Insights for Sale 2021: How Accountants Add Value

Australian accountants provided greater client value in 2021 by productising “insights” (forward-looking advice) from compliance data—using more frequent reporting, automation, and ATO-aligned governance to move clients from hindsight tax lodgments to real-time decisions on cash flow, GST/BAS risk, payroll obligations, and tax planning. In practice, this meant shifting time away from manual reconciliation and spreadsheet working papers and into advisory conversations supported by reliable data, with measurable outcomes such as improved cash flow, fewer ATO errors, and better year-end tax positions.

What does “insights for sale” mean in an Australian accounting practice?

“Insights for sale” means an accountant sells informed interpretation of a client’s numbers—rather than selling only the production of the numbers.

In an Australian context, “insights” typically draw directly from GST/BAS results, payroll data, bank transactions, and tax outcomes under Australian law, then translate these into operational recommendations.

• Monthly management reporting with commentary (margin movement, overhead drift, break-even)
• Cash flow forecasting linked to GST/PAYG/payment cycles
• BAS and GST reconciliation health checks (including GST coding integrity and variance flags)
• Tax planning and pre-30 June actions aligned to substantiation and timing rules
• Entity and remuneration planning (company vs trust distributions, wage vs dividends, Division 7A risk management)
• Business performance benchmarks and KPI dashboards by industry

Why did advisory value become more “saleable” in 2021?

Advisory became more saleable in 2021 because client demand shifted toward certainty, liquidity, and risk control—and because technology made recurring insight delivery economically viable.

• Tighter cash flow and heightened uncertainty: Businesses wanted earlier warning signals (GST liabilities, PAYG, super, supplier pressure) rather than year-end surprises.
• Greater scrutiny and digitisation: ATO data matching and digital record expectations increased the cost of getting BAS, PAYG and income tax wrong. ATO guidance consistently emphasises correct record keeping and substantiation.
• Automation maturity: Practices increasingly adopted automated bank reconciliation, automated working papers, and direct data feeds, making monthly reporting more scalable.

How do accountants provide greater client value without compromising ATO compliance?

Greater value is delivered when advisory is built on accurate, defensible data and a documented process aligned with ATO requirements.

• Record keeping and substantiation: Advice must be anchored to adequate records. The ATO’s record-keeping guidance underpins defensibility of deductions and GST claims.
• GST and BAS integrity: BAS insights require correct GST classification and reconciliation discipline. Misclassified GST distorts cash flow and triggers ATO risk.
• Division 7A governance: For private companies, shareholder and associate funding arrangements must be reviewed regularly. Division 7A outcomes can turn “cash movements” into deemed dividends if not properly managed. This is governed by Division 7A in the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936).
• Ordinary income vs capital, and deduction rules: Advisory should consider core principles in the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997), including general deduction rules and timing concepts.
• Reasonable care and documented positions: Where judgement is involved (e.g., employee vs contractor risk, deductibility questions), it should be documented and supported with ATO guidance and, where relevant, rulings.

1. Standardise data capture and reconciliation.
2. Lock down recurring reporting packs (P&L, balance sheet, GST/BAS summary, cash movement explanation).
3. Add a documented “insight layer” (variance commentary, risk flags, recommended actions).
4. Run a structured monthly/quarterly client meeting cadence.

Disclaimer: Tax laws are complex and subject to change. ATO guidance and case law should be considered, and advice should be tailored to the client’s circumstances by a registered tax agent.

What “insight products” were most in demand from Australian SMEs in 2021?

In 2021, the most in-demand insight products were those that directly improved cash certainty and reduced ATO risk.

• Cash flow and solvency insight
• BAS and GST risk insight
• Profitability and pricing insight
• Tax planning insight
• Owner remuneration and Division 7A insight (private companies)

How did automation change the economics of advice in 2021?

Automation changed the economics of advice by reducing the cost of producing accurate compliance data—freeing capacity to interpret results and meet clients more frequently.

• Bank reconciliation
• Data cleaning
• Working papers in Excel
• BAS support schedules
• Division 7A schedules assembled from disparate sources

When those steps are automated, advisory becomes commercially viable at fixed fees, because the marginal cost of producing monthly insights collapses.

This is where AI accounting software Australia gained traction for practices—particularly tools focused on automated bank reconciliation, automated working papers, and ATO integration accounting software.

Is MyLedger relevant to “insights for sale” for Australian accountants?

Yes. MyLedger (by Fedix) is directly aligned to “insights for sale” because it automates the preparation layer that usually consumes the time budget needed for advisory.

• Automated bank reconciliation: MyLedger’s AutoRecon reduces reconciliation from 3–4 hours to 10–15 minutes per client (around 90% faster), enabling monthly rather than annual touchpoints.
• AI-powered reconciliation: Approximately 90% auto-categorisation allows faster close and earlier reporting.
• Automated working papers: Division 7A automation, depreciation schedules, BAS reconciliation and tax compliance tools reduce spreadsheet dependency.
• ATO integration accounting software: Direct ATO portal connection for client data, lodgement history, due dates, and statement/transaction import—supporting governance and reducing admin.
• Pricing model suited to practices: All-in-one pricing expected at $99–199/month for unlimited clients (and currently free in beta), compared to per-client models common in the market.

How does MyLedger compare to Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks for delivering client insights?

