Payments & Billing Policy

Overview

We aim to be completely transparent about what you pay, when you pay it, and why. Your fee is always confirmed before any payment is taken, and you are never charged more than the amount shown to you without prior notice and an explanation.

1. Fees & GST

• Quoted upfront: The fee for your service is shown to you before you proceed. For individual tax returns this is a fixed base fee, plus any clearly itemised surcharges that apply to your specific circumstances (for example, additional income sources or schedules).
• GST inclusive: All fees are quoted in Australian dollars (AUD) and are inclusive of GST. As a GST-registered business, the GST component is equal to one-eleventh (1/11) of the total fee, and is itemised on your tax invoice.
• Tax invoice: A branded tax invoice showing the GST component, our ABN, and the service provided is issued once your payment is processed.

2. When You’re Charged

We operate on a charge-on-completion basis. This means:

• You securely save a payment method (card or bank account) when you submit your request. No money is taken at this point — we only authorise the method for a later charge.
• Your nominated payment method is charged only after your work is completed by a member of our team and is ready for lodgement or delivery.
• The charge is for the confirmed fee. You are not billed for work that has not been performed.

3. Payment Methods

Payments are processed securely by our payment provider, Stripe. We do not store your full card or bank account numbers on our own systems. We accept:

• Bank account direct debit (BECS): A debit from your Australian bank account under a direct debit arrangement. This is our preferred method and is governed by our Direct Debit Request Service Agreement.
• Debit & credit cards: Major Australian and international cards, as an alternative to direct debit.

4. Fee Adjustments

Occasionally the final fee differs from the original estimate — for example, where your situation is more (or less) complex than first indicated. In these cases:

• We will notify you of the change and the reason for it before charging.
• Your payment confirmation and tax invoice clearly show the original estimate, the final amount, and why it changed.
• Significant increases require an additional internal confirmation before any charge is made, as a safeguard.

5. Failed Payments

If a payment is declined or a direct debit is unsuccessful, we may:

• Re-attempt the payment using your nominated method, or a backup card on file if you have provided one;
• Send you a secure payment link so you can complete the payment manually; and
• Pause delivery or lodgement of the completed work until payment is received.

6. Dishonour Fee

Where a direct debit is dishonoured (returned unpaid) by your bank, we may pass on a cost-recovery dishonour fee. This is not a penalty — it recovers the actual costs we incur:

• The third-party bank/processor dishonour cost charged to us (approximately $2.50); plus
• A small administrative cost-recovery charge (up to $10) for the manual handling, follow-up, and re-processing involved.

We apply this fairly and may waive it for a first occurrence or a genuine, easily corrected error. Any dishonour fee is disclosed to you before it is charged.

7. Refunds & Cancellations

Our fees are for professional services performed by qualified staff. Our refund position is:

• Before work begins: If you cancel before we start preparing your work, no fee is charged, or any amount paid is fully refunded.
• Work in progress: If you cancel while work is underway, you may be charged a fair amount for the work already performed, with the balance refunded.
• After lodgement or delivery: Once your return has been lodged with the ATO or your work has been delivered, the service is complete and fees are generally non-refundable.

Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. If our services are not provided with due care and skill, or not fit for purpose, you may be entitled to a remedy, including a refund, regardless of the above.

Contact Us

For any question about a charge, an invoice, or this policy, please contact our team: