Build a Xero Bookkeeper Portfolio

Create a client-ready PDF case study showcasing a full Xero BAS quarter.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every bookkeeper looking for their first client faces the same catch-22: you need experience to get hired, but you need clients to get experience. A polished case study showing exactly what you can deliver breaks that cycle.

In this project, you will build a complete portfolio case study by setting up a fictional photography business in Xero, entering and reconciling a full quarter of transactions, generating financial reports, and packaging everything into a professional PDF.

What You'll Build

When you send this case study to a prospective client, they will see your exact process from disorganized books to BAS-ready financials, complete with annotated screenshots and quantified results.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A fully configured Xero organisation for "Lens & Light Photography" with a tailored chart of accounts and GST settings, plus three months of reconciled transactions covering a complete BAS quarter.
Generated financial reports (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Aged Receivables, Aged Payables) and a GST summary demonstrating quarterly tax readiness.
A professional 4-6 page PDF case study built in Canva with before/after narrative, process screenshots, and quantified results that you can attach to client emails or LinkedIn messages.
Secret Mission: Add a financial insights section with data-driven recommendations that elevate your case study beyond basic bookkeeping.

Are there any prerequisites?

This project assumes you have completed your Xero Certified Associate certification and have a basic understanding of double-entry bookkeeping. You should also be familiar with Australian GST obligations.

You will need an active Xero free trial (30 days, no credit card required) and a free Canva account.

Before We Start

Before you dive into Xero, take a moment to lock in what you're about to build and why it matters. This case study is your proof to prospective clients that you can deliver real results from day one.

Set Up Xero for Lens & Light Photography

Without a properly configured Xero organisation, every transaction you enter will land in the wrong account. Your financial reports will be meaningless, and BAS preparation becomes impossible.

In this step, you will create a Xero organisation for Lens & Light Photography and tailor its chart of accounts to match the way Australian photographers earn and spend money. Getting the GST codes right now means every report you generate later will be accurate from the start.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a Xero organisation for Lens & Light Photography with Australian GST settings.
Customize the chart of accounts with photography-specific revenue and expense accounts.
Take a "before" screenshot for your case study's starting point visual.

Create a new Xero organisation for Lens & Light Photography

Your Xero free trial gives you 30 days of full access to all features. You will use it to create a dedicated organisation for the fictional photography client.

Sign in to your Xero account at xero.com.
From your Xero dashboard, click your organisation name in the top-left corner of the screen.
Select Add an organisation.
Enter Lens & Light Photography as the organisation name.
Select Australia as your country.

Xero will take you through a guided setup flow. Complete the following settings:

Set Business structure to Sole Trader.
Set Industry to Photography.
Set Financial year start to 1 July.
Under GST registration, select Yes and choose Accruals basis.
Set BAS lodgement frequency to Quarterly.
Enter a fictional ABN (e.g. 12 345 678 901) and a fictional address (e.g. 42 Harbour Street, Sydney NSW 2000).
Click Save to complete the organisation setup.

After saving, Xero loads the empty dashboard for your new Lens & Light Photography organisation.

Why accruals basis for GST?

Accruals basis means GST is recorded when you issue an invoice or receive a bill, not when the money physically changes hands. This matches how most small businesses operate and gives a more accurate picture of obligations at any point in time.

Not seeing the option to add an organisation?

Some trial accounts only allow one organisation. If you already have an existing organisation from your trial sign-up, you can rename it to Lens & Light Photography and update the settings to match the values above. Navigate to Settings > Organisation settings to make changes.

Help me set up my Xero organisation for this project.

Customize the chart of accounts for a photography business

Xero provides a default Australian chart of accounts template when you create a new organisation. You will add photography-specific accounts and set the correct GST codes on each.

Navigate to Accounting > Chart of Accounts.
Review the default accounts that Xero has pre-loaded from the Australian template.

Now add three photography-specific revenue accounts. For each, click Add Account, set the type to Revenue, and fill in the details:

Account name: Photography Services - Weddings. Set the tax rate to GST on Income. Use a code in the 200 range (e.g. 210).
Account name: Photography Services - Portraits. Set the tax rate to GST on Income. Use a code like 220.
Account name: Photography Services - Commercial. Set the tax rate to GST on Income. Use a code like 230.

After adding all three, scroll through the Revenue section of your chart. You should see all three new accounts listed with their codes and GST on Income tax rate.

Why separate revenue accounts for each service type?

Splitting revenue by service type lets you see which part of the photography business generates the most income. When you run a Profit & Loss report later, you will instantly see whether weddings, portraits, or commercial work is the strongest revenue stream.

Next, add five photography-specific expense accounts. For each, click Add Account, set the type to Direct Costs or Expense (depending on the account), and fill in the details:

Account name: Software Subscriptions. Tax rate: GST on Expenses. Use a code in the 400 range (e.g. 410).
Account name: Equipment Maintenance. Tax rate: GST on Expenses. Code: 420.
Account name: Travel/Mileage. Tax rate: GST on Expenses. Code: 430.
Account name: Marketing. Tax rate: GST on Expenses. Code: 440.
Account name: Insurance. Tax rate: GST Free. Code: 450.

