# Simple But Different — Manager.io annual EOFY playbook

Use this checklist every financial year. It is written for the Simple But Different sole-trader business, SellerSync as the sales/inventory source, Manager.io as the accounting ledger, and an Australian financial year ending 30 June.

Before starting Manager.io entry, complete the [SellerSync annual EOFY preparation guide](./SellerSync-Annual-EOFY-Preparation-Guide.md). That companion guide controls source-data completion, SellerSync reconciliation, database checkpointing, final tax-pack generation and the handoff into this playbook.

This is a bookkeeping workflow, not a substitute for advice from a registered tax agent. Recheck tax rates and ATO methods each year because they can change.

## 1. Permanent accounting rules

1. SellerSync is the detailed source for orders, sales, refunds, FIFO cost of goods sold, stock value and actual order postage.
2. Manager.io is the financial ledger and bank-reconciliation record.
3. Do not record the same sale twice. If SellerSync sales have been posted through monthly platform-clearing journals, imported marketplace bank receipts are allocated to the relevant clearing account, not directly to Product Sales.
4. Keep bank reconciliation separate from sales reconciliation:
   - bank reconciliation proves Manager agrees with the bank statement;
   - platform reconciliation proves marketplace sales, fees, refunds and payouts agree with SellerSync and the marketplace reports.
5. Business costs paid personally by the owner are owner-funded business transactions. Record the business cost or asset and credit Owner Contributions, normally through Expense Claims.
6. Personal costs paid from a business bank account are Owner Drawings, not business expenses.
7. Transfers between business bank accounts are Inter Account Transfers, not income, expenses, contributions or drawings.
8. Use `No tax` while the business is not registered for GST. If GST registration changes, obtain tax advice and update this rule before entering transactions.
9. Never force a clearing account, Suspense or bank reconciliation to zero without identifying the real transaction source.
10. Keep receipt images, supplier invoices, platform reports, statements and calculation workpapers for every adjustment.

## 2. Do not create a new business file every year

For the next normal year, continue in the existing Manager business after the prior year is finalised and locked. Manager can hold multiple financial years.

Create a new Manager business only for a deliberate clean rebuild or migration. A rebuild requires separately verified opening balances for every bank, clearing account, receivable, payable, inventory balance, prepaid asset, fixed asset, liability and equity account.

Before starting the new year:

- save a verified `EOFY FINAL` Manager backup;
- set the lock date to the finalised 30 June;
- start entering the new year in the same business;
- never restore an older snapshot over the live final file.

## 3. Accounts that should exist

Names can vary slightly, but the functions must remain separate.

### Income

- Product Sales
- Postage Charged
- Interest Received

### Contra-income

- Sales Returns

### Expenses

- Cost of Goods Sold
- Marketplace Fees
- Postage/Freight Out
- Packaging/Shipping Supplies
- Software Subscriptions/Website Hosting
- Bank Charges
- Business Registration/Regulatory Fees
- Repairs and Maintenance
- Small Tools and Equipment
- Inventory Adjustments/Stocktake
- Home Office Running Expenses, when applicable
- Home Occupancy Expenses, only when applicable

### Current assets

- SellerSync Inventory
- Australia Post Credit, for unused stamps and prepaid postage value
- Prepaid Expenses, for genuine unexpired services not immediately expensed
- one bank/cash account for each real account, including PayPal when it holds money
- separate marketplace clearing accounts for Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Woo/direct sales as applicable
- Postage Clearing
- Inter Account Transfers

### Equity

- Owner Contributions
- Owner Drawings

Do not delete an account merely because it has no current balance. Mark it inactive if it is valid historically but no longer used. Delete only empty, unused accounts with no transaction history.

## 4. Prepare source data and backups

Follow the [SellerSync annual EOFY preparation guide](./SellerSync-Annual-EOFY-Preparation-Guide.md) for the detailed steps in this section. Do not start the Manager.io imports below until its completion checklist and final-pack handoff are complete.

