Everything founders ask before they sign

A fixed monthly fee, agreed in your proposal and held for 12 months. The fee depends on transaction volume, how many entities and countries you operate in, and which services you take — which is why we scope it on a call rather than publish a one-size price. There is no hourly billing, and the fee does not change with the volume of questions you ask.

Yes, when the access model is right — and you should judge any provider, local or offshore, on the same points. With Tally, your data stays in your own Xero subscription, we work through invited-advisor access you can revoke at any time, we never hold your banking credentials, and payments always need your approval. Every team member works under a confidentiality agreement with multi-factor authentication enforced.

A named, qualified accountant — ACCA or CA — runs your file, and a senior reviewer checks every close before it reaches you. You will know both by name, and the same people handle your file month after month.

A bookkeeper records transactions; an accountant can also interpret them and prepare financial statements. Tally staffs qualified accountants on every file, so the person reconciling your accounts is also qualified to explain what the numbers mean. We prepare and lodge BAS and IAS; income tax returns are prepared with your tax accountant.

Each month the previous period is reconciled, independently reviewed and locked, and a comprehensive report follows. Reconciled means every bank, card and clearing account matches the ledger to the cent. If something outside our control delays the close — a missing statement, an unanswered approval — you hear about it early.

A comprehensive review of your accounts for the month, opened by a covering summary that says what changed and what needs you. Behind the summary sit the full statements: profit and loss, balance sheet, cash summary, aged receivables and payables, and notes on anything unusual found during reconciliation. Every figure cites the source system and close date. An example of the summary page is on our how-it-works page.

Yes — catch-up work is the most common way engagements start. We scope the backlog in your proposal as a one-off project, rebuild the past months, and then the regular monthly rhythm begins from clean numbers.

Advisor access to your Xero file and visibility of bank transactions through Xero's bank feeds. We never ask for your banking login, and we can't move money — payment runs are prepared for your approval. Access is granted by you, logged, and revocable at any time.

You do, at every point. Your books live in your Xero subscription under your ownership. If you leave, you remove our access and everything — history included — stays with you. We'll hand over working papers and do a documented handoff to your next accountant.

Most clients are onboarded within five business days of accepting a proposal: access on day three, file review on days three to four, and your first close scheduled by day five. A large catch-up project extends that, and the proposal will say by how much.

Australia first — including BAS and IAS prepared and lodged — with clients also supported in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Income tax returns are prepared with your tax accountant, and for US entities we work alongside your US CPA, who signs and files.

We work in Xero because one deep toolset beats five shallow ones, and we're certified advisors in it. If you're not on Xero yet, we handle the setup and migration as part of onboarding. If your business is committed to different software, we may not be the right fit, and we will say so on the call.