Summit Tax Melbourne review and top alternatives: True Ledger Accounting is the best overall for sole traders, freelancers and tight budgets · Plus 42 Advisory
Quick Verdict
- Summit Tax is a strong fit for Bayside owners wanting one adviser with quarterly strategy sessions, less so if you need priced bookkeeping or a team.
- True Ledger Accounting is the best overall for sole traders, freelancers, and tight budgets in Melbourne and, with CPA-led bookkeeping, BAS and payroll on one fixed monthly fee.
- 42 Advisory suits more complex businesses wanting strategic advice, with Virtual CFO and R&D work in-house.
- Walch In Practice suits established businesses wanting principal involvement, and Rubiix suits established businesses needing structural and corporate advice.
- Epic Tax fits e-commerce and online sellers on Shopify, Amazon FBA, eBay and TikTok Shop.
- Fees, ratings and credentials come from each firm’s site or a named review platform as at 15 October 2026.
Who this is for: Bayside and southeast Melbourne owners weighing a one-adviser CPA firm against larger teams and specialists.
Your first quarterly BAS of the 2026-27 year falls due on 28 October, according to the ATO, which notes extra time may apply when you lodge online or through an agent.
Summit Tax is the right fit if you want one CPA adviser, published starting fees and scheduled strategy time. It is a weaker fit if you need priced bookkeeping, payroll depth or a bench of staff.
This review covers Summit Tax first, then five Melbourne alternatives that each win on a different need.
Summit Tax in Brief
Summit Tax runs a CPA-led compliance and advisory practice from 443 Nepean Hwy, Brighton East, with meetings at the office by appointment. Founder Travis Krantz is a Member of CPA Australia with 10+ years of CPA experience, and he holds Tax Practitioners.
Founder Travis Krantz writes the Summit Tax site in the first person, which points to a one-adviser model. The Summit Tax business name is relatively new, dating from July 2025, although the ABN behind it has been active since February 2020.
Summit Tax focuses on Brighton, Bentleigh, Hampton, Sandringham, Elwood, Moorabbin and Glen Eira. Most clients meet over Google Meet, and the firm also takes on interstate clients by video.
Summit Tax’s Xero page describes its accountant as a Xero Certified Advisor. Industries served include construction, trades, cafés, retail and e-commerce, allied health, professional services, transport, property and IT.
Fees and What Each Plan Covers
Summit Tax publishes starting prices, unlike the other firms in this review. Here is what each plan includes, per the firm’s site:
| Plan | From | What’s included |
| Individual tax return | $390 | Personal return; sole trader schedules, rentals and capital gains cost extra |
| Business Essentials | $250/month | GST-charging sole traders: quarterly BAS/IAS, sole trader return, PAYG instalment monitoring, ATO support, questions any time |
| Companies and trusts | $350/month | Business Essentials scope plus a company return and financials |
| Business Growth | $650/month | Everything in Business Essentials, plus a pre-30 June tax planning session, ASIC annual statement, four quarterly strategy sessions, structuring and Division 7A discussions |
Business Essentials includes the sole trader return; the firm quotes the personal return, tax planning sessions and the ASIC statement separately. Bookkeeping and payroll sit outside every plan, so ask for both figures before comparing totals.
GST turnover decides whether Summit Tax’s Business Essentials plan applies to you. The ATO requires a business to sign up for GST once its GST turnover reaches $75,000, and BAS lodgement follows from that point.
Summit Tax agrees each fee in writing and holds it for 12 months, with no lock-in, 30 days’ notice and a free 30-minute strategy session first.
Where Summit Tax Fits Well and Where It Doesn’t
Summit Tax suits owners who value direct access to one adviser.
Fits well if you:
- Work in Bayside and like the option of meeting in Brighton East
- Want quarterly strategy sessions built into the fee
- Run a company or trust and want Division 7A and structuring talks scheduled
Fits less well if you:
- Need bookkeeping and payroll priced upfront alongside compliance
- Want cover from a team when one adviser is on leave or at capacity
- Need SMSF administration or audit work, which the site does not mention
- Prefer a brand with a long track record under its current name
Reviews, Testimonials and Track Record
Summit Tax holds 5.0 from 25 Google reviews, a solid start for a young brand. Its own site badge still shows 22, so the live Google profile is the more current count. Reviewers most often mention clear explanations and responsiveness:
“Would highly recommend Travis! He is very professional and timely.” Mayah Lasky, 5 ⭐ on Google (May 2026)
Every rating on the profile is five stars. With no critical reviews to weigh, the main gap is the short track record under the Summit Tax name.
