"Ajen is an accountant who is down to earth and genuinely interested in their clients prospering."
"As a trusted advisor you guided our business back on course when the outlook was far from positive and we look forward to your continued assistance into the future"
"His attitude towards his work and my portfolio has been exemplary. He always finds time for me at short notice and is a benefit to all."
"Ajen always has a high standard of professional manner. He continued to give me good advice and is a reliable person, helpful in sorting out problems and finding solutions easily."
"Ajendra has made himself available sometimes even after normal business hours, to assist us with any questions we have, even when sometimes they may have seemed silly or simple, he has answered in full and easy to understand terminology, at no point has he ever made me feel silly for asking."
"He is always accessible to speak with and even calls me to ask if I need help with anything."
"Ajendra's willingness to dedicate "caring time" to his clients sets him apart from others."
"I am confident to refer friends and family to his team because I know they are in the most capable hands. Ajendra’s honest, caring and upbeat nature has been an absolute godsend and I am so thankful that our paths crossed"
"Ajendra’s speaks with you in a language that you can understand and comprehend easily which assists in equity and partnership with your tax agent."
"We find you have a personal approach to your accounting practice, which makes everyone feel like number 1. This is a rare and special trait, and leaves us knowing we are in good hands."
"He is very astute, and at the same time down to earth and really interested in his clients prospering. For people like us who are new to small business this is an absolute god sent."
"He shows a genuine interest and I never feel rushed. He has created a warm and friendly environement."

Government urged to exempt small firms from TPB reforms

The lower risk profile of small practices means they should not face the same scrutiny as larger ones, the NTAA says.

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Small firms should be exempted from the government’s proposed TPB registration requirements as their lower risk profiles do not warrant the additional oversight, the National Tax & Accountants’ Association (NTAA) says.

Treasury’s proposal would allow the board to reject or terminate registrations of companies and partnerships based on more stringent criteria including their compliance with governance requirements.

But the NTAA was concerned the proposed change was “too broad in its application”.

“It is evident that the Treasury has reduced the scope of this proposed change to exclude individual tax agents. However, this exclusion does not go far enough,” it said in a recent submission to Treasury.

“The NTAA suggests reducing the scope of the proposed change to exclude small firms.”

“The lower risk level generally associated with smaller firms that operate as companies and partnerships does not warrant additional TPB oversight at the time of registration.”

It said the additional oversight of small firms was an unnecessary burden and provided no benefit to consumers.

But these concerns did not apply to large multidisciplinary firms that had a higher risk of encountering complex practice issues and ethical dilemmas.

“It is clear that the proposed change is intended to target large multidisciplinary firms. The NTAA is fully supportive of a reform that provides additional oversight of such firms,” it said.

“The proposed change would provide a safeguard of sorts to consumers, as it provides a level of comfort that registered companies and partnerships have appropriate controls in place.”

The NTAA said obligations imposed under the tax agent code of conduct would be adequate to deal with smaller firms, with a recent ministerial determination mandating a quality management system at the time of registration.

“The consultation paper proposes a change that would overlay an additional requirement that must be satisfied for certain types of firms to register as a tax agent,” it said.

It also echoed concerns of other professional bodies that having the stringent new criteria as a registration requirement raised procedural fairness concerns.

“Having the quality management system as a registration requirement rather than an ethical standard means that the TPB can decline a registration application by a prospective agent without having to do any real investigation, which would be required under an ethical standards breach,” it said.

“This does not provide the applicant with a fair and just outcome.”

 

 

 

 

Christine Chen
21 August 2024
accountantsdaily

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