Acquire fieldnotes
Understand the evidence. Ask the next useful question.
Financial due diligence checklist for buying a small business in Australia
Build a financial evidence pack that makes its coverage, versions and open questions clear.
P&L, BAS and bank statements do not match: what should a buyer check?
Work out whether three financial sources can be compared before calculating a difference.
Seller add-backs: what evidence should a business buyer ask for?
Separate the seller's earnings adjustment from the evidence and the accountant's judgement.
Missing bank statements when buying a business: what can you conclude?
A missing statement limits the conclusion; it does not turn missing evidence into zero.
Bank deposits are not revenue: transfers, loans and merchant settlements
Trace what entered the bank before deciding what it says about sales.
Financial evidence review, quality of earnings or audit: which question does each answer?
Choose the professional scope by the question and responsibility required, not the report's title.
Last year's profit versus today's trading: what should a buyer refresh?
Use current evidence to refresh historical questions without turning partial periods into forecasts.