How to become a bookkeeper

Maintain and analyse balance sheets, ledgers, payroll documents, bills, receipts and other financial documentation.

Pathways to this career

  1. Complete a Certificate IV or a Diploma in Accounting and score an entry level role with your vocational bookkeeping course.
  2. Study the relevant GST and Business Activity units as part of your Certificate IV. As an alternative. you may have the option to tick these off under the supervision of a registered BAS agent.
  3. To register as a BAS agent yourself, apply to the Tax Practitioners Board. This enables you to charge a fee for conducting BAS services.

What does a bookkeeper do?

Bookkeepers maintain and evaluate records of financial transactions in account books and computerised accounting systems.

Duties and tasks

  • Calculate and dispense employee payroll and superannuation
  • Checked balances in ledgers and various transaction accounts
  • Create budget reports
  • Handle accounts payable and receivable
  • Manage financial records and balance accounts using a combination of computerised and manual systems
  • Monitor transaction records and alert management of any anomalies
  • Prepare invoices, financial statements and expenditure reports

Professional bodies

Related jobs

Discover accounting courses online

Undergraduate CUR-ACC-CTF-2023

Undergraduate Certificate in Accounting

Postgraduate GRF-MPA-GCE-2023

Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting

Postgraduate ECU-MPA-MAS-2023

Master of Professional Accounting

Discover online accounting subjects

Postgraduate UNE-AFM406-2023

Introductory Accounting

Undergraduate USA-ACCT3015-2023

Sustainability Accounting and Reporting

Undergraduate GRF-AFE114-2023

Small Business Accounting

We're here to guide you there

Our student advisors can assist you with enrolment, help you plan your studies, and answer questions about how studying through Open Universities Australia can get you from where you are today, to where you want to be tomorrow.

Talk to a student advisor

We'll be in touch to answer your questions.

Student advisor Jason Student advisor Maria Student advisor Peter

Usually replies in 30 mins