XERO ACCOUNTING SYSTEM SUBSCRIPTION

A Xero subscription provides you with access to your church’s Xero Accounting system.

Features:

• unlimited number of users
• each user has access to functions per agreed permissions
• best for each user to use their personal email address (not as church general email address) because each access is personal and not available to anyone else. No sharing of personal access. A personal login allows the person access to all Xero organisations where they have authorised login.
• employee portal for personal access to employment pay and leave records

The subscription amount is based on the number of employees paid in a month through your church’s payroll on Xero

Note: When you are not using Xero Payroll the number is 0.

Note: The Xero Subscription fee may vary over time, with appropriate notice given. See this link for Xero pricing https://www.xero.com/au/pricing/

Xero subscriptions are payable monthly in advance, and will be billed by Benkorp to your Church.

Payroll employees	0-2	3-5	6-10	11-20	20-50
Monthly Subs $	47.37	61	70	84	116

EXPENSES APP SUBSCRIPTION

The Xero Expenses App on your phone offers organisations a more efficient way to manage expense claims.

The Expenses App facilitates the submission of expenses by employees, volunteers and others whom the church reimburses directly for their spending on behalf of the church.

 

How the Expenses App works:

• the claimant enters details of their claim including scan-copies of relevant tax invoices and other docs
• then, submit their claim, linked to your Xero accounting system, for easy processing of expense claims
• a person entitled to authorise the claim will approve/disapprove the Claim
• admin/bookkeeping team arrange payment of the approved expense claims

Benefits:

• Faster expense capture
• iOS and Android apps
• Simple and intuitive workflows
• Greater insights and powerful analytics
• Simplified processes and workflows, accurate recording in accounts system

Expenses App subscriptions are payable monthly in advance, and will be billed by Benkorp to your Church:

$5 per user

The setup process has 7 easy steps:

1. Simply, you read the Descriptions here about the services available
2. Complete an Order Form for your Xero Package and include any Additional Services that you require.
3. After this, Benkorp will respond to your Order with a Request for Details form asking for the relevant information about the accounting and bookkeeping of your church to inform the background of the Xero setup specifically for your church.
4. When the setup is completed Benkorp will send you an invitation to access the Xero system of your church.
5. You accept the Invitation. Then you are ready to start your training and/or continue to customise the Xero for your church and proceed with bookkeeping activities
6. Reference to “Church Standard Chart of Accounts”, means your denomination’s standard CoA or Benkorp’s general church standard. The standard CoAs are current and have been developed over many years of working with churches and denominations.
7. Additional special setup service for Payroll

 

There are 4 setup Packages to choose from:

1 BASIC XERO SET–UP FOR LOCAL CHURCHES

• use the Church Standard Chart of Accounts
• basic Tracking Category set up for separate reporting, such as departments, ministries, properties, activities, events, missions
• payroll basic setup, including a minister’s basic pay setup
• assistance to set up automatic bank feeds (or export-import for non-compliant banks)

Basic setup fee: $395

2 BASIC-PLUS XERO FOR LOCAL CHURCHES

• use the Church Standard Chart of Accounts
• basic Tracking Category set up for separate reporting, such as departments, ministries, properties, activities, events, missions
• assistance to set up automatic bank feeds (or export-import for non-compliant banks)
• opening balances entered, mapped from your previous chart of accounts
• customise a Basic Sales Invoice format

BasicPLUS setup fee: $595

3 MIGRATE EXISTING MYOB DATAFILE TO XERO

• migrate up to the past 2 years transactions from 1 x MYOB to Xero (depends on last “rollover” date)
• make necessary adjustments to complete Xero Setup
• See notes here for more details: Migrate from MYOB to Xero FAQs

Note: A datafile Migration may not be the best approach for all churches with existing MYOB datafiles. This will be determined in discussion with Benkorp on a case-by-case basis:

Migrate one existing PC-MYOB file to Xero fee: $495

Migrate one existing Mac-MYOB file to Xero fee: $695

4 CONVERT EXISTING XERO DATAFILE TO THE STANDARD

• convert your current church Xero system to the Church Standard Chart of Accounts
• includes conversation with your liaison person to confirm mapping (max 45 mins)
• make adjustments to existing accounts eg Journals if required
• review and correct Advanced and Organisation Settings as necessary

Convert one existing Xero file to Church standard setup, fee: $300

SET-UP PAYROLL SERVICE

There is a special setup service for Payroll

This is for a church who prepares any payroll locally:

