8 simple steps to take before End of Financial Year

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in May 2014 and has been reviewed and updated to provide the most relevant and accurate information. You will notice the renewed version now has 10 steps to take before EOFY.

Unlike many important things throughout 2023, the End of the Financial Year is an unchangeable phenomenon that will continue as expected. At Kilimanjaro, we understand how important it is for your business to be prepared and how critical it is to take the right steps in approaching this important time.  Below are ten simple things you can do to ease this process and enter the new year as a stronger business.

1. Read Kilimanjaro’s COVID-19 Updates page

We have dedicated ourselves to keeping our clients up-to-date with the latest news and support to help you manage your business processes during this time. On this page, you will find important guides on government schemes that will affect your business this EOFY, such as the JobKeeper Payments and Single Touch Payroll (STP), as well as the official MYOB Business Preparedness Reports and other useful information that can help your business navigate smoothly through this busy time. Find this insightful page here.

2. Forecast your Profits

If you are forecasting a profit for this Financial Year, be sure to plan well in advance to make purchases that could potentially reduce your tax liability. Speak to your accountant as there might be a chance to take advantage of write-offs, rebates and deductions.

3. Plan for your stocktake

Many businesses will avoid the annual stocktake because of the hassle involved. However, the stocktake is incredibly important to verify that your accounting systems are operating correctly. Think of it with the same importance as reconciling your bank accounts. If your system shows an inventory of $1mil, and the actual stock count is $800000, you have some investigating to do. What looks like a profit in your accounts may suddenly turn into a loss (or vice-versa) as you adjust your Cost of Goods account. Think about using a hand-held scanning system such as BLUE ECHIDNA to ease the pain of stocktaking. To understand more about the metrics that really matter, read how Netstock can take key metrics to indicate a company’s inventory health.

4. Make a system backup before rolling the month/year and take a second backup immediately after rolling.

This gives you a “recovery point”. Additionally, it gives you the ability to print out historical reports at any point in time. For example, when your accountant asks you in December for a stock valuation report as of 30th June, you can do this from your backup. Remember that retrospective stock valuation reports are usually inaccurate unless you run a FIFO system. Your accountant should also provide a backup copy to complete your tax returns. This is a good way to evaluate the backup data to ensure it is readable.

5. Consider other areas requiring End of Year attention

While the actual process of rolling MYOB Exo Business will set up a new financial year, the Analytics module requires a calendar to be set up independently.  A separate year-end is also required for the Assets (1) module.  It is also a good time to consider establishing and loading new budgets for the coming year.

(1) Assets now roll at the end of the year automatically as part of the 2018 product release.

6. Print Reports.

Creating a folder on your file server called something like “2020/21 Financial Reports” is a good idea. Most systems have a built-in PDF writer, so instead of printing your reports to paper, be kind to the environment and print to PDF. Save your suite of reports in the folder. This will save you hours over the next year or two when your financial institutions ask you for copies of Profit and Loss statements and Balance Sheets. Simply attach them to an e-mail and send them off when required.

7. Pay your super obligations by the End of the Financial Year

Even if the due date is in the next Financial Year, you won’t be able to claim this unless it has actually been paid.

8. Review your Chart of Accounts

If you will make any changes to your Chart of Accounts, the end of the financial year is a good time to do it. Speak to your ERP implementation partner to discuss the implications of comparative reports, such as “This Year / Last Year”.

9. Review your business processes

This is the ideal time to review your business processes and to look at replacing your ERP system if you have been thinking about it for a few years. It is always easier to start with a set of accounts that have been reconciled. Don’t go through another year with your old system if you can improve efficiency with a new one. You will be surprised at the rate of development in new software and how much it can help your business grow. When choosing the right ERP system for your business, remember to start by defining your requirements.  With technology rapidly advancing, you have the choice of on-premise, a hosted version or Software as a Service (SaaS).

10. Prepare a checklist

The end of the financial year is a busy period for most team members in your company. It is easy to forget about a step or procedure that will later cause issues.

Being prepared for the End of the Financial Year will allow your business to run efficiently through to the new financial year. Whether you are an MYOB Exo or MYOB Advanced user, we have got you covered. Register or sign up through the Training Portal to access your checklist now!

If you have any questions or need support, feel free to call us on 1300 857 464 (AU) or 0800 436 774 (NZ), and we will get in contact with you. Alternatively, save yourself time and download our EOFY checklists or visit our Everything You Need to Prepare for the EOFY page.