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Tax Preparers

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Tax preparation is the part of accounting most Australians actually buy: someone sits down with your income statement, your receipts and your bank details, prepares the return and lodges it. It is also the part where the law is strictest about who may take your money. Preparing or lodging a return for a fee or other reward is a tax agent service, and only a practitioner registered with the Tax Practitioners Board may provide it.

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That matters because tax time attracts operators who are not registered. Some work from a shopfront that appears in July and is gone by November. Some advertise on social media and promise a refund figure before seeing a single document. The register exists precisely so that this claim can be checked by anyone, in public, for free.

A good preparer does three things: confirms who you are and what you actually earned, asks about the claims you want to make and what evidence you hold, and shows you the finished return before lodging it. The declaration in that return is yours. Anything in it that cannot be supported is your exposure, not the preparer's.

The symbol, the number and the register

The TPB issued a registered tax practitioner symbol so that consumers can recognise a registered practitioner. The symbol is displayed with the practitioner's registration number, and only registered practitioners who meet the eligibility criteria may use it. There are separate versions for tax agents and BAS agents.

Treat the symbol as a starting point rather than proof. Type the number into the TPB register and see what comes back: whether the registration is current, whether it is a tax agent or a BAS agent registration, and whether any conditions limit what the practitioner may do. The register also shows details of some practitioners whose registration was terminated, including the reason.

What a proper tax appointment looks like

Identity first. The preparer confirms who you are, links you to their practice in the ATO's systems and downloads pre-fill data: your income statement from your employer's Single Touch Payroll reporting, bank interest, dividends, private health cover and government payments.

Then the conversation moves to what pre-fill cannot know. Work-related expenses and the evidence behind them, any second job or gig income, investment property figures, anything sold during the year. The preparer should tell you which claims they are comfortable with and why, prepare the return, and send it to you to check. Lodgement comes after your approval, and any refund should be paid into your own bank account.

Protecting yourself at tax time

  • Check the registration number on the TPB register yourself rather than relying on a certificate on the wall.
  • Never sign a blank, partly completed or unseen return, and keep a copy of what was lodged.
  • Insist that any refund goes to an account in your name, not to the preparer's account for onward payment.
  • Be wary of a fee quoted as a percentage of the refund, and of a refund figure promised before your records are seen.
  • Get the fee and scope in writing before the work starts, including what happens if the ATO queries the return.
  • Keep your myGov and ATO online credentials to yourself. A registered agent does not need them to act for you.

What an unregistered preparer may not do

  • Charge a fee or accept any reward for preparing or lodging your income tax return.
  • Charge for preparing or lodging activity statements, which requires at least BAS agent registration.
  • Represent you in dealings with the ATO about those matters.
  • Advertise tax agent or BAS services, which carries civil penalties in its own right.
  • Hold themselves out as registered, including by using the registered tax practitioner symbol.

What goes wrong, and who wears it

When an unregistered preparer inflates deductions, the amended assessment, the shortfall, the interest and any penalty land on the taxpayer. The preparer has usually moved on. Using a registered agent does not remove your responsibility for the facts you provide, but it does put a practitioner with insurance, a code of conduct and a regulator behind the advice.

If something has gone wrong with a registered practitioner, the TPB asks that you try to resolve it with them first, then lodge a complaint with the Board if you cannot. Complaints are one of the ways conditions and terminations end up on the public register for the next person to see.

Seasonal shopfront or year-round practice

  • A seasonal preparer is usually cheapest and suits a straightforward salary return with few claims.
  • A year-round practice can answer the letter that arrives in March, amend a return and deal with the ATO on your behalf.
  • Agent lodgment program dates only help if the practice is still operating when the date arrives.
  • A practice that also does bookkeeping or business work is better placed if your income comes from a business or a trust.
  • Whoever you use, the registration check is the same and takes the same minute.

Tax Preparers: frequently asked questions

Can a friend prepare my return for me?

Someone can help you without charge. The registration requirement bites when a fee or other reward is involved. If money or anything of value changes hands for preparing or lodging the return, the person doing it must be a registered tax agent.

What is the difference between a tax agent and a BAS agent for my return?

A BAS agent cannot charge to prepare or lodge your income tax return. They can prepare and lodge activity statements and deal with the ATO on GST, PAYG and related matters. If your work is an annual return, you need a tax agent.

Should my refund ever go to the preparer first?

Some practices deduct their fee from the refund, and that arrangement should be disclosed and agreed in writing before lodgement. Be cautious: the TPB suggests agreeing up front where the refund will be sent and how long it should take. A refund paid into an account you do not control is where most disputes start.

How long does a refund take?

The ATO processes most electronically lodged returns quickly, but timing depends on the return, on pre-fill being complete and on any debts offset against the refund. A preparer who guarantees a date or an amount before looking at your records is guessing.

Do I need to lodge at all?

Most people who had tax withheld do, and many who did not still need to lodge or submit a non-lodgement advice. If you are unsure, a registered agent can check your position with the ATO rather than you guessing and finding out years later.

Sources

  1. Tax Practitioners Board - About the registered tax practitioner symbol
  2. Tax Practitioners Board - TPB Register
  3. Tax Practitioners Board - Finding and using a tax practitioner
  4. Tax Practitioners Board - BAS services
  5. ATO - Lodge with a registered tax agent

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

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What affects the fees tax preparers charge

Fees depend on the work involved and how the professional bills. We only publish fee ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the fee:

  • Scope and complexity of the work
  • How the professional bills: hourly, flat fee or retainer
  • Experience and seniority of the person doing the work
  • Deadlines and how urgent the work is
  • Third-party costs such as filing, registration or government fees

How to compare tax preparers before you hire

  • Check that they are licensed or registered for this work where you live, on the regulator’s public register.
  • Look for experience with matters like yours, and ask who will actually handle your file.
  • Ask how they charge before any work starts, and get the terms in writing.
  • Compare two or three professionals before you decide.
  • Be wary of anyone who guarantees a particular outcome.

Questions to ask tax preparers before you hire

  • Are you licensed or registered for this work, and with which body?
  • Have you handled matters like mine before?
  • Who will do the work, and who will I deal with day to day?
  • How do you charge: hourly, a flat fee or a retainer?
  • What is included in your fee, and what costs extra?
  • Will you confirm the scope and fees in a written engagement letter?
  • Do you carry professional liability insurance?

Licences and registration

This kind of work is often limited to licensed or registered professionals, and the rules depend on where you are. Ask which body they’re registered with, and check their status on that body’s public register before you hire.

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