Australian Agency Chart of Accounts for QuickBooks (Reverse Charge + PSI)

A service agency on QuickBooks Online has a deceptively simple ledger that hides two traps: offshore software whose GST treatment depends on the vendor’s registration, and contractor payments that may carry superannuation. This is an Australian agency chart of accounts built for QuickBooks Online, mapped to the right GST codes for both. It comes as a readable reference (CSV) and a QuickBooks import CSV.

Import the structure, then map the codes

QuickBooks Online imports accounts with no tax column, so you import first and bulk-assign GST codes second from the mapping. For an agency the codes that matter sit on offshore software, client media, contractor costs, and recharged income, and the readable CSV gives each one.

Offshore software: registered or not

The treatment of an offshore subscription turns on whether the vendor is registered for Australian GST. Most large platforms now are and charge it, so the offshore software account maps to GST on non-capital. An unregistered offshore vendor falls under the reverse charge, where you self-assess 10% and claim the matching credit if entitled, netting to nil for a fully creditable agency. The account lists GST-free non-capital as the alternative and carries a note, so an offshore invoice with no Australian GST is not recorded as carrying a credit it lacks.

Client media and recharged income

Client media and ad spend sits in cost of sales on GST on non-capital, with a note that offshore ad platforms billing without Australian GST self-assess under the Division 84 reverse charge. Where you on-charge media, the recharge is your own taxable supply, so recharged media income gets its own account mapped to the sales code GST, kept separate from the pass-through cost. Netting the two distorts margin and GST alike.

Contractors, super, and PSI

Every freelancer invoice raises two questions. A labour-only contractor can attract the superannuation guarantee even when invoicing you, so the contractor account carries a note rather than assuming it is super-free, plus a reminder to verify the ABN against the 47% no-ABN withholding rule. And the home office account notes the personal services income rules, under which home-occupancy deductions are limited to employee level where they apply.

Fees and registration

Fee and commission income maps to the sales code GST. Registration is compulsory once turnover reaches A$75,000, after which the agency charges 10% on fees and the reverse-charge entries flow through the same BAS. Until that point a small agency may not be registered at all, in which case the purchase-side codes claim nothing and the offshore reverse charge does not apply, so the registration date is worth recording against the file. Once you cross the threshold, the self-assessed offshore entries and the GST on your own fees are reconciled on the one statement, which is why keeping the recharged-media and fee accounts distinct pays off at lodgement.

How to use it

1. Open the CSV: each account is mapped to its QuickBooks GST code, with alternatives and a note.
2. In QuickBooks Online, go to Settings, then Import data, then Chart of Accounts, and upload the CSV for the structure.
3. After import, use Batch actions, then Set default GST code, to apply the mapping.
4. Brief whoever processes bills that offshore invoices need a registration check and that recharged media is income.

An agency ledger is recurring subscriptions and contractor bills, which capture handles well:

• Dext extracts vendor invoices from email and photos.
• ExpenseFlow reads each invoice and receipt, extracts the line detail and currency, attaches the source, and posts it into QuickBooks Online, while flagging an offshore supplier that has not charged Australian GST and surfacing contractor payments so the super and PSI questions are raised.
• Hubdoc pulls recurring subscription invoices in.

Whether the PSI rules apply, and a contractor’s super status, are decisions for you or your accountant. For the detail, see the Australian agency expenses guide. On Xero instead? See the Australian agency chart of accounts for Xero.