Guide to the Tax Agent Portal
Guide to the Tax Agent Portal
Overview
The Tax Agent Portal is a secure website that is only available to registered tax agents and their employees. The portal provides online communication with us as well as live client account and registration information.
Accessing the portal
The portal ensures the security of your online transactions through AUSkeys. Each user must have their own AUSkey to log in and use the portal on behalf of their clients. Where there are multiple user accounts in a practice, use the access manager (AM) system to manage access to functions and records.
There are minimum security and computer requirements for using the portal.
Help
Select Help to see extra information about the different functions in the portal, as you're using them.
Messages and forms
You can use the portal to receive mail from and send enquiries and forms to us using portal Mail. Forms submitted via the portal are acknowledged with a receipt number.
Client lists and registrations
The portal gives you access to information about taxpayer records that have your registered agent number recorded in our systems. The permissions assigned to your AUSkey through the AM will determine which functions you can perform in relation to the client records you can view.
Your clients are listed in the client directory of the portal, which you can update. You can also initiate or amend a client's registration for some tax types. There are small differences to note between the portal client directory and the electronic lodgment service (ELS) client lists.
Payments and refunds
You can use the portal to request refunds or credit transfers for clients, amend financial institution details (FID), view payment options, obtain an electronic funds transfer (EFT) code for your client to pay an account and print a personalised payment slip.
Reports
The portal can generate a range of online reports, including the income tax lodgment status report, outstanding activity statement report and pre-filling reports. Some reports are generated 'on demand' while others are pre-generated.
Accessing the portal
Only registered tax agents and their employees can use the portal. To ensure the security of your online transactions you need an AUSkey to access the portal.
AUSkey
AUSkey is a single key to access government online services. You can use AUSkey to log in to our online services, including the portal.
Setting user permissions in access manager
Administrator AUSkey holders can use access manager (AM)to control access and permission to information available through the portal.
Security and computer requirements
As a minimum security requirement, you must have anti-virus and firewall protection. There are also computer requirements in relation to hardware, operating systems and browsers.
AUSkey
AUSkey is a single key to access government online services, including ATO online services such as the portal. AUSkey identifies the user and the business they are representing when transacting with us online.
Registration
You can register online for an AUSkey.
Types of AUSkey
There are two types of AUSkey: Administrator and Standard AUSkeys.
Registering for an AUSkey
The following people can obtain an AUSkey to use the portal:
- registered tax agents
- employees of a registered tax agent
- members of a partnership (if the registered tax agent is a partnership).
Contractors or sub-agents of any person/entity of the type listed above are not eligible.
To register for an AUSkey, you must have an Australian business number (ABN) with a registered agent number attached to it. Also, ensure your business details are up to date on the Australian Business Register (ABR), including the names of authorised persons (associates details).
This section tells you:
- how to register for an AUSkey if you are new to our online services
- which ABN to use on the application.
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To register yourself for an Administrator AUSkey, you must be recorded on the ABR as an associate of your business. To register another person for an Administrator AUSkey, you must hold an Administrator AUSkey.
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New to online services
To register for an AUSkey:
ABN to use when you apply
On your AUSkey application you must use the ABN of the business entity that is registered by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) as the registered tax agent. You must not use the ABN of an associated entity.
If you change your ABN you will need to register for a new AUSkey.
If you have any doubts about which ABN to use, you can check which entity is registered on the TPB website or by contacting them.
Types of AUSkey
There are two types of AUSkey: administrator and standard.
Administrator AUSkey holders can view and update details for all AUSkey holders associated with the business. They can also register new administrator AUSkeys for their business.
Standard AUSkey holders can log in, view or update their own AUSkey details.
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For more information about access and permissions refer to:
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It is recommended that you have at least two administrators in the business so that an administrator is always available.
An administrator AUSkey holder may have access to other government online services, so we recommend only associates registered in the ABR, or employees in a position of authority in your business have an administrator AUSkey. Other employees can be issued with standard AUSkeys.
