Complaint Resolution Process

I take complaints about our Tax Agent Services seriously and am committed to resolving them efficiently and fairly. I have implemented the following process:

If you have a complaint about my Tax Agent services, please get in touch with Scott Maiden, Principal Tax Agent, by email at admin@coastsideaccounting.com.au with the details of your complaint. All complaints must be in writing. Where possible, your complaint will be investigated by an external Tax Agent who is not involved in the dispute. I’ll email you an email acknowledging receipt of your complaint and our understanding of the circumstances. The email will inform you that we will attempt to resolve your complaint within 14 days and outline the dispute resolution process.

If your concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved, you can then take the complaint to the Tax Practitioners Board at https://www.tpb.gov.au/complaints  

    Complaints the Tax Practitioners Board can assist with include:

– Breaches of the Professional Code of Conduct
– Any false or misleading statements made to the Commissioner of Taxation
– Advertising or providing Tax Agent, BAS Agent, or Tax (financial) advice for a fee when not registered, and
– Any other conduct that may breach the Act.

The Board will email you a receipt acknowledging your complaint and will proceed to review, risk assess and respond to it. If you are unhappy with how the Board has handled your complaint, visit https://www.tpb.gov.au/complaints for details about your review rights and who can assist you further. Further information is contained in an ‘Information for Clients’ document that has been provided with your annual Engagement Letter.

    Statements made to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

In my role of providing tax agent services to you, the law states:
I must not make a statement, prepare a statement, or permit an entity to make or prepare a statement to the commissioner that:

– Is false, incorrect or misleading in a material particular.
– Omits anything that causes the statement to be misleading.

If, after making a statement, subsequent information reveals that the statement is false or misleading in a material particular, I should discuss any further information that indicates the statement is not, in fact, incorrect.

If I have reasonable grounds to believe that the false or misleading nature of the statement resulted from:

– Failure to take reasonable care in connection with the preparation or making of the statement, or
– Recklessness as to the operation of a taxation law or
– Intentional disregard of a taxation law.
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Then I must advise you:

– The statement should be corrected.
– The possible consequences of not taking action to correct the statement.
– My responsibility is to take further steps if required.

If the statement is not corrected, I may have to withdraw from providing any future services.

I also note that if the statement is not corrected and the false or misleading statement has caused or will cause “substantial harm” to the interests of others, the law requires me to notify the ATO that a statement that has been made should be corrected.

This information is required to be provided by s.45 (2) of the Determination and is required when an entity is considering engaging or re-engaging a registered Tax Agent or BAS Agent, or upon request. This information is accurate and correct at the time of publication of this statement. If I become aware of any change, I will update this disclosure within 30 days.