How to find a good accountant in Australia 2026 10 things to look for

The Finance Desk · Editorial team, accountants + mortgage brokers + financial planners + conveyancers · Updated 6 June 2026 · How we rank · Editorial standards

A good Australian accountant has the right credentials (CPA/CA + TPB), specialises in your situation, quotes fixed fees, uses cloud accounting, and responds to emails within a few days. Verify on professional registers. Get 3 quotes. Switch between July and December if needed.

★Key takeaways

  • ✓Verify CPA, CA, IPA, and TPB registration before engaging.
  • ✓Specialisation (property, contractor, SMSF, small business) often matters more than firm size.
  • ✓Get fixed-fee quotes from 3 candidates with matching scope.
  • ✓Cloud accounting fluency (Xero, MYOB) reduces your annual fees materially.
  • ✓Switch accountants between July and December to avoid tax-season disruption.

1. Verify credentials

Three main professional bodies in Australia:

  • CPA Australia. Largest body. Strong in SME and industry roles. Verify at cpaaustralia.com.au.
  • Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). Strong in audit, big firms, and corporate finance. Verify at charteredaccountantsanz.com.
  • Institute of Public Accountants (IPA). Smaller body. Verify at publicaccountants.org.au.

Plus the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) registration is mandatory for anyone preparing tax returns for fee. Verify at tpb.gov.au/registrations-register.

For SMSF work specifically, look for SMSF Specialist Advisor (SSA) or SMSF Specialist Auditor (SSAud) designations.

2. Match specialisation to your situation

Specialist accountants outperform generalists in their domain. Common specialisations:

  • Property investors. Negative gearing, depreciation, multi-property portfolios, CGT planning, SMSF property.
  • Contractors and freelancers. ABN setup, PSI rules, income deductibility, BAS for sole traders, super for self-employed.
  • Small business (SME). Pty Ltd compliance, payroll, BAS quarterly, FBT, R&D incentives, JobMaker style programs.
  • Trust structures. Discretionary trusts, beneficiary distributions, family trust elections, asset protection.
  • SMSF. Self-managed super setup, audit, compliance, contribution caps, pension strategies.
  • Medical professionals. Practice structures, billing complexities, indemnity insurance, professional services tax planning.
  • Tradies. Job costing, vehicle deductions, tool depreciation, sub-contractor TPAR.
  • Foreign income. Tax residency, foreign tax credits, FIF rules, employee share schemes from overseas employers.

Ask in your first call: "How many clients do you have with situations like mine?" Vague answers suggest you would be a learning curve for them.

3. Get fixed-fee quotes (avoid hourly for routine work)

Fixed fees give you cost certainty. Hourly billing is fine for advisory work where scope is genuinely uncertain, but for routine tax returns and BAS preparation, fixed fees should be the default.

Get written quotes from 3 candidates for the same scope of work. Compare:

  • Total annual fee
  • What is included (tax return, BAS, advice, payroll, ASIC compliance)
  • What is excluded (additional fees may apply for one-off matters)
  • Annual fee adjustment process (CPI? Renegotiation?)
  • Hourly rate for out-of-scope work
  • Engagement letter format

4. Check cloud accounting fluency

Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks are the main Australian cloud accounting platforms. Good accountants are fluent in at least one (usually Xero or MYOB). Benefits:

  • Bank feeds reduce data entry time, lowering your fee
  • Real-time visibility for both you and your accountant
  • Add-ons (payroll, inventory, receipts capture) integrate cleanly
  • Audit trails simplify ATO compliance

Accountants still using desktop software, manual data entry, or refusing to engage with cloud platforms are working at higher cost and lower accuracy than the modern alternative. For small businesses particularly, cloud-fluent accountants typically charge 20-30% less for equivalent service.

5. Ask about communication and response time

Reasonable expectations:

  • Email response: 2-3 business days for general queries
  • Urgent matters: same day (ATO deadlines, urgent advice)
  • Tax season (July-October): response times may extend; reasonable accountants set expectations
  • Annual review meeting: at minimum once per year, before EOFY
  • Quarterly check-ins: for business clients with quarterly BAS

Accountants who routinely take weeks to respond, miss deadlines, or are hard to reach should be replaced. The cost of communication friction often exceeds the fee saving.

6. Confirm who actually does your work

Especially in larger firms, the partner you meet in the sales pitch may not be the person doing your work. Ask:

  • Who will be the primary contact for my account?
  • Who will actually prepare my tax return?
  • How is partner review of my work handled?
  • What is the staff turnover rate at the firm?

High partner involvement is more expensive but produces better outcomes for complex matters. Junior-staff-with-partner-sign-off works well for routine returns.