Create one year folder before starting, using this structure:

```text
exports/YYYY-YYYY/
  01-source-statements/
  02-sellersync-tax-pack/
    final/
    superseded/
  03-manager-import-batches/
  04-manager-checkpoints/
    final/
    milestones/
    legacy-source/
  05-final-reports/
  06-audits-and-handoffs/
```

Keep the live SellerSync database at the repository root. Put dated database checkpoints and repair copies under `data/backups/YYYY-YYYY/`, not in the export folder. Keep only the current authoritative pack under `02-sellersync-tax-pack/final`; move test and pre-repair packs to `superseded` rather than mixing them with final evidence.

Before importing anything:

1. Back up the live SellerSync database.
2. Repair known SellerSync data errors before generating the final pack.
3. Generate the SellerSync EOFY tax/export pack for 1 July through 30 June.
4. Save complete statements for every business money account:
   - Macquarie Transaction;
   - Macquarie Savings;
   - PayPal;
   - any new bank, card or wallet opened during the year.
5. Save marketplace transaction, fee, payout, refund and postage-label reports for Amazon, eBay, Etsy and other active platforms.
6. Save the 30 June stock-value report and warnings report.
7. Save a Manager backup before every major import or batch update.
8. Copy every final Manager report into `05-final-reports`, including Trial Balance, Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, General Ledger, bank reconciliations, aged receivables/payables and supporting asset/control schedules.

Recommended Manager snapshot names:

```text
YYYY-YY - BEFORE PURCHASE IMPORT.manager
YYYY-YY - PURCHASES VERIFIED.manager
YYYY-YY - BANK STATEMENTS IMPORTED.manager
YYYY-YY - SALES AND COGS POSTED.manager
YYYY-YY - CLEARING ACCOUNTS RECONCILED.manager
YYYY-YY - BANK ACCOUNTS RECONCILED.manager
YYYY-YY - EOFY FINAL.manager
```

## 5. Confirm the opening position

If continuing the same Manager business, run the prior-year final reports and confirm the locked balances carried forward automatically.

If rebuilding in a new business, verify all opening balances before importing current-year activity:

- each bank and wallet agrees with its 30 June statement;
- accounts receivable agrees with the aged-receivables schedules;
- accounts payable agrees with the aged-payables schedules;
- SellerSync Inventory agrees with SellerSync closing stock;
- Australia Post Credit agrees with unused postage value physically or electronically held;
- Prepaid Expenses agrees with an itemised schedule;
- fixed assets agree by asset, cost and accumulated depreciation;
- owner contributions, drawings and retained earnings agree with the prior final file;
- Trial Balance debits equal credits;
- Suspense is zero.

Do not continue until opening differences are explained.

## 6. Import SellerSync purchase invoices

1. Import the annual SellerSync purchase-invoice batch into Manager.
2. Post stock purchases to SellerSync Inventory, not directly to Cost of Goods Sold.
3. Confirm every supplier maps to the correct Manager supplier.
4. Compare:
   - invoice count;
   - total invoice value;
   - unique purchase-order references;
   - duplicate and unmapped records.
5. Do not import zero-value stock-adjustment control rows as supplier invoices.

### Allocate supplier payments

- Business-bank payments: allocate to Accounts Payable, the supplier and the specific purchase invoice.
- A bank payment covering business and personal items: split between Accounts Payable and Owner Drawings.
- Purchase invoices paid personally: settle Accounts Payable against Owner Contributions. If Manager requires invoice allocation, use a balanced journal with the supplier and purchase invoice selected.
- Verify all imported purchase invoices are settled or have a documented genuine balance at 30 June.

## 7. Post monthly sales through clearing accounts

For each platform and month, use SellerSync's Manager monthly platform-clearing schedule.

