A Sydney bookkeeper costs a median $92,650 a year in base salary, according to Robert Half. That is a big commitment to make on the strength of a friendly chat and a CV. These 20 questions, a short practical test and a registration check will tell you whether a candidate can actually run your books, or whether outsourced bookkeeping would serve you better.
Published: October 2026
Write down exactly what the role covers. Bookkeeping can mean data entry two days a week, or it can mean payroll, BAS, debtors and month-end reports. Our guide on how to write a bookkeeper job description helps you set the scope, and what a bookkeeper actually does each month shows a typical workload.
Then pick the questions below that match that scope.
1. Walk me through how you reconcile a bank account in Xero. A good answer covers bank rules, matching to invoices and bills, handling unmatched items and checking the reconciled balance against the bank statement. Listen for whether they check the statement balance, not just that the screen shows zero items.
2. How do you handle a supplier payment that covers three bills and a credit note? They should describe a batch or multiple-item match, not a manual journal.
3. What apps have you connected to Xero, and what went wrong with them? Real experience comes with real problems. Someone who has used receipt capture, payroll or ecommerce apps will have a story about duplicates or mapping errors.
4. How would you set up tracking categories for a business with three locations? This tests whether they think about reporting, not just data entry.
5. What do you check before a BAS is lodged? Look for: all accounts reconciled, GST codes reviewed, GST-free and input-taxed items checked, payroll figures matched to PAYG withholding, and a comparison with the last quarter.
6. A supplier invoice for $1,100 has no GST shown. How do you code it? They should ask whether the supplier is registered for GST and whether the invoice is a valid tax invoice, rather than assuming.
7. Are you a registered BAS agent? If not, who lodges your BAS? Only registered BAS or tax agents, or people working under their supervision and control, can provide BAS services for a fee. An employee preparing BAS for their own employer is different, but you still want to know who signs off. Our guide to what a BAS agent is explains the rules.
8. What happens if a BAS is lodged late? They should know that penalties and interest can apply, and that the fix is to lodge as soon as possible and talk to the ATO early.
9. What changed with super from 1 July 2026? Payday Super. Super is now paid each payday and must reach the employee's fund within 7 business days, according to the ATO. A candidate who still talks about quarterly super is behind.
10. How do you work out which award covers an employee? They should mention the duties performed and the Fair Work Ombudsman's tools, not the job title alone.
11. How do you process a termination pay? Look for unused annual leave, leave loading where it applies, notice and STP finalisation.
12. What is your check before you release a pay run? A good answer compares the pay run to the last one, checks new starters and changes, and reviews totals before approval.
13. What does your month-end checklist look like? They should be able to list it from memory: reconciliations, accruals, prepayments, payroll liabilities, GST, debtors and creditors reviews, and a profit and loss sense check.
14. How would you spot a fake supplier bank detail change? They should verify any change by calling a known phone number, never by replying to the email that asked for the change. Our guide to invoice fraud and payment redirection scams covers why this matters.
15. Who should approve payments, and who should load them? The answer is two different people. Anyone who is comfortable loading and approving their own payments is a control risk.
16. Tell me about a mistake you found in someone else's books. This shows how they review work and how they raise problems.
17. How would you explain a cash shortfall to a business owner?
18. How do you prioritise when payroll, BAS and a supplier query all land on the same day?
19. How do you document your processes in case you are away?
20. What would you need from me to do this job well?
For more question ideas tailored to your role, try our free interview questions generator.
Questions show what a candidate knows. A practical test shows what they do. Give them a demo Xero file, or a printed bank statement and a list of invoices and bills, and ask them to:
Score them on accuracy, the questions they ask and the clarity of their note.
Robert Half's 2026 data puts a Sydney bookkeeper at $81,750 at the 25th percentile, $92,650 at the median and $103,550 at the 75th percentile, before super. Add 12% super and the median comes to about $103,768 a year. Award minimums are lower: a Level 3 clerical employee under the Clerks Award earns at least $31.11 an hour from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, as shown in our Clerks Award reference for 2026-27.
A bad hire costs more than the salary. Our guide to the cost of a bad hire in Australia covers what goes wrong. If the interviews leave you unsure, the hire vs outsource calculator compares the full cost of hiring with an outsourced finance team that starts from $1,500 per month.
What questions should I ask a bookkeeper in an interview?
Ask about bank reconciliations in Xero, BAS checks, payroll and Payday Super, month-end routines and payment controls. Then give a short practical test.
How do I test a bookkeeper's skills?
Give them a demo Xero file or a bank statement and a set of invoices, ask them to reconcile and code them, and plant one error to see if they find it.
Does my bookkeeper need to be a registered BAS agent?
An employee preparing BAS for their own employer does not need to be registered. Anyone providing BAS services to your business for a fee must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board, or work under the supervision of someone who is.
How much does a bookkeeper earn in Sydney?
Robert Half's 2026 data shows a Sydney bookkeeper median base salary of $92,650, with a range of $81,750 to $103,550. Super at 12% sits on top.
What are red flags when hiring a bookkeeper?
Vague answers about BAS, no awareness of Payday Super, no checklist habit and a willingness to load and approve their own payments.
Should I hire a bookkeeper or outsource?
If the work fills a full-time role and needs someone on site, hiring can work. If it is part-time or you also need payroll, BAS and reporting, outsourcing usually costs less.
Book a 30-minute call at calendly.com/scalesuite/30min. We will review the role you are hiring for and give you a fixed monthly fee to compare it with.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance teams and fractional CFO services for Australian SMEs. We deliver weekly bookkeeping, payroll, BAS/IAS lodgement, cashflow reporting, management accounts, and strategic fractional CFO oversight, all as a fully embedded team that works inside your business.
CA-qualified, Xero Certified, and registered BAS Agents, we replace fragmented bookkeepers and once-a-year accountants with one responsive finance function at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires. We serve growing businesses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, with packages starting from $1,500 per month and no lock-in contracts.
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We review and check this guide periodically. At the time of writing (October 2026), all information was current. Scale Suite is a registered BAS Agent, not a licensed tax advisor or financial advisor. This content is general information only and does not constitute professional tax, financial, or legal advice. Some details may change over time.
All figures as at October 2026. Salary figures are base salary, ex super. Award rates are minimum adult rates for full-time and part-time employees.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance and HR services for Australian SMEs. We deliver bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll processing, fractional CFO support, recruitment, employee onboarding, people and culture support, and fractional HR oversight, all as a fully embedded team that works inside your business.
Employment Hero Gold Partner, CA-qualified, and Xero Certified, we replace fragmented finance and HR processes with one responsive, senior-level function at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires. We serve growing businesses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, with packages starting from $1,500 per month and no lock-in contracts.
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