Thank you for appointing us as your Tax Agent, accountant and business consultant. This letter is to confirm our understanding of the terms of our engagement and the conditions of the services we will provide.

Purpose, Scope and Output of the Engagement

In this regard we understand that we will be responsible for performing the following services for the above named and any other existing or future related entities, including spouses, children and relatives, and companies, trusts, partnerships and self managed superfunds on your instructions:

1.                   Preparation and timely lodgement of your taxation returns;
2.                   Preparation of financial statements, where necessary or appropriate;
3.                   Preparation and timely lodgement of related business & instalment activity statements;
4.                   Advising on taxation and business administration matters as required;
5.                   Undertaking special assignments when requested in relation to such matters as the acquisition and sale of assets, tax planning, strategic issues, assisting with finance applications and other such matters.
6.                   Attending to Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) compliance matters (for companies only).

The procedures we will perform will be limited exclusively to those related to this purpose, and as a result:

• No audit or review will be performed and, accordingly, no assurance will be expressed: and,
• Our engagement cannot be relied upon to disclose irregularities including fraud, other illegal acts and errors that may exist. However, we will inform you of any such matters that may come to our attention.

This engagement will be conducted in accordance with the relevant standards and ethical requirements of the NTAA.
 

Engagement by conduct

Even where you have not yet signed, or not directly signed yourself an engagement letter, your conduct will be deemed as acceptance and you will be bound by these terms of engagement.  Conduct representing your acceptance of engagement includings providing information, a question or instructions (written or verbal), to respond, act or prepare anything under the scope of our ordinary engagement above.

Disengagement of services

This letter will be effective for all future years unless either party advises of any change in our arrangement. We prefer any changes to be made in writing.

Where any entity is removed from our tax agent role with the Australian Taxation Office by the entity themselves, or by registering or engagement with another tax, or ASIC agent, this engagement is immediately discontinued at that time, and all responsibility for any services covered under this engagement is reverted to the taxpayer and or their new agent from that date.

Mutual Commitment & Representations

As importantly as it is for Dtax Accountants to provide timely service and advice, we also expect that our clients will provide suitable and legitimate information in a timely manner. Furthermore, we expect our clients to co-operate with our requests for information to allow us to accurately perform our work.  

As the Australian Taxation Office monitors the lodgment and accuracy compliance of Dtax Accountants as a tax agent, and we are bound by our professional association ethical values, we reserve the right to discontinue our engagement with any entities that provide untimely, misleading or illegitimate information.

Both written and verbal representations and information from you are used in the preparation of your obligations, however written is preferred, which may include the form of email, fax, post, letters or information from third parties. Verbal information and representations are noted on file by dates and people.

Privacy Policy

Dtax Accountants does not openly publish or provide your financial information to anyone other than yourself, or your agent/s. Your agent/s may include;

• ·         Your current spouse
• ·         Other relatives (in the case of power of attourney)
• ·         Another partner in a partnership
• ·         Another director of your company
• ·         Another trustee of your trust
• ·         Another director of the corporate trustee of your trust

We exercise discretion, however rely on the “indoor management rule” under the corporations act, in relation to taking instruction and providing information to employees or directors of a company.

Our policy is to not supply your financial information to third parties unless you have provided express consent, preferably in writing. This includes applications for finance. If you require us to provide your financial information to third parties, please authorise our office, prior to having the third party contact us.

Under this engagement, you agree to allow us to provide your contact details and financial details to government agencies including but not limited to, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Child Support Agency (CSA), Australian Bereau of Statistics (ABS) and Centrelink on their request when they have legislative right to, and contact us in our capacity as your tax agent.

You also automatically allow us on engaging our services to provide your contact details to other reputable professionals we refer you to where we have identified a need for you to speak to that professional. We will advise you before we refer you and hence supply these contact details. Your contact details include;

• ·         Your full name
• ·         Your date of birth
• ·         Your postal and or street address
• ·         Your email address
• ·         Your mobile, home and business telephone numbers

Specific Terms for Corporations – ASIC Agent

On the engagement or registration of a corporation, Dtax Accountants becomes the ASIC agent, and holds the corporate register whilst acting as ASIC agent, although the register remains the property of the company. 

All companies, regardless of their trading activity or purpose are subject to an annual ASIC agent package fee, published on our website by using the fee estimation tool. The fee is invoiced each July for the forthcoming financial year and details the services covered, including hosting of the registered office and upkeep of corporate register documentation. No refund or pro rata is available for changes or additions during the financial year.

Paperless office and Email Policies

Dtax Accountants operate a paperless office for all client records and working papers, bar signed documents. Accordingly, original documents are scanned in an unalterable image format. Electronic documents are stored and regularly backed up with appropriate security.

Email is the preferred method of communication for Dtax Accountants due to its convenience, speed, written format, ease of response, paperless integration, ability for attachments, and lower reliance on paper and postage under our environment contribution policy.

Original records used for preparation of obligations

Dtax Accountants always returns or makes available original documentation supplied by clients after it is required. No original documentation is kept in paper files, or on site. Accordingly responsibility for keeping original documentation remains with the taxpayer, although Dtax Accountants will ordinarily have scanned image copies (refer above).

Calculation of Fees

Our fees are charged on a time basis and we reserve the right to amend our hourly rates from time to time. We commit to provide you with a set fee for each significant job we perform before starting. The fee is calculated by a provision of time multiplied by our current hourly rate, which we then commit to.

In the case of clients who regularly have us prepare activity statements each quarter, we will advise and set a fee for each quarter of the financial year, in the first quarter. Accordingly advice on the set fee will not be given for each following quarter of that year.

Trading Terms

Our fees are usually generated on the completion of work performed. However, we may generate fees on a progressive monthly basis where the work is expected to exceed one month. 

Payment is required within 14 Days from date of Invoice, unless otherwise arranged.

Payment may be made by any of the following methods and is noted on the bottom of each invoice:

• 1                     Payment by EFT/direct credit to our bank account BSB; 034215, Account; 395594 in the name of “Dtax Accountants”. (most preferred)
• 2                     Payment by cheque or money order – to be made payable to “Dtax Accountants”.
• 3                     Payment in person – please only have correct denominations.

Although you have engaged us personally, you may require us to render services on your behalf to associated persons or corporations, trust or other entities in which you may have an interest or which you may control. In that case, you will remain personally responsible for payment of fees relating to those services, whether or not they are billed to you personally.

Your signing of this engagement acknowledges that you understand and agree to the terms of this Agreement.  

These terms of engagement are published on our website and apply to every engagement and entity without exception. Any material and effective changes to our engagement terms will be notified to clients.