5 Accounting Alternatives Compared
Five Melbourne firms each answer a need a one-adviser practice covers less well. The ranking weighs CPA oversight, how much monthly bookkeeping, BAS and payroll work one fee covers, and fit for smaller owners:
| No | Firm | Best for | Base suburb |
| 1 | True Ledger Accounting | Overall; sole traders, freelancers, and tight budgets | South East Melbourne |
| 2 | 42 Advisory | More complex businesses wanting strategic advice | Moorabbin |
| 3 | Walch In Practice | Established businesses wanting principal involvement | Brighton |
| 4 | Rubiix Business Accountants | Established businesses needing structural and corporate advice | Melbourne CBD |
| 5 | Epic Tax | E-commerce and online sellers | Caulfield North |
1. True Ledger Accounting – Best overall for sole traders, freelancers, and tight budgets
Micro and growing businesses moving from quarter-end catch-up to structured monthly processes are where True Ledger Accounting fits, with support that grows as staff and transactions grow. Jia Lee, CPA, leads its bookkeeping, BAS preparation, payroll and monthly reporting work, and his CPA Australia membership shows on a public Credly badge issued by CPA Australia. The practice cites 7+ years of experience and 20+ entities managed.
True Ledger charges one fixed monthly fee, with no hourly billing, scoped to your monthly transaction volume and the support you need. That combination of CPA oversight and one fee covering bookkeeping, BAS preparation and payroll support is why it ranks first among these alternatives.
Pay runs, PAYG withholding, superannuation checks and STP workflows all sit inside True Ledger’s payroll services for Melbourne employers, which matters because the ATO expects each STP report on or before payday. Employers can talk to the practice about a fixed monthly quote.
True Ledger handles the full tax process, from the books to preparing the paperwork, and a registered tax agent it works with submits the lodgement, so owners deal with one CPA-led team end to end. The practice works in Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks.
Early feedback is strong, with True Ledger rated 5.0 on Google and five stars on Trustpilot. One reviewer highlighted the patience behind the work:
“He was patient with me asking a lot of questions.” Elden Lord, 5 ⭐ on Trustpilot (October 2026)
Pros:
- CPA Australia member credential with a public Credly badge
- Fixed monthly fee, no hourly billing
- Bookkeeping, BAS, payroll and STP support managed together
Cons:
- Small public review base so far
- No public office; operates as a service-area business
Ideal clients: Melbourne sole traders, freelancers and owner-run businesses on tight budgets that are moving from quarter-end catch-up to a monthly routine, with bookkeeping, BAS and payroll under one fixed fee.
Contact:
Email: info@trueledgeraccounting.com.au
Phone: +61 432 283 573
2. 42 Advisory – Best for more complex businesses wanting strategic advice
42 Advisory pairs compliance with forward-looking finance work from offices in Moorabbin and Chadstone. Directors Sergiy Kucherenko CPA and Geoffrey Tulett CPA run the CPA practice, which holds Tax Practitioners and ASIC agent number 53499.
42 Advisory’s services cover Xero bookkeeping, payroll and STP, FBT, Division 7A, SMSF, three-way forecasting, Virtual CFO, scenario modelling, R&D tax incentive support and valuations. The firm’s site states 5.0 from 26 Google reviews as at 3 October 2026.
Pros:
- Two CPA directors lead the practice
- Virtual CFO, forecasting and R&D work under one roof
- Free 30-minute intro meeting, with fees agreed in writing
Cons:
- No published prices
- Offices sit in the south-east only, though intro meetings can be online
Ideal clients: Owners preparing for a loan, R&D claim or acquisition who want Virtual CFO forecasting and tax compliance from two CPA directors in the south-east.
Contact:
Address: Level 1, 13-15 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin VIC 3189 (also Chadstone)
Phone: 03 9997 7081
3. Walch In Practice – Best for established businesses wanting principal involvement
Walch In Practice brings principal-led advice from a firm established in 1999. Managing Director Greg Walch has over four decades in the profession, including Pitcher Partners and KPMG, alongside Client Director George Walch.
Walch In Practice moved from the CBD to Brighton on 1 July 2026. Greg is a member of CA ANZ practice and is a Xero Partner with close to 30 years of MYOB experience, and covers tax returns and BAS, SMSF, estate and succession planning, structuring, bookkeeping, payroll, ASIC compliance and audits performed by external auditors that the firm arranges and manages. .
Pros:
- Direct involvement from principals with decades in practice
- Estate, succession and SMSF work alongside compliance
- Xero Partner status plus close to 30 years on MYOB
Cons:
- No published prices
- A Brighton base is less handy for north and west Melbourne
Ideal clients: Established business owners and family groups who want estate, succession and SMSF planning handled directly by senior principals in Brighton.
