Contacting a BAS agent: enquiry checklist and email template

“How much do you charge for BAS?” sounds like a straightforward question. It leaves the agent guessing whether you're handing over a tidy file or asking them to rebuild six months of records.

A page of useful facts is enough to start. The BAS-agent directory helps you find names to investigate; this checklist helps you contact the ones that appear suitable.

Describe the business and the actual workload

State your business structure and the kind of work you do. Mention whether you sell goods, provide services, operate online or handle stock. Give an approximate number of bank and credit-card transactions each month, and say how many accounts need reconciliation.

Name your accounting software and plan, if known. Include any point-of-sale, invoicing or payroll system that feeds into it. An agent who understands the software still needs to know how the records arrive and where manual work remains.

If you have staff, describe the number of employees and the frequency of pay runs. Ask whether the proposed service includes payroll and which parts of it. Avoid sending employee names, TFNs or payslips just to get an initial quote.

Be clear about what is finished and what isn't

Record the last reconciled month, the last BAS period lodged and any unanswered questions. Say “bank transactions entered, but not reconciled since June” if that's the current position. Calling the books up to date can produce an estimate based on work nobody has actually completed.

Keep any official notices available for secure onboarding, but summarise their type and date in the first enquiry. If a deadline is close, say so. Ask the agent whether they can take the work on within that timeframe; don't treat a general response as acceptance of the job.

For a simple record-preparation routine, see how to do your own bookkeeping. Completing a routine doesn't settle every tax question, but it helps you describe the file accurately.

Copy this first-enquiry template

Replace the bracketed text. This is an enquiry brief, not an engagement letter or authority to access your accounts.

Subject: BAS and bookkeeping enquiry — [business type]

Hi [name],

I'm looking for help with [BAS review and lodgement / recurring bookkeeping / cleanup / payroll]. We operate as a [structure] and use [software and plan].

We have about [number] transactions a month across [number] bank and card accounts. We have [number] employees and run payroll [frequency].

The records are reconciled to [date]. The last BAS lodged covered [period]. The outstanding work or questions are [short description]. Our next known deadline is [date, if confirmed].

I'd like to keep doing [tasks] myself and have you handle [tasks]. I prefer [email / online meetings / another arrangement] for routine questions.

Are you taking on this type of work? Please send the legal entity name and TPB registration number for the engagement, your proposed scope, the information needed for a quote and how you charge for initial review, recurring work and extras.

Please also confirm who will review the work, how secure document sharing works and what the next step would be.

Thanks, [first name]

What makes a useful response?

Check whether the reply addresses the work you described. The provider may need to inspect the file before giving a firm price. That can be reasonable; ask whether the inspection costs anything and what it includes.

If the response is only a package brochure, follow up on the omissions. Who handles unresolved coding? Does the package include your BAS approval and lodgement? Is payroll included? How are extra tasks approved? Our BAS-agent fees guide provides a comparison table for the answers.

Before moving on, check the agent's registration. Match the entity proposed in the engagement to the official record, rather than assuming the person answering the enquiry is the registered entity.

Move documents through an agreed secure process

The TPB's information for clients explains the importance of using a registered practitioner. Its client-verification guidance also explains why a practitioner may need to establish your identity before providing services.

That doesn't mean you should attach identity documents to every enquiry. First establish who you're dealing with and agree how documents will be transferred. Use separate software invitations when access is needed. Keep your personal login, banking password and myID credentials to yourself.

If email-only service matters to you, ask directly whether the provider can accommodate it. Some verification or onboarding steps may have a different process. Confirm the arrangement before choosing the provider, rather than discovering it after paying a setup fee.

Key takeaways

• Describe your records honestly, including the backlog and unresolved work.
• Send comparable briefs so the quotes cover the same job.
• Ask who accepts responsibility, who reviews the work and how extras are approved.
• Agree on secure onboarding before sending sensitive documents.

Where to get help

The TPB public register is the official source for registration checks. Our BAS-agent selection guide takes you from the shortlist to an agreed working arrangement.