About the Program
After bookkeepers have achieved their Cert IV in Accounting or Bookkeeping, many wish to advance their career by becoming a Registered BAS Agent.
Or are you a bookkeeper looking to provide professional services that only a BAS Agent can perform?
To be registered as a BAS Agent you must have performed 1,400 hours relevant experience (1,000 hours if you are a member of a Recognised Professional Association) within the last 4 years.
As a Registered BAS Agent, I assist your clients with all of their BAS related requirements, whilst they remain your client. If I come across any discrepancies or errors, I will email you a list of amendments for you to complete. I will also verify and lodge your clients BAS on your behalf.
To provide a BAS service, TPB requirements & legislation requires your client to authorize us as their Agent for BAS purposes. However we will not contact your client directly unless we are unable to contact you first and there is a urgent need to do so. In order to embark on a supervision plan geared towards your BAS agent registration, you must already have your own clients or be employed as a bookkeeper. Please note, a supervision program is not a work experience program.
Our fees are based on the work we carry out and record keeping of all hours you perform under our supervision. We will provide regular reports of how many hours you have completed as well has sign off on the relevant documentation for you to obtain your own Registered BAS Agent licence with the TPB. We are an Associate Member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers and are governed by their Code of Conduct around BAS Supervision. For more details please click here.
What can a BAS Agent do that a Bookkeeper can’t?
A BAS Agent is issued a licence (registration) that says they can advise a client, and provide certainty to a client or represent that client to the tax office in relation to:
- All Goods and Service Tax (GST) matters (collected or paid)
- Wine Equalisation Tax (WET)
- Fuel Tax
- Luxury Car Tax matters (LCT)
- Payment of Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT)
- All aspects of payroll that relate to the withholding of tax amounts and the reporting of that amount to the employee and the tax office.
- Services under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 to the extent that they relate to payroll functions or payments to contractors, including determining and reporting Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) shortfall amount and any associated administrative fees.
- All aspects of completing and lodging the Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) to the ATO, on behalf of a client.
- All aspects of other PAYG withholding amounts i.e. no Australian Business Number (ABN), interest and dividend.
- All aspects of the payment of income tax via PAYG instalments. (PAYGI).
- Applications to the Register for an Australian Business Number (ABN), on behalf of a client.
In addition, a registered BAS Agent may:
- Design and set up compliance systems in respect to business and the BAS provisions.
- Advise a business on how the above areas of law affect them, in respect to business and the BAS provisions.
- Review a business operation in relation to these areas of law.
- Review reports to verify their accuracy for the correct application of BAS provisions (GST, WET, LCT, FTC, Pay as you go withholding (PAYGW), SG, TPAR and the payment of PAYGI and the payment of FBT instalments).
- Provide certainty to the client that they are getting it right.
For further information please visit the Tax Practitioners Board website by clicking here.
