Mark had big plans for January.

He was going to get fit, clean the ute, finally take his partner out for that long-promised dinner, and most importantly, “sort the books.” By “sort the books,” Mark meant tackle the legendary shoebox that had lived in his office since 2018.

This shoebox had been moved house twice. It had been used as a drink coaster, a makeshift step stool, and briefly, during the Great Mouse Incident of 2022, as a mouse barricade. But now it was January, and BAS was coming.

Today was the day.

The Shoebox Reveal

He opened the lid. 

A puff of air escaped like the box had been holding its breath.

Inside:

• Receipts printed on thermal paper that had faded to ghostly blank strips

• A Bunnings docket from the month the Matildas made the World Cup

• Mintie wrappers

• Two different business cards for the same plumber, both with numbers crossed out

• Something that looked suspiciously like a rock

Mark stared into the box like it was a portal to another dimension. He thought this would impress his accountant.

He thought wrong.

The Call

After half an hour of trying to reconcile a fuel receipt that only said “Eftpos $98.10 Thank You” into Xero, he gave up and called his bookkeeper.

“Hey, I’ve got the receipts ready for BAS,” he announced proudly.

There was a pause.

Then:

“Mark… you don’t need to keep any of that.”

Mark froze.

“Come again?”

“Those receipts? The ATO doesn’t want them.”

He blinked.

“But… I’ve been SAVING them.”

“We know.”

“I’ve been organising them by crumpled and very crumpled.”

“We know.”

“I literally have a shoebox labelled ‘TAX STUFF DON’T TOUCH’.”

“We know, Mark. You keep leaving them outside our office door with a post-it note with your name on it even when we've asked you not to.”

The Truth Drops

His bookkeeper explained the shocking truth: The ATO doesn’t want boxes of paper. They want accurate records in your accounting software. The receipts are only evidence if you get audited, and digital copies count.

Mark stared at the shoebox.

Years of loyalty. Years of hoarding. Years of thinking the ATO had a team of people who lovingly flipped through receipts like they were at a heritage museum.

Gone. All gone.

The Five Stages of Shoebox Grief

Denial:

“This can’t be right. Why would Officeworks even PRINT receipts if no one wants them?”

Anger:

“I bought a filing cabinet JUST for these!”

Bargaining:

“What if I iron them? Make a scrapbook?”

Depression:

“…So the last five years of receipts have been for nothing?”

Acceptance:

“Right. Okay. I’m chucking this box out.” 

He didn’t throw it out. Not yet. But he did place it gently beside the recycling bin after getting photos of everything that had been inside. Including the rock. A symbolic gesture of personal growth.

Where Mark Actually Went Wrong (Behind-the-Scenes Wisdom)

Here’s the lesson we wanted to highlight.

The ATO doesn’t want your receipts. They want your bookkeeping to make sense!

What mattered wasn’t Mark’s shoebox. It was the fact his BAS would be wrong if he didn’t do the following parts of his bookkeeping.

• Reconcile weekly

• Code GST correctly

• Separate private and business expenses

• Record everything in Xero

• Keep digital versions for backup (photos, scans, emails)

Good bookkeeping beats a mountain of filing every single time.

Mark’s Turning Point

After the emotional breakdown (and three sausage rolls, sauce and a Coke), Mark made a decision. His accountant had mentioned Xero a few times (every time) in the past. So...

He set up the receipt-capture app on his phone.

He connected Xero properly.

He learnt how to code fuel, tools, parts, subcontractors, and private spending without guessing.

And he discovered that Xero didn’t judge him, even when he accidentally coded a pub meal as “equipment”.

By the next BAS, he wasn’t panicking. He was organised. Confident. Dare he say it - proud? Maybe it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, he thought as he treated himself to a couple more sausage rolls on BAS day. 

Final Thought (and a Message for Every Mark Out There)

If you’ve still got a shoebox full of receipts, you’re not alone. A LOT of people keep their paperwork, also known as "dead tree editions". 

If you think the ATO wants them, they don’t. Digital data is faster to process, easier to reconcile and locate, and saves on equipment and office space. 

And if you want BAS to feel easier this year, do what Mark did, which incidentally also made life easier for his accountant:

• Stop hoarding paper

• Start using simple weekly habits

• Ask for help before you’re drowning in “miscellaneous” expenses

• Let your software do the heavy lifting

January doesn’t have to be painful.  

And your shoebox? Give it a new life.

It could be a planter. A snack box. A home for your dog’s half-chewed tennis balls.

Just not your bookkeeping system.

If this sounds like you, my course Unexpected Bookkeeper could be your life saver! I teach the shortcuts that actually work in bookkeeping, and I'm right by your side helping you out and answering questions. If your accountant looks scared when you turn up with an unexpected shoebox, it's time to move into the digital age, and I'm here to help. Click here to find out more: 

https://www.unexpectedbookkeeper.com.au/