MyCareFinders — My Care Finders, Australia's NDIS provider directory

Bookkeeping & BAS for NDIS providers

Money & compliance

Clean, current books are the foundation of a care business that survives an audit, makes payroll every cycle and knows where it stands. Here is what bookkeeping actually involves for NDIS providers — and why it is different from an ordinary small business.

Why NDIS bookkeeping is its own thing

A care business has to reconcile three moving parts at once: payroll under a complex award, income that arrives through NDIS claims rather than at the point of sale, and records that have to satisfy both the ATO and — if you are registered — the NDIS Commission. When any one of those falls behind, the others quickly follow. Good bookkeeping keeps them in step.

What “clean books” look like

  • Bank feeds connected and reconciled every month — not just before BAS is due
  • A chart of accounts that separates support types, travel and non-billable time
  • NDIS claims matched to invoices and to money actually received
  • Payroll processed on cycle, with super calculated and lodged on time
  • GST treated correctly — GST-free supports coded separately from taxable income
  • A quarterly snapshot you can actually read: revenue, wages, margin, cash on hand

Where providers get caught out

  • • Reconciliation drifting months behind until BAS becomes a guess.
  • • Payroll and super run by hand on a spreadsheet, then under-paid or lodged late.
  • • Treating every dollar of NDIS income the same when some supports are GST-free.
  • • A tax return that stalls because the books were never finished.
  • • No visibility of margin until the year is over and it is too late to act.
Associated business — Local Knowledge group

Want this handled for you?

Sydney Bookkeeping by Local Knowledge — Done-for-you bookkeeping, BAS & payroll

A CPA-reviewed, done-for-you bookkeeping service: bank feeds reconciled monthly, BAS prepared and lodged on time, payroll processed and super lodged — with pricing agreed before any work begins.

“Every reconciliation, every BAS, every payslip — completely handled.”

Book a 15-minute Fit Call

Sydney Bookkeeping by Local Knowledge is an associated business within the Local Knowledge group. Engaging them is entirely optional and has no effect on your MyCareFinders listing. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice.

This guide is general business information for NDIS providers, not financial, tax, legal or compliance advice — always check what applies to your own circumstances and the current NDIS, Fair Work and ATO requirements. It sits in our provider Business & Growth section and is separate from the MyCareFinders participant directory, which remains independent and free for families. We never rank providers or sell priority placement to families.

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Frequently asked questions

Straight answers on books, BAS and records for care businesses.

How is bookkeeping for an NDIS provider different from a normal small business?

Care businesses combine several things most small businesses do not face at once: payroll under the SCHADS Award with broken shifts and penalty rates, income tied to NDIS claims that can lag service delivery, and a need to keep records audit-ready for both the ATO and — for registered providers — the NDIS Commission. That means your chart of accounts, payroll set-up and claim reconciliation all have to work together, not just your bank feed.

Do NDIS providers have to be registered for GST?

A business must register for GST once its annual turnover reaches the ATO threshold (currently $75,000). Note that many NDIS supports are GST-free when they meet the conditions in the GST law, but you still need to be registered and report correctly. Whether a specific support is GST-free depends on the rules — this is worth confirming with a bookkeeper or accountant rather than assuming.

How often do NDIS providers lodge a BAS?

Most small providers lodge a Business Activity Statement quarterly, though some report monthly or annually depending on turnover and ATO arrangements. The practical key is keeping bank feeds reconciled every month so BAS is a quick confirmation rather than a scramble in the final week.

What records should an NDIS provider keep?

At a minimum: invoices and NDIS claim records, bank statements, payroll records and payslips, superannuation lodgements, receipts for expenses, and service agreements. Registered providers should also keep evidence that supports the NDIS Practice Standards. The ATO generally requires records to be kept for five years.

Can I just use accounting software and do it myself?

Software gives you the tools, but it does not do the work or catch mistakes. Many owner-operators start by doing their own books and move to a bookkeeper once payroll, BAS and claim reconciliation start eating into service delivery time. Whichever way you go, the goal is the same: books reconciled monthly and lodgements never late.

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