{"id":7416,"date":"2018-09-18T17:02:01","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T06:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/blog\/?p=7416"},"modified":"2024-07-11T16:32:12","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T05:32:12","slug":"choosing-the-right-tax-practitioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/blog\/choosing-the-right-tax-practitioner\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose the right tax practitioner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you put up a task for someone to help you with your taxes, you need to make sure that they are registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB). Different tax practitioners cater to specific needs, but most people use a tax or BAS agent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Here&#8217;s what you need to know about choosing the right tax practitioner for you:<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When should I use a tax agent?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You use a tax agent to lodge your income tax return. They handle other tax affairs and give tax advice, such as helping you with tax concessions you might be entitled to or working out capital gains tax or fringe benefits tax. Tax agents can also help manage your employment tax obligations, especially if you&#8217;re an employer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When should I use a BAS agent?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you&#8217;re in business, you can use a BAS agent to help lodge your quarterly Business Activity Statement (BAS). A\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/accounting\/bas-accounting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">registered BAS agent<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> can also assist you with applying for an Australian Business Number (ABN) or help you manage tax obligations and super payments for your employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Do note that BAS agents can&#8217;t lodge income tax returns, but a tax agent can assist with BAS lodgments.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">How do I know if my tax agent is registered?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You can verify your tax agent&#8217;s registration via the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tpb.gov.au\/registrations_search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">TPB Register<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Follow the steps below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Select &#8220;Search the TPB Register.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Enter your tax agent&#8217;s name, ABN, or registration number. Filling out the rest of the fields is optional, but doing so can help narrow down the search results.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Click &#8220;Find.&#8221; If your tax practitioner is registered, their name and registration number should appear.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Eligible tax and BAs agents can also use the Registered tax practitioner symbol to let the public know they are registered with the TPB, which you can look for on their Airtasker profile, website, emails, or social media pages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-38521 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24050745\/TPB-Symbol.png\" alt=\"Registered tax practitioner symbol\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24050745\/TPB-Symbol.png 300w, https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24050745\/TPB-Symbol-150x112.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What&#8217;s the difference between a tax agent and an accountant?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A tax agent is a specialist in taxation and compliance, whereas an accountant can advise on various financial issues, such as super, insurance, and other areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Whether you choose to see a registered tax\/BAS agent or an accountant will depend on what you need help with. Just remember that if you\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/moneysmart.gov.au\/choosing-an-accountant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">choose an accountant<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0to do your taxes, they still need to be registered with the TPB.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What happens if I use an agent who is not registered?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If your\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tpb.gov.au\/unregistered-agents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">tax or BAS agent isn&#8217;t registered<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, you&#8217;re at risk of using someone who is unable to give you proper and accurate tax advice. Further, you will be using someone who isn&#8217;t qualified or bound by the Code of Professional Conduct.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Registered tax and BAS agents must meet education and qualification requirements and have professional indemnity insurance to cover their clients for negligence.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Say I pay someone for financial planning advice (including tax advice). Do they need to be registered as well?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Yes. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/C2009A00013\">Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (TASA)<\/a>, if someone provides you with financial and tax advice for a fee, they need to be registered with the TPB<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It&#8217;s also worth noting that tax (financial) advisers must meet licensing requirements with the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmart.gov.au\/investing\/financial-advice\/financial-advisers-register\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Australian Securities and Investments Commission<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0(ASIC).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What if I know about someone providing tax services without being registered?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You can\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tpb.gov.au\/make-complaint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">let the TPB know<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and they will investigate. Under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009, providing tax services without proper registration can result in serious consequences and penalties.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Where can I learn more?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You can read more about using a registered tax or BAS agent by visiting the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tpb.gov.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Tax Practitioners Board website<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"tip\">Need help crunching the numbers and checking your balances during tax time? Find someone with the right skills to help with tax-related services on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/post-task\/\">Airtasker<\/a> today!<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A guide to choosing the right tax practitioner for your task.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[1570,1566,1562,1564,176,1568],"language":["en-AU"],"class_list":["post-7416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","tag-accountant","tag-adviser","tag-bas","tag-financial","tag-income-tax","tag-tax-agent"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to choose the right tax practitioner | Airtasker Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It&#039;s tax time once again! 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