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The November 13 rollout of the new Client Agent Linking (CAL) process prompted the Australian Bookkeepers Network (ABN) to support BAS Agents to address a concerning weakness with a new resource to send to their new clients' Tax Agents.
ABN member’s showed significant concern following the ABN’s story last month in The Informed Bookkeeper about the glitch in the Online Services for Agents (OSfA) system, which could lead to Tax Agents inadvertently removing their clients’ BAS Agent’s access to OSfA (“de-linking”).
De-linking leaves BAS Agents unable to perform some basic business functions for their clients, like STP payroll reporting, Activity Statement lodgement, SBSGCH lodgement and/or deal with the ATO on their client’s behalf. Until clients successfully re-nominate their BAS Agent, these essential processes would be impaired.
The ABN has now developed a “stop gap” resource for BAS Agent members to send to Tax Agents working with their clients to help educate tax agents and as a result mitigate the damage caused by de-linking.
New resource supports BAS Agent Members to educate Tax Agents
The instructional guide titled ‘Guide to onboarding new clients to OSfA’ urges Tax Agent caution when onboarding new clients to the OSfA system and guides them on how to prevent BAS Agents from being de-linked.
ABN Director, Peter Thorp, explains that this will help bookkeepers by reducing the incidence of BAS Agents being de-linked. The quicker tax agents become aware of the correct process and modify their onboarding OSfA process, the sooner the disruption will end.
“Client Agent Linking has changed the way Tax Agents onboard clients,” said Peter. “The process is confusing and will result in Tax Agents accidently kicking BAS Agents off the OSfA system primarily for new clients but also some existing clients.”
“This would likely do more than further frustrate both the client and BAS Agents,” continued Peter. “It could damage the client relationship and even lose the BAS Agent their client as a result of the potential charges and fines that can come from such a delay.
“This resource helps protect BAS Agents by improving their communication with Tax Agents to show them how to step through the nomination acceptance process without further risk of disruption,” said Peter.
To access resources like these and many more the ABN invites you to become an ABN member.
ATO resource: Think Before You Link.
