TPB empowers BAS agents on advice
The Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) has cleared the way for BAS agents to give advice around the Government’s COVID-19 legislation.
The TPB said it had registered a legislative instrument (along with an explanatory statement), on the Federal Register of Legislation, that extends the services and advice BAS agents can legally provide on the Australian Government’s COVID-19 stimulus package.
It said BAS agents could now legally support Australian businesses by advising about their entitlements under the new JobKeeper Payment and Cashflow support for business initiatives.
Commenting on the move, TPB Chair, Ian Klug AM, said the legislative instrument made it clear that BAS agents could lawfully advise on the JobKeeper Payments and on the Cashflow support for business.
“This reflects a sensible and appropriate outcome to support the Government’s initiatives,” Klug said.
“The TPB is working to support the extraordinary efforts of all registered tax practitioners acting professionally and ethically to assist Australian workers and businesses, especially in understanding these stimulus entitlements.”
According to the formal documentation, the effect of the Legislative Instrument is “to allow registered BAS agents to provide certain services, that they would otherwise be unable to lawfully provide, without the requirement to be a registered tax agent”.
Recommended for you
Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones has shared further details on the second tranche of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes reforms including modernising best interests duty and reforming Statements of Advice.
The Federal Court has found a company director guilty of operating unregistered managed investment schemes and carrying on a financial services business without holding an AFSL.
The Governance Institute has said ASIC’s governance arrangements are no longer “fit for purpose” in a time when financial markets are quickly innovating and cyber crime becomes a threat.
Compliance professionals working in financial services are facing burnout risk as higher workloads, coupled with the ever-changing regulation, place notable strain on staff.