With the legislation now having passed Parliament, the start date for the new BAS Agent Services regime has been announced. The new BAS Agent regime will affect all bookkeepers who wish to provide BAS services into the future. The start of the new regime will require action on your part. 

On Thursday 26 November 2009, the Assistant Treasurer, Nick Sherry, announced the commencement date of the BAS Agent Laws. Despite industry speculation that it would begin in January, the Act will in fact commence on 1 March 2010.

If you wish in future to provide BAS Services to the general public, you will eventually need to either become a BAS Agent or work together with a BAS Agent or Tax Agent. In terms of the action you need to take when the regime commences on 1 March, this differs depending on what path you take. The important development from this announcement is that you now have more time to evaluate your options.

ABN will be providing you with solutions regardless of whether you choose to become a BAS Agent or not. A more comprehensive communication from ABN will be sent to you in the coming week to outline our future offering and to assist you in making a decision on the pathway that best suits you.

For more information on the BAS Agent legislation visit our BAS Agent Resources page at our website.

You can also visit the newly-established Tax Practitioners Board website. Although still under construction, this site already features some useful information including a Frequently Asked Questions section devoted to bookkeepers on the upcoming changes.