Five Compliance Checks Every Business Should Complete Before Christmas

Posted on by customisedaccounting.com.au

As Christmas approaches, most business owners are focused on customers, staff leave, and finishing the year strongly. Unfortunately, compliance obligations don’t take a holiday.

November is the perfect time to review a few key areas so you can head into the festive season with confidence rather than a January to-do list.

Review Your Payroll

The lead-up to Christmas often means overtime, public holidays, annual leave, and business shutdowns.

Take a few minutes to check:

  • Employee pay rates
  • Leave balances
  • Allowances
  • STP reporting reconciliation

A small payroll error can quickly become an expensive problem when repeated across multiple employees or pay periods.

For guidance, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman’s payroll and pay guides (Welcome to the Fair Work Ombudsman website).

Check Your Super Obligations

Superannuation remains an area of ATO focus, with employers expected to ensure payroll records reconcile to super payments and reporting requirements. The ATO’s Payday Super reforms further increase the importance of accurate payroll and super processes.

Review:

  • Outstanding super payments
  • Payroll-to-super reconciliation
  • Salary sacrifice arrangements
  • Employee classifications

Fixing super issues early is almost always easier than dealing with them later.

Give Your BAS and Bookkeeping a Health Check

The ATO has identified over-claiming GST credits, omitted income, and using business money or assets for personal benefit as key small-business focus areas.

Ask yourself:

  • Are GST codes accurate?
  • Do I have invoices to support my claims?
  • Have all sales been recorded?
  • Are personal and business expenses clearly separated?

A small coding error repeated throughout the year can become a significant adjustment when identified later.

For more information, see the ATO’s small business focus areas(Small business newsroom | Australian Taxation Office).

Complete a Cybersecurity Review

Cybercriminals know businesses become distracted before Christmas.

Review:

  • User access permissions
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Shared passwords
  • Payroll and banking access
  • Backup procedures

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (Home | CGA) recommends MFA, strong passwords, regular software updates, and secure backups as essential protections for small businesses.

A few simple checks now can help prevent a costly incident during your busiest time of year.

Make Sure Your Records Are Organised

Good record-keeping makes every compliance obligation easier.

Confirm you can quickly locate:

  • Payroll records
  • Supplier invoices
  • Contractor agreements
  • Employment contracts
  • Vehicle logbooks and supporting documents

The ATO continues to rely heavily on data matching and expects businesses to maintain records that support their claims and reporting.

A Simple November Checklist

Before Christmas arrives, make sure you have:

✔ Reviewed payroll and leave balances
✔ Confirmed super obligations have been met
✔ Checked GST coding and bookkeeping records
✔ Completed a cybersecurity review
✔ Organised supporting documentation

Conclusion

Most compliance problems don’t happen overnight. They develop through small oversights that go unchecked for months.

A few hours spent reviewing payroll, superannuation, bookkeeping, cybersecurity, and record-keeping before Christmas can save significant time, money, and stress in the new year.

Not sure whether your business is ready for year-end?

A simple compliance review can identify payroll issues, GST coding errors, superannuation risks, and cybersecurity gaps before they become costly problems.

If you’d like a Year-End Compliance Health Check, get in touch. I’ll help you review your payroll, BAS, superannuation, and business systems so you can head into the Christmas break with confidence.

Banking Fraud in 2026: The New Tactics Targeting Small Businesses

Posted on by customisedaccounting.com.au

February is when the year genuinely starts for most small businesses. The school holidays are over, everyone’s back at work, inboxes are full again, and payments start flowing at a normal pace. It’s a natural reset point — and also the moment when fraud attempts quietly ramp up. Not because businesses are doing anything wrong, but because this is when routines are still forming and workloads are high.

This isn’t a scare piece. It’s a practical look at what’s happening in 2026 and the simple habits that keep businesses safe.

