Sarah Mitchell
Director · CATwenty-two years in public practice. Grew up on a sheep station near Mossburn and specialises in rural and agribusiness structures. IRD-approved tax agent and Xero advisor.
Small business accounting for Southland
Numbers that work as hard as you do.
We handle the IRD, GST filing, payroll and Xero so you can focus on the paddock, the workshop or the shop floor. Southland businesses have trusted us since 2010.
Book a free consultation →0Years in Southland
0Active clients
0On-time filing
0Tax saved for clients
01 · Services & fees
Transparent pricing, no surprises.
All fees are plus GST. Fixed-fee packages are available for most services — use the calculator below to compare.
Tax & compliance
Individual tax returnFrom $280Salary and wage, rental income, investment income
Sole trader tax returnFrom $480Includes financial statements and IR3
Company annual return & financialsFrom $1,200IR4, financial statements, Companies Office annual return
GST returns (two-monthly)$170/returnOr $85/month on a managed plan
FBT annual returnFrom $380
Bookkeeping & payroll
Xero setup & training$650 one-offChart of accounts, bank feeds, two hours of training
Monthly bookkeepingFrom $350/monthBank reconciliation, coding, monthly reporting
Payroll (up to 5 staff)$120/monthPay runs, PAYE filing, leave tracking. Additional staff $15/head
Payroll setup$280 one-offEmployment agreements review, IRD registration, first pay run
Advisory
Business advisory session$180/hourCash flow forecasting, structure advice, succession planning
Entity structuringFrom $800Company, trust or partnership — setup and IRD registration
02 · Fee calculator
Hourly or fixed — which saves you more?
Estimate your annual accounting needs and we will show you whether our hourly rate or a fixed-fee package works out cheaper.
20 hours
Hourly rate
$4,680
at $180/hr + complexity
Fixed-fee package
$3,900
billed monthly
You save $780 per year with the fixed-fee package.
03 · Our team
Four people who know Southland business.
James Otago
Senior Accountant · CAHandles company compliance and annual returns. Previously at a Dunedin mid-tier firm for eight years. Runs the monthly Xero catch-up clinics at Invercargill Library.
Priya Sharma
Tax SpecialistSpecialist in GST, FBT and provisional tax. Joined from IRD in 2019 and knows the audit process from the other side. Fluent in Hindi and English.
Hannah Williams
Bookkeeper · Xero CertifiedManages day-to-day bookkeeping for forty-plus clients. Runs payroll and bank reconciliation and handles the Xero training sessions for new clients.
04 · How we work
From first meeting to filed return.
- Free consultation (30 min)We sit down — in person or over Zoom — and work out what you need. No obligation, no invoice.
- Onboarding & Xero setupWe request IRD authority, set up your Xero chart of accounts, connect bank feeds and migrate any existing data. Takes one to two weeks.
- Monthly bookkeepingWe reconcile your accounts, code transactions, and send you a one-page report by the 10th of each month. You review and we fix anything flagged.
- Tax & compliance filingGST, PAYE, provisional tax — we file on your behalf and keep a calendar of every due date. You get a reminder two weeks before each one.
- Annual reviewFinancial statements, tax return and a 45-minute review meeting to look at the year, plan the next, and check your structure still fits.
Cloud accounting
We work exclusively in Xero. Every client gets real-time access to their own dashboard, and we train you until you are comfortable using it — or you can leave it all to us.
What you can see in Xero
- Profit and loss, balance sheet — live
- Outstanding invoices and aged debtors
- GST summary for the current period
- Bank reconciliation status
- Payroll reports and leave balances
05 · Client stories
Real results for Southland businesses.
Restructuring a family dairy operation into two companies
A fourth-generation dairy farm near Te Anau was running as a single entity across two properties. We separated the land-owning company from the operating company, set up a new GST registration and restructured the sharemilking agreement to reduce the family's overall tax liability.
$34,000 annual tax savingScaling a one-man plumber to a five-person team
A Gore plumber was turning down work because he could not keep up. We helped with company registration, payroll setup for three new apprentices and an office manager, Xero onboarding, and a cash-flow forecast that secured a $60,000 vehicle loan from the bank.
Revenue tripled in 18 monthsSarah sorted our GST mess in two weeks flat. We had three years of unfiled returns and she got us square with the IRD without a single penalty.
Priya explained provisional tax so I actually understood it for the first time. I used to just pay whatever the letter said. Now I know why.
The monthly bookkeeping means I actually know where the business stands. Before, I would guess until the annual accounts came back six months late.
06 · Frequently asked questions
Questions we hear every week.
Tax & GST
When is my tax return due?
If you have a tax agent (that is us), your individual return is due 31 March the following year. Company returns are due by the extension date we agree with the IRD — usually 31 March as well. We send reminders well in advance.
Do I need to register for GST?
You must register if your turnover exceeds $60,000 in any twelve-month period. You can register voluntarily below that threshold, which is sometimes beneficial. We can model both scenarios for you.
How often do I file GST?
Most small businesses file two-monthly, which is what we recommend. If your turnover exceeds $24 million you must file monthly. Six-monthly filing is available for turnover under $500,000 but you lose visibility.
Can you deal with the IRD on my behalf?
Yes. Once you sign a tax agent authority (IR362), we handle all IRD correspondence, queries and audits. You only hear from us — we do the talking.
Working with us
Do I have to use Xero?
We work exclusively in Xero because it integrates with the IRD and with our workflow. If you are on MYOB or a spreadsheet, the onboarding fee covers the migration.
Can I drop off a shoebox of receipts?
We would rather you did not, but we understand. There is a $150 surcharge for manual data entry from paper records. Better: snap receipts with the Xero app on your phone and they code themselves.
Do you visit farms and workshops?
Absolutely. We travel regularly to clients in Gore, Winton, Te Anau, Riverton and Tuatapere. Mileage is not charged separately if you are on a fixed-fee plan.
What is the free consultation?
A 30-minute meeting — in our Dee Street office, at your place or on Zoom — to understand your situation and quote accurately. We never charge for the first conversation.
07 · Get in touch
Book a free initial consultation.
Hours
| Monday–Friday | 8:30am – 5:00pm |
|---|---|
| Saturday–Sunday | Closed |
Evening appointments available by arrangement during tax season (February–March).