• the basic payroll facility is included in the
• Xero Basic and BasicPlus Setup packages
• migration from MYOB
• setup additional employees using the Benkorp payroll forms:
• employee all details
• payroll
• payroll benefits
• carried forward balances

Fee for each additional employee: $60 per employee

The setup process has 7 easy steps:

1. Simply, you read the Descriptions here about the services available
2. Complete an Order Form for your Xero Package and include any Additional Services that you require.
3. After this, Benkorp will respond to your Order with a Request for Details form asking for the relevant information about the accounting and bookkeeping of your church to inform the background of the Xero setup specifically for your church.
4. When the setup is completed Benkorp will send you an invitation to access the Xero system of your church.
5. You accept the Invitation. Then you are ready to start your training and/or continue to customise the Xero for your church and proceed with bookkeeping activities
6. Reference to “Church Standard Chart of Accounts”, means your denomination’s standard CoA or Benkorp’s general church standard. The standard CoAs are current and have been developed over many years of working with churches and denominations.
7. Additional special setup service for Payroll

 

There are 4 setup Packages to choose from:

1 BASIC XERO SET–UP FOR LOCAL CHURCHES

• use the Church Standard Chart of Accounts
• basic Tracking Category set up for separate reporting, such as departments, ministries, properties, activities, events, missions
• payroll basic setup, including a minister’s basic pay setup
• assistance to set up automatic bank feeds (or export-import for non-complaint banks)

Basic setup fee: $395

2 BASIC-PLUS XERO FOR LOCAL CHURCHES

• use the Church Standard Chart of Accounts
• basic Tracking Category set up for separate reporting, such as departments, ministries, properties, activities, events, missions
• assistance to set up automatic bank feeds (or export-import for non-complaint banks)
• opening balances entered, mapped from your previous chart of accounts
• customise a Basic Sales Invoice format

BasicPLUS setup fee: $595

3 MIGRATE EXISTING MYOB DATAFILE TO XERO

• migrate up to the past 2 years transactions from 1 x MYOB to Xero (depends on last “rollover” date)
• make necessary adjustments to complete Xero Setup
• See notes here for more details: Migrate from MYOB to Xero FAQs

Note: A datafile Migration may not be the best approach for all churches with existing MYOB datafiles. This will be determined in discussion with Benkorp on a case-by-case basis:

Migrate one existing PC-MYOB file to Xero fee: $495

Migrate one existing Mac-MYOB file to Xero fee: $695

4 CONVERT EXISTING XERO DATAFILE TO THE STANDARD

• convert your current church Xero system to the Church Standard Chart of Accounts
• includes conversation with your liaison person to confirm mapping (max 45 mins)
• make adjustments to existing accounts eg Journals if required
• review and correct Advanced and Organisation Settings as necessary

Convert one existing Xero file to Church standard setup, fee: $300

SET-UP PAYROLL SERVICE

There is a special setup service for Payroll

This is for a church who prepares any payroll locally:

• the basic payroll facility is included in the
• Xero Basic and BasicPlus Setup packages
• migration from MYOB
• setup additional employees using the Benkorp payroll forms:
• employee all details
• payroll
• payroll benefits
• carried forward balances

Fee for each additional employee: $60 per employee

When you need support, help or assistance with problems or issues related to your church accounting, these are the services especially for you. These are about the best practice accounting for your church.

Support is help and problem solving, including:

• troubleshooting – assist you to sort out problems and issues
• our helping you learn improved ways of using your Xero

Support will generally start with your sending an email-briefing of the problems you are having.

 

Focused Support and Consulting

Whatever are your support issues, they can be addressed with these services by the Benkorp team:

• you may have a range of issues requiring an extended time to be worked through, such as taking over from another treasurer or simply ‘tidying up’ the accounts
• getting started with Xero and the church accounts
• maybe you are an existing user (from a business) wanting to become familiar with the particularities of church accounting
• maybe the church accounts have been on Xero for awhile and it’s time to review practices and procedures, especially for updated improvements in Xero or the church’s own processes or the latest in compliance requirements

 

How to request support:

• Online Support form: Please complete our “Request for Support Form” so that all details are clear for yourself and for the Benkorp Team. 
• Via Email 

Get the most out of your support:

• Please provide us with as much information as you can, be clear in your written questions and issues, and attach screen shots or other documents as applicable
• Our written answers will endeavour to be clear and you can follow any notes, tips or view our screen shots, notes or Xero specific online video helps
• You can reply in your own time, when you are ready.  

