Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Supervision Matrix for TAA Services - Who Does What?

This article tells you, for each tax service TAA offers, who does what. Use it as your day-to-day reference. If you're being asked to do something, find the section for that service and you'll see exactly where your responsibility ends and where TAA's begins.

Responsibilities at a glance

The Participant owns the client The Accounting Academy owns the sign-off
  • Onboarding and scoping
  • Letters of Engagement and signatures
  • Invoicing and collecting payment
  • Gathering supporting documents
  • Completing workpapers
  • Preparing the return / advice / deliverable
  • Postage, follow-ups, chasing signatures
  • Ensuring on-time lodgements
  • Keeping the client happy
  • Reviewing the prepared work
  • Approving the technical position
  • Final sign-off as the supervising tax agent
  • Lodging the return with the ATO

🏆 The golden rule — read this before you do anything elseIf a client will rely on what you give them — to lodge a return, make a decision, or take an action — it needs review and sign-off. If they won't rely on it, you can handle it. When in doubt, send it for review.

The Services

Tax Returns — Individual

The service: Preparing and lodging an individual's tax return (income, deductions, offsets, rental, capital gains, etc.).

Due date: Review due date = 6 weeks before lodgement due date

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Onboard the client and confirm scope.
  • Issue the Letter of Engagement and obtain client signature.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Gather all supporting documents (PAYG, dividend statements, bank interest, rental info, work-related receipts, etc.).
  • Complete the workpapers — show your workings, not just the numbers.
  • Prepare the return in Xero Tax.
  • Submit for review via the ticketing system / Tax Agent Hub.
  • Action any review comments.
  • Once signed off: gather signature(s) from the client.
  • Review workpapers and the prepared return.
  • Question anything unclear; send back for rework if needed.
  • Final sign-off as the supervising tax agent.
  • Lodge the return with the ATO.
Engagement letter Yes — required.
Turnaround Review within 5 business days of submission (urgent at TAA's discretion).
Watch out Incomplete workpapers will be rejected. Show every calculation and every supporting document.

Tax Returns — Company

The service:  Preparing and lodging a company tax return.

Due date: Review due date = 6 weeks before lodgement due date

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Onboard and scope the engagement.
  • Issue and chase the Letter of Engagement.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Gather financials (Xero file, bank statements, loan docs, fixed asset listings, related-party info).
  • Reconcile and prepare workpapers, including Div 7A, depreciation, and tax reconciliation items.
  • Prepare the return in Xero Tax.
  • Submit for review and respond to feedback.
  • Deliver signed return and chase signature.
  • Review workpapers, reconciliations, and the return.
  • Sign off as supervising tax agent.
  • Lodge the return with the ATO.
Engagement letter Yes — required.
Turnaround Review within 5 business days of submission.
Watch out Div 7A, related-party loans, dividends and franking accounts trip people up. Document the position.

Tax Returns — Trusts

The service:  Preparing and lodging a trust or partnership tax return, including beneficiary or partner distributions.

Due date: Review due date = 6 weeks before lodgement due date

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Onboard and scope (note any tax planning needed before year-end).
  • Issue and chase the Letter of Engagement.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Gather financials and the trust deed / partnership agreement.
  • Prepare workpapers including the distribution calculations and minutes/resolutions where relevant.
  • Prepare the return in Xero Tax.
  • Submit for review and action feedback.
  • Deliver signed return and chase signature.
  • Review workpapers, distributions, and the return.
  • Sign off as supervising tax agent.
  • Lodge the return with the ATO.
Engagement letter Yes — required.
Turnaround Review within 5 business days of submission.
Watch out Distribution resolutions before 30 June are critical. Flag early if missing.

BAS / IAS

The service:  Preparing and lodging a Business Activity Statement or Instalment Activity Statement.

Due date: Review due date = 4 weeks before lodgement due date

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Confirm scope under the Letter of Engagement (recurring BAS work).
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Reconcile the period in the client's accounting file.
  • Prepare BAS workpapers — GST reconciliation, PAYG-W, FBT instalments, etc.
  • Submit for review.
  • Deliver to client for sign-off and chase signature.
  • Review the BAS and workpapers.
  • Sign off as supervising tax agent.
  • Lodge with the ATO.
Engagement letter Yes — required (one LOE can cover the year of BAS work).
Turnaround Review within 5 business days of submission.
Watch out Late payment or short-pays at the ATO usually mean a reconciliation issue. Don't lodge until it ties. Extensions are hard to get.

Bookkeeping

The service:  Day-to-day reconciliation, coding, and general ledger maintenance.

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Onboard the client and scope under the Letter of Engagement.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Connect bank feeds and rules.
  • Reconcile bank accounts, code transactions, manage payroll where in scope.
  • Run month-end checks and produce the file ready for BAS / year-end.
  • Submit for review when required (e.g. before BAS).
  • Spot-check bookkeeping when reviewing BAS or year-end.
  • Flag systemic issues (coding, GST treatment, payroll) for the Participant to fix.
Engagement letter Yes — required.
Turnaround Bookkeeping is owned by the Participant. TAA reviews when downstream work needs it.
Watch out Messy bookkeeping shows up in BAS and tax review. Fix it at source, not in the return.

General Tax Questions

The service:  Quick verbal or written answers to general tax questions — what something is, how it works, current rates, basic estimates.