The normal structure is:

- debit the platform clearing account for gross amounts owed by the platform;
- credit Product Sales;
- credit Postage Charged where charged to customers;
- debit Sales Returns for refunds or reversals;
- debit Marketplace Fees for marketplace charges;
- use the platform reports to capture any amount not contained in SellerSync.

When payouts reach the bank:

- debit the bank account;
- credit the relevant platform clearing account.

Do not post the payout to Product Sales again.

At year end, every platform clearing balance must either:

- be zero; or
- agree to a specific unsettled platform balance at 30 June, supported by the detailed aged-receivables or platform balance report.

## 8. Post FIFO cost of goods sold and closing stock

1. Import the 12 monthly SellerSync FIFO COGS journals:
   - debit Cost of Goods Sold;
   - credit SellerSync Inventory.
2. Compare the annual journal total with SellerSync's unrounded annual FIFO control. Avoid summing already-rounded invoice values when SellerSync provides a more accurate annual control.
3. Reconcile inventory:

```text
Opening SellerSync Inventory
+ inventory purchases
- FIFO cost of goods sold
+/- stocktake and valuation adjustments
= SellerSync stock value at 30 June
```

4. Post the final stocktake difference separately to Inventory Adjustments/Stocktake and SellerSync Inventory.
5. Retain the stock-value report, FIFO COGS report and warnings report.

## 9. Reconcile postage without duplication

SellerSync's order postage is the source of Postage/Freight Out for sales orders.

Monthly postage journal:

- debit Postage/Freight Out for SellerSync actual order postage;
- credit confirmed marketplace-label sources where separately tracked;
- credit Postage Clearing for the balance funded through banks, prepaid postage or other sources.

Then allocate funding sources to Postage Clearing:

- Australia Post and MyPost business-bank payments;
- refunds or credits received;
- confirmed marketplace postage-label charges;
- Australia Post Credit consumed during the year.

### Stamps and Australia Post Credit

- Unused stamps or prepaid postage are an asset in Australia Post Credit.
- Stamps used on SellerSync orders must not be expensed a second time because SellerSync already recorded the delivery cost.
- Owner-card purchases of stamps still unused at 30 June are entered through an Expense Claim to Australia Post Credit, with `No tax`.
- At year end, Australia Post Credit must agree to the unused postage value actually held.
- Postage Clearing must be zero unless a supported timing difference remains.

## 10. Import and classify bank and wallet statements

Import one complete statement per account for the exact financial year. Preserve a unique import reference for every source row.

After import, confirm for each account:

- row count;
- total receipts;
- total payments;
- opening balance;
- net movement;
- closing balance;
- no missing or duplicated rows.

Classify transactions using these rules:

| Transaction | Manager treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Marketplace payout already in sales journals | Relevant platform clearing account |
| Supplier invoice payment | Accounts Payable and specific invoice |
| Business postage payment already in postage journals | Postage Clearing |
| Bank interest | Interest Received |
| Bank fee | Bank Charges |
| Transfer between business accounts | Inter Account Transfer |
| Owner puts personal money into business | Owner Contributions |
| Business money used personally | Owner Drawings |
| Personal investment such as Pepperstone or Moomoo | Owner Drawings when paid from business funds |
| Business software or hosting | Software Subscriptions/Website Hosting, subject to prepayment rules |
| Packaging such as envelopes or a parcel sealer | Packaging/Shipping Supplies or Small Tools and Equipment, according to the item |
| Laptop repair part | Repairs and Maintenance, unless it creates a new asset or major improvement |

Do not assume an account is personal merely because the bank calls it “Personal Savings.” Classify the actual transactions and business use.

## 11. Record owner-funded business costs

Use Manager's Expense Claims feature for receipts paid from the owner's personal card, personal bank account or personal cash.