After adding all five, scroll through the Expenses section. You should see each new account listed with the correct GST code beside it.

Why is Insurance set to GST Free?

In Australia, certain insurance premiums do not attract GST. This is one of the most common categorization details that new bookkeepers get wrong. Setting it correctly now means your BAS calculations will be accurate when you reach the reporting step.

Finally, clean up the chart by archiving accounts that a photography sole trader would never use:

Look through the default accounts for categories like Inventory, Cost of Goods Sold, or Manufacturing that do not apply to a service business.
For each unused account, click the account name, then select Archive.
Do not delete or archive any system accounts (Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, GST, Retained Earnings). Xero locks these for a reason.

Keep the chart lean

Xero recommends 30 to 60 accounts for a small business. Archiving irrelevant accounts keeps your chart scannable and makes transaction categorization faster in the next step.

Don't see the Add Account button?

Make sure you are in the correct Lens & Light Photography organisation. Check the organisation name in the top-left corner. If it shows a different name, click it and switch to Lens & Light Photography.

Help me find the Add Account option in my Xero chart of accounts.

Take your "before" screenshot for the case study

Your case study will tell a transformation story. You need a "starting point" visual that shows the clean, freshly configured chart before any transactions are entered.

Stay on the Accounting > Chart of Accounts page.
Before you take the screenshot, look at your chart. Can you spot all three revenue account types and all five expense accounts you added?

You should see Photography Services - Weddings, Photography Services - Portraits, and Photography Services - Commercial under Revenue. Under Expenses, you should see Software Subscriptions, Equipment Maintenance, Travel/Mileage, Marketing, and Insurance. Each should display its correct GST code.

Take a screenshot of the Chart of Accounts page showing your customized accounts. Save it locally with a descriptive name like before-chart-of-accounts.png.
Navigate to the Dashboard by clicking the Xero logo or Dashboard in the top navigation.
Take a second screenshot of the empty dashboard. Save it locally as before-dashboard.png.

These two screenshots become the "before" visuals for your case study PDF. They show prospective clients the clean starting state you established before any bookkeeping work began.

Screenshot tips for your case study

Crop out your browser's bookmarks bar and any personal tabs. The focus should be on the Xero interface itself. You will annotate these screenshots later when building the case study in Canva.

Your Xero organisation is fully configured with the right accounts and GST settings. Next up, you will bring this chart of accounts to life by entering three months of invoices, bills, and bank transactions to simulate a full BAS quarter.

Enter Three Months of Transactions

Your chart of accounts is set up and your GST codes are assigned. Now you need data to bring those accounts to life.

A single month of transactions looks thin in a portfolio. Three months covering the full July-September BAS quarter shows prospective clients that you can manage ongoing bookkeeping and prepare for quarterly tax obligations. This step fills your Xero organisation with realistic invoices, bills, and bank activity.

In this step, get ready to:

Create invoices for photography services across July, August, and September with varying payment statuses.
Enter bills and expenses covering monthly recurring costs and variable purchases.
Record bank transactions to simulate bank feed activity for reconciliation.

Create invoices for photography services

Your case study needs a realistic mix of wedding, portrait, and commercial shoot invoices. Some invoices will be marked as paid and others left outstanding to create aged receivables in your reports later.

In Xero, click Business in the top navigation bar, then select Invoices.
Click New Invoice to start your first invoice.

Create the following invoices for July. For each invoice, set Payment Terms to 14 days and select the correct revenue account from your chart of accounts.

Sarah & Tom Collins. Service: Wedding Photography. Amount: $3,500 + GST. Date: 5 July. Account: Photography Services - Weddings. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 18 July).
Jessica Martinez. Service: Portrait Session. Amount: $550 + GST. Date: 10 July. Account: Photography Services - Portraits. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 22 July).
Bright Co. Service: Commercial Brand Shoot. Amount: $2,200 + GST. Date: 15 July. Account: Photography Services - Commercial. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 28 July).
Michael & Kate Zhang. Service: Wedding Photography. Amount: $4,000 + GST. Date: 22 July. Account: Photography Services - Weddings. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 4 August).
Rachel Green. Service: Portrait Session. Amount: $400 + GST. Date: 28 July. Account: Photography Services - Portraits. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 10 August).

Speed up invoice creation

After approving your first invoice, use the Copy to option from the invoice actions menu to duplicate it. Then just update the client name, amount, date, and account for each new invoice.

Confirm your July invoices appear in the invoice list by clicking Business > Invoices. You should see 5 invoices, all with a Paid status.

Now create the August invoices. Some of these will remain outstanding.

