Award-winning Sydney accounting firm

When you’re looking for an accounting firm in Sydney, it’s important to go beyond glossy brochures and focus on what really matters to your long-term success. With so many firms across NSW, the right choice comes down to finding a team that aligns with your business needs, offers genuine assurance, and has the professional experience to support you through every stage of your financial journey.

A strong accounting partner should never feel like “just another organisation” you hire for compliance work. The best firms become a trusted advisor, offering specialised guidance and services to help you make smarter decisions, reduce risk, and plan confidently for the future.

Here are some of the key things to consider when comparing Sydney’s leading firms:

• Range of accounting services: Look for a firm that can cover more than just tax lodgements. The right team should support you with cashflow management, strategic planning, superannuation, wealth management, and business structuring, so you have all your financial needs under one roof.
• Specialised expertise: Every business is different. You’ll want accountants who can provide tailored advice for your industry, size, and growth stage, rather than generic solutions.
• Professional experience: Longevity matters. Firms with decades of experience bring a wealth of knowledge, proven systems, and insights into how to navigate complex financial landscapes.
• Reputation and trust: Top accounting firms are recognised not just for their technical skill, but for building lasting relationships. You should feel confident that your advisors will always act in your best interests.
• Practical support: The best firms go beyond compliance to offer services to help you make informed decisions. That means providing proactive advice before problems arise, rather than reacting after the fact.

Ultimately, choosing the right accounting partner in Sydney means finding a team that listens, understands your goals, and gives you confidence that your financial future is in good hands.

Yes. Our Sydney team has decades of experience working with clients who are looking for more than standard compliance. High-net-worth individuals and families often have complex financials, spanning multiple entities, investments, and personal priorities. Managing this requires not just technical skill, but a wealth of knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of how business and personal financial systems interact.

Our role is to help you make informed decisions that safeguard your wealth and position you for long-term growth. Whether you want to achieve financial freedom, preserve family wealth across generations, or expand your investments across a range of industries, our team of Sydney accountants provides the tailored solutions and professional advisors you can rely on.

Here’s how we typically support high-net-worth individuals in Sydney:

• Clarifying financial needs: We start by understanding your goals (whether that’s scaling your business, growing your portfolio, or planning succession) and map out the right strategy.
• Structuring and systems: Our accountants ensure that your financial systems are efficient, compliant, and designed to minimise risk.
• Specialist expertise: From SMEs you may own to large investment holdings, our breadth of knowledge allows us to provide expert advice across industries.
• Tailored, ongoing support: We don’t just solve problems when they arise. We go above and beyond to provide proactive guidance, so you’re positioned to make smart moves at the right time.
• Trusted relationships: Acting as professional advisors, we build long-term partnerships that evolve with your changing circumstances.

High-net-worth clients need more than transactional service. They need a team that understands the big picture and can guide every decision with clarity and foresight. That’s the role we play for Sydney’s most discerning individuals.

The choice between a local Sydney accountant and a national firm often comes down to the stage of your business, the financial aspects you need help with, and the type of relationship you want with your advisors.

For an established business with multiple entities or cross-border operations, a national firm might appear to offer the resources you need. But that doesn’t always mean they’re the right fit. Many clients discover that a team based in Sydney can provide the same technical expertise, with the added benefit of personal relationships and a deeper understanding of the local landscape.

A local firm will typically:

• Offer tailored advice: Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, a local team takes the time to understand your business problems and provide practical solutions.
• Support your business directly: Being close by makes it easier to meet face-to-face, respond quickly, and stay across both your financial and business acumen needs.
• Understand the local market: Accountants who are based in Sydney know the challenges and opportunities unique to NSW businesses.
• Provide continuity of service: With fewer layers of bureaucracy, you deal with the same advisors consistently, not a revolving door of staff.

National firms can suit larger corporations that require a global network. But for many small-to-medium enterprises and even larger family groups, chartered accountants in Sydney provide the right mix of scale, accessibility, and expertise.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to finding advisors who know the numbers and who can become long-term partners in your success.

Yes. Many of our clients come to us with layered companies, trusts, or family groups that require more than basic bookkeeping. Complex structures involve multiple stakeholders, assets, and obligations, which means you need specialist accounting advice to keep everything aligned.

Our role is to simplify the complexity. That means managing the financial reporting across different entities, ensuring compliance, and spotting opportunities that others might miss. We provide clarity not just for today, but for how your structure will support you into the future.

