Bizally Review 2026: Accounting Packages, Bookkeeping Add-Ons and 3 Melbourne Alternatives

Quick Take

• Bizally is suited for owners wanting accounting and SMSF advice from one long-established firm. Published packages start from $180 per month (ex GST), with BAS, payroll and bookkeeping priced as add-ons.
• True Ledger Accounting is the best for sole traders, freelancers, and tight budgets. A CPA-led practice charging one fixed monthly fee, with no hourly billing.
• Optium Accountants is suited for individuals and owners wanting fast tax return turnaround, from a Clifton Hill team that says most individual returns are completed within a few hours.
• PMCA Advisory is suited for CBD businesses wanting forecasting and accountability support from a principal with 25+ years in practice.
• Every firm here quotes differently, so compare what sits inside the monthly fee and what gets billed on top before you sign anything.

Bizally earns its fee if you want a long-running Blackburn South firm that bundles your annual returns, tax planning and a Xero subscription into one published monthly fee, with SMSF accounting under the same roof. It suits established owners who are happy in Xero; it suits you less if you need BAS and payroll included in the base price.

Bizally's add-ons, not its headline package prices, set the real monthly cost for most employers, and the three Melbourne alternatives below structure their fees in quite different ways.

Bizally at a Glance

Bizally traces its roots to 1979, when Clive Morris opened an accounting practice in Blackburn South. The firm adopted the Bizally name in 2015 and, in mid-2023, acquired the accounting division of Hayes Girling Financial.

Directors Ben Stokes and Nigel Mason now lead a team of around a dozen, including two SMSF accountants. The firm describes itself on its site as a Xero Gold Partner, and its packages include the monthly Xero subscription.

Bizally lists five industries under its "Services by industry" heading:

• Restaurants and cafes
• Trades and construction
• Hair and beauty
• Professional services
• Wholesalers

Bizally offers new clients a free chat or a no-obligation meeting, and its Eley Road office opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Bizally's Accounting Packages Compared

Bizally publishes two monthly accounting packages, one bookkeeping add-on and an SMSF service. The three priced services are quoted as monthly "from" prices, and Bizally's terms state that fees are quoted exclusive of GST; the SMSF service has no published price.

Both Bizally packages charge a set price for compliance and treat every extra as an add-on to the monthly package. For an employer, though, the extras are where most of the monthly cost sits.

The Bookkeeping Add-On and What Sits Outside the Package

Bizally's Xero bookkeeping add-on carries two different starting prices on the firm's own site. The add-on's page heading says from $330 per month, while thepackages overview lists it from $300 per month, so ask which figure applies to your business when you get a quote.

Bizally prices these services outside both base packages, with no published add-on fees:

• Quarterly BAS lodgement (an add-on for the sole trader package; BAS and IAS for the small business package)
• Payroll, including payroll tax and WorkCover on the small business package
• Taxable payments annual report (TPAR)
• ASIC compliance and FBT
• Business name, ABN and structure setup, including a move to a company or trust
• Advisory work, Xero, Dext and Hubdoc integration, and tax audit insurance

Bizally's terms collect fees by direct debit in arrears, bill in-year advice and record corrections separately, and allow fees to change.

• The Australian Taxation Office sets the deadlines any BAS add-on has to meet, with quarterly due dates of 28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July, and online lodgement can earn extra time for most quarters.
• The ATO requires businesses to keep most records for five years, so record-keeping duties run well past year-end.
• The ATO generally requires super to reach the employee’s fund within 7 business days of payday under Payday Super, which started on 1 July 2026.

Reviews and Credibility Signals

Bizally keeps a public Google Business Profile, and you can read itsGoogle reviews directly before you book a chat.

The firm'stestimonials page carries named client feedback, including Chris Toner Plumbing and DPI Jewellery. Google reviewers rate it 4.9 from 28 reviews, with one rating below five stars:

"After it was explained to me how my personal information was exchanged with a company I never heard of before, my tax was processed professionally and expediently. A year later and I've been forgotten about." Kevin Barker, 2 ⭐ on Google (2024)

Bizally's own site supplies three further signals. It calls the firm a Xero Gold Partner, describes its team as qualified accountants and CPAs, and points to more than four decades of practice since 1979.

Who Bizally Suits, and Who Should Look Elsewhere

Bizally suits owners wanting accounting and SMSF advice from one long-established firm. If you run a company or trust, hold a self-managed super fund and already work in Xero, having both relationships with one Blackburn South team saves a lot of back-and-forth.

Bizally's published prices give you a starting figure before the first call, which none of the three alternatives below offers.

Bizally fits less well if you need BAS, payroll and monthly bookkeeping inside one fee from day one. It works mainly in Xero as a Xero Gold Partner, though it says it can help clients on other software, so confirm how it would handle an MYOB or QuickBooks file.

Point to consider: Bizally publishes its base package and bookkeeping prices, but BAS, payroll and other add-ons carry no published rates, so the full monthly cost only becomes clear in a written quote.

3 Melbourne Alternatives to Bizally

Each alternative below fills a gap Bizally's model leaves open.

1. True Ledger Accounting - Best for sole traders, freelancers and tight budgets

True Ledger Accounting provides Melbourne businesses with monthly bookkeeping, BAS preparation, GST review, payroll support and reporting. This combination suits owners wanting a smaller fixed-fee practice, particularly those ready to hand over their day-to-day financial administration.

