How to get started with Xero (Australia)

 Welcome to Xero, before you can use Xero for your day-to-day transactions, you'll need to Setup Xero. Luckily Xero have created a Setup Guide in Xero to help you set up your organisation. This guide lists key information you should collect before you get started and provides you with some help along the way. This guide is for new subscribers to Xero Australia Business Editions or business just starting out on a business trial. ?If you don't have a Xero trial yet, you can signup here.

Xero setup time saving tips

It always helps to be prepared here are a 9 things you will need to get started.

  1. Legal name and ABN (Australian Business Number) of your organisation
  2. Financial year end for your organisation Most organisations in Australia use 30 June, but you can use something different.
  3. Activity Statement Settings for your organisation if registered (tax file number, accounting method, calculation and PAYG withheld period, PAYG income tax method and whether or not you claim fringe benefits, fuel tax credits and excise). This information will be in your Activity Statement, if you?ve filed one before.
  4. Logo, payment terms and a starting point for your invoice/credit note numbering sequence
  5. Email address of your accountant or bookkeeper or someone else to help set up your organisation (if you need help).
  6. Your chart of accounts or a list of categories to organise your accounts by (for example, Rent, Stationery, Sales)
  7. Your bank and credit card account numbers for accounts you want to set up in Xero
  8. Conversion date - The date you want to start using Xero for your day to day business. Conversion dates in Xero start on the 1st of a month. The month you choose will depend on how you currently manage your accounts and what data you want to bring across.
  9. Account balances - If you have balances to enter into Xero it?s better that you get them right at the start.Run reports from your previous accounting system for account balances as at the day before your Xero conversion date. If you don?t have reports, use the balances from your bank accounts or chart of accounts/categories.

Outstanding invoices, bills, credit notes and uncleared fundsYou may have outstanding invoices and credit notes from your previous accounting system. Use these to work out the amount owed to you and that you owe from your conversion dateIf you have uncleared funds (or unpresented cheques) - essentially the difference between your actual bank account balance, and balance in your previous accounting system - you'll also need this amount.

Xero Australian Setup guide

[embed]https://vimeo.com/70077563[/embed]If you need further help Xero have published a detailed setup guide or our Certified Xero Advisors can help just drop us an email at support@cfospot.com.Just in case you are wondering - if you are on a Xero Trial you can convert to a full paid version at any time. You will also notice that we have created a cfospot.com user, if you have any trouble over the support period we can access Xero using that login. If you prepare we can remove that user name at the end of the trial just let us know.Enjoy Xero.