Context Introduction
You are required to register as a BAS Agent (or a Tax Agent) if you are providing BAS services for a fee or reward.
A BAS Agent is issued a licence that says they can advise a client, provide certainty to a client or represent that client to the tax office in relation to:
- All GST matters
- All Wine Tax, Fuel Tax, Luxury Car Tax matters
- Payment of 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
- All aspects of other PAYG Withholding amounts: ie no ABN, Interest & Dividend
- All aspects of the payment of income tax via PAYG Instalments
- All aspects of the Taxable Payments Annual Reporting system
- All aspects of Superannuation Guarantee system as related to payroll & the Charge
- A Tax Agent can also do these and then other areas of tax also.
What does this mean?
A registered Agent may:
- Design and set up compliance systems
- Advise the client on how the above areas of law effect them
- Review a client’s operations in relation to these areas of law and provide certainty to that client that they are getting it right
- These tasks cannot be done by a bookkeeper who is not a registered Agent.
So, what can a Bookkeeper do who is not a BAS Agent?
- They can follow systems designed by others
- They can process
- They can reconcile and produce results but not if the client is relying on those, without further action to be certain that they are meeting their obligation
- They should raise questions and not answer them