Here’s how we typically help with complex structures:

• Complex tax issues: We identify risks across multiple entities, navigate cross-border obligations, and ensure you remain compliant while minimising unnecessary tax burdens.
• Strategic tax planning: We help you take advantage of legitimate opportunities and protect wealth for the long term by carefully mapping out your group's structure.
• Business and personal balance: Complex structures often blur the lines between business and personal wealth. We provide guidance to keep the separation clear while ensuring both areas work together to achieve your goals.
• Superannuation: For many clients, self-managed super funds form part of a wider structure. Our team ensures your superannuation is integrated smoothly and remains compliant.
• Managing the financial picture: From reporting and compliance to forecasting, we keep every element of your organisation aligned and transparent.

As a chartered accounting firm, we bring the technical expertise and governance standards required to handle these structures with confidence. But just as importantly, we explain things in a way that’s clear and actionable, so you can feel confident making decisions without getting lost in complexity.

Yes. As a chartered firm, our Sydney accountants are members of Australia’s recognised professional bodies, such as CPA Australia. This means we’re not only bound by strict ethical codes but also required to maintain ongoing professional development and training. Clients can have complete confidence that the advice we provide meets the highest standards of assurance.

Being regulated gives you more than a badge of compliance. It ensures that your advisors bring a comprehensive understanding of regulations that govern both business and personal finances. From corporate tax rules to superannuation compliance, our team has the oversight and technical knowledge to guide you safely.

Importantly, regulation is also about accountability. When you work with professional advisors who are part of peak industry organisations, you know your interests are always placed first. That’s why choosing a regulated accounting firm is one of the simplest, most effective ways to protect your financial future.

Yes. Many of our clients want their business and personal finances managed together, because the two are often deeply connected. The way you draw income, structure investments, and plan for retirement all depend on having a clear view of both sides.

Our Sydney accountants take the time to understand your complete picture. That means looking at your cashflow, assets, and liabilities across business and personal contexts, and creating strategies that ensure one doesn’t undermine the other.

Here’s how we bring it together for our clients:

• Cashflow planning: We review how money moves in and out of your business and personal accounts, making sure there’s balance and stability at every stage.
• Business and personal strategy: By aligning your personal goals with your business objectives, we help you make decisions that protect and grow both areas.
• Business and financial insights: From tax structures to investment planning, we provide integrated advice that ensures your financial decisions are consistent, efficient, and long-term focused.

This joined-up approach gives you confidence that your financial well-being is supported from every angle, so you can focus on building your business and enjoying your personal life, without one competing against the other.

Yes. Cross-border tax is one of the most challenging areas for business owners and high-net-worth individuals. The rules can differ between countries, and decisions made in one jurisdiction often have unintended consequences in another. To manage this effectively, you need advisors who can navigate complex financial landscapes with confidence.

Our Sydney team has deep experience supporting clients with international operations, investments, or family members living abroad. We provide strategic tax planning that considers not just today’s obligations, but also how future transactions (such as property purchases, business expansions, or inheritances) will be taxed across different regions.

Here’s what our approach looks like:

• Compliance across borders: Ensuring that you meet your tax obligations in Australia and overseas, while avoiding double taxation.
• Strategic tax planning: Developing structures that protect wealth, reduce risk, and position you to take advantage of opportunities internationally.
• Offer tailored advice: No two clients face the same issues. We design solutions specific to your circumstances, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.

Cross-border tax requires a steady hand and long-term thinking. With us, you’ll have professional advisors who understand the global picture while still keeping your Sydney business and family goals at the centre.

An audit can feel daunting, whether it’s triggered by the ATO or another authority. The process often involves detailed reviews of records, reporting, and compliance, areas where even small oversights can create stress. Having experienced accountants by your side makes all the difference.

At Liston Newton, our Sydney team provides ongoing support throughout the entire audit process. We ensure your financial records are complete, accurate, and presented in the way auditors expect, so the experience is as smooth as possible.

Here’s how we help clients manage audits with confidence:

• Preparation: We review your accounts ahead of time, identifying and resolving any gaps before the audit begins.
• Representation: If needed, we liaise directly with the ATO audit team or other regulators on your behalf, ensuring communication is clear and professional.
• Guidance: We explain the process in plain language, so you know what to expect and what steps to take.
• Ongoing support: Even after the audit is complete, we help strengthen your systems to minimise the chance of future issues.

We also go above and beyond compliance. Our focus isn’t just on getting you through an audit, but on helping you build resilient systems and practices that support long-term stability. That way, each audit becomes less of a risk and more of a checkpoint on your financial journey.