Amy & David Chen. Service: Wedding Photography. Amount: $4,200 + GST. Date: 3 August. Account: Photography Services - Weddings. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 16 August).
Mark Thompson. Service: Portrait Session. Amount: $650 + GST. Date: 8 August. Account: Photography Services - Portraits. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 20 August).
Urban Eats Cafe. Service: Commercial Photography. Amount: $1,500 + GST. Date: 12 August. Account: Photography Services - Commercial. Status: Approve and mark as paid (payment received 25 August).
Olivia Harrison. Service: Portrait Session. Amount: $800 + GST. Date: 20 August. Account: Photography Services - Portraits. Status: Approve only (leave unpaid, outstanding).
BlueWave Marketing. Service: Commercial Brand Shoot. Amount: $2,500 + GST. Date: 25 August. Account: Photography Services - Commercial. Status: Approve only (leave unpaid, outstanding).

Check the invoice list. You should now see 10 invoices total. 8 show Paid and 2 show Awaiting Payment.

Finally, create the September invoices. All of these remain outstanding to build up your aged receivables for the end-of-quarter reports.

Lisa & James Wright. Service: Wedding Photography. Amount: $2,800 + GST. Date: 1 September. Account: Photography Services - Weddings. Status: Approve only (outstanding).
Emma Davies. Service: Portrait Session. Amount: $350 + GST. Date: 7 September. Account: Photography Services - Portraits. Status: Approve only (outstanding).
TechStart AU. Service: Commercial Photography. Amount: $1,800 + GST. Date: 10 September. Account: Photography Services - Commercial. Status: Approve only (outstanding).
Sophie & Ryan O'Brien. Service: Wedding Photography. Amount: $4,500 + GST. Date: 15 September. Account: Photography Services - Weddings. Status: Approve only (outstanding).
Daniel Park. Service: Portrait Session. Amount: $600 + GST. Date: 22 September. Account: Photography Services - Portraits. Status: Approve only (outstanding).
Coastal Living Magazine. Service: Commercial Shoot. Amount: $3,000 + GST. Date: 28 September. Account: Photography Services - Commercial. Status: Approve only (outstanding).

Return to Business > Invoices and confirm you now have 16 invoices total. 8 should be Paid and 8 should be Awaiting Payment.

Why leave invoices unpaid?

Outstanding invoices generate aged receivables in your reports. This shows prospective clients that you understand how to track money owed to the business and follow up on overdue payments.

Not seeing the correct GST amount?

Make sure the tax rate on each line item is set to GST on Income (10%). If the revenue account you select already has a default GST code set, Xero applies it automatically. Double-check the account's tax default in Accounting > Chart of Accounts.

Why isn't my invoice showing the right GST?

Enter bills and expenses

A photography business has both predictable monthly costs and one-off variable expenses. Entering these with the correct GST treatment is essential for an accurate BAS at the end of the quarter.

Click Business in the top navigation, then select Bills to pay.
Click New Bill to create your first expense.

Enter the following recurring monthly bills for July, August, and September. Create each bill three times (once per month), using the 1st of each month as the bill date.

Adobe Creative Cloud. Supplier: Adobe. Amount: $79.99 + GST per month. Account: Software Subscriptions. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: Mark all three as paid.
Google One (cloud storage). Supplier: Google. Amount: $29.99 + GST per month. Account: Software Subscriptions. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: Mark all three as paid.
Telstra phone/internet. Supplier: Telstra. Amount: $120 + GST per month. Account: Software Subscriptions. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: Mark all three as paid.
Business insurance. Supplier: Allianz. Amount: $150 per month (no GST). Account: Insurance. Tax: GST Free. Status: Mark all three as paid.

Why is insurance GST Free?

Certain insurance premiums in Australia are subject to stamp duty rather than GST. The correct BAS treatment for most general business insurance is GST Free. This is an important distinction that demonstrates your understanding of GST coding rules.

Check your progress. Click Business > Bills to pay and confirm you see 12 paid recurring bills (4 suppliers x 3 months).

Now add the variable expenses. These are one-off or irregular costs that make the case study feel realistic.

Camera lens (Sigma 85mm f/1.4). Supplier: Camera House. Amount: $1,800 + GST. Date: 18 July. Account: Equipment Maintenance. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: Mark as paid.
Fuel for wedding shoots. Supplier: BP. Amount: $95 + GST. Date: 6 July. Account: Travel/Mileage. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: Mark as paid. Create similar bills for August ($110 + GST, 5 Aug) and September ($85 + GST, 4 Sep), all paid.
Print lab (album prints). Supplier: Momento. Amount: $240 + GST. Date: 20 August. Account: Marketing. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: Mark as paid.
Google Ads. Supplier: Google. Amount: $200 + GST per month. Dates: 15 July, 15 August, 15 September. Account: Marketing. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: July and August paid. September overdue (leave unpaid).
Website hosting (Squarespace). Supplier: Squarespace. Amount: $45 + GST per month. Dates: 1 July, 1 August, 1 September. Account: Marketing. Tax: GST on Expenses. Status: July and August paid. September overdue (leave unpaid).

