In short: Sparks Scribe does not calculate tax, GST or BAS for you. What it does do is keep your invoices, custom support codes, travel log and receipts organised in one place, so when tax time comes you are exporting tidy records instead of hunting for them. Your accountant still makes the calls on what you can claim.
Let's get the honest bit out of the way first. Sparks Scribe is not a tax app. It does not lodge your BAS, it does not calculate what you owe, and it does not tell you what is deductible. That is genuinely your accountant's job, not an app's. What Scribe does well is keep the paperwork that feeds into tax time organised all year round, so when the date rolls around you are pulling together records instead of reconstructing them from memory and seven different notes apps.
What Scribe actually tracks for you
Every invoice you send through Scribe carries the NDIS support item code, the rate, and the date. If you have added travel to a shift, that distance sits with the invoice too, and once invoiced it is copied into the kilometre log automatically. On the Vault plan, Receipt Vault lets you log work travel that was not billed to a client, with the date, distance and any notes or files attached. Document Vault keeps client paperwork in one place, and Xero sync pushes your invoicing data straight into your accounting software if that is what you use.
None of this replaces proper record keeping advice from a tax professional. What it does is mean the records already exist in one place, dated and coded, rather than scattered across text messages and old invoices you have to go digging for.
What Scribe does not do
There is no GPS tracking running in the background. You enter your kilometres yourself, either against a shift or as a manual trip in Receipt Vault. There is no automatic calculation of what portion of your phone bill or car expenses you can claim. There is no BAS lodgement, no tax return, and no advice on your deductible amount. If someone tells you an app will sort your tax for you, be a little sceptical. The actual rules about what you can claim come from the ATO and your own accountant, not from any piece of software.
Five ways to get more out of your invoicing data
- Reconcile monthly, not just at EOFY. A quick check each month that invoices match shifts worked catches gaps while they are still fresh in your memory.
- Use Add Travel on every shift where you drove, even short trips. Small distances add up over a year, and the log only works if the entries are actually there.
- Log unbilled work travel in Receipt Vault too, not just billed kilometres. Training, admin trips and the like still count as work travel for your own records.
- Keep your custom support codes consistent if you use them. A code you reuse the same way each time makes your income easier to categorise later.
- Export your reports periodically through the year rather than leaving it all to one big July scramble. A tidy export in hand beats a frantic search for old invoices.
A simple EOFY routine
Set aside an hour before you see your accountant. Export your invoice history for the financial year, pull your kilometre log and travel records, and gather anything sitting in Document Vault or Receipt Vault. If you are on Vault with Xero sync, most of this has already been flowing into your accounting software as you went, which makes the export step even lighter. Hand it all to your accountant and let them do the part that actually requires a qualification.
If you are weighing up whether the Scribe subscription itself is deductible, that is a separate question for your accountant, not something covered here.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sparks Scribe calculate my BAS or tax for me?
No. Scribe keeps your invoices, travel log and receipts organised, but it does not calculate tax, GST or BAS, and it does not tell you what to claim. That is a job for a registered tax agent or accountant.
Does Scribe track my driving with GPS?
No. There is no background GPS tracking. You enter kilometres yourself against a shift, or as a manual trip in Receipt Vault if it was not billed to a client. When travel on a shift is invoiced, it is copied into the kilometre log automatically.
Can I export my invoicing and travel records for my accountant?
Yes. Invoices go out as PDFs, and the kilometre log and reports keep your travel records together. On the Vault plan, Xero sync can also push your invoicing data straight into your accounting software.
Is the Sparks Scribe subscription itself tax deductible?
That depends on your individual circumstances, so it is a question for your accountant rather than something we can confirm here.
Where is my data stored, and can I get it out if I switch apps or accountants?
Your data is stored in Australia, it belongs to you, and you can export it at any time.