1. If the tab is hidden, enable Expense Claims under Settings/Tabs (or Customize in an older Manager version).
2. Go to Settings → Expense Claim Payers and create `Owner – Ekke`.
3. Open Expense Claims and create one Expense Claim per receipt, or a clearly supported grouped claim.
4. Use the real purchase date, supplier/payee, description, business account and `No tax`.
5. Do not select a business bank account because no business-bank money moved.
6. After all claims are entered, clear the Expense Claims liability:
   - debit Expense Claims;
   - credit Owner Contributions.
7. Confirm Expense Claims returns to zero if reimbursement is not intended.

Split mixed purchases and record only the business portion. Retain the receipt and the business-use calculation.

[Manager.io's expense-claim guide](https://www2.manager.io/guides/6898) confirms that expense claims are used for business costs paid personally and that a sole proprietor can clear them to owner's equity.

## 12. Prepaid services and multi-year subscriptions

At each EOFY, review every balance in Prepaid Expenses. The schedule must show supplier, payment date, original amount, service start/end dates, amounts previously expensed, current-year treatment and remaining balance.

For Australian tax, prepaid expenditure under $1,000 excluding claimable GST credits can be excluded from the normal spreading rules, subject to the ordinary deduction requirements. The 12-month rule is separate. Do not use an incorrect unit such as dividing months by weeks.

For an accounting apportionment, use consistent days or months over the genuine service period. For tax, confirm whether an immediate deduction applies and whether a prior return must be amended for a missed deduction.

[ATO prepaid-expense guidance](https://www.ato.gov.au/forms-and-instructions/deductions-for-prepaid-expenses-2022/general-information-about-prepaid-expenses)

## 13. Home-based business costs

Choose one running-cost method each year and document it.

### Fixed-rate method

For 2025–26, the ATO rate is 70 cents per actual hour worked from home. Recheck the rate for every later year.

The fixed rate covers:

- electricity and gas;
- internet usage;
- mobile and home telephone usage;
- stationery and computer consumables.

Do not separately claim those covered costs when using the fixed rate. Retain a record of actual hours worked and evidence that the covered costs were incurred.

Manager Expense Claim:

- date: 30 June;
- payer: Owner – Ekke;
- payee: `Home-based business running costs` entered as Other;
- description: `YYYY-YY home business — [hours] hours × [ATO rate]`;
- account: Home Office Running Expenses;
- tax: No tax.

### Actual-cost method

Use the actual business portion of electricity, gas, internet and telephone bills, supported by a reasonable calculation. Enter the real utility company as payee. Do not also use the fixed hourly rate.

### Council rates and other occupancy costs

Council/water rates, rent, mortgage interest, land tax and home insurance are occupancy costs. A business proportion is generally available only when part of the home genuinely has the character of a place of business. Apportion by reasonable floor area and time.

Claiming or being entitled to claim occupancy costs can affect the main-residence CGT exemption. Obtain tax advice before entering these costs.

- utility actual-cost payee: the supplier on the bill;
- council/water payee: the authority on the notice;
- fixed-rate payee: Home-based business running costs.

[ATO home-based business guidance](https://www.ato.gov.au/api/public/content/0-8551e46a-7b10-44c9-b5b4-7fc8bd0c32d5) and [ATO home-business CGT guidance](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/income-deductions-and-concessions/income-and-deductions-for-business/deductions/deductions-for-home-based-business-expenses/home-based-business-and-cgt-implications)

## 14. Review fixed assets and repairs

For every equipment purchase, determine whether it is:

- a repair that restores an existing asset;
- a consumable or small tool;
- a new depreciating asset;
- an improvement that must be capitalised.

Update the fixed-asset register for additions, disposals and depreciation. Do not post software subscriptions to Computer Equipment merely because they are used on a computer.

## 15. Clear control accounts

Run a Trial Balance at 30 June and investigate every control account.