Return to Business > Bills to pay. You should now have approximately 24-26 bills total. Most are paid. The September Google Ads and Squarespace bills should show as Overdue.

Why leave some bills overdue?

Overdue bills create aged payables in your reports. This demonstrates to prospective clients that you understand supplier payment tracking and can identify cash flow risks.

Bills not showing the right tax amount?

Verify each bill's line item has the correct tax rate selected. Insurance should always be GST Free, not No GST or BAS Excluded. Most other expenses should be GST on Expenses (10%).

Why are my Xero bills showing incorrect GST?

Enter bank transactions to simulate bank feed activity

In a real engagement, your client's bank account connects to Xero via a live bank feed. Since this is a fictional business, you will add a manual bank account and import transactions using a CSV file to simulate that feed.

Navigate to Accounting > Bank Accounts.
Click Add Bank Account.
Search for a bank name. Since this is fictional, type any Australian bank name (e.g. Westpac) and when Xero cannot find a direct feed, select the option to add the account manually.
Set the account name to Business Cheque Account and the account type to Everyday (day-to-day).
Click Continue to finish creating the manual bank account.

What is a manual bank account in Xero?

A manual bank account lets you import statement lines via CSV upload instead of receiving them from an automated bank feed. The transactions appear in the same reconciliation screen and behave identically to live-feed data. This is the standard approach for fictional or demo organisations.

Now you need to enter bank statement lines that represent the money flowing in and out. You will enter these manually to simulate the bank feed.

On the Bank Accounts page, click Manage Account on your new Business Cheque Account.
Select Import a Statement.
Since you do not have a real bank file, select the option to import via CSV.

Create a CSV file on your computer with the following columns: Date, Amount, Description. Include these transaction categories across July to September (approximately 40-60 lines total).

Payments received from clients. Enter a positive amount matching each paid invoice (8 entries). Use descriptions like Payment from Sarah & Tom Collins.
Payments made to suppliers. Enter a negative amount matching each paid bill (approximately 20 entries). Use descriptions like Adobe Creative Cloud Jul.
Uncategorized transactions. Add 8-10 extra lines that do not match any invoice or bill. Include items like bank fees (-$10), office supplies (-$45), parking (-$15), a refund (+$50), and cash withdrawals (-$200). These will remain unmatched to demonstrate your reconciliation skills in the next step.

Keep your CSV simple

Your CSV only needs three columns: Date, Amount, Description. Use the date format DD/MM/YYYY. Positive amounts for money in, negative amounts for money out. Xero will ask you to map columns on first import.

Upload your CSV file using the import screen. When Xero asks you to map columns, assign Date, Amount, and Description to the matching fields.
Click Complete Import to bring the transactions into Xero.

Before you check the result, predict: how many transactions do you expect to see listed as needing reconciliation?

Navigate to Accounting > Bank Accounts and look at your Business Cheque Account.

You should see all your imported transactions listed as items to reconcile. The count should be approximately 40-60 transactions. All of them are unreconciled because matching them to invoices and bills is the job of the next step.

Import failed or transactions missing?

Check that your CSV uses the correct date format (DD/MM/YYYY for Australian Xero). Ensure there are no empty rows or extra columns. If you see fewer transactions than expected, verify you did not accidentally skip rows when creating the file.

Help me fix my CSV bank statement import in Xero

Your Xero organisation now has three months of realistic financial activity. Invoices, bills, and bank transactions are all in place. Next up, you will reconcile these bank transactions and prove that every dollar is accounted for correctly.

Reconcile and Categorize

You've entered three months of transactions for Lens & Light Photography. But raw transaction data is just data entry.

Bank reconciliation is where bookkeeping skill shows. This is the step where you match bank statement lines to invoices and bills, resolve unmatched items using your professional judgment, and ensure every dollar is coded to the correct account with the right GST treatment. The reconciled result is what makes your reports trustworthy.

In this step, get ready to:

Reconcile all bank transactions by matching them to invoices and bills.
Review and correct GST coding across all transactions.
Capture an "after" screenshot for your case study.

Reconcile bank transactions by matching them to invoices and bills

Your bank account currently shows 40-60 unreconciled transactions. Each one needs to be matched to a corresponding invoice, bill, or categorized manually.

In Xero, navigate to Accounting > Bank Accounts.
Click on the bank account you created for Lens & Light Photography.
Click Reconcile to open the reconciliation screen showing your unreconciled items.

You should see a list of bank statement lines waiting to be matched. Xero suggests matches to invoices and bills where it finds a likely alignment.

How does Xero's reconciliation screen work?

Xero presents each bank statement line alongside a suggested match. If the amount and description align with an existing invoice or bill, Xero recommends the match. You review each suggestion and click OK to confirm it.

If no match exists, you can use Find & Match to locate the correct transaction, or create a new one directly from the reconciliation screen.

