For sole traders and freelancers

Expense records for sole traders who do not have a bookkeeper

If you run on an ABN without staff, you probably do not need Xero and a bookkeeper to keep receipts. You need every deductible expense captured on the day, sorted into work and personal, with the receipt attached, ready to hand over at 30 June. HeyJerni does that on your iPhone, for free, without ever asking for your bank login.

Where sole traders lose deductions

  • One card for everything. Business and personal purchases sit in the same statement and get untangled, badly, in July.
  • Subscriptions and small purchases. Software, domains, stock photos, the client coffee. Each too small to remember, together a real number.
  • Home office and phone. Legitimate claims that need a work-use percentage and a record, not a guess.
  • Receipts in email, in the wallet, on thermal paper. Three places, none of them searchable.

How HeyJerni fits a sole trader's week

  1. 1

    Scan or auto-log every purchase

    Photograph paper receipts and the on-device AI reads them. Apple Pay purchases log themselves through a Shortcuts automation. Nothing is typed twice.

  2. 2

    Work, personal or mixed

    Set the purpose and a work-use percentage per expense. HeyJerni remembers merchants, so the second Officeworks run is already work.

  3. 3

    Ask instead of scrolling

    Ask how much you spent on software this quarter and get an answer computed from your own records, on the phone, in English or Chinese.

  4. 4

    Record Check, then hand over

    Before you lodge, one screen shows what still needs a receipt or a category. Export a summary, a CSV and the receipt images for your agent.

Expenses sole traders commonly claim

Common deductible business expenses for sole traders, drawn from the ATO guidance. Each needs a record showing the supplier, the amount, what it was and the date. Whether an expense is deductible for you depends on your business; check the ATO or a registered tax agent.

  • Home office running costs, the work-use share
  • Phone, internet and software subscriptions
  • Equipment and tools, and depreciation on larger items
  • Professional fees: accountant, legal, insurance, memberships
  • Advertising, website and domain costs
  • Training and courses related to your current business
  • Work travel and accommodation, and meals when travelling overnight
  • Fees on the business bank account and merchant fees

HeyJerni is a record-keeping tool, not tax advice.

A two-minute Friday routine

  1. 1Open Records and tap Unreviewed.
  2. 2Confirm category, purpose and work use on the week's purchases.
  3. 3Scan any paper receipts, and save emailed receipts as images to scan them too.
  4. 4Done. At 30 June, run Record Check and export for your agent.

What HeyJerni does not do

  • GST or BAS. If you are registered for GST, keep accounting software for that side.
  • Invoicing and income tracking. HeyJerni is the expense side.
  • Bank linking. By design; records stay on the phone.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need accounting software as a sole trader?
Not for expense records if you are not registered for GST. The ATO needs records that show what you bought, when, from whom and for how much, plus the work-use share. HeyJerni keeps those. If you are registered for GST or invoice clients from software, keep using it for the business side.
Can HeyJerni separate business and personal on one card?
Yes. Every expense gets a purpose: work, personal, or mixed with a percentage. HeyJerni remembers the merchant, so recurring business purchases are sorted automatically.
Does it link to my business bank account?
No. HeyJerni never connects to a bank. Purchases come in by receipt scan or Apple Pay auto-log, and everything stays on the phone.
How do I handle receipts that arrive by email?
Save the receipt as an image and scan it from your photo library like a paper one.
What does my accountant receive?
A financial-year summary, a CSV of every expense with purpose and work use, and the receipt images. No app or account needed on their side.
Is this tax advice?
No. HeyJerni is a record-keeping tool. Deductibility depends on your circumstances; the ATO and a registered tax agent are the sources.

Made for

Start with this week's receipts

Download HeyJerni, scan one receipt, and see the merchant, amount and date fill in. No account, no bank, no subscription.

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