An online accountant should be a named person with a registration number, not a chatbot with a logo. SMT Accounting is a two-accountant registered tax agent practice in regional Victoria that works with individuals, sole traders, companies and trusts in every state, by secure upload, video, phone and WhatsApp. You get the same accountant every time, a fixed fee before the work starts, and someone who answers the ATO's letters for you.
Who an online accountant suits
- Sole traders and contractors who want their return, BAS and bookkeeping handled from one place without taking a morning off to visit anyone.
- Small companies and trusts that need year-end financial statements, company and trust returns, Division 7A and distribution questions dealt with properly, and a person to ring during the year.
- People who have moved interstate or regionally and do not want to start again with a new firm every time.
- FIFO, remote and shift workers whose roster never lines up with office hours, and who would rather send a photo from site than make an appointment.
- Australians overseas with rental, dividend, interest or business income to declare here, where residency and withholding questions need a careful answer.
- Anyone switching accountants who wants the handover done cleanly. Our switching guide explains the steps.
How an online engagement runs, start to finish
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A free first call
Book a time and tell us what you have: a wage and a rental, a trade business with two staff, a company that has outgrown its spreadsheet. We tell you what we would do and what it would cost. If it is not a fit, we say so.
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Online onboarding and identity check
The engagement form collects your details, our engagement terms and the identity documents we are required to verify as a registered agent. Your tax file number and ID go through this encrypted form and nowhere else: not email, not text, not WhatsApp.
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Agent nomination and software access
Individuals and sole traders are linked to us through the ATO once the form is in. Companies, trusts and partnerships nominate us in ATO online services, which our nomination guide covers. If you use Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, you invite us as an adviser; if you do not, we set a file up or work from statements.
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Documents through the secure link
Everything else arrives through a private upload link: receipts photographed on your phone, rental statements, contracts, the previous accountant's financial statements.
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Draft, questions, approval, lodgment
Your accountant prepares the work and sends it with a short list of questions. You answer by message or on a video call, approve the final version, sign electronically, and we lodge. ATO correspondence comes to us as your agent and we deal with it.
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During the year
Questions about a new vehicle, a second job, a contract overseas or hiring a first employee are answered as they arise, by the same person, within one business day.
The software and the channels
We work in Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online, and advise on which suits your business if you are choosing. Bank feeds and receipt-capture apps mean your records reach us without posting anything. Conversations happen on video (Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, whichever you already use), by phone, and on WhatsApp for quick questions and photos. Each client has a single email thread with their accountant, and returns and financial statements are signed electronically on your phone.
Time zones and appointments
SMT is in Victoria, so we run on Melbourne time (AEST, or AEDT in summer). Calls are offered from early morning to early evening Melbourne time, which covers normal business hours everywhere in Australia, and the booking page shows available slots in your own time zone. Messages sent overnight from the west are answered first thing; clients overseas pick a slot that works at their end.
What stays federal and what changes by state
Income tax, GST, PAYG withholding, super guarantee and capital gains tax are federal, so your return and BAS are prepared identically whether you are in Hobart or Cairns. A few things do change at the border, and a competent online accountant tells you when they apply:
- Payroll tax is a state tax with a different threshold and rate in each state and territory. Employers near a threshold, or with staff in more than one state, need to know which revenue office they answer to.
- Land tax is levied by the states on investment property, with different thresholds, rates and surcharges for trusts and absentee owners.
- Stamp duty on property and some business assets is set state by state.
- Workers compensation schemes differ between states, which matters when you hire.
We give tax advice on these in general terms and refer you to the relevant state revenue office, insurer or lawyer for anything that needs a ruling or a contract.
Why a regional practice makes sense online
Our office is in Shepparton North, not a capital-city tower, and our overheads reflect that. We are two qualified accountants who prefer lower rent to a receptionist, which is why we can quote a fixed fee in writing before any work starts and hold to it. You see the number, you agree the scope, and the invoice matches. If the scope grows, we tell you first. Our fees page sets out typical ranges.
What we need from you
- Completed online engagement form, including ID verification.
- ATO agent nomination for any company, trust or partnership.
- Adviser access to your accounting software, or bank statements if you have none yet.
- Last year's financial statements and return from your previous accountant, if any.
- Documents by category, using our tax return checklist or new business checklist.
Frequently asked
Is an online accountant allowed to lodge for me if they are in a different state?
Yes. Tax agent registration is national, issued by the Tax Practitioners Board, and a registered agent can act for clients anywhere in Australia. Income tax, GST, PAYG and superannuation are federal, so the rules are identical in every state and territory. Our registration number is 26266813 and you can check it on the TPB register.
Will I deal with the same person each time?
Yes. SMT is two accountants, Sohail Yasin (CPA) and Syed Shah (IPA), both registered tax agents. One of them is assigned to you at onboarding and stays your contact for returns, BAS, questions during the year and ATO correspondence. There is no rotating pool and no call centre.
What do you need to get started?
The online engagement form, which verifies your identity and gives us authority to act; the ATO agent nomination if you trade through a company, trust or partnership; and your documents through the secure upload link. For a business we also ask for access to your accounting software, or your bank statements if you do not have software yet.
How do appointments work if I am in Perth or Darwin?
We are in Victoria on AEST or AEDT. Book a time through the booking page and the slots are shown in your own time zone. Phone and video calls are offered from early morning to early evening Melbourne time, which covers business hours in every state, and WhatsApp messages are answered within one business day.
What does an online accountant cost?
We quote a fixed fee in writing before any work starts, based on what you need: a return, a BAS cycle, bookkeeping, or a package. The fee does not change unless the scope does, and you agree any change first. The fees page sets out our typical ranges and the first call is free.