Support Packages and Options:

We have 3 options available,  we provide a basic level of support for Benkorp’s Xero subscibers, on premium paid service, and  pay per use support. 

	Benkorp Subscriber (Clients with a Xero subscription through Benkorp)	Benkorp Subscriber Plus	On Demand Support
Included with Xero Subscription	X	X
Included Email Support: 2 included Support requests via Email /year – Receive a reply within 48 business hours – No phone support	X
Included Email Support: 5 included Support requests via Email /year – Receive a reply within 24 business hours – Phone support as required per request.		X
Access to our Facebook support group   – Benkorp sponsors a FB Group focussed exclusively for church finances, with Xero for accounting	X	X
On Demand email Support (Cost per Request) – Receive a response in 48 business hours – Available to Benkorp subscriber and Plus after included Support requests have been used.	X	X	X
Access to Exclusive support materials, such as detailed “How to’s”, Processes and Procedure guides.		X
Discount on Training sessions.		X
Xero Updates – Email Blogs with all the latest news, including Xero updates, affecting churches and NFPs	X	X	X
Church Financial Management Email Blogs with all the latest news of accounting, operational and compliance issues affecting churches and NFPs	X	X	X
Fee + GST	Included in Current Xero subscription rate	Current Xero subscription rate + $45 per Mth	$50 per session up to 15 mins

 

Additional Support Options: 

Online one-to-one

Using the Zoom platform allows us to: 

• discuss the points live (with video at your discretion)
• share screens so that we can work together on your accounts
• Benkorp’s support person will guide you by working on your church’s Xero system 

Book for minimum 1 hour sessions, fees $150 per hour

 

 

Onsite one-to-one/two

Meet at your office or the Benkorp Office in Glebe 

• learn how to use Xero
• improve your use of Xero
• review and revise the procedures and processes around your Xero accounting system

Note the additional fees for our travel to your office/home

Book for minimum 3 hour sessions, fee $165 per hour

 

There are many areas of church finance and administration that require special attention from time to time

• change of treasurer and the new treasurer aims to raise the standards of financial management. Benkorp can facilitate workshop/s to assist your process
• the management or other special teams want to review the administration and finances and related procedures and processes
• it’s time to review and improve the budget processes

The needs of your local church for reviews and improvements can be helped, so please choose from these options:

Workshops

for people in your church – volunteers (in any of their many capacities and roles), clergy, ministry and administration staff. These are prepared Workshops customised for your situation and circumstances. They are presented after consultation with you to take note of your requirements:

• Finance for Non-finance people, Benkorp can provide expert training for church leaders and teams on how to read understand and work with financial matters of the church – ie not business.
• Especially for the treasurer and their team. In a Workshop Format for your church; including how to read and understand financial reports, basics of the Xero system how to use it, support for your treasurer.
• Administration and financial management methods. Financial Management specifically for churches, and customised for your local Congregation. Procedures and processes to streamline and make it easier for your teams to operate and replicate (ie find new team members).Whether you have a business manager or simply a volunteer team this is suitable for your church – for your committees, wardens, elders, staff, board and management team.
• church finance and management topics in workshops, include:
• church accounting and finances,
• budgeting in a church environment,
• managing a giving and donation income environment
• helping ministers manage their ‘non cash benefits’ allowances
• helping the treasurer and admin support staff help the minister with their ‘non cash benefits’ allowance

Fees for Workshops will be agreed during discussions about the requirements of your Congregation/church

 

Assurance Review

All churches require that their accounts and financial statements are checked through an independent review process at least once every year.

Although this check has traditionally been provided through an Audit Report, there is an alternative available which provides a similar outcome – the Assurance Report.

See detailed information sheet: https://www.benkorp.com/?s=assurance+review

Assurance review report, fee: $600 per review

 

Review and Recommendations Service

Churches take this opportunity for Service when there is a need to ensure the accounts and reports are correct on a monthly basis.

• Up to 1 hour monthly review with recommendations for improvements in the accounts operations and reporting.
• Unlimited email support.
• Free access to our Church Accounting Facebook Group for discussions and input.

Regular monthly fee: $185 per month

 

This service may also be combined with other services to provide your church with comprehensive and regular outside support for your inhouse finance and administration team and systems.