Start with client payment transactions. For each incoming payment, Xero should suggest a matching invoice. Review the suggested match (check the amount, date, and client name align) and click OK to reconcile.
Work through all client payments until every incoming amount is matched to its corresponding invoice.

After matching client payments, your unreconciled item count should drop noticeably. You can see the updated count at the top of the reconciliation screen.

Move to supplier payment transactions. For each outgoing payment, match it to the corresponding bill you entered (Adobe Creative Cloud, insurance, equipment, etc.).
Review each suggested match and click OK to reconcile.

Some transactions will not have an obvious match. These are the items that require your professional judgment to categorize correctly.

For unmatched transactions (bank fees, ad-hoc small purchases), select the appropriate account category from the dropdown. For bank fees, assign them to the Bank Fees account.
For any remaining uncategorized items, use Find & Match or create a new expense transaction directly from the reconciliation screen with the correct account code and GST treatment.
Click OK on each categorized item to reconcile it.

Why do some transactions not have a match?

Bank fees, interest charges, and small ad-hoc purchases often appear in the bank feed without a pre-entered bill in Xero. As a bookkeeper, you decide which account each belongs to. This is where reconciliation becomes more than data entry.

Now set up a bank rule so that recurring transactions are automatically categorized in future.

Find the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription transaction in your reconciliation list (or locate one you have already reconciled).
Click Create Rule (available when reconciling or from the bank account's Bank Rules section).
Set the condition so that any transaction with "Adobe" in the description is automatically coded to the Software Subscriptions account with GST on Expenses as the tax rate.
Save the bank rule.

Bank rules save time for real clients

In a real engagement, bank rules eliminate repetitive categorization. Recurring charges like software subscriptions, phone bills, and insurance premiums appear every month. One rule handles them all automatically going forward.

Check the top of your reconciliation screen. After matching all client payments, supplier bills, and categorizing the remaining items, the counter should be approaching zero.

Still seeing unreconciled items?

If a few items remain, check for duplicate transactions (the same amount appearing twice) or payments that do not match any invoice amount exactly. You may need to split a transaction across two invoices or adjust an invoice amount to match the actual payment received.

Help me figure out why my transactions won't reconcile in Xero.

Review and correct GST coding on all transactions

Reconciliation ensures every transaction is accounted for. Now you need to verify that the GST codes are correct across the board. Incorrect GST coding means an inaccurate BAS at the end of the quarter.

Navigate to Accounting > Reports.
Search for and open the Account Transactions report.
Set the date range to 1 July - 30 September.

This report shows every transaction coded to each account, including the GST treatment applied. You will scan through it to spot any incorrect codes.

Check your revenue accounts first. Every Photography Services transaction (weddings, portraits, commercial) should show GST on Income at 10%.
Check your expense accounts. Most business expenses (software, equipment, travel, marketing, printing) should show GST on Expenses.
Verify that insurance transactions are coded as GST Free.
Verify that bank fees are coded as BAS Excluded.

Why do GST codes matter for BAS?

The BAS (Business Activity Statement) reports GST collected on sales minus GST paid on purchases. If a revenue transaction is accidentally coded as GST Free, the BAS will underreport GST collected. If an expense is coded as No GST when it should be GST on Expenses, the business misses a legitimate GST credit.

Getting this right is what makes the difference between a BAS-ready set of books and one that needs correction later.

If you find any transactions with incorrect GST codes, click on the transaction to open it.
Change the tax rate to the correct code using the Tax Rate dropdown.
Save the updated transaction.
Pay special attention to any items left as No GST that should have GST applied. These are the most common errors.

After correcting any issues, return to the Account Transactions report and confirm all transactions show the correct GST treatment.

Not sure which GST code to use?

Remember the key rules for Australian GST: revenue from services attracts GST on Income (10%). Most business purchases attract GST on Expenses (10%). Insurance premiums are typically GST Free. Bank fees and government charges are usually BAS Excluded.

Help me choose the right GST code for my transactions.

Take your "after" screenshot for the case study

With reconciliation complete and GST codes verified, you now have the visual proof that the books are clean. This screenshot becomes the "transformation" moment in your case study.

Navigate back to Accounting > Bank Accounts.
Click on the Lens & Light Photography bank account.

Before you look at the reconciliation count, what do you expect to see? If everything was matched correctly, the count should be zero.

Confirm the bank account shows a green 0 for items to reconcile.
Take a screenshot showing the zero items to reconcile. Save it to your computer with a descriptive filename (e.g., after-reconciliation-zero-items.png).

Return to the Account Transactions report (Accounting > Reports > Account Transactions).
Set the date range to 1 July - 30 September to view the full quarter.
Take a second screenshot showing a sample of correctly categorized transactions with their GST codes visible. Save it alongside your first screenshot (e.g., after-categorized-transactions.png).

Why two screenshots?

