Why use a registered tax agent (and how to choose one)

Thinking about handing your tax return to a professional, or checking the credentials of the person you already use? This guide explains what a registered tax agent is, what you gain by using one, including more time to lodge, and how to check and choose an agent you can trust.

What a registered tax agent is

A registered tax agent is registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), the national regulator of tax practitioners. Registration means the agent has the qualifications, experience and professional indemnity insurance the TPB requires, and must follow the Code of Professional Conduct. Under the Code, agents must act honestly and with integrity, act lawfully in your best interests, and keep your information confidential unless you give permission or there's a legal duty to disclose it.

Registration matters because, generally, only registered tax and BAS agents can charge or receive a fee for tax agent services, such as preparing and lodging your return, advising you on your tax position or dealing with the ATO for you. If you pay an unregistered preparer, you also lose the protections described below.

Jan Jansen is a registered tax agent (registration number 24812228), and you can check that on the register in the same way as for any other agent.

When a registered agent is worth it

Not everyone needs one. If your affairs are simple, such as one employer, some bank interest and a few small deductions, lodging yourself through myTax can work well, and pre-fill does much of the work.

An agent tends to add more value when:

• you own a rental property or a holiday home you rent out
• you're a sole trader or contractor, or you run a business (see tax for sole traders and contractors)
• you sold shares, crypto or property during the year
• you have foreign income, or your residency status changed
• you're behind on earlier returns or owe the ATO money
• you've had a big change, such as a redundancy, an inheritance or a new investment
• you'd like more time to lodge.

How to check the TPB register

It takes a minute:

1. Go to the TPB register.
2. Search by the agent's name, business name or registration number.
3. Confirm they're registered as a tax agent (a BAS agent can't prepare your income tax return) and check for any conditions or sanctions.

The register shows each practitioner's registration details and any conditions on their registration. For decisions made from 1 July 2022, it also shows orders, suspensions and terminations, generally for at least five years. Many agents display the TPB's registered tax practitioner symbol. It's a useful sign, but still check the number on the register.

More time to lodge

If you lodge yourself, your 2025⁠–⁠26 return is due by 31 October 2026. Registered agents have their own lodgment program with the ATO, which generally gives their clients later due dates.

The catch is timing. Your agent must add you to their client list by 31 October 2026. That date falls on a Saturday this year, and the ATO has told agents the client list deadline doesn't move to the next business day. If you're using an agent for the first time, or changing agents, the ATO's advice is to contact them before 31 October.

Example: Alex has always lodged on time, and Alex's last return didn't result in a tax liability of $20,000 or more. Alex contacts an agent on 20 October 2026 and is added to their client list that week. Alex's 2025⁠–⁠26 return is then generally due by 15 May 2027, or 5 June 2027 if any tax payable is also paid by then. Had Alex waited until 3 November, the return would already be overdue.

A later due date doesn't slow down a refund. If you're expecting one, lodging sooner generally gets it to you sooner. If you're behind on earlier years, there's help with late and overdue tax returns.

Help with the ATO

Once you're on their client list, your agent can access much of your ATO information through the ATO's online services for agents, lodge on your behalf and deal with the ATO about your account. That can include responding to letters, requesting more time to pay, arranging a payment plan, or helping with a review or audit. Our page on ATO letters, reviews and audits explains how this works.

Using an agent doesn't lock you out of your own myGov account; you can still see your information. If an ATO letter arrives, pass it on promptly, as response times can be short.

Protection if something goes wrong

Using a registered agent brings protections you don't get from an unregistered preparer:

• Safe harbour from some penalties. If you gave your agent all the relevant information, you may not be liable for certain ATO penalties where the agent makes an error through a lack of reasonable care, or lodges late. You would still pay any tax that turns out to be owing, and exceptions apply, such as where an agent acts recklessly.
• Professional indemnity insurance, which registered agents must hold.
• A regulator to complain to. The TPB handles complaints about registered practitioners.

You're still responsible for your return. Your side of the arrangement is to give your agent complete and accurate information, keep the records that support your claims, and read the return before you sign the declaration. A good agent will sometimes tell you something you don't want to hear, such as that a claim isn't supported by your records. That's part of acting lawfully in your best interests.

The TPB also warns that unregistered preparers may not carry appropriate insurance, can't give you safe harbour protection, and often ask for your myGov password, which puts you at risk of identity theft.

The fee is generally tax deductible

Fees you pay a recognised tax adviser, which includes a registered tax agent, for preparing and lodging your return or for tax advice are generally deductible as a cost of managing your tax affairs, in the income year you incur them.

Example: if you pay your agent in September 2026 to prepare your 2025⁠–⁠26 return, the fee is claimed in your 2026⁠–⁠27 return. For many people, that means the real cost of using an agent is lower than the invoice.

Travel to meet your adviser may also be claimable. A few limits are worth knowing:

• Fees paid to an unregistered preparer aren't deductible, because they aren't a recognised tax adviser.
• General interest charge and shortfall interest charge incurred on or after 1 July 2025 are no longer deductible.
• If one invoice covers several people's returns, such as a couple's, the fee needs to be split between them.

How to choose a tax agent

Beyond checking the register:

• Ask about fees upfront. The TPB recommends a letter of engagement that sets out the services to be provided and how fees will be charged.
• Ask who will do the work. Will you deal with the registered agent directly, or be handed on to someone else?
• Check the fit. If you have rental properties, a business, crypto or foreign income, ask how the agent handles that area.
• Ask how you'll work together. In person, online or both, how documents are shared securely, and how you'll be kept updated.
• Expect some paperwork. Registered agents must give current and prospective clients written information about the TPB register, how to complain, and both their obligations and yours.

Red flags

Walk away, or at least ask hard questions, if an agent:

• promises a large refund before they've seen your records
• wants a fee based on a percentage of your refund; the ATO warns this fee structure can signal a higher-risk claim
• asks for your myGov sign-in details
• asks you to sign a declaration or blank form before you've seen the completed return
• can't be found on the TPB register, or their details don't match.

If a claim sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If the ATO finds you weren't entitled to a refund, you're the one who repays the overclaimed amount, along with any penalties imposed.

How Jan can help

Jan is a registered tax agent (TPB 24812228) with a boutique practice in Avalon Beach, working with clients on the Northern Beaches and online. You deal with him directly, and you'll receive a fixed-fee quote before any work begins; view pricing for indicative fees. To be added to his client list before 31 October 2026, book a free intro call.