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Accounting and Bookkeeping for Pubs

Announcement posted by Sky Accountants 06 Dec 2018

As a pub owner, it is best to consult your tax accountant about how to set up the most appropriate accounting and bookkeeping system for your business. Find out what you can do and what you need your Accountant/Bookkeeper to do such as bookkeeping, annual tax, payroll, business activity statements etc. so you will have enough time promoting and running your pub.

Record Keeping 

As a pub owner, you should keep accurate records of your income and expenditure, assets and liabilities and payments and receipts. Sole traders need to keep records for five years while companies need to keep records for seven years in order to comply with the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001.

By having a good record keeping system such as Xero, you will be able to keep track of your income and expenses and know your profitability. This will aid you in the event that you need to obtain finance. At any point in time, you will be able to quickly see what customers owe you money and how much you owe your suppliers. Using an accounting software such as Xero will allow you to calculate how much GST/PAYG you need to pay on your Business Activity Statements.

Sole Traders and Partnerships

The records you need to keep depend on the nature of your business and the taxes you need to pay, collect or charge. Sole traders and partnerships must keep accounts, proof of tax payments and records related to income and expenses. These are needed when completing tax returns and answering any questions from the ATO.

Business records must be kept separate from personal records and should include records of sales/takings and purchases. It is recommended that the business has a bank account, separate from a personal bank account.

A profit and loss account can be created using the abovementioned records. Pubs should have detailed records of their cash book and petty cash, sales and purchase ledgers, wages records, invoices and receipts issued and received, stock records and bank statements.

Tax Deductible 

The law allows individuals and companies to claim expenses in terms of their personal and business affairs such as direct costs, which are purchases and goods for resale like food and drinks, and wages and salary. Costs such as office equipment, fixtures, rent, insurance, maintenance, repairs and utilities can be claimed as well.

The law also allows travel expenses to be claimed. It is important to keep detailed records of business and personal mileage to be able to claim the business use of motor expenses like road tolls, fuel, insurance, repairs, parking, registration, etc.

Printing, stationery and administration costs, legal and professional charges, subscriptions, advertising, interest, internet, etc. are also deductible. Your pub will have a unique list of deductible expenses; so, consult your accountant about it.

Limited Companies

Limited Companies, on the other hand, must keep records that show the company’s transactions and financial position, even if it is no longer trading. These records are of company assets, liabilities, income and expenditure and details of any stock on hand at the end of financial year.

For Corporation Tax purposes, these companies should have complete and up-to-date records to action the correct amount of deductible claims and tax that they owe and to file an accurate Company Tax Return. These records should be easily accessible in case of an enquiry into the company’s tax affairs. It would be helpful to keep bank statements and deposit slips, account books, purchases and sales or ledgers, invoices or till rolls, order records and delivery notes, a petty cash book, among others.

To know more about pub accounting, contact your tax accountant. Click here and speak to Sky Accountants who specialise in the hospitality industry 

Seeking professional advice could prove to be an important and helpful decision. We are big believers in the use of professional tools to manage your business. The right tools can streamline your processes so that the business is best placed to trade profitably.