Crows Nest · Audit & assurance specialists
Audits that are independent, defensible and delivered on time.
Houston & Co is a chartered accounting practice in Crows Nest built around audit. We perform external and statutory audits, SMSF audits, solicitors’ trust account external examinations and real estate trust account audits — for businesses, trustees, licensees and other accounting firms across Sydney and New South Wales.
- ASIC Registered Company Auditor since 1990
- ASIC Approved SMSF Auditor (SAN 100098262)
- Chartered Accountant, CA ANZ
- Fixed fees agreed before work starts
Audit & assurance
Four audit specialisms, done properly
Each of these has its own regulator, its own standard and its own deadline. Treating them as the same engagement is how firms get into trouble.
External / Statutory Audit
Independent financial statement audits for companies, not-for-profits, charities and grant recipients.
Learn moreSMSF Audit
Independent financial and compliance audits of self-managed super funds under the SIS Act.
Learn moreSolicitors' Trust Account Audit
External examinations of law practice trust records under the Legal Profession Uniform Law, lodged with the Law Society of NSW.
Learn moreReal Estate Trust Account Audit
Trust account audits for real estate agents, property and strata managers and conveyancers, lodged with NSW Fair Trading.
Learn moreAccounting, tax and SMSF administration
Beyond audit, we handle company and trust compliance, tax advisory, SMSF administration and not-for-profit reporting for clients we do not audit.
The compliance calendar
The dates that actually matter
Most audit problems are calendar problems. These are the deadlines we work backwards from.
31 May
Solicitors' trust accounts
External Examiner's Report due to the Law Society of NSW for every practice that held trust money during the trust year.
30 June
Real estate audit period ends
The trust account audit period for NSW licensees runs 1 July to 30 June. Records should be reconciled and ready from 1 July.
30 September
Real estate trust accounts
Audit due for lodgement with NSW Fair Trading. Anything lodged from 1 October is recorded as late and may attract a penalty.
28 days
SMSF audit reports
The independent auditor's report must be provided to trustees within 28 days of receiving all relevant documentation. We work well inside that.
Dates shown apply to New South Wales. Trust account rules differ by state — we will confirm the deadline that applies to you before engaging.
Why clients move to us
Specialists, not generalists with an audit division
Audit is a discipline with its own standards, its own independence rules and its own consequences for getting it wrong. It is what this firm is organised around.
About the firm- 01
Audit is the practice, not a sideline
Statutory, SMSF, legal trust and real estate trust audits are core work here. That specialisation is why turnaround is measured in days rather than months.
- 02
Independence taken seriously
We do not audit financial statements we have prepared. Where we act as auditor, we say so and stay in that lane — which is exactly what a regulator looks for.
- 03
Fixed fees, agreed up front
You get a scope and a price before work starts. No hourly surprises and no variation for questions you were always going to ask.
- 04
Deadlines that are actually met
31 May for legal trust examinations, 30 September for real estate trust audits, and SMSF reports back well inside the 28-day limit. The calendar is the job.
How an engagement runs
Four steps, no surprises
- 01
Scope and quote
A short conversation about the entity, the year and the deadline. You get a fixed fee and an engagement letter — not an hourly estimate.
- 02
One document request
A single, defined list of what we need, sent up front. Queries during fieldwork are batched, not drip-fed to your team.
- 03
Fieldwork
Performed on the records you already produce, electronically. Most engagements need no site attendance at all.
- 04
Report and lodgement
Draft findings discussed with you before anything is signed, then the report issued and lodged with the relevant regulator on time.
Common questions
What types of audit does Houston & Co perform?
External and statutory financial statement audits, SMSF audits, solicitors' trust account external examinations under the Legal Profession Uniform Law, and real estate agent trust account audits lodged with NSW Fair Trading.
Do you act for other accounting firms?
Yes. A significant part of our work is performed for accounting practices that need an independent auditor for their SMSF or audit clients without referring the whole relationship away.
How are your fees structured?
Fixed fee, quoted after a short scoping conversation and confirmed in an engagement letter before work begins.
Do you work with clients outside Sydney?
Yes. Audit files are handled electronically, so we act for clients across New South Wales and interstate. Trust account audits are jurisdiction-specific, so we will confirm the rules that apply to your state before engaging.
Need a quote or a second opinion?
Tell us the entity, the deadline and the type of audit. You will have a fixed-fee proposal back quickly — usually the same day.