What's the difference between a BAS Agent and a tax agent for outsourced work?

A BAS Agent is authorised to prepare and lodge BAS and IAS and handle related compliance work, but not to provide tax advice or lodge income tax returns. A tax agent's registration covers the broader tax advisory work that sits outside BAS Agent scope.

How is outsourced bookkeeping different from having an in-house bookkeeper?

Outsourced bookkeeping is typically engaged on an as-needed or ongoing contract basis rather than as an employee, which can suit firms with fluctuating client volumes. It also means the work is handled by someone already familiar with reconciliation standards firms expect at year-end.

What happens if an issue is found outside BAS Agent scope during outsourced work?

Any issue outside BAS Agent scope, such as a tax position or advisory matter, gets documented and flagged back to the engaging firm rather than resolved directly. That keeps the boundary between bookkeeping and tax advice clear for both parties.

For Accountants

Outsourced Bookkeeping for Accounting Firms

For accounting firms, I hand back files that are clean, reconciled and ready for year-end, staying strictly within BAS Agent scope. Anything outside that gets flagged back to you, not advised on directly.

0439 008 120 Send an enquiry

Firm to practitioner

Files Back Ready for Year-End

Outsourced bookkeeping only works for an accounting firm if the files come back genuinely ready to use, not needing to be reworked before year-end. I provide outsourced bookkeeping for accounting firms in Shepparton, handling reconciliations, accounts payable and receivable and day-to-day coding, then handing files back clean and reconciled. As a registered BAS Agent, I work strictly within BAS scope, and anything outside that, from tax positions to advisory questions, gets flagged back to your firm rather than acted on directly. At Count On M3, that boundary is deliberate: I'm not looking to compete for your advisory or tax work. If your firm needs a reliable outsourced bookkeeping arrangement, call me on 0439 008 120.

The engagement

Clean Files, Clear Scope Boundaries

Outsourced bookkeeping through Count On M3 is built around handing your firm files it can actually rely on.

Files handed over clean & fully reconciled
Registered BAS Agent, staying within BAS scope
Issues flagged back to your firm, not advised on
Reliable turnaround with one direct point of contact

The process

What Handing Over a File Looks Like

Taking on outsourced work for a firm usually starts with access to the client's Xero file and a look at where reconciliations currently stand. From there, transactions are coded and reconciled on an agreed cycle, whether that's monthly or in the lead-up to year-end. Any discrepancies, such as unreconciled accounts or unclear transactions, get documented and raised with the firm rather than assumed or estimated. Once the file is current, it's handed back in a state ready for the firm's own review and tax preparation, with a clear record of what's been done and what, if anything, still needs the firm's input.

Questions

Questions From Firms

Open archive box of manila folders packed with documents

What's the difference between a BAS Agent and a tax agent for outsourced work?: A BAS Agent is authorised to prepare and lodge BAS and IAS and handle related compliance work, but not to provide tax advice or lodge income tax returns. A tax agent's registration covers the broader tax advisory work that sits outside BAS Agent scope.
How is outsourced bookkeeping different from having an in-house bookkeeper?: Outsourced bookkeeping is typically engaged on an as-needed or ongoing contract basis rather than as an employee, which can suit firms with fluctuating client volumes. It also means the work is handled by someone already familiar with reconciliation standards firms expect at year-end.
What happens if an issue is found outside BAS Agent scope during outsourced work?: Any issue outside BAS Agent scope, such as a tax position or advisory matter, gets documented and flagged back to the engaging firm rather than resolved directly. That keeps the boundary between bookkeeping and tax advice clear for both parties.

Get in touch

Contact Adrianne

0439 008 120

Monday–Friday9:00 – 17:00
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed
Public HolidaysClosed

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