If your team is still emailing, texting and ringing clients one by one for missing bank statements, invoices and payroll records every BAS cycle, the fix isn't more reminders from your bookkeepers — it's a system that sends the first few reminders automatically, before anyone on your team has to think about it. That frees your staff to chase the two or three clients who genuinely need a phone call, instead of the fifty who just needed a nudge.
This guide covers why the document chase happens every quarter, what it actually costs a small practice in admin time, and how to set up a chase-up system that runs alongside the practice software you already use. This is an admin and workflow guide, not tax advice — for anything about penalties, deadlines or lodgement obligations, your practice's own tax guidance and the ATO are the right source.
What is a document chase-up system?
A document chase-up system is a workflow that automatically asks clients for the records a practice needs before BAS prep or month-end close, tracks what's been received against what's outstanding, and escalates to a staff member only when a client hasn't responded after a set number of reminders. It replaces the manual version of the same job: a bookkeeper working down a spreadsheet, emailing and texting each client in turn.
Why the same chase happens every quarter
Most small practices run this cycle the same way each BAS period. A staff member builds or updates a list of clients, works out who's missing what, and starts emailing. Replies trickle in over days, some records arrive for the wrong period, and a handful of clients need a second or third follow-up before the file is complete enough to start work.
The pattern repeats because the trigger for a reminder is a person remembering to check, not a date on a calendar. When that person is busy with lodgements, leave, or a dozen other client files, the check slips, and the reminder goes out later than it should.
What it actually costs the practice
The visible cost is the time spent writing and sending reminders. The bigger cost is what happens while the practice waits: the file can't be reconciled, the BAS can't be prepped, and the deadline keeps getting closer regardless of whether the client has replied.
Most small businesses lodge quarterly, with standard BAS due dates falling on 28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July each year, as published on the ATO's lodgment and payment dates page. A client missing that date is a real risk for them, which is often what makes a slow chase-up feel urgent for a practice. The specifics of any penalty, or what to do if a lodgement is going to be late, are a conversation between the practice and the client, not something this guide covers — the ATO is the source for that.
Manual chase-up vs an automated one
| Step | Manual chase-up | Automated chase-up |
|---|---|---|
| Starting the request | Staff member checks who's due, writes individual emails | Requests go out automatically on a set date before prep begins |
| First reminder | Sent whenever someone remembers to check | Sent on a fixed day after the original request, every time |
| Tracking responses | Spreadsheet or memory, updated manually | Dashboard shows who's complete, partial or not started |
| Escalation | Happens late, often close to the deadline | Flags slow clients early enough to still act |
| Staff time per cycle | Hours per week across the whole client list | Minutes reviewing the dashboard and calling the holdouts |
How to set up a chase-up workflow in your practice
- List what's actually needed, by client. A sole trader and a company with payroll don't need the same document list. Build the request around what each client's BAS actually requires.
- Set the trigger date well before prep starts. Sending the first request a week before you plan to start work is usually too late if a bank feed is broken or records are incomplete. Three weeks out gives everyone room to fix problems.
- Automate the first two reminders. A friendly first nudge and a firmer second one cover most clients without anyone on your team touching the file.
- Escalate to a person, not another automated message, after that. If a client hasn't responded after the second reminder, a staff member calls or texts directly. This is where a human follow-up actually earns its keep.
- Track status at a glance. A simple dashboard showing complete, partial and not-started saves a bookkeeper from mentally tracking thirty or more client files at once.
- Review and adjust each quarter. Some clients always need a third nudge. Build that into their profile so the system expects it instead of treating it as a surprise every time.
Where this fits alongside your existing software
A chase-up system doesn't replace Xero Practice Manager or whatever client management tool your practice already runs. It sits alongside it, reading the client list and due dates you already have, and handling the reminder and escalation work that currently happens by hand. For practices using Backbone Automation's system, reminders and chase-up texts go out from a dedicated number set up for your practice, signed with your practice's name, so clients see a message that looks and sounds like it's from you, not a generic platform.
FAQs
How many reminders should a chase-up sequence send before a staff member steps in?
Two automated reminders is a reasonable default for most practices: a friendly first request, then a firmer follow-up a few days later. After that, a real staff member should make contact directly, since a third automated message rarely changes a client's behaviour.
Do I still need to chase a client if their BAS will be nil?
Yes. A nil BAS still has to be lodged, so the chase-up workflow should treat a nil client the same as any other: request the confirmation you need, and escalate to a person if they go quiet. Whether a late nil lodgement carries any consequence is a question for your practice's own tax guidance, not something this workflow decides.
What happens if a client still hasn't sent records close to the deadline?
From a workflow point of view, this is exactly what the escalation step is for: once automated reminders have gone unanswered, the system flags the client so a staff member can follow up directly and decide how to handle it. What the practice then does about the approaching deadline is a professional judgement call for your team, not something a chase-up tool should decide.
Will an automated system replace my bookkeeper's judgement on tricky files?
No. The system handles the repetitive asking and tracking. Anything that needs explanation, a judgement call, or an awkward conversation with a client still goes to a person on your team.
Do text reminders come from my practice's own phone number?
No. Reminders and chase-up texts are sent from a dedicated number set up for your practice, not your existing business line. You can still sign them with your practice's name and your own wording, so clients recognise who they're hearing from.
How long does it take to set up a system like this?
Backbone Automation's accounting systems typically go live within 5 to 10 business days of sign-off, built around the client list and due dates your practice already tracks.
Where to go from here
If your practice is still sending BAS reminders one client at a time, the quickest first step is working out exactly where the admin time is going before you change anything. See how this works for accounting and bookkeeping practices on the accounting automation page, see how the same kind of system applies outside accounting on the professional services page, or start with a free Operations Audit through the Backbone Automation homepage to map where your practice's admin time is currently leaking.