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Making your AUSkey portable
You can install your AUSkey on a computer, a USB stick, a server or a combination of these options.
Access manager
Access manager (AM) is a standalone system that allows you to control who in your practise can access our online services.
It ensures that each authorised person in your practice can access our online services (including the portals) using their own AUSkey and it allows you to control what each user has access to.
Benefits of using AM
The benefits of using AM include the following:
- To help protect sensitive information, you can choose to restrict access to certain clients' records.
- You can restrict the functions your staff can perform within the portal.
- You can control which reports your staff can lodge to us through Standard Business Reporting (SBR) enabled software.
- If someone leaves your practice permanently, you can cancel their access immediately.
- You can temporarily disable access for staff when they go on leave.
- The security of your clients' information is increased.
Tips
Before using AM, you should consider:
- who should be a delegated AM administrator in your practice
- who needs what access to the various functions in the portal
- whether access to any of your clients' records should be restricted.
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- A comprehensive help facility is available within AM and can be accessed from the function you are using.
- If you need assistance using AM, phone us on 13 72 86 Fast Key Code 3 3.
- For more information refer to Standard Business Reporting.
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Security and computer requirements
Security requirements
There are minimum security requirements for using the portal.
You should install and maintain a commercially recognised anti-virus product:
- select an anti-virus product
- activate it to run on your computer at all times
- update it daily with the latest virus protection downloads provided by the product.
You should only open, run, install or use programs and files from sources you trust.
You should also install and maintain a commercially recognised firewall product:
- select a firewall product
- ensure that it's suitably configured
- update it with the latest available version.
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The term 'commercially recognised' refers to an anti-virus or firewall product that is commercially available or recognised as a legitimate security application. You should not use a product that is in a development or testing stage.
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For more information about protecting yourself online, refer to Online security.
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Computer requirements
There are minimum computer requirements for using the portal. This includes hardware, operating systems and browsers.
Help
Tax Agent Portal help can assist you as you use the portal. It is context sensitive. When selected from:
- the global navigation bar on the portal home page, it provides an overview of the portal and its functions
- a specific page, it displays information relevant to the screen you are viewing.
The Help function features include:
- Search
- How do I?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- A-Z index
- Sitemap
- definitions of terms used within the portal.
Messages and forms
The portal is a secure form of communication that provides a record of your dealings, with a receipt number and status reports on your transactions. You can use the portal to:
- send enquiries and requests (including attachments) and receive replies from us on a range of topics using portal Mail
- submit online forms, including forms to lodge an objection or apply for a private ruling.
Portal mail
Portal Mail allows you to send messages to us on an extensive range of enquiry topics. You can also receive messages from us, and view a history of submitted and received messages and online forms.
When sending a new message, you must select the appropriate topic and subject. This ensures that your enquiry is sent directly to the correct area of the ATO.
Online forms
When you submit a form via the portal you will receive a receipt number that you can use to check the status of your enquiry. Online forms available on the portal include:
- request for replacement cheque
- electronic lodgment service (ELS) password reset
- auditor actuary contravention report
- lodgment deferral - automatic acceptance
- tax practitioner services referral
- private ruling application and objections
- portal feedback.
Private rulings and objections
To lodge an objection or apply for a private ruling on behalf of your client, you must download the correct ATO form. Once you've completed the form you can submit it with supporting documentation via the portal. You can also use the portal to submit further information for an objection or private ruling, whether the original application was submitted by post, fax or portal.
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For more information about:
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Client lists and registrations
The portal gives you access to information about taxpayers who have your registered agent number recorded in our systems.
Holders of an administrator AUSkey can view all of your practice's clients. Holders of standard AUSkeys may have restricted access to client information. However, they may be appointed as delegated AM administrators.
Viewing and amending client information
The portal allows you to view:
- live client account information
- live client registration information, including tax types
- the client directory
- your dealings - to check the status of an enquiry
- current year income tax lodgment status details for clients
- activity statements online.
