About tax practitioner assistance
Tax practitioner assistance (TPA) exists to assist tax practitioners when standard channels haven't resolved an issue.
TPA is a support service for registered tax and BAS agents who have been unable to resolve administrative client specific or practice management matters through our existing channels.
It is designed as an escalation pathway, not a first point of contact on the matter.
Eligibility for TPA
Tax practitioner assistance is available to all registered tax and BAS agents who both:
- represent clients in a tax professional capacity
- have the authority to act as the client’s authorised representative.
You should only submit a request to TPA after you have attempted to resolve the matter through standard support channels, such as:
- Information and tools for tax professionals
- Support and helpful information for your practice
- Online services for agents
- Tax or BAS agent phone services.
If these options haven't resolved the matter, you're eligible to request TPA assistance by submitting a Tax practitioner assistance form. You must complete all eligibility and information fields in the form to ensure it is accepted.
Matters TPA cannot assist with
This service is not for tax practitioners seeking assistance with:
- applying for a private ruling
- ATO advice and guidance
- client debts or payment plans
- client remission requests
- insolvency
- lodging a complaint
- lodging an objection
- lodgment obligations – we have dedicated programs available to help with your lodgment program
- tailored technical assistance.
Use the guidance on these pages to seek assistance from the relevant area.
TPA can't assist you with matters that you have raised as a complaint. Where this duplication occurs, we will close your TPA request. You will need to interact with the Complaints team's investigation and management processes.
How to request assistance
If you have met the eligibility criteria, you can apply for tax practitioner assistance by submitting your request through practice mail in Online services for agents.
You will need to lodge a separate request for each client and practice matter.
You must complete all the How to request assistance steps and other criteria within the TPA request to ensure your request is accepted.
Step 1: Open and save the form
Download the Tax practitioner assistance form (PDF, 204KB)This link will download a file
To download this form to your computer, right click and select either:
- Save target as
- Save link as.
Step 2: Complete all mandatory fields
All fields with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. We will reject your request if you have not included all required information.
Use the Save form button in the form to save the request.
Step 3: Lodge form in practice mail
The TPA form will only be actioned if lodged through Online Services for agents. You must submit it in portable document format (PDF).
- Go to Online services for agentsExternal Link.
- Select the practice mail topic: General questions, problems, and help.
- Select the subject Submit Tax Practitioner Assistance Request Form.
- Attach your PDF TPA request form to the practice mail message.
What happens next
- You will receive a receipt ID as acknowledgment of your request
- You can use this receipt ID to check the progress of your request
- We will contact you if we need further information
- TPA will work with the relevant ATO area to resolve your issue
- TPA will also be your contact regarding the progress of your request
We aim to review and finalise your request as soon as possible. However, some requests may take up to 28 calendar days or longer once we have all necessary information.
We will provide an update if your request takes longer than 28 calendar days.