Frequently Asked Questions — Brisbane Accounting & Advisory

At UHY Haines Norton Brisbane, we offer a comprehensive range of accounting and advisory services including audit and assurance, tax, business advisory, and financial services. Whether you need help with compliance, growth strategy, or wealth management, our team has the expertise to support you at every stage of your business journey.

Booking an appointment with our Brisbane team is easy. You can contact us by phone at (07) 3210 5500, by email at brisbane@uhyhnseq.com.au, or through the contact form on our website. We'll connect you with the right adviser based on your needs.

UHY Haines Norton has been part of the Brisbane business community for over 40 years. Throughout that time, we've built long-lasting relationships with clients across a wide range of industries, helping them navigate challenges and seize opportunities.

Yes. UHY Haines Norton Brisbane is a member firm of the UHY Haines Norton association across Australia and New Zealand, and of UHY International — one of the top 20 accounting networks in the world. This gives our clients access to global expertise while benefiting from our deep local knowledge of the Brisbane and Queensland market. Clients should note that we are an independent firm and neither the UHY ANZ association or UHY International provides services to you.

We work with businesses of all sizes — from entrepreneurs and small businesses just starting out, to mid-market companies and large private groups. Our team tailors our approach to the specific needs, goals, and complexity of each client.

Whether your business requires an external audit depends on your size, structure, and any regulatory or contractual obligations. Listed companies, large private groups, not-for-profits, and subsidiaries of multinational groups often have mandatory audit requirements. Even if it's not compulsory, an independent audit can strengthen stakeholder confidence and highlight opportunities for improvement. Our Brisbane audit team can assess your situation and advise accordingly.

We provide a wide range of audit and assurance services in Brisbane including external audits for listed companies, large private companies, not-for-profit organisations, and subsidiaries of multinational groups. We also offer internal audits, agreed-upon procedures, regulatory and compliance audits, and SOC 1 & SOC 2 audits for service organisations.

The timeline for an audit depends on the size and complexity of your organisation, the quality of your financial records, and the audit scope. We can provide guidance on timing once we have discussed your requirements.

An audit provides the highest level of assurance, involving a thorough examination of financial statements to provide an opinion on whether they present a true and fair view. An assurance review (also known as agreed-upon procedures or a review engagement) provides a lower level of assurance and is less extensive in scope. The right choice depends on your specific requirements and stakeholder needs. Our team can walk you through the options.

Yes. Our Brisbane audit team has significant experience working with not-for-profit organisations, charities, and associations. We understand the specific reporting and compliance requirements that apply in the not-for-profit sector and provide audit services tailored to your needs.

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) assurance is an independent verification of your organisation's sustainability and ESG reporting. As investor and regulatory expectations around sustainability disclosure grow, ESG assurance is becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes. Our Brisbane team offers sustainability and ESG assurance services to help you build credibility with stakeholders.

Business advisory goes beyond accounting and compliance. At UHY Haines Norton Brisbane, our advisory team works alongside you to help you understand your financial position, plan for growth, manage risk, and make confident strategic decisions. Whether you're looking to expand, restructure, or prepare for a transaction, we bring the experience and perspective to guide you.

A Virtual CFO (Chief Financial Officer) provides senior financial leadership and strategic guidance on a flexible, outsourced basis — without the cost of a full-time hire. At UHY Haines Norton Brisbane, our Virtual CFO service is ideal for growing businesses that need experienced financial oversight, cash flow management, and strategic input but aren't yet ready for a full-time CFO.

Absolutely. Succession planning is one of the most important — and often most overlooked — aspects of business ownership. Our Brisbane advisory team helps business owners plan for the future, whether that means transitioning to family members, selling to management, or preparing for a third-party sale. We help you structure the transition to protect value and minimise tax.

Yes. Our corporate finance advisory team in Brisbane assists with mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, business valuations, buy-sell mandates, and IPO support. Whether you're buying, selling, or raising capital, we provide independent, experienced guidance throughout the process.

