Do I Need A BAS Agent?

Whether you need a BAS agent depends on what you want someone else to do for your business. A business can perform its own bookkeeping and BAS work, but if you engage someone to provide BAS services for a fee, the provider generally needs to be appropriately registered. The Tax Practitioners Board regulates BAS agents and tax agents in Australia. 

A registered BAS agent has authority to act for clients in relation to BAS provisions within the scope of their registration. This means you should not assume that every person offering bookkeeping services can also legally provide BAS services. 

A bookkeeper can perform many routine bookkeeping activities without being a BAS agent, but BAS services have additional requirements. If you're unsure, ask your prospective bookkeeper whether they are registered and what services their registration covers. 

For a Melbourne small business, it can also make sense to have a bookkeeper maintain the accounts throughout the year while your registered BAS or tax agent handles the relevant lodgement work. Good bookkeeping makes the BAS process easier because the underlying transactions and reconciliations are already organised. 

Young Guns Bookkeeping can help Melbourne businesses understand their bookkeeping requirements and coordinate with their accountant or BAS professional where appropriate. If you are choosing a new bookkeeping provider, ask specifically about BAS preparation, BAS lodgement, GST coding and who will be responsible for reviewing the figures before lodgement.