Your case study will use these as the "after" visuals paired with the "before" screenshot you took in Step 1. The zero-reconciliation screenshot proves the books are complete. The categorized transactions screenshot proves they are accurate.

Bank account not showing zero?

If you still see unreconciled items, return to the reconciliation screen and check for any transactions you may have skipped. Common culprits include partial payments (where the bank amount does not match the full invoice) and transactions dated outside your July-September range.

Help me get my reconciliation count to zero.

Your books are now reconciled and GST-ready. Next up, you'll generate the financial reports and BAS summary that prove these books are truly BAS-quarter-complete.

Generate Reports and BAS Summary

Your transactions are reconciled and every dollar is coded to the right account. Now you need to turn that clean data into something a client can actually hold in their hands.

Reports are what the client receives. This step produces the financial outputs that prove the books are in order and the business is ready for its quarterly BAS lodgement.

In this step, get ready to:

Generate and export key financial reports for the July-September quarter.
Prepare the BAS/GST Activity Statement summary.
Note key metrics for your case study narrative.

Generate key financial reports for the July-September quarter

Xero builds reports from your reconciled data automatically. You just need to set the correct date range and export each report as a PDF for your case study.

In Xero, click Accounting in the top navigation bar.
Select Reports from the dropdown menu.
Search for Profit and Loss and click it to open the report.

Set the date range to 1 July through 30 September using the date fields at the top of the report.
Click Update to regenerate the report for the quarter.
Review the report to confirm revenue and expense accounts populate correctly from your reconciled transactions.

You should see your photography revenue categories (Weddings, Portraits, Commercial) and expense categories (Software Subscriptions, Equipment Maintenance, etc.) with their quarterly totals.

Export the report by clicking Export and selecting PDF.
Save the file to a folder on your computer where you can find it for the case study later.

What is the Profit and Loss report?

A Profit and Loss statement (also called an income statement) shows revenue minus expenses over a period. It tells you whether the business was profitable during that time.

Return to Accounting > Reports and search for Balance Sheet.
Set the date to 30 September (the Balance Sheet shows a snapshot at a single point in time, not a range).
Click Update, then export as PDF.

What is the Balance Sheet?

A Balance Sheet shows what the business owns (assets) versus what it owes (liabilities) at a specific date. It captures the financial position at that moment, not over a period.

Return to Accounting > Reports and search for Aged Receivables.
Open the report to see which client invoices are still outstanding and how long they have been overdue.
Export as PDF.

Return to Accounting > Reports and search for Aged Payables.
Open the report to see which supplier bills are outstanding and overdue.
Export as PDF.

You should now have four PDF files saved locally: Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Aged Receivables, and Aged Payables.

Reports showing zero or unexpected values?

Double-check that your date range covers 1 July to 30 September. If the range is wrong, your reconciled transactions will not appear.
Confirm your bank account shows zero items to reconcile. Unreconciled transactions may not appear in reports until matched.
help me figure out why my Xero reports are showing unexpected values

Prepare the BAS/GST summary

The Activity Statement in Xero shows how much GST you collected on sales versus how much GST you paid on purchases for the quarter. This is the report that proves the business is ready for its quarterly BAS lodgement.

Navigate to Accounting > Reports.
Search for Activity Statement (this is Xero's Australian equivalent of a GST Return).
Select the July-September quarter as your reporting period.

Review the Summary tab. This shows the GST totals by tax rate as rounded numbers aligned with ATO requirements.
Identify the GST collected on sales (the total from your photography invoices).
Identify the GST paid on purchases (the total from your business expenses).
Note the net GST payable or refundable amount. This is the difference between what you collected and what you paid.

What is the net GST position?

If GST collected on sales exceeds GST paid on purchases, the business owes the ATO. If GST paid exceeds GST collected, the ATO owes a refund. This net position is the core figure reported on the BAS.

Quarter 1 (July-September) BAS is due on 28 October. Your case study demonstrates that the books are ready for lodgement well ahead of the deadline.

Take a screenshot of the Activity Statement Summary tab showing the BAS-ready figures for the quarter.
Save the screenshot to the same local folder where you stored your report PDFs. This becomes visual evidence in your case study.

You should see the GST collected, GST paid, and net position clearly displayed on the Summary tab.

Activity Statement not showing data?

Make sure you selected the correct quarter (July-September). The Activity Statement only populates for the period you choose.
Verify that your invoices and bills have correct GST codes assigned. Transactions coded as BAS Excluded will not appear in the GST totals.
help me troubleshoot why my Xero Activity Statement is empty

Review reports and note key metrics for your case study

Your case study needs concrete numbers to be credible. Before you move on, pull out the key metrics from the reports you just generated.

Open your exported Profit & Loss PDF.
Note the total revenue for the quarter (the sum of all photography income).
Note the total expenses for the quarter.
Note the net profit (revenue minus expenses).

