Description
Running a freelance accounting practice means tracking clients, managing SARS deadlines, issuing invoices, and staying on top of multiple engagements at once — all without the overhead of a full accounting firm behind you. This template gives you the system to do it.
The Freelance Accountant OS is a purpose-built Notion workspace with seven relational databases that talk to each other. Every client links to their projects. Every project links to its tasks. Every invoice links back to the client. You add a client once — everything else follows from that.
What’s included:
Clients database — store every client’s SARS income tax reference number, VAT registration number, business type (Sole Trader, PTY Ltd, CC, Partnership, Trust, NPO), year-end month, hourly rate in ZAR, and engagement status. Tag clients as VIP, Slow Payer, Referral, or Priority. Set a next review date so nobody slips through the cracks.
Projects database — log every engagement with service type (Management Accounts, VAT, Bookkeeping, Payroll, Tax Return, Audit Prep, Annual FS, Advisory), fee type (Fixed Fee, Hourly, Retainer, Success Fee), quoted vs billed amounts, and a six-stage status pipeline from Proposal through to Invoiced.
Tasks database — break each project into billable tasks with estimated hours, actual hours, due dates, priority, and category. Built for tracking what took how long and who owes you for it.
Invoices database — issue and track every invoice. Record amount excl. VAT, VAT at 15%, and total incl. VAT. Track payment status from Draft through Sent, Paid, and Overdue. Log payment method and optionally link to a SARS submission reference.
Monthly Compliance Checklist — clone at the start of each month. Each item carries an internal target date (your buffer) and a statutory deadline (SARS’s hard date). Categories cover VAT, Payroll, Provisional Tax, Management Accounts, Reporting, and Admin.
Client Onboarding database — a structured workflow for taking a prospect through to active client. Never miss an engagement letter, FICA document, or first deliverable again.
Documents database — log every client deliverable with a standardised naming convention built in. Find any document for any client instantly.
Home dashboard — a single page with seven linked views: Active Projects, My Tasks Today, Overdue Projects, Compliance Due This Week, Active Clients, Unpaid Invoices. Your complete practice read-out, updated live.
Also includes a SARS quick-reference table covering VAT201, EMP201, IRP6 (both provisional dates), and ITR12 deadlines — with internal target dates built in so you always act before the hard deadline.
Built for South African independent accountants, bookkeepers, and financial consultants. Pricing in ZAR, SARS entity types included, and compliance calendar pre-loaded with local statutory deadlines.
