Bookkeeping for Penang cafes and factory suppliers, no bridge crossing needed
Cafes in George Town's old streets, parts suppliers in Bayan Lepas, wholesalers in Perai: send your documents online and your monthly accounts are put in order.
BookKeeper offers online monthly bookkeeping for SMEs in Penang, covering George Town, Bayan Lepas, Batu Kawan, Perai, Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam. The Starter plan starts from RM280/month, with the final price based on your quote. For F&B owners, the focus is seasonal cash flow. For electronics suppliers, it is e-Invoice and customer credit terms. All documents are sent by WhatsApp or Google Drive.
- The service tax rate for food and beverage services is 6%. For general services it is 8%.
- SST-02 is filed every two months, with filing and payment due by the last day of the following month.
- For Enterprise owners, the Form B deadline is 30 June, with an e-Filing grace period until 15 July.
- Businesses with annual turnover below RM3 million may stop issuing e-Invoices if they meet the conditions, or continue voluntarily.
What is special about the bookkeeping rhythm of Penang businesses?
On the island, it follows the tourist seasons. Across the bridge and in Bayan Lepas, it follows large factories' orders and credit terms. The two rhythms are very different.
During Chinese New Year and the school holidays, George Town's old streets are packed with tourists and people queue outside the cafes. In the low season, the same street has only a few tables of customers in the afternoon, yet rent and salaries still have to be paid.
Meanwhile, around the large factories in Bayan Lepas and Batu Kawan, there are many small suppliers doing parts machining, packaging and transport. They get paid on the factories' 60-day or 90-day terms, but pay their raw material suppliers in Perai in cash.
What both have in common is that money comes in and goes out at different times. With monthly accounts, the owner can see whether there is enough cash for the next two or three months, and whether to arrange financing with the bank early.
Say you run a cafe near Lebuh Chulia with 5 staff, taking cash, DuitNow and two delivery platforms. A peak-season month may bring in twice the revenue of a low-season month. Each month you put POS end-of-day reports and platform statements in Google Drive, and the bookkeeping team organises them monthly. Looking through a full year of profit and loss statements, you know how much cash to keep from the peak season to get through the low season.
What should businesses on the island and in Seberang Perai watch?
F&B and retail on the island need to manage cash and seasons. Suppliers in Seberang Perai and the industrial zones need to manage receivables and documents.
| Area | Common businesses | Numbers to watch each month |
|---|---|---|
| George Town, Tanjung Bungah | Cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops | Daily cash summaries, platform commission, cash balance across seasons |
| Bayan Lepas, Batu Kawan | Parts machining, packaging and transport suppliers | Receivables ageing for large factories, whether e-Invoices are complete |
| Perai, Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam | Wholesale, building materials, hardware trading | Balances owed by credit customers, stock in and out |
How should suppliers to large factories prepare for e-Invoice?
First ask your customer's purchasing department whether they need e-Invoices, then decide whether to continue issuing them. Suppliers with turnover below RM3 million may stop if they meet LHDN's conditions, but some large factories check the e-Invoice number before paying.
If you choose to continue, the customer details, amounts and tax details on every invoice must match your books, so that your receivables line up at month end. Large factories have long credit terms, so review receivables ageing every month to plan your cash flow.
Sources: LHDN e-Invoice
Which two deadlines should Penang cafes watch?
SST-registered F&B businesses should watch SST-02, and owners registered as an Enterprise (sole proprietorship or partnership) should watch Form B. Form B is the individual tax return for people with business income.
| Item | Deadline |
|---|---|
| SST-02 | Every two months, by the last day of the following month |
| Form B | 30 June, e-Filing grace period until 15 July |
If you also run a homestay upstairs, confirm SST and Tourism Tax treatment for homestays and rentals with MySST and the accountant. For the full yearly deadlines, see the Sdn Bhd month-end checklist. For filing support, see SST filing services. Suppliers dealing with e-Invoice can see e-Invoice services.
Sources: MySST, LHDN, LHDN e-Invoice
How do you work with the bookkeeping team from Penang?
Everything is done online. Photograph documents on WhatsApp or put them in Google Drive. If you already use AutoCount or SQL Account, we can work together directly in the software. Questions are discussed by phone or video call.
Your accounts are delivered on the dates set in the service agreement, and we reply as soon as we can, usually within the working day. For fees, see the pricing page. For what is included, see monthly bookkeeping.
Island or Seberang Perai, tell us about your business first.
Ask About Penang Bookkeeping on WhatsAppQuestions you may still have
Tap a question to see the answer. Can't find yours? Just ask us.
Ask on WhatsAppI supply a Bayan Lepas electronics factory and my turnover is below RM3 million. Do I still need to issue e-Invoices?
If you meet LHDN's conditions you may stop, but you can also continue voluntarily, and many large factory customers require e-Invoices in their purchasing process. Check your customer's requirements before deciding. e-Invoice / MyInvois setup starts from RM500 (one-off), with the final price based on your quote.
My George Town cafe loses money in the low season. How should I read my accounts?
Look at the whole year, not just one month. Set aside the extra cash from the peak season for low-season rent and salaries, and read your monthly profit and loss statements together to see whether you made money for the year. Please have the accountant confirm the arrangement based on your operating records.
I run a few rooms upstairs as a homestay. How is SST handled?
Confirm SST and Tourism Tax treatment for homestays and rentals with MySST and the accountant. Record homestay income separately from cafe income so you have clear figures for that decision.
My Penang cafe takes payments through delivery platforms and e-wallets. How do I match the accounts?
Match four things: POS end-of-day reports, delivery platform statements, e-wallet reports and bank deposits. Platform commission is recorded separately as an expense. Just send us these reports each month.
Do you also serve Butterworth, Perai and Bukit Mertajam?
Yes. Seberang Perai works the same way as the island: documents are sent online. If you need to hand over physical documents, you can arrange this separately with the partner team.
