Interim Suspension Powers for the Tax Practitioners Board
Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026
1st House
2nd House
Law
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Tax Practitioners Board can suspend a tax or BAS agent for up to 90 days; this happens if the agent likely broke a tax law and clients face a significant risk of loss.
Unregistered people commit an offence if they provide tax agent services; this excludes certain legal services.
Unregistered people commit an offence if they provide BAS services for a fee; this excludes legal services and customs brokers.
Unregistered people commit an offence if they advertise tax or BAS services.
Registered tax or BAS agents face civil penalties for breaking the Code of Professional Conduct; fines reach 2,500 penalty units for individuals and 50,000 for companies.
Unregistered people face civil penalties for making misleading statements to the Commissioner or the Board.
Partners in a partnership are each held responsible for civil penalty breaches; a partner must prove they did not help or engage in the conduct to avoid the penalty.
The Federal Court can declare an acquisition void if the Commission applies.