PropAlly puzzles/ Puzzle #6
12 statements. Two problems.
Your accountant needs 12 monthly rental statements for 2025–26. Here are 12. What’s wrong?
Fictional example
The answer
January is there twice, and March is missing.
Counting to 12 isn’t enough. The pile needs one statement for each month from July 2025 to June 2026.
| Month | Statements in the pile |
|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | 1 |
| Aug 2025 | 1 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | 1 |
How to check your own pile
Sort by month, not by count
Line statements up from July to June. A duplicate and a gap cancel out if you only count them.
Match the period on each statement
Agents sometimes send a corrected statement for the same month, which is how a month ends up in the pile twice.
Compare with the annual summary
If your agent issues an end-of-financial-year summary, its rent total should equal the 12 monthly statements added together.
Keep every statement in one place
PropAlly organises statements by property and month, so a missing month shows up before tax time.
Start with one property freeIf you lodge your own tax return, the usual due date is 31 October. People who use a registered tax agent may have a later date. This page is general information, not tax advice.
All figures on this page are a fictional example for illustration. They aren’t market averages, a tax calculation or financial advice.