But under the hood, it was chaos.
Behind the scenes, Matt was sitting on a ticking time bomb: a $200,000 ATO debt, no payment plan in place, and books that hadn’t been cleaned up properly in years. His accountant had gone quiet, his marriage had broken down, and he was pouring thousands into a mortgage he could barely afford after refinancing to pay off earlier tax debts.
And yet... he didn’t ask for help. Not until it all caught fire.
The Breaking Point
The shift came with a single piece of paper — a letter from the ATO demanding immediate payment of the full debt.
Here’s the kicker: the accountant didn’t forward that letter until it was almost too late.
That moment triggered a chain reaction. Matt finally reached out, overwhelmed and unsure where to even begin. Like so many tradie business owners, he’d waited until things felt unfixable before reaching for support.
The First Step: Facing It
When Matt sat down with our team, we laid out three simple options:
- Confront the current accountant and push for help
- Contact the ATO directly and negotiate a plan himself
- Engage a new accountant to take over and represent him properly
We also connected him with a trusted bookkeeper from our network — someone who could get into his Xero file and start cleaning things up fast. Without accurate books, we couldn’t even begin to map out a strategy.
Matt chose option three and, for the first time in a long time, took action.
The Money Story (and the Truth Behind It)
Once the dust settled, we were able to get a clearer picture of the business's financial health:
- Over the past 12 months, Matt had been operating at a small loss (around $5,000)
- In the last six months, things were trending up — just breaking even
- And in the last three months, the business was finally showing a small profit of ~$2,300 per month
These numbers weren’t massive — but they told us something important: the business had potential. The work was there. The clients were there. But the structure behind it had been missing.
What Held Him Back?
The truth is, Matt wasn’t lazy. He wasn’t careless. He was just in deep avoidance.
He’d gone through a separation. He was carrying the emotional weight of a failing marriage, financial stress, and a sense of shame that made it easier to ignore than act. Like many trade business owners, he didn’t know what he didn’t know — and by the time he realised, it was nearly too late.
We call it “ostrich behaviour.” Head in the sand. Hope it sorts itself out.
It never does.
Coaching with Boundaries
As a coaching team, we had to walk a fine line.
Yes, we cared deeply. But we also had to be clear and firm. We couldn't promise him everything would be okay — legally or emotionally. But we could say:
“We’ll walk beside you through this — but you’ve got to do your part.”
Matt needed more than encouragement. He needed structure, accountability, and support that didn’t let him off the hook.
Turning Point (And a Word on Accountants)
A big part of Matt’s story came down to this: the wrong accountant can cost you everything.
The new accountant we referred him to got to work immediately. She replied to Matt’s emails straight away, helped him prepare the documents he needed, and began negotiations with the ATO on his behalf. She wasn’t shocked by the debt — in fact, she’d worked with clients who owed more and come out the other side.
A huge chunk of Matt’s ATO bill was interest. And that gave them leverage.
Where Things Stand Now
Matt is not “fixed.” He’s rebuilding. But now:
- His books are finally up to date
- He’s working with a proactive accountant
- He’s got a plan in place (and a support team behind him)
- His business is inching back into profit
- He’s beginning to shift from survival mode into strategy mode
And most importantly? He’s taking responsibility.
What You Can Learn from Matt’s Story
If you’re in a similar spot — or even heading that way — here’s what Matt’s story can teach:
- You can’t outsource ownership. You are responsible for knowing your numbers. No one else will care more than you.
- Your accountant needs to do more than just submit a tax return. If they’re not prodding, guiding, or educating you — it might be time to move on.
- Financial stress doesn’t mean you’re bad at business. But hiding from it guarantees it gets worse.
- Change doesn’t need to be massive. It starts with one honest conversation, one email, one uncomfortable action.
Progress Over Perfection
Matt didn’t need saving. He needed support, direction, and someone to say “enough’s enough.”
And once the right people were in his corner — a switched-on accountant, a trusted bookkeeper, and a coaching team that cared without carrying — he could finally start moving.
He’s not at the finish line yet.
But he’s no longer waiting for the house to burn down before he picks up the hose.
*Name changed for confidentiality.
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