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Bookkeeping for Queensland businesses

Queensland businesses, from the south east corner to the far north, can have their books kept current in the cloud accounting software they already use. Below are the state's population, how many businesses are actively trading, the industries they work in, and the employer rules Queensland sets.

  • By Book Keeping Pros
  • Sources checked 15 Oct 2026

Queensland businesses in figures

Estimated resident population of Queensland, 30 June 2025 (preliminary)
5,669,764 peopleAustralian Bureau of Statistics. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
Growth in the estimated resident population of Queensland, 30 June 2024 to 30 June 2025
1.8%Australian Bureau of Statistics. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
Actively trading businesses whose main state or territory is Queensland, June 2025
524,024 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

Keeping Queensland books in order

  • Bank feeds reconciled

    Each month we reconcile the transactions your bank feeds bring into Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, so your balances agree with the bank.

  • Bills and invoices matched

    Money in and out is matched to the bills and invoices it settles, which shows clearly who still owes you and what you owe.

  • Behind? Oldest month first

    If the records have fallen behind, we catch up the missing months starting with the oldest, then carry on monthly.

Queensland businesses by industry

The ABS may perturb small counts to protect confidentiality, so the figures need not add up exactly.

  1. Construction89,296 businesses
  2. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services65,088 businesses
  3. Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services61,255 businesses
  4. Health Care and Social Assistance43,544 businesses
  5. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing41,591 businesses
  6. Transport, Postal and Warehousing40,605 businesses
  7. Retail Trade29,365 businesses
  8. Other Services29,351 businesses
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

Queensland businesses by number of employees

The ABS may perturb small counts to protect confidentiality, so the figures need not add up exactly.

  1. Non-employing324,971 businesses
  2. 1 to 4 employees135,682 businesses
  3. 5 to 19 employees48,588 businesses
  4. 20 to 199 employees14,070 businesses
  5. 200 or more employees968 businesses
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

Payroll tax and long service leave in Queensland

Each state and territory sets its own payroll tax and long service leave rules. The payroll tax figures are for the 2026-27 financial year. A higher general rate applies above the upper wage band. Regional discounts and the mental health levy may also apply. See the detailed rules and confirm your position with the Queensland Revenue Office or your accountant.

Annual payroll tax threshold in Queensland, 2026-27
$1,300,000Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
Lower general payroll tax rate in Queensland, 2026-27
4.75%Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
Long service leave in Queensland: years of service for the full entitlement
10 yearsOffice of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

More locations

Places in Queensland

Other states and territories

Services for Queensland businesses

What Queensland business owners ask us

Queensland doesn't use daylight saving. Does that affect anything?
Not for your books. Queensland stays on eastern standard time all year, so over summer it runs an hour behind Sydney and Melbourne. Your bank feeds still bring transactions into your file, and we reconcile them there each month.
Where do I confirm Queensland payroll tax rules?
With the Queensland Revenue Office, which administers payroll tax in the state. The threshold and rate here show where it begins; whether your business pays depends on its total wages, so check with the Queensland Revenue Office or your accountant.
Can you help a business in Townsville or Cairns?
Yes. Your books sit in cloud accounting software, so where in Queensland you trade makes no difference to how they're kept.
Our books are months behind. Where do you start?
With the oldest month that's missing. We reconcile and match each month in turn until the file is up to date, then keep it current from there.
How do we begin?
Use the contact page to tell us your software and how far behind things are. We'll send a quote first, before any work begins.

Sources

  1. Population estimates by SA2 and above, 2001 to 2025 (32180DS0003_2001-25.xlsx)

    Australian Bureau of Statistics. Estimated resident population at 30 June, 2001 to 2025 (2022 to 2024 revised, 2025 preliminary), released 31 March 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.

    Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 1: Tables 1 to 20 (8165DC01.xlsx)

    Australian Bureau of Statistics. Actively trading businesses at 30 June 2025, released 16 December 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.

    Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  3. Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 8: Businesses by industry division by Statistical Area Level 2 by employment size ranges (8165DC08.xlsx)

    Australian Bureau of Statistics. Actively trading businesses at 30 June 2025, released 16 December 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.

    Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  4. Payroll Tax Act 1971 (Qld), reprint current as at 1 July 2026

    Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel. Reprint current as at 1 July 2026, released 1 July 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.

    Sourced from the Queensland Legislation website (www.legislation.qld.gov.au), licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  5. Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Qld), reprint current as at 1 January 2026

    Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel. Reprint current as at 1 January 2026, released 22 December 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.

    Sourced from the Queensland Legislation website (www.legislation.qld.gov.au), licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  6. Correspondence, GCCSA 2021 to GCCSA 2026 (CG_GCCSA_2021_GCCSA_2026.csv)

    Australian Bureau of Statistics. ASGS Edition 4, July 2026 to June 2031, released 22 July 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.

    Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.