Guidance, not advice. General information to help you work with registered professionals — not tax advice. As at May 2026. The tax obligations themselves are in the tax section; this is about who helps you execute them.
You don't need an accountant the day you get an ABN. You bring help in when the volume and complexity outgrow spreadsheets and spare evenings — and for most small trade businesses that means a BAS-focused relationship through the year and a tax agent for the annual return, while you keep the day-to-day records and decisions in-house.
When to engage help
The common trigger points:
- You register for GST and have to lodge BAS or IAS.
- You take on staff, bringing PAYG withholding, super and Single Touch Payroll (see Taking On Your First Employee).
- Your structure moves beyond a simple sole trader (company, trust, multiple owners) so income tax and distributions get complex (see Business Structures).
- You want proactive planning (tax, cash flow, asset protection), not just compliance.
The usual path is DIY at first, then add a BAS agent, then a tax agent as the business matures.
BAS agent vs tax agent
Both must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) to charge a fee for their services — that registration is the thing to check.
- A BAS agent handles "BAS services" — GST, PAYG instalments, PAYG withholding, BAS/IAS lodgements, STP and related obligations — and can deal with the ATO on those. They're your ongoing compliance partner through the year.
- A tax agent has a broader registration: working out and advising on income tax, preparing and lodging income tax returns, and representing you with the ATO on tax matters. They handle the annual return and tax strategy.
What they do vs what you keep
A bookkeeper or BAS agent typically codes and reconciles your transactions, keeps GST and PAYG right, prepares and lodges your BAS/IAS, and runs payroll and STP. A tax agent prepares and lodges the income tax returns for you and your structure, applies the tax law to your circumstances, and represents you with the ATO. You keep the day-to-day decisions (spending, pricing, hiring, taking work), the basic records (invoices, receipts, bank feeds, contracts), and — importantly — approving every lodgement before it's submitted and paying the actual tax and super bills. For the underlying obligations, see BAS Explained and Income Tax for Sole Traders.
What it costs (indicative — not a quote)
It varies a lot with size, complexity and how tidy your records are, but rough bands as at May 2026: bookkeeping around $30-75/hr or packages from roughly $125/month; BAS often $150-300 per lodgement or bundled into a $300-600/month bookkeeping-plus-BAS package; ongoing small-business accounting (tax, BAS, year-end) commonly $300-1,200/month for smaller entities; a company tax return and compliance package commonly starting in the low thousands a year. Tidy records and separate banking (see Business Banking & Bookkeeping) keep the bill down.
Getting value
You get the most from a structured partnership rather than a once-a-year panic drop-off. Turn up with a working accounting system and clear categories, your prior returns and BAS and any ATO correspondence, and a short picture of how the business makes money and what's changing. A workable cadence: an annual planning meeting before year-end plus a wrap-up after the return, a quarterly BAS-and-cash-flow check-in, and ad hoc advisory before big moves (a new structure, buying assets, the first hire). Agree upfront who does what (who codes transactions, who chases documents), ask them to explain recommendations in plain language, and review fees yearly as your volume changes.
Choosing safely
Check anyone you pay for BAS or tax work is TPB-registered (and ideally a member of a recognised professional association); ask how they're licensed if you also want investment or retirement advice (that needs a separate financial-services licence); and avoid anyone promising unusually large refunds, tying their fee to the refund size, or asking you to sign blank or incomplete forms.
Common mistakes
- Engaging no one until a BAS or tax deadline is already blown.
- Assuming the agent is responsible for the numbers — you approve and you pay.
- Paying for a "tax agent" who isn't TPB-registered.
- Treating it as a once-a-year drop-off instead of a quarterly rhythm.
Know someone who needs this?
Keep reading
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? Lifeline 13 11 14 ·