Yes. Our digital advisory team helps Brisbane businesses evaluate and implement technology solutions — from cloud accounting platforms to ERP systems for growing businesses. We help you identify the right tools, manage the transition, and ensure your technology is working to support your business goals.

Our wealth management advisory helps business owners and individuals in Brisbane take a holistic view of their personal and business financial position. As your accountants, we understand your business structures and family relationships. We can give the right guidance around your business exit, your estate planning, superannuation strategy and asset protection. We can also use our knowledge of your affairs to assist your financial planner when it comes to determining your investment strategies.

Our business services team in Brisbane helps you manage the fundamentals — from accounting and tax compliance to cloud accounting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting. We handle the day-to-day so you can focus on growing your business, and we're always on hand to help you navigate compliance requirements and identify opportunities. And when they arise, we have the business advisory team ready to make the most of them.

Yes. We assist Brisbane entrepreneurs and business owners with entity formation, effective structuring, and all the compliance requirements that come with starting a new business. We'll help you choose the right structure from day one — whether that's a company, trust, partnership, or sole trader — to protect your assets and set you up for growth.

Yes. Our Brisbane team is experienced with leading cloud accounting platforms including Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks. We help businesses transition to the cloud, set up efficient workflows, and get the most out of their accounting software. Cloud accounting gives you real-time visibility of your financials — anytime, anywhere.

Cashflow is the lifeblood of any business. Our Brisbane team helps you build realistic cashflow forecasts, identify pressure points before they become problems, and put strategies in place to maintain healthy liquidity. Whether you're a growing startup or an established business, we provide practical cashflow guidance tailored to your situation.

Accounting and tax compliance covers the preparation of financial statements, income tax returns, BAS lodgements, payroll tax, and other regulatory obligations. At UHY Haines Norton Brisbane, we handle all aspects of compliance so your obligations are met accurately and on time — leaving you free to focus on running your business.

Yes. Our better bookkeeping service helps Brisbane businesses maintain accurate, up-to-date financial records. Good bookkeeping is the foundation of good financial management — it ensures your compliance obligations are met and gives you the reliable data you need to make informed business decisions.

Our Brisbane tax team provides a full range of tax services including income tax compliance, tax planning and advisory, BAS preparation, SMSF compliance, international tax, transfer pricing, and transaction tax advisory. We help individuals and businesses navigate complex tax obligations while identifying opportunities to optimise their tax position.

A qualified tax accountant does far more than lodge your return. At UHY Haines Norton Brisbane, our tax advisers work proactively with you throughout the year to identify deductions, structure your affairs tax-effectively, plan for major transactions, and ensure you're not paying more tax than necessary — all while keeping you fully compliant with the ATO.

Yes. Our Brisbane team provides specialist SMSF (Self-Managed Super Fund) compliance services including fund administration, financial statement preparation, tax return lodgement, and audit coordination. We help trustees meet their ATO obligations and manage their fund with confidence.

Yes. If your business operates across borders — whether you're expanding overseas, dealing with foreign income, or managing transfer pricing obligations — our international tax team can help. We also assist with foreign inbound advisory for overseas businesses looking to operate in Australia. In addition, through our UHY International network, we have access to tax advisers in approximately 100 countries.

Effective tax planning means structuring your affairs in a way that legally minimises your tax liability — and it's most powerful when done proactively, not reactively. The best time to start is well before the end of the financial year. At UHY Haines Norton Brisbane, we work with clients throughout the year to review their position, model different scenarios, and make timely decisions that reduce their tax burden.

We manage the preparation and lodgement of Business Activity Statements (BAS) on behalf of our Brisbane clients, ensuring your GST, PAYG withholding, and other obligations are accurately reported and submitted to the ATO on time. We can also help you set up systems to make ongoing BAS preparation as efficient as possible.