Liston Newton Advisory

What Liston Newton Advisory does

Liston Newton Advisory is an Australian multi-service accounting and business advisory firm founded in 1976 and headquartered in South Melbourne, Victoria. The firm operates six offices across three states (Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland) and serves small-to-medium businesses, growing enterprises, and business owners across 17 industry verticals including aged care, agriculture, construction, healthcare, hospitality, property development, and trades. Its service ecosystem spans Accounting & Tax (compliance, BAS, tax planning, Xero bookkeeping), Business Advisory and Business Structuring, Virtual CFO Services, Financial Advisory (wealth management, estate planning, retirement, personal insurance), Lending (home, business, bridging), SMSF administration, and Digital Advisory delivered through partner agencies.

The firm's technology stack centers on Xero at Platinum Partner tier — the highest partnership level — with the firm providing implementation, training, and ongoing bookkeeping on the platform. Custom-built real-time financial dashboards and reporting tools, plus scenario-planning/forecasting capabilities, sit on top of Xero to deliver client-facing visibility and advisory insights. Website and client portal operations rely on EngineRoom. A proprietary three-phase methodology branded 'Get Set, Get Moving, Get Free' structures client engagements from fundamentals through to wealth creation, supported by a curated ecosystem of Big Four banks and 25+ specialist lenders for lending referrals.

The business model is hybrid: subscription/recurring revenue from accounting, tax, SMSF, and Virtual CFO retainers (VCFO priced at A$1,500–A$10,000+ per month) layered with project/professional services fees for advisory, transaction, and exit work, plus affiliate/referral economics from lending. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, anchored by a free 60-minute strategy session for businesses with revenue above A$500,000, supported by content marketing, SEO, organic social, email, and long-tenured client referrals. The firm is private, founder-led (Kieran Liston serving since 1976; John Liston as Non-Executive Director; Peter Antonius as CEO), and has no external institutional investment.

Name

Liston Newton Advisory

Legal name

Liston Newton Advisory

Website

https://listonnewton.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Liston Newton Advisory is an Australian multi-service accounting and business advisory firm founded in 1976, operating six offices across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland, serving SMBs and business owners with tax, bookkeeping, Virtual CFO, SMSF, lending, and wealth services across 17 verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Business advisory
• Tax compliance
• Virtual CFO services
• SMSF administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Malvern

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accounting and Tax Services: Core accounting and tax compliance services including BAS returns, tax returns, ASIC compliance, and ongoing tax planning and minimisation
2. Virtual CFO Services: Outsourced CFO services providing financial leadership, reporting, and strategic advisory on retainer basis ranging from $1,500 to $10,000+ per month
3. Financial Advisory: Wealth management, investment strategies, estate planning, retirement planning, and personal insurance advisory services
4. Lending Services: Lending advisory and broker services connecting clients with banks and specialist lenders; revenue through referral arrangements and lending consultancy
5. SMSF Administration: Self-managed super fund setup, ongoing administration, compliance, and accounting services for SMSF members
6. Digital Advisory Services: Digital marketing strategy, SEO, web development, and social media campaign management through trusted partner network

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Liston Newton Advisory is a multi-service Australian accounting and business advisory firm providing accounting and tax compliance, strategic business advisory, virtual CFO services, financial advisory (wealth management, estate planning, retirement planning), lending advisory, and SMSF administration to small and medium businesses and business owners across Australia. The firm operates across six offices in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, supplementing in-person services with virtual delivery Australia-wide, and is a Xero Platinum Partner providing cloud accounting implementation and bookkeeping.

