p. 1 · DashboardKōwhai Café · Sep
September at a glance
Money in$48,210
Money out$39,870
Left over$8,340
GST to set aside$3,570
AprJunSep
Your whole month, on one page. Read by an accountant.
Most owners only see their real numbers once a year, when the accountant files the return. The briefing shows you every month, in plain words: how healthy the business is, where the money went, and exactly what to change.
Financial condition
Four vital signs. Green, amber or red.
The first thing on every briefing: a health check a doctor would recognise. Four numbers that tell you, in five seconds, whether the business is in good shape.
Kōwhai Café · sample data · September
Guided tour
How to read your briefing in 60 seconds.
Scroll through the five steps. The part of the briefing each step talks about lights up, with our accountant's mark-up in red.
- STEP 1
What came in, what went out
Four numbers at the top. Left over is what the business actually kept this month, before tax. The coloured tags compare each one with last month.
- STEP 2
Is it getting better?
Six months side by side. Dark bars are money in, light bars money out. A red bar means you spent more than you made that month, like June here.
- STEP 3
Where the money went
Your biggest costs, ranked, with their share of spending. A red dot is something that grew faster than it should, like stock this month.
- STEP 4
Your weak spots
Average sales by weekday against the dashed average line. The circled day is costing you money. Here, Tuesdays earn 46% less than an average day.
- STEP 5
Tax you already owe
Part of every sale is GST that belongs to Inland Revenue. The meter shows what you should have put aside against what you did. Short means a surprise bill later.
- THEN
Three things to change
Our accountant turns all of that into three actions, ranked, each with what it's worth to you. That's the part to act on.
The accountant's analysis
Every line, compared and explained.
Behind the dashboard sits the full analysis: each category this month against last month, its share of spending, and a note from our accountant wherever something needs attention. Switch months above and this table follows.
On the 5th of every month
Three pages land in your inbox.
Scroll to open this month's briefing.
p. 2 · Three things to changePriority
What our accountant would change
- 1Tuesdays earn 46% less than average.A Tuesday offer or shorter hours. Worth $600 to $900 a month.
- 2Subscriptions up 38% since July.Three new charges. Cancelling one saves about $120 a month.
- 3GST set-aside $620 short.Move it this week so the return isn't a surprise.
p. 3 · Ask-an-AccountantReport 1 of 2
"Can I claim my van?"
- Our answer
- Yes, the business share of it. A 90-day logbook sets that share for the next three years, unless your business use changes by more than 20%.
- For your numbers
- At 60% business use, about $4,080 a year of van costs become deductible.
- Next step
- Start the logbook on Monday. Confirm with your accountant.
Sample report · general information
Ask-an-Accountant · full report
A question gets a report, not a one-liner.
Two questions a month are included, about your briefing or anything in running the business. Each gets around 30 minutes of an accountant's time: we check your figures, look up the rules, compare your options and write it all up within three working days.
Ask-an-Accountant · report 1 of 2 · September
"Can I claim my van? I use it for supply runs, and on weekends."
Your question, restated
You use the van for supply runs during the week and privately at weekends. You want to know whether its costs are a business expense, how much of them, and what records you need.
Our answer
Yes, the business share of it. Vehicle costs are split between business and private use, and only the business share is deductible. For you that share looks like about 60%, which a logbook will confirm.
Why
Inland Revenue lets you set the business share with a logbook kept for a 90-day test period. That percentage then applies for three years, unless your use changes by more than 20%. If the van is owned by a company rather than by you, private use can also create fringe benefit tax, which changes the picture.
For your numbers
| Van costs, last 12 months | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fuel | $3,920 |
| Servicing and tyres | $1,240 |
| Insurance | $1,140 |
| Registration and WOF | $500 |
| Total running costs | $6,800 |
| Deductible at 60% business use | $4,080 |
Depreciation on the van itself is claimed at the same 60% on top of this.
Your options compared
| Method | What you keep |
|---|---|
| Actual costs Claim 60% of what the van really costs, plus depreciation | Logbook and every receipt |
| Kilometre rate Business kilometres times Inland Revenue's published rate (higher for the first 14,000 km a year, lower after), depreciation included. Open to you if you own the van; a company can use it only if it is a close company that opts out of fringe benefit tax. | Logbook of business trips, plus odometer readings showing when the van passes 14,000 km in the year |
You choose a method once for each vehicle, in the return for the year the van is bought or first used for business, and it can't be changed later. If you've already claimed actual costs for this van, you keep that method. Actual costs usually wins for an older van with high running costs; if the choice is still open, we'll run both with your logbook first.
Risks to watch
- If the company owns the van, weekend use can trigger fringe benefit tax.
- If you're GST-registered, claim GST only on the business share.
- Keep the logbook and receipts for seven years.
Next steps
- Start a 90-day logbook on Monday. Every trip: date, kilometres, reason.
- Keep fuel and service receipts in one folder. Photos are fine.
- Tell us who owns the van, you or the company, so we can check fringe benefit tax.
Check with your accountant
They file your return, so confirm the percentage and the depreciation rate with them before you claim.
How the month runs
Ten minutes of your time. The rest is ours.
- THE 1STEmail your export
Download your business bank transactions as CSV or Excel and email them to hello@myceo.co.nz by the 1st.
- DAYS 2 TO 4An accountant reads every line
Transactions are sorted into your categories, checked, and compared with last month and your trend.
- BY THE 5THYour briefing arrives
Health check, dashboard, analysis and three things to change. Growth and Partner plans also get a written review letter that walks through it.
- ANY TIMEAsk two questions
About your briefing or anything in the business. Each gets around 30 minutes of accountant time and a full written report within three working days.
For now, send your bank export as an email attachment to hello@myceo.co.nz by the 1st of each month. We'll confirm receipt in writing and let you know if anything is unclear before your briefing is due on the 5th. When the member portal opens, you'll be able to upload it there instead.
Once your briefing is done, we delete the emailed file from our inbox, on the schedule set out in our privacy policy. Please never send passwords or card numbers by email, to us or anyone else.
Start here
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Get a free written proposalhello@myceo.co.nz