Jia Lee leads the practice as a CPA Australia member, with a credential displayed through a CPA Australia-issued Credly badge. Jia brings 7+ years of experience, including finance operations across more than 20 entities.

A fixed monthly quote is prepared after reviewing the business’s workload and support needs. Transaction volume helps determine the scope, so a business processing fewer than 50 transactions a month is assessed differently from one handling 300 or more. Payroll support can include pay runs, PAYG withholding, superannuation checks and STP workflows.

The practice works with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks, allowing clients to retain their existing accounting platform where suitable. Owners can see how its monthly bookkeeping services are scoped and request a fixed monthly quote.

"Had a great experience working with Jia, very professional and easy to deal with." Elden Lord, 5 ⭐ on Trustpilot (October 2026)

Key advantages

• One fixed monthly fee covering bookkeeping, BAS and GST support, payroll and reporting, with no hourly billing
• CPA-led monthly support from a CPA Australia member
• Works in Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, with no forced platform switch

Point to consider

• Its public review base is small so far.
• It publishes no prices, so you need a quote, and it works across its service area rather than from a public office.

2. Optium Accountants - Best for individuals and owners wanting fast tax return turnaround

Optium Accountants runs individual and business tax returns, BAS, SMSF accounting, bookkeeping and Virtual CFO work from Clifton Hill. The firm began as an online tax service in 2007, opened its Clifton Hill office in 2018 and now has a team of five led by director Tony Sesto.

Optium states that individual returns are typically completed within a few hours of receiving your documents, and business returns usually within one business day. The firm also offers phone and video consultations for interstate clients.

Key advantages

• Individual returns typically completed within a few hours of receiving documents, and business returns usually within one business day
• CPA Australia qualified, with 15+ years of experience, a Xero Certified Adviser and a QuickBooks Professional Partner
• Help with overdue returns alongside SMSF accounting and Virtual CFO support
• Phone and video consultations for interstate clients

Point to consider

• Optium publishes no prices, and its Clifton Hill office operates by appointment only.

3. PMCA Advisory - Best for CBD businesses wanting forecasting and accountability support

PMCA Advisory pairs core compliance with forward planning from Level 10, 440 Collins Street. Founder Philip Martin brings 25+ years of experience and is a registered tax agent and an ASIC registered agent, and the firm lists itself as a Xero Certified Advisor.

PMCA Advisory's services run from tax returns, BAS, bookkeeping and payroll to ASIC compliance, advisory and planning, and succession. The firm also handles MYOB-to-Xero migration and opens with a free 30-minutestrategy session.

Key advantages

• Principal-led advisory, planning and succession work for established businesses
• MYOB-to-Xero migration for owners ready to change platforms
• Free 30-minute strategy session before any engagement

Point to consider

• The site names only one principal, the practice works from one CBD office, and it publishes no prices.

Side-by-Side Snapshot

This overview helps you narrow your shortlist before requesting a quote tailored to the support you need.

6 Questions to Ask Before Signing an Engagement Letter

An engagement letter fixes what you pay for, so ask these before you sign.

1. What is inside the monthly fee, and what is billed on top? Get the add-ons listed in writing.
2. Who looks after my file day to day? Business Victoria suggests asking this directly, along with how fees are charged.
3. How do you keep my data secure? Business Victoria lists data security among the core questions, and your Xero login and bank feeds deserve a clear answer.
4. Can I check you on the Tax Practitioners Board's public list? The Tax Practitioners Board suggests discussing the work, its timing and the cost upfront, and notes that many practitioners set this out in a letter of engagement.
5. Which platform do you work in? Some Xero-based firms expect you to leave MYOB or QuickBooks.
6. How do you handle BAS deadlines? Ask when they need your records each quarter so lodgement lands before the ATO due date.

What You Need to Know

How much does small business accounting cost in Melbourne?

Small business accounting fees in Melbourne vary with your structure, transaction volume and how much is included. Most firms quote after a first conversation; of the four here, only Bizally publishes starting prices, from $180 per month ex GST for its sole trader package and $330 for its small business package.

What does a fixed accounting package usually include?

A fixed accounting package usually covers year-end financial statements, the annual tax return and some scheduled planning time. BAS, payroll and bookkeeping are often separate, as they are with Bizally, so check whether a quoted fee is a base price or the full monthly cost.

Do I need a bookkeeper as well as an accountant?

Businesses with staff or quarterly BAS obligations usually need bookkeeping kept up monthly, not just at year-end. Some firms cover both, through an add-on like Bizally's or a single monthly fee like True Ledger Accounting's.

Do I still need an accountant if I use Xero?

Xero records transactions, but it does not review your coding, plan your tax or catch payroll errors on its own. Payroll timing alone is unforgiving: the ATO requires STP reports on or before each payday.

Is it hard to switch accountants?

Switching accountants is usually straightforward once your new firm has your Xero file and prior returns. Time the move away from a BAS due date, and keep your own copies.

Final Thoughts

Bizally is a choice for owners wanting accounting and SMSF advice from one long-established firm, and its published prices make the starting cost easy to read. Allow for the add-ons, though, because BAS, payroll and bookkeeping sit outside the base price.

True Ledger Accounting is the alternative to weigh first for sole traders, freelancers and tight budgets wanting BAS, payroll and bookkeeping inside one fixed monthly fee. Optium Accountants suits individuals and owners wanting fast tax return turnaround, and PMCA Advisory suits CBD businesses wanting forecasting and accountability support.

Whichever way you lean, get the inclusions in writing before you sign.