Contact:
Address: Suite 1, 307 Bay Street, Brighton VIC 3186
Phone: 03 9642 1633
Worth noting: Payday Super started on 1 July 2026, replacing quarterly super, as the ATO explains. Fair Work notes that employers now pay super at the same time as wages and that contributions must reach the fund within 7 business days of payday, while the ATO sets the super guarantee at 12%.
4. Rubiix Business Accountants – Best for established businesses needing structural and corporate advice
Rubiix Business Accountants combines accounting with business coaching through its Business Metamorphosis® model. Directors Mark Debeljak, a CA ANZ fellow, and Stuart Coulthard, a CA ANZ member, lead the CBD firm, which Clutch lists as founded in 2010.
Rubiix’s services span accounting, bookkeeping, tax compliance, strategy and coaching, SMSF, ASIC compliance, succession planning, valuations and tax audit insurance.
Pros:
- Coaching and strategy sit inside the accounting relationship
- Succession, valuation and SMSF work in-house
- Tax audit insurance on offer
- Free initial consultation
Cons:
- No published prices
- CBD-only office
Ideal clients: Established business owners who want coaching, succession and valuation advice alongside their tax and ASIC work in the CBD.
Contact:
Phone: 03 9603 0066
5. Epic Tax – Best for E-commerce and online sellers
Epic Tax specialises in online sellers on Shopify, eBay, TikTok Shop and Amazon FBA, including non-resident sellers. Epic Tax & Accounting Advisory Pty Ltd is a CPA and CA ANZ partnership in Caulfield North, and is a Xero Partner.
Epic Tax covers setup, bookkeeping, BAS and GST, returns, payroll, restructures, Virtual CFO work and ATO reviews, in English or Mandarin, with replies within one business day.
Pros:
- Deep focus on marketplace and e-commerce sellers
- Advice in English or Mandarin
- One-business-day reply target
Cons:
- Small public review base (5.0 from 5 Google reviews)
- No published prices
Ideal clients: Online sellers on Shopify, Amazon FBA, eBay or TikTok Shop, including overseas sellers, who want marketplace-aware GST and bookkeeping in English or Mandarin.
Contact:
Address: 241 Balaclava Road, Caulfield North VIC 3161
Phone: 0416 050 892
Which Option Fits Your Situation?
Each firm here suits a different kind of Melbourne owner. Match your situation to the best pick:
- Bayside owners want one adviser with quarterly strategy sessions: Summit Tax fits, especially its Business Growth plan.
- Best overall, and for Melbourne sole traders, freelancers, and tight budgets: True Ledger Accounting offers CPA-led monthly support on a fixed fee scoped to your transactions.
- More complex businesses wanting strategic advice: 42 Advisory offers forecasting, Virtual CFO and R&D claims in-house.
- Established businesses wanting principal involvement: Walch In Practice gives you direct principal involvement and decades of experience.
- Established businesses needing structural and corporate advice: Rubiix pairs structuring, succession and valuation work with coaching in the CBD.
- E-commerce and online sellers: Epic Tax knows marketplace GST and seller setups on Shopify, Amazon and TikTok Shop.
Your Questions Answered
Is a CPA the same as a CA?
CPA and CA are designations awarded by two different professional bodies, CPA Australia and CA ANZ. Either can suit a small business. For tax work, check the Tax Practitioners Board public list, since the designation alone does not cover that.
Is a local accountant better than a remote one?
A local accountant helps with face-to-face meetings, but remote service suits most cloud-based businesses. Business Victoria suggests asking about fees, data security and who looks after you day to day, and in our view those answers matter more than the postcode.
How often should I meet my accountant?
Quarterly check-ins suit most businesses, matching the BAS dates the ATO sets at 28 October, 28 February, 28 April and 28 July. Add a planning session before 30 June each year.
How do I switch accountants without losing records?
Switching accountants is usually simple when your records are in order and your Xero or MYOB file sits in your own name. The ATO requires you to keep most business records for 5 years, so request copies of everything before you give notice.
What should I bring to a first meeting?
A first meeting goes best with your last two years of returns, recent BAS, bank and loan statements, payroll records and login access to your bookkeeping file. Ask for the scope, timing and fees in a written engagement letter before work starts.
Our Verdict
Summit Tax suits Bayside owners wanting one adviser with quarterly strategy sessions, backed by published starting fees. Its limits are capacity, a young brand and unpriced bookkeeping and payroll.
True Ledger Accounting is the best overall alternative and the pick for Melbourne sole traders, freelancers, and tight budgets.
The rest split by need: 42 Advisory for more complex businesses wanting strategic advice, Walch In Practice for established businesses wanting principal involvement, Rubiix for established businesses needing structural and corporate advice, and Epic Tax for e-commerce and online sellers. Shortlist two and compare written quotes.