From 1 January 2022, if you want to provide tax (financial) advice services for a fee or other reward, you must be either:

• a qualified tax relevant provider (QTRP) registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), or

• a tax agent registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB).

Registering with the TPB

If you are not eligible to be registered as a QTRP with ASIC (for example, you provide advice to wholesale clients only), you must register as a tax agent with us to provide tax (financial) advice services legally. 

To register with us, you need to meet certain eligibility requirements as explained below. If your application to register as a tax agent is granted, we may impose a condition that you can only provide tax (financial) advice services. You will be registered for a period of at least 3 years.

Transitional arrangement for tax (financial) advisers 

If you were registered as a tax (financial) adviser with us as at 31 December 2021 and you are not a relevant provider with ASIC, you may temporarily continue to provide tax (financial) advice services legally without being a registered tax agent until 31 December 2022.

However, from 1 January 2023, you must be registered as a tax agent to continue to legally provide tax (financial) advice services. 

Wholesale advisers

If you are not a financial adviser (for example, you provide advice to wholesale clients only), you will need to consider registering as a tax agent (individual, company or partnership) with the TPB to legally provide tax (financial) advice services.

For more information refer to Registration options for wholesale advisers.

Requirements for registration

1. You must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to apply.

2. You must be a fit and proper person

3. You must satisfy the qualification and experience requirements.  

4. You maintain, or will be able to maintain, professional indemnity insurance that meets our requirements. 

Applying for registration

You must download the approved application form using the links provided below and complete the forms manually. 

Checklist - information you need to complete your application form
If you have your own professional indemnity (PI) insurance policy, you will need your policy number, name of insurer, start and end date of the policy and the amount of cover. If you are covered by the PI insurance policy of another registered tax practitioner, you will need their name and registration number.
A statement of relevant (financial) advice experience to show you have the required experience.
Electronic copies of the award certificates and academic transcripts, as specified in the application form, to show you have completed the required qualifications.  Use our online tool to assess if your qualifications meet our requirements.
Details of any events that may affect your eligibility for registration, including overdue tax obligations.
Your tax file number (TFN) and/or Australian Business Number (ABN). Providing this information will assist us to process your application.

Download the application form

Refer to Qualifications and experience to provide tax (financial) advice services to select a pathway that most suits your qualifications and experience to register with us. 

Once you have selected your pathway, download the relevant application form from the links below:

• Registration under Item (pathway) 207 – Tertiary qualifications

• Registration under Item (pathway) 208 – Diploma or higher award

• Registration under Item (pathway) 209 – Work experience

• Registration under Item (pathway) 210 – Membership of a professional association 

You must upload and submit the completed application and all supporting documentation.

Upload and submit

You will receive an acknowledgement email once we receive your form.

Application fee

The application fee for registering under Items 207 to 210 is $731 and not subject to GST. 

We will contact you once we have received your application, including all requested documents to provide you instructions about how you can pay the application fee. 

The application fee is subject to a consumer price index adjustment on 1 July each year.

After lodging your application

We will advise you after the decision is made to either grant or reject your application for registration. We aim to process complete applications within 30 days of receiving them.

If your application is granted:

• details of your registration will appear on the TPB register

• you must advise us of how you meet our PI insurance requirements within 14 days of being notified that you are registered

• we will notify the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and ASIC that you are now registered with us. 

If your application is rejected:

• we will advise you of the reasons for our decision and of your appeal rights

• we will notify the ATO and ASIC of our decision to reject your application.