SMSF and audit

SMSF Audit Back-Office Support

Audit files prepared, evidenced and ready for your sign-off

FIG. 07 — TICKMARKS AND REFERENCES
Overview

What we can take off your plate

For SMSF auditors who would rather spend their time auditing than chasing paperwork. We prepare the audit file to your templates: evidence organised and linked, balances and investments checked against source records, compliance checklists filled in and queries tracked. You keep the judgement, the independence and the signature.

  1. Permanent file and fund document organisation
  2. Electronic workpapers with linked evidence
  3. Investment holdings checked against registry and platform records
  4. Financial statement and member balance checks
  5. Compliance checklists completed to your templates
  6. Query and exception lists, followed up with the fund's accountant
  7. Draft management letters and completion documents
  8. A file ready for your review, judgement and sign-off
In detail

What a prepared file looks like

Evidence

Statements and balances linked to their source records and your audit schedules.

Investments

Holdings, income and market values confirmed against registry and platform information.

Compliance

Your checklists completed, with anything unusual written up for your assessment.

Queries

One list of what's missing, followed up with the fund's accountant until it is cleared.

Completion

Draft management letters and completion documents ready for your review.

Independence

Your audit work is kept separate from any fund accounting work, and the opinion is always yours.

Process

How the work runs

Every file reaches you in the same order with the evidence linked, so review is faster and nothing is missing. Extra capacity is there when the peak season arrives.

  1. STEP 01Receive the fund pack
  2. STEP 02Check it is complete
  3. STEP 03Prepare workpapers to your templates and instructions
  4. STEP 04Record exceptions and follow up queries
  5. STEP 05Hand the file back, ready for your review and opinion
Who it's for

SMSF auditors and audit firms who want more capacity, especially in peak season.

FAQs

SMSF Audit Back-Office Support FAQs

ASKED OFTEN · SMSF AUDIT BACK-OFFICE SUPPORT
Who signs the audit opinion?

You do. We do the preparation and follow-up. The judgement, the independence and the sign-off stay with you as the registered auditor.

Can you work to our templates?

Yes. We use your workpapers, checklists and instructions, so every file comes back the way you like it.

Which audit software do you use?

Whatever you use. We work in Cloudoffis, Class, BGL and similar platforms, inside your own setup.

How do you keep the work independent?

Audit preparation is kept separate from any accounting work on the same fund, and you decide what is tested and what is concluded.

How quickly will work come back to us?

You set the turnaround for each type of work when we start, and we stick to it. Because our working day runs on into your evening, most recurring work you send before you finish up is back, checked, by the next morning. Urgent jobs can be flagged and done the same day, and bigger jobs, like year-end files, run to a timetable we agree with you.

Can we have a dedicated team, or just pay for what we use?

Either. Pay as you go suits irregular or seasonal work: you're billed only for the hours actually worked. A dedicated team, full time or part time, works only on your files. Plenty of clients start on pay as you go and move to a dedicated team once their volumes settle.

Are we locked into a long contract?

No. There's no minimum lock-in, and you can grow or shrink your team on a month's notice. We review the terms with you as the arrangement settles in, and if something isn't working, we'd rather hear about it early and fix it.

Who will we deal with day to day?

One dedicated client manager, your single point of contact. They know your files, your deadlines and how you like things done, and they keep you posted without you having to chase. You can still talk directly to the people doing the work whenever that's easier.

Will the same people work on our files every time?

Yes. Your work goes to the same small team, so they get to know your clients, your checklists and your preferences, and you never have to explain things twice. If someone is on leave, a trained back-up who already knows your files steps in.

How will our data stay safe?

We're ISO 27001 certified for information security and ISO 9001 for quality. We work inside your systems with logins you control, so your files don't need to leave your environment. Access is limited to your team and protected by multi-factor sign-in, data is encrypted, everyone signs a confidentiality agreement, and we follow the Australian Privacy Principles. You can switch our access off at any time.

How do you make sure the work is right?

Three sets of eyes on every job: a preparer does the work to your procedures, a reviewer checks it, and an area manager owns the quality. Anything unclear comes back to you as a question, not a guess, and nothing is lodged or sent to your clients without your sign-off.

Can we start small?

Absolutely. Many clients begin with one task, like bank reconciliations or a weekly pay run, and add more once they're comfortable. We usually start with a short pilot so you can see the quality before handing over anything else.

What do you need from us to get started?

A short call so we understand your work, access to the systems you already use, and any checklists or procedures you have (if you don't have them written down, we'll write them up with you). Your client manager handles the rest of the set-up.

We already have an onshore team. How would this work alongside them?

We work with your team, not instead of them. Usually your people keep the client-facing and advisory work, and we take on the recurring preparation underneath it, so their time goes further. We agree who does what, use the same systems and checklists, and your team reviews and signs off.

We already outsource offshore. How would we move across to you?

Gently, and without a gap in service. We document how the work is done today, take over one piece of work at a time, and can run alongside your current provider for a cycle or two so nothing slips. Your files, templates and access stay in your systems, so moving across is a handover, not a rebuild.

What happens if someone in our team leaves?

Your procedures are written down and at least one other person already knows your files, so any handover happens on our side and you won't notice a change in quality.

Can we talk to you during our business hours?

Yes. Our day overlaps with your afternoon, so calls, questions and quick changes happen in your working hours, and the work keeps moving after you close up.

Will we keep our existing software and templates?

Yes. We work in your setup, with your software, your access and your templates. No new logins, no new habits.

Talk about audit support.

Tell us about your workload, current systems and the tasks you want to delegate. We will discuss the proposed scope, required access and next steps.

Talk to our team →