EOFY work repeats each year, so you can plan for it
EOFY preparation can bring document requests, reconciliation backlogs and review work together. Set the calendar from each client’s confirmed requirements and lodgement arrangements; 30 June is not a universal deadline for completing every task.
When the same problems come back every year, they can be planned for, and some of the preparation can be organised in advance.
This checklist was prepared for the financial year ending 30 June 2026. It covers recurring EOFY preparation tasks and possible ways to organise the information and handover. ATO requirements, due dates and client circumstances change, so revalidate each item against current official sources before using it for a later year. Measure effort across a representative client sample before forecasting a saving, and keep practitioner review in the proposed workflow.
1. Document Collection: Stop Chasing Clients for Receipts
The manual pain
Your team requests bank statements, receipt summaries, logbooks and other records, then follows up on outstanding items. Measure how much time is spent requesting, checking and chasing information across a representative client sample.
The automated alternative
Prepare a document-request sequence from the checklist and timing approved by the practice. Check what has arrived before sending another message, and route incomplete or ambiguous responses to the team. The cadence is agreed for the client group, not assumed from an industry response rate. The onboarding capability covers this kind of document request and handover.
Set document-request timing from each client’s reporting needs and the practice’s confirmed deadlines. For individual clients with employment income, the ATO explains that it pre-fills an employee’s return from STP data once the employer has made a finalisation declaration. A request sent before then may need a follow-up.
2. Bank and Credit Card Reconciliation Checks
The manual pain
Staff compare bank feeds with accounting records and flag unreconciled transactions, duplicates and possible coding errors. Record preparation and review effort for representative clients before estimating the value of a change.
The automated alternative
A workflow can gather unreconciled or potentially duplicated records into an exception report where the required data and integration are available. The practice sets the checks, reviews the results and measures whether review effort has changed.
3. Depreciation Schedule Reviews
The manual pain
The practitioner reviews asset records, depreciation methods and any relevant deductions against the rules that apply to the client and reporting period. The administrative work is gathering a complete and traceable review pack.
The automated alternative
Automation can organise the asset register, missing information and candidate review items. The responsible practitioner confirms the applicable rules, eligibility and calculations before any treatment is adopted.
4. BAS and IAS Lodgement Prep
The manual pain
BAS due dates depend on whether a client reports monthly, quarterly or annually. The ATO’s BAS due-dates page also notes that different dates may apply when lodging online or through a registered tax or BAS agent. Record each client’s confirmed cycle and due date in the practice register before scheduling preparation.
The automated alternative
A preparation workflow can gather approved source totals and potential mismatches into a review template. The practice defines the checks, confirms the reporting period and reviews the figures before lodgement. The BAS preparation guide walks through those stages for a single cycle.
5. Single Touch Payroll (STP) Finalisation
The manual pain
An employer finalises STP data by making a finalisation declaration for each employee. The ATO’s finalisation guidance sets out the due date and says an extended due date can be applied for, so confirm the date that applies to each employer client. Assemble payroll records and unresolved differences for the responsible specialist to review.
The automated alternative
A preparation workflow can compare the approved payroll sources and collect potential mismatches into a review pack. The specialist resolves those differences; any reduction in preparation effort must be measured.
6. Client Communication Sequences
The manual pain
Schedule document requests, planning appointments and reporting reminders from the deadlines confirmed by the practice. Keep the source, client group and responsible person with each requirement rather than copying dates from an old checklist.
The automated alternative
Prepare communication sequences from the approved client type, status and deadline register. Check replies and changes before sending further messages, and route uncertain cases to the team.
7. Trust Distribution Minutes and Resolutions
The manual pain
The responsible adviser determines what trust-related decisions and documentation are required and by when. The workflow can track the requested material, review and approval status.
The automated alternative
Prepare trust-related documents only from instructions and templates approved by the responsible adviser. Do not infer distribution decisions from the prior year. The adviser reviews the draft and controls any issue, signature request or submission.
8. Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) Preparation
The manual pain
The ATO says businesses and government entities that pay contractors may need to lodge a TPAR, and that page gives the annual lodgement date. The practitioner decides whether it applies to the client. Gather the agreed contractor-payment information and unresolved items for that review.
The automated alternative
A preparation workflow can collect contractor-payment records and flag missing or inconsistent identifiers. The responsible practitioner determines reporting and withholding treatment and approves any report before lodgement.
Measure the work before forecasting savings
Record preparation effort, missing-document follow-up, rework and practitioner review across a representative client sample. Use that baseline to choose a focused pilot.
Compare the same measures afterwards, including the cost of operating and reviewing the workflow. An assumed automation percentage is a scenario, not a recurring annual saving.
Where to Start
Choose a first task from the practice’s measured bottleneck, information readiness and available review capacity. Possible starting points include:
- Document collection, using an approved checklist and visible outstanding items.
- Client communications, with agreed messages, timing and stop conditions.
- Document review handovers, with the responsible practitioner controlling decisions and approval.
Review the first workflow’s results before extending it. Reconciliation checks or payroll preparation may be suitable later tasks where the required sources, checks and practitioner review are defined.
Build a verified deadline register
Keep a dated register of the requirements confirmed by the practice. Each row can hold the client and entity, the task and the reporting period it relates to, the responsible practitioner, the authoritative source and the date it was checked, the deadline the practitioner has confirmed for that client (including any agent or client-specific lodgement arrangement), and the owner of readiness and exceptions. The workflow reads from this register. SynergAI doesn't supply the dates, and the register is not a tax calendar.
Recheck the register before reusing this 2026 planning guide. Do not rely on old article dates as the authority for a current tax or reporting deadline.
Chris Nicolaou
Founder, SynergAI. Building connected workflows and AI workspaces.
About Chris ↗