Sydney Bookkeepingby Local Knowledge
Café & Hospitality

Bookkeeping for Sydney cafés and hospitality

You opened a café because you love hospitality. You did not open it to reconcile bank feeds at midnight.

Sound familiar?

If any of these describe your week, you are not alone — and you do not have to keep doing it yourself.

Award rates keep changing

The Restaurant Industry Award is complex. Penalty rates, casual loading, and junior rates shift regularly. One mistake and Fair Work comes knocking.

Cash handling adds complexity

POS takings, Uber Eats settlements, cash tips, and staff meals — every day produces transactions that need coding, not just recording.

Super is always due

With casual and part-time staff, super guarantee dates come around fast. Miss one and the penalty is more than the contribution.

What we handle for you

Every item below is done by our team and reviewed by your CPA. You do not touch any of it.

  • POS-to-accounting reconciliation (Square, Lightspeed, Tyro)
  • Award rate compliance checks and payroll processing
  • Single Touch Payroll lodgement every pay cycle
  • Super guarantee tracking and on-time payment
  • BAS preparation including food and beverage GST coding
  • Monthly profit-and-loss so you know your real food cost margin

The outcome

Payroll is compliant. Super is on time. BAS is clean. And you have a monthly snapshot that tells you whether you are actually making money — not just turning over cash.

“We had no idea we were exposed on award rates. They found the problems, fixed them quietly, and now we never worry about it.”

— Café owner, Mascot

Common questions from café & hospitalitys

Do I need to charge GST on takeaway coffee?

Yes. Unlike some food items, hot beverages are not GST-free regardless of whether they are consumed on premises or taken away. All hot food and drinks are subject to GST. We ensure your POS is configured correctly so GST is calculated right at the point of sale.

How do I handle Uber Eats and DoorDash payments in my books?

Third-party delivery platforms settle weekly or fortnightly, net of their commission. We reconcile the gross sale, the commission expense, and the net settlement separately — so your revenue is not understated and your real delivery cost is visible.

Can I claim the café fit-out as a tax deduction?

Fit-out costs are generally depreciable over the effective life of each asset — not immediately deductible in full. However, some items qualify for instant asset write-off if they are under the threshold. Leasehold improvements have their own rules. We build a depreciation schedule that maximises your claim within the law.

Need tax and advisory too?

Tax structuring, advisory, and strategic planning for your industry — from the same team.

Ready to talk?

15 minutes. No obligation. We assess whether our specialisations match your situation. If they don't, we'll tell you straight.

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