The most important check is also the quickest: make sure the person you're about to hire is a registered tax agent on the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) register. After that, choosing a good tax agent in Sydney comes down to the right experience for your situation, clear fees, timing, and how you'd like to work with them. Here are eight checks to run before you book.
Looking for one now? Our registered tax agents in Sydney are on the TPB register (78641007) and agree a fixed fee with you before any work starts.
1. Check the TPB register
Under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009, only a registered tax agent can charge a fee for preparing and lodging your tax return or giving you tax advice. (Registered BAS agents can charge for BAS services, but not for tax returns.) An accountant, bookkeeper or "tax preparer" who isn't registered can't legally charge for this work, and the TPB takes unregistered preparers to the Federal Court.
Search the TPB register by name or registration number. The register shows:
- whether the registration is current, and when it expires
- any conditions that limit the services they can provide
- sanctions (other than cautions), suspensions and terminations
- professional associations the practitioner has told the TPB about
Registered practitioners can display the TPB's registered tax practitioner symbol, which includes their registration number. Check that number on the register rather than relying on a logo on a website.
2. Know what the Code of Professional Conduct means for you
Every registered tax agent must follow the Code of Professional Conduct in the Tax Agent Services Act. It covers honesty and integrity, acting in your best interests, confidentiality, competence and taking reasonable care. After the PwC tax leaks matter, the Government added eight more obligations, which apply to all registered practitioners from 1 July 2025 (larger firms from 1 January 2025).
One of them affects you directly: your agent must tell you how to check the TPB register and how to make a complaint, including to the TPB. You'll usually find this in your engagement letter or on the firm's website. Registered agents must also hold professional indemnity insurance that meets the TPB's requirements, which protects you if you suffer a loss because of their mistake.
3. Treat professional memberships as a bonus
Many tax agents also belong to a professional body such as CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) or the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), or a tax body such as The Tax Institute. These bodies set their own education and ethics standards. Membership is worth knowing about, but it's TPB registration that legally allows someone to charge for tax return work. If a firm mentions a membership, the professional body's own directory is the place to confirm it.
4. Match their experience to your situation
A simple employee return is very different from a rental property, a share or crypto sale, overseas income or a small business. Ask what kinds of clients they see most often and whether they've handled situations like yours, for example:
5. Ask about fees upfront
Fees depend on how complex your affairs are, so ask for a quote, or how the fee is worked out (a fixed fee or by the hour), before any work starts. Check what's included: for example, whether a rental property schedule, a capital gains calculation or dealing with ATO letters costs extra. The cheapest quote isn't always the best value if it leaves deductions unclaimed or errors uncorrected.
The fee you pay a registered tax agent to manage your tax affairs is generally deductible at D10 Cost of managing tax affairs in your return for the income year you pay it.
6. Get on their client list by 31 October
If you lodge your own return, it's generally due by 31 October. If a registered tax agent adds you to their client list by 31 October, you generally have until 15 May the following year to lodge; for 2025–26 returns, that's 15 May 2027. Some clients get an earlier due date, for example if earlier years' returns were still outstanding at 30 June.
The 31 October cut-off for agents to add new clients doesn't move to the next business day when it falls on a weekend (as it does in 2026), so contact a new agent well before then. Missed it? An agent can still prepare and lodge your return; lodging as soon as possible keeps any late lodgement penalty down.
7. Linking your agent: there's no myGov step for individuals
Individuals and sole traders don't add a tax agent in myGov. Once you engage an agent, they add you to their client list through the ATO's online services for agents, after confirming your identity. Companies, trusts and partnerships are different: they must first nominate their agent in Online services for business. Our guide on how to add your tax agent to myGov walks through both.
8. Choose how you want to work together
For many Sydney clients, the deciding factor is convenience. Do you want to meet face to face, or is phone, video and email easier? Ask how you'll send documents securely, who you'll actually deal with, and how quickly they reply to emails and ATO letters. Reviews from other clients give you a sense of the service, but read them alongside the TPB register, not instead of it.
Red flags to watch for
- they're not on the TPB register, or their registration number doesn't match
- they promise a refund amount before seeing your records
- they suggest claims you can't back up with records
- they won't explain their fees before starting
- they ask for your myGov or myID login (a registered agent uses their own ATO online services)
- they ask you to sign a return you haven't had the chance to review
For more on what a registered tax agent does and how they differ from a BAS agent or accountant, read what is a tax agent.
Sources: TPB, Risks of using unregistered preparers; TPB, Help with using the TPB Register; TPB, Code Determination background; TPB, Keeping your clients informed; ATO, Lodge with a registered tax agent; ATO, D10 Cost of managing tax affairs 2026.
Looking for a registered tax agent in Sydney?
Australia Wide Tax Solutions Pty Ltd is a registered tax agent (TPB registration 78641007, which you can check on the TPB register). Our office is in Chippendale, and we also see clients by phone or video anywhere in Australia. Read our Google reviews, book an appointment, or call 0488 854 200.
How do I get help with this from the ATO?
The ATO provides guidance through ato.gov.au, the Small Business Support Line (13 28 66), and Online Services for individuals and businesses. For complex situations, a registered tax agent provides advice tailored to your specific circumstances and professional indemnity protection. You can verify agent registration at the TPB register at tpb.gov.au.
What records do I need to keep for tax purposes in Australia?
Most tax records must be kept for five years from the date of lodgement or the date the transaction occurred, whichever is later. Records must be in English or convertible to English and must be sufficient to explain the income and deductions in your return. The ATO can request records at any time during the retention period.
When do I need a registered tax agent in Australia?
Consider a registered tax agent when your affairs involve multiple income sources, business activity, investment properties, capital gains, or overseas income. Agents extend your lodgement deadline, provide safe harbour protection, and take professional responsibility for the advice given. Verify registration at tpb.gov.au.
How does the ATO calculate penalties for compliance failures?
The failure to lodge penalty is based on penalty units ($364 per unit from 1 July 2026), accruing per 28-day period for late returns and BAS lodgements. Incorrect information penalties range from 25% to 75% of the tax shortfall depending on whether the behaviour was careless, reckless, or intentional. Proactive disclosure before an audit begins typically results in significantly reduced penalties.
What is the difference between tax avoidance and tax minimisation?
Tax minimisation is the legal arrangement of your affairs to reduce tax — claiming all eligible deductions, using appropriate structures, and timing income and expenses. Tax avoidance involves arrangements that technically comply with the law but achieve outcomes parliament did not intend. The ATO can apply Part IVA anti-avoidance rules to cancel benefits from avoidance arrangements.
