FAQs2024-02-03T09:17:54-06:00
How do I switch from my current accountant?2014-12-29T14:44:16-06:00

You may need to give your accountant notice. Check the terms of your agreement. Switching over is simple. Our team will guide you through the process to make it as smooth and quick as possible. Essentially, we’ll take care of it all once you introduce us to your current accountant.

Is SCA small business accounting right for me?2017-03-02T21:51:20-06:00

Southern Cloud Accounting (SCA) small business accounting is designed for start-ups, well-established businesses and companies of any size in between. Most businesses that use SCA small business accounting have fewer than 25 employees and operate as a LLC, partnership, C corporation, S corporation, sole proprietorship or non-profit organization.

What can SCA small business accounting offer for my business?2014-12-29T15:24:48-06:00

We offers online accounting services designed to make your accounting as stress free as possible. You also get a dedicated advisor to provide the support and guidance to help you grow.

Can you tell me more about your bookkeeping and accounting services?2014-12-29T15:06:27-06:00

Our bookkeeping and accounting services include maintaining and updating the accounting books and records of the business in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice up to trial balance:

  • Recording transactions into the general ledger
  • Supporting the maintenance and operation of sales and purchase ledgers
  • Bank and cash accounts reconciliation
  • Journals
  • Maintaining the fixed asset register

We also produce management reports and data analyses from the accounting system:

  • Cash summary
  • Profit and loss account
  • Balance sheet
  • Budgets
  • Key metrics and business intelligence
  • Tax schedule
I have never done accounts. How easy is it to use your software?2017-03-02T21:51:20-06:00

When you become our client, we will manage your accounting tasks for you. We’ll help you get used to performing a few simple, routine tasks such as putting your bank account details into Xero (our fully online, hosted accounting system), how to upload receipts and invoices into Receipt-Bank, and how to issue sales invoices. That’s it. We take care of the rest.

What are my tax management options?2014-12-29T15:20:15-06:00

Constantly changing tax regulations have a big impact on strategic planning for any business. Your dedicated CPA will be able to provide you the guidance and specific advice as necessary.

Can you tell me more about your corporation tax compliance service?2014-12-29T15:18:15-06:00

This service is relevant for all companies. This service includes:

  • Completing your annual business tax return and supporting computations
  • Submitting the business tax return and supporting computations
Can you tell me more about your payroll services?2014-12-29T15:21:25-06:00

We utilize the latest in easy-to-use cloud-based payroll software including Intuit Payroll and Zen Payroll.

Can you help me with managing capital?2014-12-29T15:26:30-06:00

Our team can help you manage cash flow, provide real-time financial updates, help you set goals and provide clear, up-to-date reports to use in discussions with investors and your bank. Effective management of capital is key to business success so your dedicated accountant will be on hand to support you.

How do you decide how complex my accounting needs are when you set my fees?2014-12-29T15:30:31-06:00

Limited companies, partnerships, sole traders and branches all have different accounting needs. We also consider the number of transactions you process each month, your tax status and the number of employees on your payroll. This lets us decide whether your needs are simple, moderately complex’ or ‘highly complex’.

Simple

  • Up to 75 transactions entered into the general ledger per month
  • Standard sales tax compliance
  • Up to 5 employees on the payroll

Moderately complex

  • 75–150 transactions entered into the general ledger per month
  • Moderately complex sales Tax charges
  • Between 5 and 20 employees on the payroll

Highly complex

  • 150–225 transactions entered into the general ledger per month
  • Intrastate sales tax returns
  • Between 20 and 50 employees on the payroll including benefits admin
  • Add-on software integration monitoring
What are your standard recurring services?2014-12-29T14:57:07-06:00

Our standard recurring services include:

  • Bookkeeping and accounting services
  • Sales tax compliance
  • Income tax compliance
  • Monthly payroll services
  • Preparation of annual financial statements

We will help you put together a package of services that are right for your business.

How much will I pay for the standard recurring services?2014-12-28T17:13:01-06:00

The annual fee for a package featuring all the standard recurring services shown above start from as little as $150 per month, depending on what type of business you have and how complex your business is. You pay the annual fee in 12 equal monthly installments.

We will only change the annual fee if:

  • You ask for additional standard recurring services
  • There is a change in the complexity of your accounting needs
  • We change our fees for the standard recurring services from time to time based on inflation

Our standard consulting and training fee is $95/hour.

Any fee changes will not be retrospective and will take effect from the time it is changed/updated.

Are there any non-standard services I can use?2017-03-02T21:51:19-06:00

As a SCA client, you have access to our full range of accounting, tax and business advisory services. We will make a separate written agreement with you when you use any of our other services. Your dedicated advisor can connect you with the SCA specialists you need.

What if I want to make changes to my package?2014-12-29T15:12:30-06:00

If you want to add or remove any of the recurring services, just talk to your dedicated advisor. We will confirm any changes to your standard recurring services in writing with you before the changes take effect.

What about increases in fees for standard recurring services?2014-12-29T14:58:51-06:00

Like all businesses, we sometimes need to increase the fees we charge. We will never increase fees for standard recurring services by more than the annual change in the Retail Prices Index, and we will always give you at least a one-month notice so you can decide if you want to continue to use the service. Fee changes will not be retrospective.

How will I know when to give you the information you need to provide the services in my package?2017-03-02T21:51:20-06:00

When you come on board, we’ll give you a service delivery calendar and processing timetable. You will need to make sure you get all the relevant information and documentation to us on time so that we can deliver our services. Sometimes we’ll also need to speak to people on your team, so they’ll need to be available at the right time, too.

Is it safe to have all my data stored on the internet?2017-03-02T21:51:20-06:00

All our client software has SSL certificates signed by global leaders in the business. The encryption is the same as that used for Internet banking. We have taken great care in choosing the software vendors and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products that complete our offering. Protecting your data is a duty of care we take extremely seriously.

Learn more at “Cloud Myth 1: The Cloud Isn’t Secure.”

Can the accounting team see my bank balance and other financial information?2014-12-29T15:08:34-06:00

Your financial information can only be seen by your assigned accountant and by team leaders. This allows them to support you with managing your bookkeeping records, cash flow, KPIs, etc.

Can the system create recurring invoices?2014-12-29T15:15:02-06:00

Yes, you can use Xero’s “Repeat Invoicing” feature to create sales or purchase invoices automatically. These can be set to repeat on the same day every set number of weeks or set number of months. You can set the system to produce the invoices indefinitely or until a specific date.

Can my employees submit expense claims through Xero?2014-12-29T14:35:53-06:00

Yes, you can give your employees access to designated areas of Xero so that they can submit expense claims and receipts for approval.

How do I upload receipts to the web-based service?2014-12-29T14:33:13-06:00

Our web-based receipt management system, Receipt-Bank, includes an app that lets you submit your receipts from your smart phone. You can also e-mail soft copies to your dedicated mailbox or even send us your expense receipts and invoices in an envelope so that we can upload them for you.

Can I enter budgets and historical or comparative information?2014-12-29T14:32:12-06:00

Yes, the online service lets you enter a budget and report against it. You can also enter historical and comparative figures from periods (annual) before you started to use our services. Using our data champion service, we can also import other kinds of information including customer lists, vendor lists, accounts receivable, accounts payable and historical data.