From your Activity Statement screenshot, note the net GST position (payable or refundable).
From your Aged Receivables PDF, note the total outstanding receivables balance (what clients still owe).
From your Aged Payables PDF, note the total outstanding payables balance (what the business still owes suppliers).

Write these numbers down now

Keep these six metrics in a note or document on your computer. You will use them directly in your case study's Results page to quantify the outcomes of your bookkeeping work.

Before you move on, do you think a prospective client would find these six numbers convincing evidence that the books are in order?

Confirm you have the following saved locally: four exported report PDFs (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Aged Receivables, Aged Payables), one Activity Statement screenshot, and six noted metrics.

If everything is accounted for, your financial evidence is complete. These reports and figures prove the business is BAS-ready and financially transparent.

Your reports are exported and your metrics are ready. Next up, you will transform all of this evidence into a polished PDF case study that a prospective client can read in two minutes.

Build Your Case Study PDF in Canva

Your reports are generated, your screenshots are saved, and your key metrics are noted. All the hard work lives inside Xero right now.

A prospective client will never log into your Xero account to evaluate your skills. They need a self-contained document they can read in two minutes and immediately understand the value you deliver. In this step, you will turn your Xero work into a polished PDF case study using Canva.

In this step, get ready to:

Select a professional case study template in Canva.
Build 4-6 pages of content with your screenshots and metrics.
Export and review the final PDF.

Select a case study template in Canva

Canva has thousands of free case study templates. You want a clean, minimal A4 layout that puts your content front and centre.

Return to Canva in your browser (you should already be signed in).
In the homepage search bar, type case study and press Enter.
Select Templates above the search bar so that only templates appear in your results.
Look for a clean, minimal A4 template. Good options include templates named like "Brown Minimalist Company Case Study A4" or "Gray Minimalist Company Case Study A4".
Click the template to preview it, then click Customize this template to open it in the editor.

Why a minimalist template?

Prospective bookkeeping clients want to see your process and results clearly. A busy, colourful template distracts from the data. A clean layout lets your screenshots and metrics do the talking.

You should now see the template open in the Canva editor with placeholder text and images ready to replace.

Set up your cover page (Page 1) with the following details:
Replace the main title placeholder with Bookkeeping Setup & BAS Preparation for Lens & Light Photography.
Add your full name below the title.
Add Xero Certified Associate below your name.
Add a professional subtitle such as "End-to-end BAS quarter setup and preparation" or similar.
Add the date (e.g. September 2026).

Your cover page should now display your name, certification, project title, and date. Scroll through the template pages to see what placeholder content you will replace next.

Don't see an A4 option?

Some templates default to presentation format (16:9). Filter your search results by "A4" or look for templates with "A4" in their name. A4 produces a standard page layout that works well as a PDF document.

help me find a free A4 case study template in Canva

Build the case study content pages

Your case study follows a narrative arc: the client's problem, your process, and the measurable results. Each page serves a specific purpose in that story.

Navigate to Page 2 of your template in the Canva editor.
Replace the placeholder heading with Client Overview & Challenge.
Write 2-3 sentences of fictional background: Lens & Light Photography is a sole trader photography business in Australia covering weddings, portraits, and commercial shoots.
Write the problem statement: the business had disorganized books, no GST tracking, and a BAS quarter (July-September) approaching with no preparation.
Upload and insert your "before" screenshot (the clean chart of accounts and empty dashboard) to visually anchor the starting point.

Page 2 should now show a clear problem that any prospective client can relate to. Scroll down to confirm the text and image look balanced on the page.

Navigate to Page 3 and replace the placeholder heading with My Process.
Write a brief numbered list or paragraph covering the key steps you took: Xero organisation setup, chart of accounts customization, transaction entry across July-September, bank reconciliation, and BAS preparation.
Upload and insert 2-3 of your annotated screenshots showing your work (e.g. the reconciled bank account screenshot, a sample of categorized transactions, or the customized chart of accounts).
Add short captions under each screenshot explaining what it shows.

What makes a good process page?

Prospective clients want to see HOW you work, not just that you did work. Name the specific Xero features you used (bank rules, GST codes, reconciliation). Show 2-3 screenshots with annotations pointing out the key details. Keep the text short and let the visuals carry the proof.

Scroll through Pages 2 and 3. You should see a clear narrative flow from "here was the problem" to "here is what I did about it."

Navigate to Page 4 and replace the heading with Results & Outcomes.
Add your key metrics from your notes: total revenue for the quarter, total expenses, net profit, outstanding receivables balance, and outstanding payables balance.
Format the metrics as a simple table or bold number callouts so they stand out visually.
Upload and insert screenshots from your exported Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet reports.
Add a brief sentence highlighting the key outcome: all transactions reconciled, books BAS-ready, clear financial picture delivered.

Navigate to Page 5 and replace the heading with BAS Summary.
Upload and insert your BAS/Activity Statement screenshot showing the quarter's GST figures.
Write a brief summary stating the GST collected on sales, GST paid on purchases, and the net GST position for the quarter.
Add a sentence confirming the business is ready for quarterly BAS lodgement.

