To find a good tax accountant, start by checking they are a registered tax agent, then make sure they have real experience with your kind of situation and will tell you their pricing up front. By law, only a registered tax agent can charge to prepare and lodge your return, and you can confirm anyone on the Tax Practitioners Board register in about a minute. Beyond that, the best accountant for you is one who understands your circumstances, explains things in plain English, and looks for ways to save you money rather than just filling in forms. The points below walk through exactly what to look for.
Check they are a registered tax agent
This is the one non-negotiable. In Australia, anyone who charges to prepare and lodge your tax return must be a registered tax agent, registered with the Tax Practitioners Board. Registration means they are qualified, insured, and held to a professional code of conduct. You can search any name or business on the TPB register at tpb.gov.au and see their registration status and whether they have had any sanctions. If someone offers to do your return for a fee and is not registered, walk away, because you carry the risk if it goes wrong.
Look for recognised qualifications
Registration is the floor, not the ceiling. Strong accountants usually also hold a professional membership, such as Chartered Accountant with CA ANZ, CPA Australia, or the Institute of Public Accountants. These bodies require ongoing training and set ethical standards, so the letters after a name tell you the person keeps their knowledge current. It is a fair thing to ask about, and a good accountant will happily answer.
Make sure they know your situation
Tax is not one size fits all. The right accountant for a salaried employee is not necessarily the right one for a sole trader, a property investor, or a medical professional with a more complex income. Ask whether they regularly work with people in your position, because an accountant who sees your situation every week knows the deductions and the traps that you do not. At RPS Accountants, for instance, we work heavily with sole traders, small businesses, and medical professionals across Melbourne’s north, so we already know what those clients can and cannot claim. Find someone whose usual clients look like you.
Ask about pricing up front
A good accountant is comfortable telling you what it will cost before you commit. For a straightforward individual return that is often a fixed fee, while more complex work may be quoted or billed by the hour. What matters is that you are not left guessing. If someone is vague about price, or cannot give you at least a range for your situation, treat that as a warning sign. Clear pricing is usually a sign of an organised, honest practice.
Judge how well they communicate
You want someone who explains things in plain language, answers your questions without making you feel silly, and gets back to you in a reasonable time. Tax is stressful enough without an accountant who vanishes for weeks or hides behind jargon. A short first call or meeting tells you a lot. It helps to go in with a few questions to ask an accountant so you can compare how different people respond.
Does it matter if they are local?
It matters less than it used to, but it still counts. Plenty of accountants now work with clients online across the country, which is fine for a straightforward return. For anything ongoing, such as a business or investments, many people still prefer someone local they can sit down with, who also understands the local area and the industries around it. Either way the rule is the same: they must be a registered tax agent. Choose based on how you like to work, not distance alone.
Check reviews and ask for referrals
Look at Google reviews and any testimonials, and pay attention to what clients say about responsiveness and results, not just the star count. Word of mouth is even better, so ask friends, family, or other business owners in your industry who they use and whether they would recommend them. An accountant who keeps clients for years is usually doing something right.
Red flags to watch for
A few things should make you pause:
they are not on the TPB register
they promise a big refund before they have seen your details
they want to claim deductions you know you are not entitled to
they only deal in cash, or will not give you an invoice
they are impossible to reach outside of tax season
Any one of these is a reason to keep looking. A bigger refund is never worth the risk of an audit or penalties later.
