Most “tradie accountants” in Australia are generalists with a tradie page on their website. Arbour Advisory is different — we built our practice from the ground up serving outdoor and field trades: arborists, landscapers, excavation contractors, fencers, paving and concreting crews, lawn care operators and tree care businesses. If you run an equipment-heavy, weather-exposed, job-costed trades business, we speak your language.
What makes a tradie accountant actually useful
Trades businesses have a financial profile that retail and professional services accountants simply don’t understand. The patterns we see every week:
- Lumpy invoicing. You quote in March, do the job in May, invoice in June, get paid in August. A standard P&L makes you look bipolar.
- Heavy capital cycle. You need a $90,000 piece of kit every 18 months. Cash flow has to flex around it.
- Subcontractor mix. You’re a PAYG employer for some workers and an ABN payer to subbies for others — and the ATO checks both.
- Vehicle and tool deductions. Worth $8,000–$25,000 per year for an active tradie. Most accountants under-claim them.
- Job profitability blindness. 60% of trades businesses we audit have at least one job category losing money — and the owner can’t tell us which one.
Trades we specialise in
- Arborists and tree surgeons (our origin niche)
- Landscapers and landscape construction
- Lawn care and garden maintenance
- Excavation and earthworks contractors
- Fencing contractors
- Paving and concreting (outdoor)
- Stump grinding and land clearing
- Mobile mechanics and small earthmoving
We deliberately don’t chase plumbers, electricians or builders — those niches have entrenched specialists and a different operating model. We stay in our lane: outdoor, equipment-heavy, weather-affected, job-costed trades.
Tax deductions every Australian tradie should claim
The ATO allows trades businesses to deduct any expense incurred in earning assessable income. The most commonly missed deductions on tradie tax returns we take over from generalist firms:
- Tools under $300: Immediate full deduction, no depreciation schedule needed.
- Tools $300+: Depreciated under simplified rules, or instant write-off if eligible.
- Vehicle expenses: Logbook method captures fuel, rego, insurance, servicing, tyres, depreciation and finance interest. Usually 40–80% deductible for active tradies.
- Mobile phone and tablet: Business-use percentage, typically 70–90%.
- Protective clothing: Hi-vis, steel caps, hard hats, gloves, sun protection. 100% deductible.
- Trade subscriptions: Industry bodies, software, tickets and licences.
- Home office: Quoting, invoicing and admin time at home — claimable per ATO method.
- Training: White card, chainsaw, EWP, first aid, working at heights — all deductible.
- Fuel tax credits: Off-road diesel use in equipment is worth ~20.3c/L (2026 rate).
Equipment and vehicle finance for tradies
Whether it’s a $55,000 dual-cab ute, a $90,000 mini-excavator or a $25,000 trailer, how you finance it matters more than the headline rate. We model:
- Chattel mortgage vs novated lease vs operating lease — tax outcome over 5 years
- Balloon/residual sizing to optimise monthly cash flow
- GST treatment (chattel mortgage lets you claim full GST upfront on BAS)
- Depreciation strategy under simplified or general pool rules
- Luxury car limit impact (currently $69,674 for non-fuel-efficient vehicles)
See our equipment finance calculator for live numbers, or read our guide to equipment finance for outdoor trades.
Subcontractor management and TPAR
If you pay other tradies on ABNs, you need to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) by 28 August each year. Late penalties begin at $313 per 28-day block and stack. We track every subbie payment through the year and produce the TPAR automatically.
We also stress-test your subcontractor classifications. The ATO has been actively reviewing sham contracting, especially in trades. Getting an “employee vs contractor” call wrong exposes you to backdated PAYG, super, payroll tax and penalties — sometimes six figures for an established business.
Job costing in Xero and MYOB for trades
Our most-requested service is job costing setup. We configure Xero Projects (or MYOB equivalents), train your admin team, and review every job for the first 90 days to make sure costs are landing in the right buckets. After three months you’ll know — to the dollar — which jobs make money and which don’t.
See our dedicated page on job costing software for trades businesses.
Business structures for tradies
Most starting tradies operate as sole traders. The breakpoint to incorporate is usually around $120,000 net profit or when you take on your second employee. A company structure typically saves $4,000–$15,000 per year in tax once you cross that threshold, plus offers asset protection. A trust is layered on top when there’s a family income splitting opportunity. We model all three scenarios over five years before recommending.
What it costs to work with us
- Sole trader package: $385/month — bookkeeping, BAS, tax return, year-end advice
- Small company (1–5 staff): $750–$1,200/month — full bookkeeping, BAS, payroll, tax
- Growing business (6–15 staff): $1,500–$2,800/month — adds job costing, monthly reporting, cash flow forecasting
- Outsourced finance function (15+ staff): $2,800–$5,000/month — adds CFO advisory, board reporting, finance broker liaison
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a tradie accountant and a regular accountant?
A specialist tradie accountant understands job costing, lumpy invoicing, equipment finance structures, subcontractor TPAR obligations, and trade-specific deductions like fuel tax credits and tool write-offs. A regular accountant will lodge your tax return correctly but won’t proactively flag these — and won’t help you make better business decisions on quoting and equipment buying.
How much does a tradie accountant cost in Australia?
Sole trader tradies pay around $385/month or $550–$1,200 for an annual tax return only. Companies sit at $750–$2,800/month depending on staff count and complexity. A full outsourced finance function runs $2,800–$5,000/month for businesses with 15+ employees.
Can I claim my ute as a tradie tax deduction?
Yes — if it’s used for business. The logbook method (12-week logbook every 5 years) usually captures the highest deduction for active tradies, often 60–85% business use. You claim a proportion of fuel, servicing, rego, insurance, depreciation and finance interest. Watch the Luxury Car Limit ($69,674 for 2025-26) — depreciation is capped above this.
Do I need to be GST registered as a sole trader tradie?
You must register for GST once your turnover exceeds $75,000. Below that it’s optional, but most tradies register voluntarily to claim GST credits on tools, equipment and fuel. If your customers are mostly GST-registered businesses, voluntary registration is almost always advantageous.
What records does a tradie need to keep for the ATO?
Income invoices, expense receipts (digital is fine), bank statements, BAS records, payroll records (if you have employees), TPAR records (if you pay subbies), vehicle logbook, asset purchase invoices, and finance contracts. Records must be kept for 5 years from lodgement. A cloud accounting system like Xero handles most of this automatically.
Book a free consultation
If you want a tradie accountant who’s actually been on a job site, who knows the difference between a stump grinder and a chipper, and who treats your business like a business — book a free 30-minute review. No hard sell. We’ll tell you within 30 minutes whether we’re the right fit.