Expected year-end result:

| Account | Required result |
| --- | --- |
| Suspense | Zero |
| Inter Account Transfers | Zero |
| Postage Clearing | Zero or supported timing item |
| Woo/direct clearing | Zero or supported timing item |
| Amazon/eBay/Etsy clearing | Agrees to platform balance or aged receivable |
| Accounts Receivable | Agrees to aged receivables |
| Accounts Payable | Agrees to aged payables |
| Expense Claims | Zero after transfer to Owner Contributions, unless genuinely reimbursable |
| Prepaid Expenses | Agrees to detailed prepaid schedule |
| Australia Post Credit | Agrees to unused postage held |
| SellerSync Inventory | Agrees to SellerSync closing stock |

Never use Suspense as a permanent account.

## 16. Create bank reconciliations

Create one Bank Reconciliation per bank or wallet account:

1. If the tab is hidden, enable Bank Reconciliations under Settings/Tabs.
2. Open Bank Reconciliations.
3. Click New Bank Reconciliation.
4. Select the account.
5. Enter 30 June as the date.
6. Enter the statement closing balance.
7. Create the reconciliation.
8. Require discrepancy `0.00` and status `Reconciled`.

If the discrepancy is not zero, find missing, duplicate, mistimed or incorrectly allocated statement transactions. Do not alter a valid statement balance to force reconciliation.

[Manager.io bank-reconciliation guide](https://www.manager.io/guides/bank-reconciliations)

## 17. Final reports and verification pack

After every adjustment is complete, export as at 30 June:

- Trial Balance;
- Profit and Loss Statement for the full year;
- Balance Sheet;
- General Ledger Transactions;
- Bank Reconciliation reports if available;
- Aged Receivables by platform and consolidated;
- Aged Payables;
- Inventory Value/Stock-on-Hand report;
- fixed-asset schedule;
- prepaid-expense schedule;
- Australia Post Credit/stamps schedule;
- Expense Claims Summary if used;
- SellerSync final EOFY export pack and reconciliation-issues report.

Final tests:

- Trial Balance debits equal credits;
- all bank reconciliations show zero discrepancy;
- bank balances equal statements;
- SellerSync sales/returns/postage/COGS/stock agree with Manager controls;
- all unexpected clearing, receivable, payable and suspense balances are zero;
- owner contributions and drawings include all personal/business crossovers;
- the Profit and Loss result is plausible compared with SellerSync and the prior year;
- every manual adjustment has a reference, narration and supporting calculation.

## 18. Finalise, back up and lock

1. Save `Simple But Different YYYY-YY - EOFY FINAL.manager`.
2. Keep the pre-final and final backups; do not overwrite the only rollback point.
3. Store the reports and source statements beside the final backup.
4. Update the annual status/handoff document with final controls and unresolved tax-return items.
5. Go to Settings → Lock Date and set Manager's lock date to 30 June only after all reports have been reviewed.
6. Record any later change as a documented post-final adjustment and issue a new final backup.

## 19. Short next-year checklist

```text
[ ] Back up SellerSync and Manager
[ ] Correct SellerSync data and regenerate final EOFY pack
[ ] Save all bank, PayPal and marketplace statements
[ ] Verify prior-year opening position
[ ] Import and verify purchase invoices
[ ] Allocate business and owner-paid supplier payments
[ ] Post monthly platform sales/returns/fees journals
[ ] Post monthly FIFO COGS
[ ] Post closing stock adjustment
[ ] Post monthly SellerSync postage journals
[ ] Reconcile Postage Clearing and Australia Post Credit
[ ] Import and classify every bank/wallet statement
[ ] Reconcile every marketplace clearing account
[ ] Enter owner-funded expenses and clear Expense Claims
[ ] Review subscriptions and prepaid expenses
[ ] Calculate home-office costs without double claiming
[ ] Review fixed assets, repairs and depreciation
[ ] Clear Suspense and all unsupported control balances
[ ] Create 30 June bank reconciliations
[ ] Export final financial and supporting reports
[ ] Save EOFY FINAL backup and set lock date
```