Businesses & Industries
Accountants for Architects and Design Firms in Brisbane
Empire Accountants works with architecture practices and design firms across Brisbane, providing specialist accounting, tax, and advisory services tailored to project-based creative businesses.
Since 2015 our team has supported design professionals at every stage, from sole practitioners setting up their first practice structure, to established multi-director firms managing complex project portfolios and growing teams.
Architecture and design businesses carry a financial complexity that generalist accountants often underestimate. Revenue is project-driven, costs are front-loaded, and profitability can look very different on paper versus in the bank.
Know exactly which projects are making you money before the invoice is sent. We set up your books around your project stages so you always have a clear picture of work in progress, outstanding fees, and where profit is actually coming from. No more end-of-year surprises.
Learn more about our bookkeeping and Xero services .
Stay ahead of the gap between delivering work and getting paid. We build cash flow forecasts around your project milestones and fee schedule so you always know what's coming in, what's going out, and when.
Pay less tax and protect what you've built. We advise on the right structure for your practice, whether you're a sole practitioner or a growing multi-principal firm, and work with you before 30 June each year to legally minimise your tax liability.
Learn more about our tax planning services.
Take the complexity out of managing employees and contractors. Through Empire Bookkeping, we handle payroll processing, superannuation, and the ATO reporting obligations that come with a mixed workforce, so your obligations are met correctly every pay cycle.
Learn more about our payroll and bookkeeping services.
See where your practice actually makes money. We implement reporting that shows margin by project, client, and service type — giving you real data to make decisions on pricing, resourcing, and which work to take on.
Learn more about our business advisory services.
Stay compliant and on time, every period. We manage your BAS across monthly or quarterly cycles, ensuring GST is correctly applied across all fee types and that what goes to the ATO matches your billing records.
Learn more about our tax services.
Architecture and design businesses face a set of financial pressures that are distinct from other professional services. The most common issues we help practices navigate include:
Architecture and design firms that engage contractors, drafters, consultants, and engineers, are generally required to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) with the ATO by 28 August each year.
We manage TPAR as part of our standard tax compliance services for design practices.
Many architects and designers work from home studios, particularly in the early stages of practice.
The tax treatment of home office expenses, studio fit-outs, and equipment depends on your business structure and usage.
We advise on what can be claimed and how to apportion costs correctly.
Self-employed architects and practice principals are responsible for their own superannuation contributions.
Concessional contributions are one of the most effective ways to reduce taxable income while building retirement savings, and from 1 July 2026 the cap increases to $32,500 per year.
We incorporate super planning into our tax planning and strategy work for every principal we work with.
We work with architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design, and graphic design businesses across Brisbane including:
Whether you're a boutique studio with a small team or a growing firm managing multiple projects and a roster of contractors, our approach is built around the financial reality of running a design practice.
Since 2015, Empire Accountants has worked with project-based professional service businesses across Brisbane.
Our team of Chartered Accountants understands the financial rhythms of design practices, the feast-and-famine project cycle, the complexity of WIP accounting, and the structural decisions that matter as a practice grows.
Every client works with a dedicated advisor. We operate on fixed monthly fees to assist you with managing your complex cashflow and give you the certainty of services throughout the year.
Architecture and design businesses have financial complexities that go beyond standard compliance, project-based revenue, contractor arrangements, and structure decisions as the practice grows. Working with an accountant who understands how design practices operate makes a meaningful difference to both compliance and financial performance.
Work in progress (WIP) accounting refers to the value of services delivered but not yet invoiced. For project-based businesses like architecture practices, WIP can represent significant unreported value, meaning the business can look profitable on paper while experiencing real cash flow pressure. Tracking WIP accurately gives principals a clearer picture of actual financial performance.
The right structure depends on the size of the practice, number of principals, and long-term goals. Sole traders, companies, and trust structures each carry different tax and asset protection implications. As practices grow and take on new principals, structure decisions become increasingly important — and worth reviewing regularly rather than setting and forgetting.
Architecture and design firms that engage contractors, drafters, consultants, and engineers, may be required to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) with the ATO by 28 August each year. It's worth confirming your obligations with your accountant based on your specific contractor arrangements.
We work on fixed monthly fee packages tailored to the size and complexity of your practice, no hourly rates and no surprise invoices. We offer a free initial consultation to understand your needs before any work begins.
If you operate an architecture or design practice in Brisbane and want clearer project visibility, better tax outcomes, and an accounting team that understands your industry — speak with our team.