Optional sixth page

If your template has a sixth page (or you can add one), use it for a "Tools & Services" summary. List your bookkeeping services, include the Xero Certified Associate badge, and add your contact details. This turns the case study into a direct marketing piece.

Scroll through all pages from start to finish. Your case study should tell a complete story: cover, problem, process, results, BAS summary.

Export and review your PDF

Your case study is built. Time to export it as a professional PDF you can share with prospective clients.

Click Share in the top menu of the Canva editor.
Select Download.
In the File type dropdown, select PDF Standard.
Ensure All pages is selected so you download the entire case study.
Click Download.

Why PDF Standard?

PDF Standard exports at 96 dpi, which is ideal for digital sharing (email, LinkedIn messages, website uploads). If you ever need a printed version, come back and select PDF Print for 300 dpi output instead.

Once the download completes, rename the file to a professional filename such as YourName_Xero_Case_Study_Lens_Light_Photography.pdf (replacing "YourName" with your actual name).
Save it in a location you can easily find (e.g. your Desktop or Documents folder).

Before you call this done, take a moment to predict: when you open this PDF, what should you see across the pages?

Open the downloaded PDF file on your device.
Scroll through all pages and confirm:
The cover page shows your name, "Xero Certified Associate", the project title, and a subtitle.
Page 2 has the client overview with the "before" screenshot.
Page 3 shows your process with 2-3 annotated screenshots.
Page 4 displays the quantified results with report screenshots.
Page 5 presents the BAS summary with GST figures.
Check that all text is readable, images are not cropped awkwardly, and the overall layout looks professional enough to attach to an email or LinkedIn message.

You should be holding a 4-6 page professional PDF that tells a complete story from problem to solution. This is your portfolio-ready case study.

Images look blurry or cut off?

If screenshots appear blurry in the PDF, go back to Canva, select the image, and ensure it is not stretched beyond its original resolution. Re-upload a higher resolution screenshot if needed, then re-export.

If images are cut off, click the image in Canva and use the crop handles to adjust what is visible within the frame. Double-click the image to reposition it.

help me fix blurry or cropped images in my Canva PDF export

Secret mission

Add a Financial Insights Section

Most bookkeepers deliver reports. The ones who land premium clients deliver insights. In this secret mission, you'll analyze the financial data you've already generated and add a page of actionable recommendations to your case study, proving you can interpret numbers and not just record them.

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. This project used Xero's free trial and a free Canva account, so there are no ongoing costs. Your Xero free trial expires after 30 days, and any data in the organisation will become inaccessible after that point.

Resources you used:

Xero organisation: Lens & Light Photography (including all invoices, bills, transactions, and reports).
Canva case study design (your PDF case study project).
Local files: exported report PDFs, screenshots, and the final case study PDF.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you are still actively building on this case study or plan to reference your Xero data for future projects.

Your Xero free trial continues for the remainder of its 30-day period. All transactions, invoices, bills, and reports remain accessible until the trial expires.
Your Canva design stays in your account indefinitely on the free plan.
Your local PDF files and screenshots remain on your machine wherever you saved them.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

There are no running processes to stop. Your resources are cloud-hosted and file-based, so pausing means ensuring you have local copies of everything before your Xero trial expires.

Export any remaining Xero reports you have not already downloaded as PDFs. Go to each report and use the export option to save a local copy.
Confirm your final case study PDF is saved locally. This is your portfolio piece and does not depend on Xero access.
Your Canva design remains editable any time you log back in.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and start fresh. Follow each step below to fully clean up.

Delete the Xero organisation: log in to Xero, go to the My Xero section, and delete the Lens & Light Photography organisation. After deletion, the organisation's data will be archived and inaccessible.
Delete the Canva design: go to canva.com, select Projects from the homepage side panel, hover over your case study design, click the More icon on the thumbnail, then select Move to Trash.
Permanently delete from Canva Trash: in the Projects panel, open Trash from the expanded menu, select the design, click Delete in the action bar, and confirm.
Delete local files: remove the exported report PDFs, screenshots, and your final case study PDF from your computer. Move them to the Trash on your Mac and empty the Trash.

That's a Wrap!

Nice work! You have just built a complete portfolio case study that demonstrates your Xero bookkeeping skills from start to finish.

You've learned how to:

Set up and manage a complete Xero organisation for an Australian photography business, including a customized chart of accounts, three months of categorized transactions, and full bank reconciliation.
Generate BAS-ready financial reports (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Aged Receivables/Payables) and a quarterly GST summary demonstrating tax readiness for a fictional client.
Build a professional PDF case study in Canva that presents your bookkeeping engagement as a client-ready portfolio piece with before/after evidence and quantified results.
Secret Mission: Added data-driven financial insights and actionable recommendations that elevate your case study beyond basic bookkeeping.

Ready to quiz yourself?