Years behind, sorted in weeks. Here's exactly how.
Three real catch-up engagements - the mess we started with, the work we did, and what the client ended up with. Client names and identifying details have been changed. Figures are representative of the actual engagements.
Case study 1
The carpenter who crossed the GST threshold without knowing
"Dave" - subcontract carpenter, Western Sydney
Five years behind
11,400 transactions
Backdated GST registration
Delivered in 3 weeks
The situation
Dave had been on an ABN since 2020 but hadn't lodged a single return. A divorce, a house move and a lost laptop meant his records were scattered across three bank accounts and two closed credit cards. By the time he came to us he had five years of overdue returns, ATO letters he'd stopped opening, and a growing suspicion he'd gone over the GST threshold "at some point" without ever registering.
He was right. His turnover crossed $75,000 in FY2024, which meant he'd been legally required to register for GST partway through the year - and to lodge quarterly BAS ever since.
What we did
Week 1
Data in, first pass done
Dave gave us PDF statements for all five accounts, downloaded through his banking apps in one evening. Our pipeline converted and categorised 11,400 transactions across five financial years. By the end of the first pass, roughly 90% of transactions were fully categorised - income, materials, tools, fuel, insurance, subcontractor payments - with the remaining unknowns queued for review.
Week 2
One meeting to close the gaps
Rather than emailing Dave hundreds of one-line questions, we booked a single 45-minute video call and walked through the exception queue together. Most unknowns resolved in seconds ("that's the tile supplier, that's my ex's car rego - personal"). One meeting took us from 90% to 100%.
Weeks 2-3
GST backdated, BAS lodged, returns finalised
We registered Dave for GST backdated to the correct date in FY2024, prepared and lodged 4 quarterly BAS for the affected period, and claimed input tax credits on his ute running costs, tools and materials - which offset a substantial share of the GST he owed on income. We then lodged all five income tax returns, applying the logbook method on his ute, depreciation on tools and equipment, and home office claims for his quoting and admin work.
The outcome
5 years of returns and 4 quarterly BAS lodged in 3 weeks from first statement upload
GST position on the backdated period largely offset by input tax credits Dave didn't know he could claim
Failure-to-lodge penalties remitted in full after a voluntary disclosure submission
Remaining ATO debt placed on an affordable fortnightly payment plan
Dave now lodges on time, every time - with a bookkeeping rhythm that takes him 20 minutes a month
"I thought this would take six months and cost me the ute. Three weeks and one Zoom call later it was done."
Name changed for privacy.
Case study 2
The rideshare driver who should have been GST-registered from day one
"Priya" - rideshare and delivery driver
Four years behind
3 platforms + 2 bank accounts
GST from dollar one
Delivered in 2 weeks
The situation
Priya drove for two rideshare platforms and delivered for a food app on the side. Her turnover never went near $75,000 - so she assumed GST didn't apply to her. Unfortunately, rideshare is one of the exceptions: taxi travel (including rideshare) requires GST registration from the first dollar earned, regardless of turnover.
Four years in, a platform notification about ATO data-matching sent her looking for help. She arrived with four years of unlodged returns, no GST registration, and a genuine fear that the penalties would wipe out her savings.
What we did
Days 1-4
Everything categorised, 90% on the first pass
Priya exported platform earning summaries and four years of statements from her two bank accounts - around 6,800 transactions. Our categorisation pipeline matched platform payouts to deposits, separated business fuel from personal spending, and flagged the genuinely ambiguous items. First pass: 90%+ complete.
Day 5
The unknowns meeting
One 30-minute phone call to walk the exception list. The big win from that call: Priya mentioned a car loan we could see repayments for but no paperwork - which unlocked interest deductions and a depreciation claim on the vehicle across all four years.
Days 6-14
Backdated registration, BAS, and returns
We registered Priya for GST backdated to her first rideshare trip, then prepared and lodged 4 quarterly BAS covering the most recent year (with earlier periods handled through the annual reporting concessions available to her). Input tax credits on fuel, servicing, insurance, platform fees and the business-use share of her car purchase substantially reduced the net GST payable. Her income tax returns used the logbook method, phone and data apportionment, and depreciation to bring taxable income down materially in every year.
The outcome
4 years of tax returns and 4 quarterly BAS lodged in 2 weeks
Net GST payable far lower than feared once input tax credits were claimed
Penalties remitted on the basis of voluntary disclosure and an honest mistake about the rideshare GST rules
Two of the four income tax years actually produced refunds, which were offset against the GST debt - shrinking the payment plan before it started
"I put this off for four years because I thought the answer would ruin me. The actual number was a third of what I'd imagined."
Name changed for privacy.
Case study 3
The freelance designer with three businesses tangled in one account
"Marcus" - freelance designer, print seller and consultant
Six years behind
19,600 transactions
Threshold crossed twice
Delivered in 3 weeks
The situation
Marcus ran a freelance design practice, sold prints online, and did occasional consulting - all through one personal bank account, plus a PayPal account and a credit card. Six years of business and personal life were interleaved in roughly 19,600 transactions. His turnover had crossed the GST threshold in FY2022, dipped below it, and crossed again in FY2025 - and he'd never registered.
He'd been quoted "at least three months, probably more" by two other firms before finding us.
What we did
Week 1
19,600 transactions, 90% categorised on the first pass
This is exactly the volume our pipeline is built for. All three sources were converted, merged and categorised within days. Recurring patterns - software subscriptions, print supplier payments, client deposits - were locked in automatically. The exception queue held about 9% of transactions, mostly transfers between his own accounts and a cluster of ambiguous marketplace fees.
Week 2
Two short meetings instead of one
With six years and three income streams, we split the unknowns review into two 40-minute sessions so nothing was rushed. Between them, Marcus surfaced a home studio we didn't know about - adding occupancy and running cost claims across all six years.
Weeks 2-3
GST strategy, BAS, and six returns
We registered Marcus for GST backdated to the FY2022 crossing, prepared and lodged 4 quarterly BAS for the current registration period, and dealt with the historical exposure through voluntary disclosure - the approach the ATO treats most favourably. On the income tax side: home studio claims, equipment depreciation, software and subscription deductions, and correct treatment of his print inventory brought his taxable income down significantly in the high-earning years.
The outcome
6 years of returns, backdated GST registration and 4 quarterly BAS - lodged in 3 weeks (versus the 3+ months quoted elsewhere)
19,600 transactions fully categorised, with only two short meetings needed from Marcus
A clean three-entity picture of his income streams that his new bookkeeping setup now maintains automatically
"Two firms told me months. TaxNudge told me three weeks. I didn't believe them until week three."
Name changed for privacy.
The method
Why these engagements move this fast
Every TaxNudge catch-up follows the same rhythm.
1
Statements in, pipeline on
We handle 20,000+ transactions per engagement - PDFs straight from your banking app are fine.
2
90% done on the first pass
Our categorisation engine and review process resolve the vast majority of transactions before we ever need your time.
3
One meeting (sometimes two) for the unknowns
A short, focused call replaces months of email back-and-forth.
4
Lodge, minimise, negotiate
Backdated GST handled properly, every legitimate deduction claimed, penalties challenged through voluntary disclosure, and payment plans structured around what you can actually afford.