7. Read reviews + check disciplinary history

Google reviews are useful for general signal. Look for specifics in the reviews (not just generic praise). Check the TPB register for any disciplinary actions; CPA Australia and CA ANZ also publish disciplinary outcomes.

Red flag signals in reviews: missed deadlines, surprise fees, unresponsive communication, errors requiring amendments. Green flag signals: proactive tax planning advice, found additional deductions, smooth ATO interactions.

8. Test the relationship with a small engagement first

Before committing to a multi-year relationship, engage for a discrete piece of work: one tax return, one quarter of BAS, an EOFY planning session. Evaluate the experience before deepening the relationship.

Reputable accountants welcome this approach; pressure to sign long-term retainers immediately is a yellow flag.

9. Verify professional indemnity insurance

The Tax Practitioners Board requires registered tax agents to maintain professional indemnity insurance — see the TPB professional indemnity insurance requirements. Ask to confirm the agent's current cover. This protects you in the rare event of negligent advice causing financial harm.

10. Match values + working style

Accounting is a multi-year relationship. Fit matters. Some questions to ask yourself after the initial meeting:

  • Did they explain things in plain language or jargon?
  • Did they seem genuinely interested in my situation or transactional?
  • Were their recommendations conservative, aggressive, or middle-ground? Does that match my risk tolerance?
  • Do they push tax minimisation hard, or balance with ATO risk awareness?
  • Do they understand my business or life goals beyond tax compliance?

Red flags to walk away from

  • "Guaranteed refund" promises. Misleading and unethical.
  • Cash-only fee arrangements. Suggests under-the-table operation.
  • Refusal to provide written engagement letter. Required by TPB Code of Professional Conduct.
  • Aggressive tax strategies presented without explaining ATO risk. Real tax minimisation is legal and modest; "creative" approaches often blow up.
  • Cannot or will not provide TPB registration number. Walk away.
  • Pressure to sign immediately. Take time to compare.
  • Slow or non-existent response to initial enquiries. Reflects how they will treat you as a client.

Browse verified Australian accountants

Our independent accountant directory lists verified CPA/CA/IPA practices across Australia. Filter by city, specialisation, and firm size to find candidates suited to your situation.

Sources

Information in this article is general and current as at 19 May 2026. Verify with a TPB-registered tax agent before relying on it.

Related coverage

Common questions

Finding a good accountant: frequently asked questions

What credentials should an Australian accountant have?

Look for CPA (Certified Practising Accountant), CA (Chartered Accountant), or IPA (Institute of Public Accountants) membership. Tax agents must also be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB). For SMSF work, a SMSF Specialist Auditor or SMSF Specialist Advisor qualification is preferred. Verify on the respective register before engaging.

Should I use a big-firm accountant or a small firm?

Depends on your needs. Big firms (KPMG, Deloitte, etc.) charge premium rates and prioritise larger clients; small accounts often deprioritised. Small firms typically have more personal attention, lower fees, and partners directly involved in your work. For most individuals and small businesses, a competent small-to-mid-sized firm is the better fit.

How important is specialisation?

Very. Property investor accountants, contractor accountants, SMSF specialists, and small business accountants all develop deep expertise in their niches. A generalist may handle your situation adequately but specialists are faster, more accurate, and more likely to identify optimisation opportunities specific to your context.

Should I use the same accountant my friend uses?

Referrals are valuable but verify fit. Ask the friend: what is your situation, what does the accountant specialise in, what do you pay, how responsive are they? If your situations are similar (both contractors, both property investors), the recommendation is likely sound. If your situations differ materially, the referral is less reliable.

How responsive should I expect my accountant to be?

Reasonable response time: email within 2-3 business days for general queries, same-day for urgent matters (ATO deadlines, payment due). Annual peak periods (July-October for individual returns) may extend response times. If your accountant routinely takes weeks to respond, find another.

What questions should I ask in the first meeting?

What is your relevant experience for my situation? What is your fixed fee for my expected scope? What is your CPA/CA/TPB registration number? What software do you use? Who in your office will actually work on my account? What is your annual fee review process? What happens if I have questions outside of tax time?

Should I switch accountants if I am unhappy?

Yes, with care. Most clients can switch without significant friction once their current year tax return is filed. The new accountant can request your historical records via Tax Agent Portal authorisation. Switch between July (after tax season) and December (before next tax season) to minimise disruption.

How do I verify accountant credentials?

CPA Australia: search at cpaaustralia.com.au. CA ANZ: search at charteredaccountantsanz.com. IPA: publicaccountants.org.au. TPB: tpb.gov.au/registrations-register. Always confirm registration is active and check for any disciplinary history before engaging.