A client has emailed you through a summary of their records. Is that enough for you to rely on when doing their tax work? Part of the Tax Practitioners Board's role is to ensure that tax agents are doing the right thing. The problem is that many tax agents may be unknowingly and inadvertently breaching the Tax Agents Services laws and regulations. This event covered such issues as:
- to what extent must a tax agent act as the "gatekeeper"? for the ATO?
- how have the Board and the courts interpreted the fit and proper person test?
- use of contractors, lodging returns for other non-registered practitioners, operating from more than one office and outsourcing work
- recklessness versus exercise of reasonable care - where do you draw the line?
- how far do you need to go to properly identify the client and substantiate their instructions/information?