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Answer general questions directly using your training and knowledge.
  • If unsure, do the research first (training materials, ATO, community).
  • If the client is going to act on it or lodge based on it, treat it as Specific Tax Advice instead.
  • Available for sense-check after the Participant has done the research.
  • Step in if the question crosses into Specific Tax Advice.
Engagement letter No — for casual general discussion.
Turnaround Immediate.
Watch out If the client will rely on it, it is no longer general. Stop and treat it as Specific Tax Advice.

Specific Tax Advice (CGT, Tax Planning, Minimisation)

The service:  Tax advice the client will rely on to make a decision or to lodge a return — e.g. a CGT cost base position, a tax minimisation plan, year-end planning.

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Confirm scope and issue a Letter of Engagement specifically for the advice.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Do the research — legislation, rulings, ATO guidance.
  • Prepare draft advice and a working / calculation file showing the position.
  • Submit to TAA for review.
  • Action review feedback.
  • Deliver the signed advice to the client.
  • Review the research, calculations, and draft advice.
  • Test the position and ask questions until comfortable.
  • Sign off as supervising tax agent.
Engagement letter Yes — always.
Turnaround 5–10 business days from full submission.
Watch out Don't give specific advice off the cuff. Once the client will rely on it, you've crossed the line.

Business Structuring (Tax Aspects)

The service:  Advising on the tax impact of a structure — e.g. choosing between sole trader / company / trust, restructuring, tax-effective share structures.

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Confirm scope and issue a Letter of Engagement.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Gather the facts — current structure, goals, asset protection needs, CGT history.
  • Research and prepare a draft tax position.
  • Submit to TAA for review.
  • Where a legal document is required (trust deed, SMSF deed), consult TAA.
  • Deliver the signed advice to the client.
  • Review the position, calculations, and recommendations.
  • Sign off as supervising tax agent.
Engagement letter Yes — always.
Turnaround 5–10 business days.
Watch out Anything requiring a deed (trust, SMSF).

CFO / Forecasting / Advisory

The service:  Financial strategy, cashflow, three-way forecasts, business advisory work without a tax-advice element.

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Confirm scope and issue a Letter of Engagement.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Gather financials and operational data.
  • Build the model / forecast / advisory deliverable.
  • Deliver to the client.
  • If the conversation drifts into tax planning or tax-effective decisions, escalate as Specific Tax Advice.
  • Not normally involved unless tax is in scope.
  • Available to support if the engagement evolves into tax planning.
Engagement letter Yes — required.
Turnaround Owned by the Participant.
Watch out The minute a forecast becomes a tax minimisation strategy, escalate.

Deferral and Remission Requests

The Participant The Accounting Academy
  • Confirm scope and issue a Letter of Engagement.
  • Invoice and collect payment.
  • Gather financials and operational data.
  • Build the supporting request / deliverable.
  • Deliver to the client.
  • If the conversation drifts into tax planning or tax-effective decisions, escalate as Specific Tax Advice.
  • Applies for all 31 October deadlines.
  • Reviews all deferral and remission requests.
  • Approves all requests.

How to submit for review

For guidance on how to use the Tax Agent Hub for tax lodgement review, see: How To Submit a Tax Return for Review 

Engagement letters at a glance

For guidance, see: Client engagement letters 

Service Engagement letter required?
Tax returns (individual / company / trust / partnership) Yes
BAS / IAS Yes (one LOE can cover the year)
Bookkeeping Yes
General tax questions No
Specific tax advice (CGT, planning, minimisation) Yes — always
Business structuring (tax aspects) Yes — always
CFO / Forecasting / Advisory Yes

Send the LOE and the client copy through together. Don't separate the steps — it doubles the chase.

Standard review turnaround times

For further guidance, see: Review Turn Around Times 

Work Standard turnaround
Tax return review (individual / company / trust) 5 business days
BAS / IAS review 5 business days
Specific tax advice 5–7 business days
Business structuring (tax aspects) 5–10 business days
Urgent matters Case by case — flag early, don't promise

Don't promise immediate turnarounds without confirming. If a client wants something rushed, tell them the standard timeframe upfront.

Glossary

The Participant You — the accountant or bookkeeper in the program working towards your tax agent licence.
The Accounting Academy The supervising tax agent and review team. Review, approval, sign-off, and lodgement sit here.
LOE Letter of Engagement. The signed agreement that scopes the work and lets you charge for it.
BAS Business Activity Statement. Periodic GST / PAYG / instalment lodgement.
IAS Instalment Activity Statement. Used where BAS isn't required (e.g. PAYG-only).
CGT Capital Gains Tax.
SMSF Self-Managed Super Fund.
ASIC Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Corporate filings (covered separately).
ATO Australian Taxation Office.
TPB Tax Practitioners Board. Regulates tax agents.
Workpapers Your documented working — supporting docs, calculations, references — for every position taken.
Specific tax advice Advice the client will rely on. Always requires LOE, research, review, and sign-off.
General tax discussion Casual answers to general questions where the client isn't relying on it.
Xero Tax The lodgement tool we prepare and lodge through.
Tax Agent Hub The job management system. Use it to submit work for review.
LodgeIQ Our internal app for tracking ATO due dates and outstanding lodgements.