The fraud patterns appearing most often this year

  • Invoice redirection inside real email threads — Attackers gain access to a supplier’s inbox and wait for the perfect moment to send “updated bank details.” The email is legitimate, which is why it works.
  • AI‑generated voice calls — Voice cloning makes it easy to mimic a business owner, manager, or supplier. These calls usually ask for urgent transfers or bank‑detail changes.
  • Fake supplier onboarding forms — Professional‑looking PDFs or online forms request ABNs, bank details, and contact information. Once completed, scammers use the data to redirect payments.
  • Payroll bank‑detail scams — Criminals impersonate employees and request bank‑detail changes before the next pay run. These often come from lookalike email addresses or compromised accounts.
  • Hidden mailbox rules — Attackers set up forwarding or deletion rules inside email accounts so replies disappear, keeping the fraud hidden longer.
  • Spoofed banking alerts — SMS or email notifications claiming a payment failed or needs verification, designed to steal login credentials.

These tactics rely on timing and trust, not technical mistakes.

Why February is a high‑risk month

  • Payment routines restart after the holiday slowdown
  • Staff are catching up on full inboxes
  • Supplier activity increases
  • Payroll changes are common early in the year
  • Many businesses still rely on trust‑based processes

It’s a busy period, and fraudsters take advantage of that pace.

A simple workflow that prevents most fraud

  • Verify all bank‑detail changes by phone using a number you already trust.
  • Use two‑person approval for payments above a set threshold.
  • Enable MFA on all email accounts — still the most effective defence.
  • Check ABN and bank details against previous invoices.
  • Confirm payroll bank‑detail changes verbally with employees.
  • Restrict who can update supplier records in accounting software.
  • Review email rules monthly to catch hidden forwarding or deletion rules.

These steps don’t require new software or major changes — just a bit of structure.

Fraud prevention isn’t about being suspicious of everyone. It’s about having a workflow that protects the business even on the busiest days. February is the ideal time to reset those habits, because the year is only just settling into its rhythm.

If you’re unsure whether your current processes are strong enough, or you’d like a second set of eyes on your payment and payroll workflows, you’re welcome to get in touch. I can walk you through a practical review, highlight any gaps, and help you put simple, reliable safeguards in place so you can get on with running your business confidently.

Small businesses are the #1 target for cybercrime — here’s how to fight back (for free)

Posted on by customisedaccounting.com.au

💻 Cybersecurity Risks Every Small Business Owner Should Know

As small business owners, we juggle everything from finances to customer service. But one area that often slips under the radar is cybersecurity.

The reality? Cybercriminals love targeting small businesses because they assume we don’t have the same protections as big corporations. And too often, they’re right.

🚨 The Risks You Can’t Ignore

  • Phishing emails that look legitimate but trick you into clicking harmful links.
  • Ransomware that locks your files until you pay up.
  • Business email compromise where fraudsters impersonate suppliers or executives to steal money.
  • Weak passwords and outdated software that make it easy for hackers to get in.
  • Data breaches that expose sensitive client information and damage trust.

These aren’t just IT problems — they’re business problems. A single incident can cost thousands, disrupt operations, and harm your reputation.

🛡️ Simple Steps to Stay Safer

  • Turn on multi-factor authentication for all accounts.
  • Keep your systems and software up to date.
  • Back up your data regularly and securely.
  • Train your team to spot suspicious emails.
  • Limit access to sensitive information.

💡 Free Help You Might Not Know About

The good news? You don’t have to tackle this alone. There are free services designed specifically for small businesses:

  • IDCARE — Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service. Offers incident response, cyber “first aid,” health checks, and one‑on‑one advice.
  • Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) — Practical guides, alerts, and resources tailored for small and medium businesses.
  • Scamwatch — Run by the ACCC, it provides up‑to‑date information on scams and how to report them.
  • Cyber.gov.au — The government’s central hub for cyber safety, with step‑by‑step advice on protecting your business.

📌 Why This Matters

As a bookkeeping business, I see firsthand how much trust clients place in us to protect their financial data. Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology — it’s about safeguarding that trust.

So if you’re a small business owner, take five minutes today to review your cyber practices. And remember: if something goes wrong, help is out there and it’s free.