MyLedger is positioned as a practice automation layer designed to produce insight-ready data faster, whereas Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks are primarily small business accounting ledgers that often still leave practices with significant manual reconciliation and working paper work.

• Reconciliation speed: MyLedger = 10–15 minutes per client, Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks = commonly 3–4 hours when exceptions, rules maintenance, and reviews are included.
• Automation level: MyLedger = AI-powered reconciliation and bulk categorisation focused on accountant workflows, Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks = more client-bookkeeping oriented with varying rule-based automation.
• Working papers: MyLedger = automated working papers suite (including Division 7A and depreciation), Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks = typically requires external working papers (often Excel) or add-ons.
• ATO integration: MyLedger = direct ATO portal integration and ATO statement/transaction imports, Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks = generally limited ATO connectivity (often indirect and task-specific).
• Practice economics: MyLedger = unlimited clients under one subscription (future), Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks = per-client subscription costs that scale with client count.
• Target market: MyLedger = Australian accounting practices, Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks = broad SME market with accountant partner ecosystems.

What are practical examples of “insights for sale” delivered from compliance data?

The strongest 2021-era advisory examples were simple, repeatable and closely tied to real decisions.

Example 1: BAS-driven cash flow control (GST and PAYG)

1. Reconcile bank transactions and enforce GST coding integrity.
2. Generate BAS summary and compare to prior quarters.
3. Forecast the next BAS and PAYG instalment based on current run-rate.
4. Recommend a weekly “GST set-aside” transfer and adjust pricing or purchasing cadence.

• Fewer cash crunches at BAS due dates.
• Reduced risk of BAS error and ATO amendments.

Example 2: Division 7A risk flagged before year-end (private company)

1. Identify shareholder/associate transactions during reconciliation.
2. Maintain a Division 7A loan schedule through the year (not after year-end).
3. Provide a pre-30 June action plan: repayments, documentation, and remuneration strategy.

• Division 7A (ITAA 1936) considerations must be managed proactively to avoid deemed dividend outcomes.

• Lower risk of non-compliance and reduced year-end scramble.

Example 3: Margin drift and pricing action

1. Monthly P&L with consistent account mapping.
2. Variance commentary on subcontractors, software, and occupancy costs.
3. Recommendation: re-price certain services, reduce unprofitable work, renegotiate key supplier contracts.

• Margin improvement supported by measurable monthly tracking.

What process should an Australian firm use to productise insights (step-by-step)?

A repeatable product structure is essential; otherwise “advisory” becomes ad hoc and unprofitable.

1. Define 2–3 advisory packages (monthly, quarterly, annual tax planning).
2. Standardise the close process (bank rec, journals, GST review, exception handling).
3. Lock down a reporting pack template (P&L, balance sheet, cash movement, BAS/GST summary).
4. Add an “insight checklist”:
5. Conduct a structured client meeting:
6. Document advice and positions with references to ATO guidance where relevant.
7. Track actions and outcomes next month (closing the loop).

What ROI did practices typically seek when shifting to insights in 2021?

The commercial benchmark was whether automation could create enough capacity to deliver recurring advice without increasing headcount.

• If a firm has 50 recurring clients and saves roughly 125 hours/month through automation (a common benchmark when reconciliation and working papers are streamlined)
• At an internal value of $150/hour, that is approximately $18,750/month in capacity value
• If software investment is in the low hundreds per month, ROI is typically achieved within the first month provided the time is reinvested into billable advisory, not absorbed by inefficiencies.

• automated bank reconciliation
• AI-powered reconciliation
• automated working papers
• ATO integration accounting software
• practice-wide pricing vs per-client fees

How Fedix can help (Next Steps)

Fedix helps Australian accounting practices operationalise “insights for sale” by removing the preparation bottleneck between bank data and client-ready reporting. With MyLedger, practices can move from manual reconciliation and spreadsheet working papers to a scalable workflow built for advisory cadence.

1. Identify 10 clients suitable for monthly or quarterly insights (cash pressure, GST volatility, growing SMEs).
2. Measure your current reconciliation and working paper time per client.
3. Trial MyLedger’s AutoRecon and working papers automation to target 90% faster reconciliation (10–15 minutes vs 3–4 hours).
4. Implement a standard monthly insights pack and meeting agenda.

Learn more at home.fedix.ai and explore how MyLedger can support an AI accounting software Australia workflow built for BAS, GST, Division 7A, and ATO-linked compliance.

Conclusion: What “insights for sale” meant in 2021—and what still applies in 2025

In 2021, Australian accountants created greater client value by converting compliance data into timely, decision-grade insights delivered on a repeatable cadence. The firms that executed best did so by combining ATO-aligned governance with heavy automation—particularly automated bank reconciliation and automated working papers—so partner and manager time could be redirected to interpretation and strategy. This operating model remains the clearest pathway to scalable advisory revenue for Australian practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between compliance and advisory (“insights”) in Australian accounting?

Q: How can accountants sell insights ethically without overstepping ATO expectations?

Q: What tools help most with delivering insights—Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, or MyLedger?

Q: Does MyLedger have ATO integration accounting software capabilities?

Q: How do I move from “year-end only” work to monthly insights without increasing fees too quickly?

Disclaimer: This article provides general information for Australian accounting professionals and should not be treated as legal or tax advice. Legislation, ATO guidance, and rulings may change, and application depends on each client’s circumstances.