The pain in DIY bookkeeping

Bookkeeping and the work associated with it is often a chore for people around a church who feel bogged down week after week with paperwork,

• BAS and compliance requirements for the ATO,
• regular (monthly) finance reports,
• payments to be made
• customer invoices to be raised 

This is the service that can free-up your volunteers and staff so that they can get on with the ministry and mission of your church

 

The Benkorp bookkeeping service

Using a bookkeeping service will alleviate the pressures on a local Church to find and retain their own bookkeeper, accountant and/or treasurer – whether that person is staff or volunteer.

Our church clients find this very helpful because it is becoming increasingly difficult for churches to find members who have the time, capacity or expertise to maintain the bookkeeping and accounting.

This is an increasingly complex area of church life and people don’t need to be stressed with these pressures.

Members of the congregation want to enjoy church life and express their faith in serving people and the community.

 

Up-to-date accounts and compliance

Current and accurate accounts allows the church to

• stay up-to-date with all the compliance updates such as ATO and ACNC,
• make payments on time,
• ensure that users of church facilities are invoiced for their usage and
• monitor income offerings and donations,
• prepare reports for local committees and the denominational head o

 

Find out more now

Simply contact the Benkorp Team to discuss your situation and requirements.

Our team is ready to help you and your church so that your needs for proper financial management are well served.

 

Fees for ongoing bookkeeping

Based on your Requirements Questionnaire, Benkorp prepares a presentation for your church. After discussion and agreement with you a fee is agreed

The fee is an annual fee for all services provided by Benkorp and then invoiced to the church monthly

 

There are 2 Service Plan options:

• Full Service – Benkorp maintains all the bookkeeping, finance compliance requirements and prepare regular reporting for the council/board
• Shared Service – your church and Benkorp share the bookkeeping and accounting following an agreed schedule with clear processes

 

Make life easier for the current  treasurer and the next treasurer

Often the role is quite onerous and avoided by members of the church.

Therefore, by implementing a plan for ongoing services the church management will make it much easier for your church to attract a treasurer. Using specialised outsourced services relieves that pressure and need for a treasurer to have bookkeeping, accounting and financial expertise. They can fulfil their role by liaising with this outsourcing service provided by Benkorp.

 

Consider one of the 2 plans and discuss with us how your church could take advantage of the service

 

1. FULL SERVICE BOOKKEEPING AND ACCOUNTING

A complete online service provided by Benkorp, using the Xero Accounting system, including:

• Income – offerings, donations, rentals and hires
• Bill (supplier invoices) processing and payments
• Bank entries
• Bank reconciliations
• Payroll processing and related requirements with employee portal
• Superannuation
• Month-end reconciliations
• Reporting – local councils, boards, committees external obligations
• ATO including BAS
• Worker’s Compensation form completion
• Liaise with, and prepare for, your financial year-end audit/assurance
• Annual review meetings with your treasurer/team and more

Complete a Requirements Questionnaire submit it for review and discussion with the Benkorp team

 

2. JOINT/SHARED SERVICE BOOKKEEPING AND ACCOUNTING

The local church is responsible for some of the basic administrative and bookkeeping functions using the Xero UCAP system.

• This is a great way to save money if you have a savvy admin person on staff or volunteering.
• Benkorp will complete the remaining financial management functions as agreed, and Benkorp provides the training and support to enable a team effort.

Complete a Requirements Questionnaire submit it for review and discussion with the Benkorp team

 

3. SPECIAL SERVICE ACCOUNTING

At your request for Benkorp to work through accounting issues and troubleshooting.

Relates to “technical” accounting and bookkeeping issues rather than simply Xero procedures. These maybe too difficult or complicated for your staff or volunteers to resolve without assistance.

May include matters such as:

• resolving reconciliation issues,
• extended investigation and highlighting of problems with transactions,
• matters arising from an assurance review, ongoing review or audit

Clients with another form of Benkorp Agreement, fees $135 per hour

Clients without another Benkorp Agreement, ie ad hoc, fees $150 per hour

Note: if your church is not yet using Xero, this is the best opportunity to start.

Simply complete an Order Form for a Standard Package

 

Note: All prices Exclude GST

Privacy and Contractual Policies

All services provided by Benkorp are covered by our Terms and Conditions LINK

Our liability is limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation. Further information on the scheme is available from the Professional Standards Councils’:

http://www.professionalstandardscouncil.gov.au.