How do I do bookkeeping for an NDIS business?

The full answer

NDIS bookkeeping has three components: 1) Invoicing — integrate your rostering system to auto-generate invoices and claims (ShiftCare does this), 2) Payroll — track worker hours and award pay using your system, 3) Reconciliation — match payments received to invoices submitted, identify late payments, track plan-by-plan margin. Software setup: Xero ($13-$68/month) is the NDIS standard. Integrate ShiftCare + Xero so that invoices auto-import. Reconcile weekly against your participant ledger. Use an NDIS-specialist accountant ($1,500-$4,000/year) to file tax returns and advise on structure. Many providers lose thousands through poor reconciliation — prioritise weekly cash reconciliation over perfect categorisation.