Product overview

Liston Newton Advisory is a multi-service Australian accounting and business advisory firm operating across six offices in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. The company offers an integrated portfolio of professional services organized around a 'Get Set, Get Moving, Get Free' methodology designed to guide businesses through different stages of growth. The core service ecosystem includes Accounting & Tax (encompassing Business Accountants, Taxation Accountant, Tax Compliance, Tax Minimisation, Selling a Business, and Xero Bookkeeping), Business Advisory (strategic growth and planning services), Business Structures (Company, Partnerships, Sole Traders, Trusts), Virtual CFO Services (outsourced financial leadership), Financial Advisory (Wealth Management, Investment Strategies, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Personal Insurance), Lending (home loans, business loans, bridging loans), SMSF (Self-Managed Super Fund administration, accounting, consolidation, and setup), and Digital Advisory (digital marketing through partner agencies). The firm is a Platinum Xero Partner providing cloud-based accounting solutions. Services are designed to be delivered as an integrated whole under one roof, with all advisors having access to a nationwide network of specialists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounting & Tax Core accounting and taxation services including financial reporting, BAS returns, ASIC compliance, tax payments, business tax returns, and bookkeeping services for Australian businesses.
• Business Advisory Strategic business advisory services including growth planning, business funding, succession planning, and exit strategy advice for business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Business Structures Business structuring advice covering Company, Partnerships, Sole Traders, and Trusts to help build the right foundation for business success.
• Virtual CFO Services Fully outsourced CFO services providing financial leadership, reporting, compliance, risk management, and strategic business partnership without the overheads of a full-time CFO, on retainer ranging from $1,500 to $10,000+ per month.
• Financial Advisory Holistic financial advice including estate planning, investment strategies, personal insurance, retirement planning, and wealth management for individuals and business owners.
• Lending Holistic lending advisory to fund personal and professional goals, including home loans, business loans, bridging loans, and refinancing guidance, with access to 25+ specialist lenders and major banks.
• SMSF (Self-Managed Super Fund) Award-winning Self-Managed Super Fund administration services including setup, investment vetting, consolidations, ongoing accounting, and compliance management for SMSF members.
• Digital Advisory Digital marketing services including strategic planning, SEO, web development, social media campaigns, and Google Ads management delivered through trusted partner agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Quality Energy achieved 90% profit increase through Xero implementation and quarterly business coaching
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationXero Platinum Partner status - highest tier partnership level. Provides cloud accounting platform integration, implementation, and support services. Team certified in Xero implementation with dedicated bookkeeping and training capabilities.
• Digital Marketing AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted digital marketing partner agencies for web design, SEO, and social media campaign management. Same partners used internally for Liston Newton's own digital marketing, providing vetted recommendations to clients.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pitcher Partners: Australian mid-tier multi-service accounting and advisory firm with a comparable blend of accounting, business advisory, wealth management and SMSF services across multiple states, directly competing for the same SMB and mid-market segment.
• William Buck: Australian mid-tier accounting and advisory firm offering accounting, business advisory, virtual CFO-style services and wealth management — a closely comparable offering to Liston Newton's integrated stack.
• BDO Australia: Mid-tier global accounting network's Australian member firm providing audit, tax, advisory and outsourcing services to SMBs and mid-market clients; competes directly for the same vertical specialisations and advisory engagements.
• Mazars Australia: Mid-tier international accounting network's Australian operations offering accounting, tax, advisory and outsourcing services that overlap with Liston Newton's core and advisory service lines.
• Crowe Australasia: Mid-tier accounting and advisory network operating across Australia and New Zealand, serving mid-market and growing enterprises with similar integrated tax, advisory and wealth offerings.
• Carbon Group: Australian multi-service accounting and advisory firm offering bookkeeping, tax, business advisory and CFO services to SMBs — closely comparable in service mix and target customer profile.
• RSM Australia: Mid-tier accounting network in Australia offering tax, consulting and advisory to growing businesses; directly comparable in target segment and integrated service mix.
• Baker Tilly Australia: Mid-tier accounting and advisory network's Australian operations offering tax, business advisory and wealth services to mid-market clients with comparable service breadth.
• HLB Mann Judd: Australian mid-tier accounting, audit and advisory firm with a long history (founded 1960s) similar to Liston Newton's multi-decade positioning, serving SMB and mid-market clients across similar verticals.

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Australia: Big Four accounting and advisory firm in Australia offering the full spectrum of audit, tax, consulting and deal advisory — overlaps with Liston Newton's mid-market and SMB services but at much greater scale and specialisation depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/listonnewtonadvisory
• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/liston-newton-advisory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liston Newton Advisory