Job Title: Senior Accountant
Job Type: Full Time
Location: Remote (Philippines-based), working Australian business hours
Reports To: Company Founder/Director
Company Description
DotVA is an Australian-based VA company that aims to provide reliable, high-quality and cost-effective administrative services to small businesses and sole traders, so they can focus on what they do best.
About the Role
We are recruiting on behalf of a growing Australian accounting and advisory firm seeking an experienced Senior Accountant to join their team remotely on a full-time basis. The firm is building toward an advisory-led model and is looking for someone to take ownership of core compliance and back-office operations, freeing the Director to focus on client advisory work. This is a senior role for someone who can hit the ground running, work autonomously across a full client base on Xero and grow with the firm.
Purpose of the Role
Working directly with the Founder/Director, the Senior Accountant independently manages the preparation of financial statements, tax returns and BAS (prepared to a review-ready standard), alongside bookkeeping and practice administration. The ideal candidate brings strong technical accounting and tax knowledge, sound professional judgment, and the confidence to resolve complex matters proactively with minimal supervision.
Key Responsibilities
1. Accounting & Tax (Australian Compliance)
- Independently prepare and finalise complex company and trust tax returns, applying advanced knowledge of Australian tax legislation, to a technically sound, review-ready standard
- Prepare complete, accurate and compliant financial statements for companies and trusts under the relevant Standards, resolving technical accounting issues independently
- Prepare and lodge income tax returns for business and individual clients
- Prepare and lodge Business Activity Statements (BAS) and Instalment Activity Statements (IAS) independently
- Perform bookkeeping duties, including reconciliations, journal entries and data integrity checks
- Prepare and lodge tax registrations, including ABN, TFN, GST, PAYG Withholding and Payroll Tax
- Process payroll, including employee setup, pay runs, STP reporting, leave balances and termination payments
- Act as a key point of contact for resolving technical issues and discussing client-specific tax or accounting matters, contributing practical input to advisory opportunities
2. Practice Administration & Compliance (largely automated)
- Prepare and manage engagement letters and variations
- Prepare company and trust resolutions, including year-end and ongoing compliance documents
- Maintain ASIC compliance, including annual reviews, company changes and record keeping
- Prepare and issue ethical letters and independence documentation
- Process structuring orders with the legal team, coordinating documentation and follow-ups
- Maintain accurate client records and compliance checklists
- Assist with client onboarding, including document collection and system setup
- Support the Director with ad-hoc administrative and compliance tasks as required
Preferred Experience & Skills
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Commerce or a related field
- Completed CPA or CA qualification (highly regarded)
Experience
- Minimum 5 years experience with Australian accounting standards and compliance
- Hands-on experience preparing financial statements, tax returns and BAS independently
- Exposure to ASIC compliance and practice administration strongly preferred
- Highly proficient in Xero (all clients use Xero)
Skills & Attributes
- Strong technical Australian accounting and tax knowledge
- High attention to detail and strong organisational skills
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines across accounting and administrative tasks
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Sound professional judgment and discretion in handling confidential information
- Ability to work autonomously and hit the ground running with minimal supervision, while supporting a growing advisory firm
