Finance Function

Your outsourced finance function,
built to run like an in-house team

From day-to-day bookkeeping to strategic finance support, CFO Pilot delivers the financial rigour of a full finance department — scaled to what your business actually needs.

Bookkeeping

Strong financial leadership depends on accurate, up-to-date books. Our bookkeeping service ensures your transactions are properly recorded, reconciled, and ready for reporting. No surprises at month-end or year-end — just dependable financial data.

What's included

  • Day-to-day transaction processing and coding
  • Bank and credit card reconciliations
  • Accounts payable and receivable management
  • GST and BAS preparation
  • Month-end close procedures
  • Integration with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks

How it works

  • You connect your bank feeds and share receipts
  • We set up your chart of accounts and coding rules
  • We handle month-end close and deliver reconciled books
  • You receive clean, report-ready financials

Expected outcomes

01
Accurate, timely financial records
02
Reduced month-end stress and faster close cycles
03
Clean data foundation for reporting and decision-making
04
Compliance confidence for BAS and audit requirements

Payroll

Payroll errors cost more than time — they erode trust, trigger compliance risk, and disrupt cash flow. We manage your payroll end-to-end so every employee and contractor is paid correctly and on time, every cycle.

What's included

  • Employee and contractor pay run processing
  • Single Touch Payroll (STP Phase 2) reporting
  • Leave entitlement tracking and management
  • Superannuation calculation and payment
  • PAYG withholding and payroll tax monitoring
  • Employee onboarding and offboarding support

Why it matters

  • STP non-compliance draws ATO scrutiny
  • Award interpretation errors create underpayment risk
  • Late super attracts SGC penalties and interest
  • Correct payroll tax lodgements across state boundaries

Expected outcomes

01
Accurate, on-time pay runs — every cycle
02
Full STP Phase 2 compliance
03
Reduced risk of ATO penalties and employee disputes
04
Clear visibility of payroll cost against budget

Finance Support

Growing businesses need more than accurate books — they need financial insight to drive confident decisions. Our finance support service delivers experienced financial management without the full-time overhead.

What's included

  • Monthly management reporting with commentary
  • Budgeting, forecasting and scenario modelling
  • Cash flow monitoring and 13-week forecasting
  • KPI development, tracking and dashboards
  • Board and investor reporting packs
  • Variance analysis and performance reviews

Who this suits

  • Businesses that have outgrown basic bookkeeping
  • Founders needing financial rigour to support growth
  • Boards requiring regular, reliable reporting
  • PE and investor-backed businesses needing CFO-level support

Expected outcomes

01
Decision-ready reporting — not just numbers
02
Forward visibility on cash, margin and performance
03
CFO-level insight at a fraction of the full-time cost
04
Board confidence backed by reliable financial data

R&D Tax Incentives

Australia's R&D Tax Incentive is one of the most generous programs in the world — but claiming it correctly requires careful documentation and technical precision. We help eligible businesses identify, structure and claim their R&D activities with confidence.

What's included

  • Eligibility assessment against ATO and AusIndustry criteria
  • Core and supporting activity identification
  • Technical documentation and contemporaneous records
  • R&D expenditure calculation and allocation
  • AusIndustry registration and ATO claim preparation
  • Ongoing compliance and ATO review support

Key considerations

  • Not all innovation qualifies — activity scoping matters
  • Contemporaneous documentation is the ATO's primary requirement
  • AusIndustry registration deadlines are strict
  • Cash refunds or tax offsets up to 43.5% for eligible entities

Expected outcomes

01
Maximised R&D cash refund or tax offset
02
Defensible claims backed by complete documentation
03
Reduced ATO review and audit exposure
04
Ongoing claim optimisation as your R&D program evolves

Tax

Tax compliance shouldn't be a year-end scramble. We keep your obligations current, your structures optimal, and your risk managed — so you're never caught off guard by the ATO.

What's included

  • Income tax returns — companies, trusts and individuals
  • Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) return preparation
  • Tax effect accounting and deferred tax
  • ATO liaison and correspondence management
  • Year-round tax planning and structuring advice
  • Trust distribution strategies and resolutions

How we approach it

  • Proactive lodgement planning — no last-minute scrambles
  • Tax position reviewed quarterly, not just at year-end
  • Risk-sensitive — we don't chase aggressive positions
  • Plain-language explanations at every step

Expected outcomes

01
On-time lodgements with no penalties or interest
02
Proactive tax planning that reduces your annual liability
03
Structures that are defensible and ATO-compliant
04
Clear visibility of your tax position throughout the year