Small Business Accountants Adelaide

They can perform your financial administrative tasks for you, saving you time and taking care of obligations that you may not be aware of. A good accountant will provide strategic financial advice too, including ways to improve your cash flow and save money on tax. 

If you’re running a business outside of the Adelaide area, we can still help you. Thanks to online meetings and cloud accounting platforms like Xero, we can service clients all around Australia. 

We have online business clients in Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, as well as some regional areas where a trip to the accountant could mean a 100km drive!

Costs vary by structure, volume, and service level. For small businesses in 2026, typical rates run from $100–$250 per hour for ad hoc work, or $200–$800 per month for packaged services. A sole trader may pay $1,000–$2,000 per year; a company with employees, payroll, and quarterly BAS typically pays $4,000–$10,000+. National Accounts offers fixed-fee engagements — contact us for a quote based on your situation.

Two rates apply for 2024–25 and 2025–26: 25% for base rate entities (BREs) and 30% for all other companies. To qualify for 25%, your company must have aggregated turnover under $50 million AND no more than 80% of assessable income from passive sources (dividends, interest, rent, capital gains). Eligibility is reassessed every year — many businesses assume they pay 25% without checking, and end up with an unexpected 30% bill.

The base rate entity test requires you to aggregate the turnover of all connected entities and affiliates — not just your own company. Business owners with multiple companies, family trusts, or related businesses often believe they qualify for 25% company tax because their individual entity is under $50 million, but when related entities are included they exceed the threshold and face 30%. This should be reviewed annually before lodgement, particularly for anyone operating across multiple entities.

Division 7A treats loans or payments from a private company to shareholders (or their associates) as unfranked dividends — fully taxable with no franking credit offset. Many business owners take money from their company informally — paying personal expenses from the company account, informal transfers to family trusts, or undocumented loans — without realising these become assessable income without a compliant Division 7A loan agreement. This is one of the most common and costly compliance failures in small business. National Accounts helps clients structure and document related-party transactions correctly.

Eligible businesses with aggregated turnover under $10 million can immediately deduct the full cost of assets costing less than $20,000 Rather than depreciating over several years, you claim the full deduction in the year of purchase. Assets must be first used or installed ready for use by 30 June 2026. Equipment, vehicles, tools, technology, and fit-out costs can all qualify. Speak to your accountant before purchasing to confirm eligibility and timing.

The superannuation guarantee rate for 2024–25 is 11.5% of ordinary time earnings for each eligible employee. It increases to 12% from 1 July 2025. Super must be paid by the quarterly SG due dates to be tax-deductible. Late super is not deductible and attracts the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) with additional penalties. The ATO has significantly increased compliance focus on super guarantee obligations.

The right structure depends on income level, asset protection needs, and long-term plans. Sole traders have low setup costs but no asset protection and are taxed at personal marginal rates. Companies provide asset separation and access to the 25% tax rate above roughly $100,000–$120,000 in business income, but carry more compliance and are subject to Division 7A on distributions. Trusts offer flexible income distribution and asset protection, with their own compliance requirements. National Accounts models the tax impact of each option for your specific circumstances before you commit.

PAYG instalments are quarterly tax prepayments for businesses and individuals whose tax payable exceeded $1,000 in their last return. The ATO automatically enrols you. Instalments are based on prior year income and credited against your end-of-year liability. You can vary the amount if your income has significantly changed — worth doing before each quarterly due date with your accountant to avoid overpaying or underpaying and impacting cash flow.

National Accounts is a 30 person chartered accounting firm based at Level 2, 70 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide. We offer tax, business advisory, SMSF compliance, corporate compliance, and lending under one roof. We work with SMEs, high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and property investors. We accept referrals and new clients with earnings exceeding $250,000. Our team uses Xero and services clients nationally via cloud accounting.