Differences between portal and ELS client lists
There are small differences between the portal client directory and the ELS client lists.
Viewing and amending client information
Within the portal:
The client directory
The client directory displays a list of all your clients. It has a range of search functions to help you find client details.
Clients that are classified by us as 'security assessed' will not appear in the client directory. Additionally, holders of standard AUSkeys may be restricted by an administrator from viewing some clients through AM.
You can use the client directory to:
- quickly establish which client records have particular roles or obligations (income tax, activity statement, fringe benefits tax (FBT) or excise). You can update, add or delete some of this information through the portal
- view details of a client's FBT account online
- check on the processing of electronic lodgment service (ELS) client update (CU) transactions to add or remove clients. Any addition or removal of a client will generally be displayed in the client directory on the day after we process the ELS transaction.
If a taxpayer is no longer your client we recommend that you update your client list. You should check that:
- the client list contains all your new clients and take action to add any new clients
- all the clients listed are current and take action to delete those clients you no longer represent
- all the clients listed need to lodge or advise us of any returns that aren't necessary.
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Removing a record from the client directory will permanently remove your registered agent number from the client's record.
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For more information on managing your client list, refer to:
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Types of client accounts
A client may have more than one account or tax type, depending on their activities.
The main account types are:
- integrated client accounts (accounts that record activity statement obligations, including goods and services tax (GST) and pay as you go (PAYG))
- income tax accounts
- fringe benefits tax (FBT) accounts
- excise accounts.
Registering or cancelling tax types
Your clients may have various tax types registered, depending on their activities. You can use the portal to register your clients for goods and services tax (GST) and income tax withholding (ITW), or to cancel their registration for a range of tax types and excise benefits schemes.
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For more information about:
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Difference between portal and the ELS client lists
There are small differences between the portal and the ELS client lists. The portal lists are a complete list of client records which have your registered agent number recorded, while the ELS lists are 'expected lodgment lists'.
Where you (or a previous tax agent) have notified us that specific clients are unlikely to need to lodge future returns ('further return not necessary'), the client will no longer appear on your ELS client list, but will still appear on the portal list. To check whether this is the case for a particular client, you can select the client in the client directory and click on the 'lodgment status - income tax' button. This will display the current year lodgment status and due date for the client. The status will be shown as 'not necessary' and the due date as 'unknown'. This is to ensure that the client's details are available if they are required to lodge a return in the future.
Removing a record from the client directory will permanently remove your registered agent number from the client's record.
Payments and refunds
The portal can be used to request refunds or credit transfers for clients or to view payment options. You can use the portal to:
- enter, update or delete financial institution details (FID) for your clients' active activity statement roles
- apply for a replacement cheque, where an original cheque has been lost, destroyed, returned, is stale, or was undelivered
- obtain an electronic funds transfer (EFT) code for your client to pay an account by BPAY, direct credit or direct debit
- view payment options and download payment slips for your clients.
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For more information on:
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Reports
Lodgment status reports on the portal are available on demand while other reports, such as pre-filling reports, are pre-generated and can be accessed at any time.
'On demand' reports
The reports available 'on demand' are:
- income tax lodgment status report
- outstanding activity statement report.
These reports can be requested at any time. Most will be available within one hour of your request. The downloaded reports can be manipulated in a spreadsheet program and sorted to meet your needs.
Pre-generated reports
Pre-generated reports include:
- client account running balance
- pay as you go (PAYG) income tax instalments
- year to date interest summary
- year to date revenue product summary
- year to date excise revenue product summary
- pre-filling report
- correspondence preference
- family trust elections (FTE) and interposed entity elections (IEE)
- senior Australians tax offset.
Pre-generated reports are updated regularly. The date on which data was refreshed is shown beside each report.
Pre-filling service
The ATO uses information provided to us to 'pre-fill' your clients' income tax returns. You can view this information by requesting the relevant 'Pre-filling report'. The information can be amended if necessary.
Last Modified: Thursday, 18 October 2012
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