XBert Type: Standard
Accounting Software: Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks
Country Restriction: AU only
Risk Type: Tax Risk
Business Function: Purchases
Overview
The "Supplier has bills with different ABNs on attachments" XBert identifies suppliers whose bills include attachments showing ABNs that differ from the ABN recorded in their contact record. This alert is triggered when multiple bills from a supplier contain mismatched ABNs, suggesting either incorrect contact information or misfiled attachments.
What it does
XBert reviews all bills with attachments and highlights suppliers with ABNs on attachments that don’t match the supplier’s ABN in your accounting system.
Identifies suppliers with multiple bills containing attachments that show different ABNs
Only fires if one or more ABNs on attachments are valid and differ from the ABN recorded for the supplier
Helps detect errors caused by incorrect contact data or misassigned attachments
How it works
XBert scans bills and their attachments for ABNs and checks these against a verified ABN database.
If the ABN on any attachment differs from the supplier’s contact ABN, and this occurs across multiple bills, the alert is triggered.
This grouped alert reduces noise by consolidating multiple ABN mismatches for a supplier into one notification.
Example/Use Case
Steve owns a printing business and regularly creates bills in Xero for Bob’s Burgers, a catering supplier. The contact record in Xero shows an old ABN (123761282), but the tax invoices attached to several bills show the current, correct ABN (345982333).
Because the ABN in Xero is incorrect, GST calculations may be inaccurate, potentially causing Steve to overpay or underclaim GST on his BAS. Alternatively, Steve may have mistakenly attached a taxi receipt to a bill meant for Bob’s Burgers. These mismatches can create audit risks and compliance issues.
Accounting software
Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks
Which countries it supports
Australia only.
Processes
This XBert is part of the Bookkeeping – Purchases (AP) category.
To address this alert:
Review the bills listed in the alert
Confirm whether the ABN on the attachment is correct for the supplier
If necessary:
Update the supplier’s contact record in your accounting software with the correct ABN
Replace or remove incorrect attachments
Check if the bill was assigned to the correct supplier
Maintaining accurate ABN records and ensuring proper attachment filing is essential for correct GST treatment and ATO compliance.