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Platform fees eat into margins quietly. GST across multiple sales channels creates reconciliation problems that compound quickly. We handle the complexity properly, so your BAS doesn’t become a quarterly scramble.
- 15+ Years of Bookkeeping Experience
- Registered BAS Agents
- Xero Specialists with E-Commerce Integrations
- Dedicated Account Managers
What We Handle for Melbourne Online Sellers
Multi-Channel GST & BAS
Selling across Shopify and marketplace platforms means your GST position is rarely straightforward. We reconcile each channel correctly and lodge your BAS on time, including imported goods where applicable. No guessing your liability at quarter end.
Inventory Reconciliation and COGS
Inventory that doesn’t reconcile properly makes your cost of goods unreliable, and unreliable COGS means every profit figure is wrong. We connect your inventory system to Xero and keep the numbers clean, so your margins reflect what’s actually happening.
Cash Flow Across Seasonal Peaks
Inventory purchasing cycles and platform payout delays create pressure points that catch e-commerce businesses off guard. We give you a clear picture of what’s coming in and going out, so stock decisions are made on real numbers.
Platform Integrations and Xero Setup
Xero connects directly to Shopify and WooCommerce. We handle the setup and ongoing reconciliation so data flows correctly into your books — no manual entry, no downstream errors compounding over time.
Where Melbourne E-Commerce Businesses Run Into Trouble
Most bookkeeping problems in online retail don’t start with a big mistake. A platform payout gets miscategorised, an inventory adjustment quietly misses Xero, and by the time it surfaces at BAS time, the cleanup is significant. This is what we typically see, and what we’re set up to fix.
Rescue Bookkeeping for Online Sellers
When books fall behind, the instinct is to ignore it until tax time forces the issue. We come in, find where things went wrong, and clean it back to an accurate position, without the drama.
Payroll for E-Commerce Teams
Whether you have warehouse staff or contractors fulfilling orders, payroll obligations don’t simplify because the business is online. STP reporting and superannuation need to be right. Modern Award rates apply where relevant. We handle the setup and ongoing compliance.
Reporting That Reflects Real Performance
Standard P&L reports can mislead e-commerce operators when platform fees and returns aren’t categorised properly. We structure your Xero reporting so the numbers tell you how each channel is actually performing, not just the total.
Outsource Your E-Commerce Bookkeeping
Keeping books in-house works until it doesn’t. When transaction volume outgrows a spreadsheet or a part-time arrangement, outsourcing to a specialist is usually the cleaner move. We take it over without disrupting how you operate.
Why Melbourne Online Sellers Work With Us
Most bookkeeping firms aren’t set up for e-commerce. They handle the compliance side adequately, but don’t have the system knowledge to work with Shopify payouts or WooCommerce reconciliations feeding into Xero. That gap creates problems that compound quietly.
We’ve worked with Melbourne online sellers for over 15 years, across retail and marketplace models of varying complexity. The same specialist manages your account each time. That matters because your setup has nuances, and explaining it from scratch every quarter wastes time and introduces errors.
The work gets done on time. Your BAS is lodged accurately, and your Xero reflects how each channel is actually performing. When something changes, a new platform, a different fulfilment arrangement, we adapt without it becoming a project.
Hear From Our Melbourne Tradies
Behind on Your E-Commerce Reconciliations? It Compounds Faster Than You Think
Every quarter you defer it, the GST position gets harder to trust, and your BAS lodgement carries more risk. We sort it before it becomes an ATO problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shopify collect and remit GST on my behalf, or am I responsible for lodging it myself?
Shopify doesn’t remit GST to the ATO for you. The platform can calculate and collect tax at checkout based on your settings, but the obligation to register for GST and lodge your BAS sits with you as the seller. Once you cross the turnover threshold, that obligation kicks in regardless of what Shopify does at the checkout stage. We handle the BAS lodgement properly.
How do I reconcile Stripe or PayPal payouts in Xero when the deposit timing doesn't match the sale date?
The standard fix is a clearing account in Xero for each gateway. Your sales hit the clearing account when they happen, and deposits clear it when the funds actually land in your bank. The difference is usually processing fees, which get journaled in monthly. Most e-commerce sellers also use A2X to summarise payouts cleanly. We set this up so the reconciliation actually works.
How do refunds and chargebacks affect my GST position and BAS lodgement?
A refund creates a decreasing adjustment on your next BAS. The GST you reported on the original sale gets reversed in the period the refund occurred. Chargebacks are more nuanced. A normal commercial chargeback usually doesn’t change the GST treatment, but a fraudulent one can. Documentation matters here because the ATO expects evidence that supports any adjustment claimed.
Do I charge GST on sales to overseas customers, and does it matter which platform I sell through?
Sales of physical goods exported within the ATO-prescribed timeframe are generally GST-free. Digital goods and services to non-residents follow different rules but often land in the same place. The platform you sell through doesn’t change your underlying GST obligations; whether it’s Shopify or WooCommerce, the supply is what’s being taxed, not the channel. Documentation of the export is what protects the GST-free treatment.
At what point does managing my own e-commerce bookkeeping become a liability?
The signal is usually when transaction volume outgrows the time you’ve got to handle it. Books fall behind. Reconciliations drift quietly until the GST position becomes a quarter-end guess. If you’re estimating BAS liability rather than knowing it, or chargebacks aren’t being adjusted properly, the cost is already there, just not always on a line item yet.
Get Your E-Commerce Books Working Properly
Online retail has enough moving parts without your bookkeeping being one of them. If platform reconciliations are slipping or GST is being estimated rather than known at BAS time, that’s usually the moment to bring in a specialist who actually understands how Shopify, Xero, and the ATO fit together.
We’ll look over your current setup and give you a clear picture of what proper handling looks like for a business at your stage. No pressure, no lock-in.