scales with usage, GitHub, a couple of AI tools, plus the client’s hosting you re-bill them for. Income is project milestones, a monthly maintenance retainer or two, and sometimes a day rate paid through an agency that takes its margin first.
FlowFi reads the statement, categorises every SaaS line, flags which ones charged Australian GST, separates re-billed hosting from your own costs, and builds the quarterly BAS. Review, copy into ATO Online, ship the next feature.
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
What FlowFi does for web developers
Categorises hosting, domains and SaaS
Dozens of small recurring charges land in the right buckets without a rule for each one.
Flags GST on overseas providers
Some cloud providers charge Australian GST and some do not. FlowFi flags each so 1B is accurate.
Milestone and retainer invoicing
Invoice deposits, milestones and monthly maintenance. Reminders chase the ones that stall in the client’s accounts team.
Cash-flow forecast across projects
See what is invoiced, what is overdue and what the next quarter looks like before you take on the next project.
Builds the BAS from your statement
Upload the quarter, review the pre-filled figures and copy them into ATO Online.
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 web developers
Expenses web developers often claim. FlowFi flags these categories as they appear in your statement so you can confirm each one.
- Hosting, domains, servers and cloud usage for your own business
- Developer tools, code hosting, CI services and AI subscriptions
- Computer, monitors and peripherals (written off or depreciated)
- Software licences and paid libraries or templates
- Contractors you pay for design or specialist work
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Courses, conference tickets and technical books
- Phone, internet and a share of your home office
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 web developers ask
I re-bill hosting to clients. How is that recorded?
The hosting you pay is an expense and the amount you invoice the client is income. Both go through the BAS. If you are registered, you charge GST on the re-bill whether or not the provider charged you GST. FlowFi keeps the two sides separate.
Most of my tools bill in US dollars. What amount do I claim?
Claim the Australian dollar amount that came out of your account, including any foreign transaction fee, which is itself a bank fee expense. FlowFi uses the amount on your statement.
Does personal services income (PSI) affect me?
It might, if most of your income comes from your own skills and effort and mainly from one client. PSI rules do not stop you being a sole trader but can limit some deductions. Ask your accountant whether the results test or another PSI test applies to you.
Do I charge GST to an overseas client?
Services supplied to a business outside Australia are often GST-free, but the rules depend on where the client is and where the work is used. Confirm with your accountant. FlowFi lets you mark the income as GST-free.
General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.
Keep reading
FlowFi for related trades
Deploy the BAS in one commit
Upload one bank statement and see hosting, SaaS, hardware, client payments and GST already categorised.
Start 14-day free trial14 days of Pro free. No credit card. Then $29 a month or $290 a year.