Who we help
Agents' tax, settled with the paperwork in order.
Commission that swings quarter to quarter, a car that earns its keep, marketing spend with your face on it. We substantiate the claims and plan the instalments — before either becomes a problem.
Real estate pay rarely arrives in even fortnights. Retainers, commissions on exchange or settlement, splits with the agency, the occasional bonus quarter followed by a quiet one — income that moves this much needs reconciling, not remembering. We tie commission statements to bank deposits and to what the agency reports, so the income side of the return is complete and provable.
Variable income also means tax that arrives in instalments, and the difference between planning them and discovering them is the difference between a manageable year and a cash-flow crisis. We map the obligations as commissions land, so the money is set aside deliberately. When instalment timing or amounts need adjusting, that is handled formally — with the reasoning documented, because an adjustment you cannot support invites questions.
The deductions are distinctive too: the car that carries buyers and signboards, the phone that never stops, marketing with your own name on it. Each has a legitimate core and a private edge, and the difference is decided by records. We document the work basis for every claim — from our Brisbane base, by phone and video, wherever you sell.
What we see on agents' returns
- Commission income that does not reconcile to the agency's reporting or the bank.
- Big quarters spent before the tax on them was set aside.
- Personal-brand spending — clothing, grooming, social media — claimed without a documented work basis.
- Vehicle claims set by habit, with the logbook lapsed years ago.
What we put in order
Commission income reconciled
Retainers, commissions and splits tied to agency statements and bank deposits, so the income reported is the income received.
Instalments planned, not discovered
Obligations mapped as commissions land, with adjustments made formally and documented when circumstances genuinely change.
Vehicle and travel claims
A current logbook, running costs evidenced and the business percentage documented — inspections, appraisals and auctions add up when the record exists.
Phone, marketing and brand costs
Advertising, portals and personal promotion claimed where the work basis is documented, with private use split honestly.
Commission structures and ABN work
Employed, commission-only or contracting through an ABN — the arrangement examined and reported in its correct place.
Written positions on grey areas
Grooming, wardrobe, client entertainment — the questions every agent asks, answered for your facts in writing rather than left to instinct.
An agent's return prepared here reconciles to the agency's reporting, and every claim carries its work basis in writing — so a question from the ATO meets a file, not a memory. See our method →
Common questions
My income swings badly between quarters. How do I stop tax becoming a crisis?
By treating tax as a cost of each commission rather than a year-end event. We work out what each settlement implies, so the right money is set aside when it lands, and instalment obligations are anticipated instead of discovered. Where instalments no longer reflect reality, they can be adjusted formally — we document the basis, because an unsupported variation invites attention.
Can I claim my clothes, grooming and personal branding?
Mostly the answer is narrower than agents hope. Conventional clothing and grooming are generally private, however client-facing the work; marketing that promotes your listings and services sits differently from spending that simply maintains appearance. We draw the line for your facts, document the work basis where one exists, and tell you plainly where it does not — before the claim is made, not after it is questioned.
How should my car be handled? I practically live in it.
Heavy work use deserves a claim that can be shown. A current logbook establishes the business percentage across inspections, appraisals, auctions and open homes; running costs and depreciation then follow the record. A lapsed logbook or a guessed percentage is where agent returns most often fail review, so we set the records up properly and refresh them when the pattern changes.
I'm commission-only on an ABN. What does that change?
It changes who carries the obligations. No employer withholds tax, income is reported on a business schedule, and the arrangement itself deserves examination — how commission-only income is treated depends on the facts of the engagement. We examine the arrangement, confirm what registrations and instalments apply to your circumstances, and document the position before lodgment.
I've bought an investment property myself. Can you handle that side too?
Yes, and agents make interesting property clients — closer to the market, quicker to transact, and therefore more exposed to capital gains questions when they sell. We set up the rental schedules with interest and expenses substantiated, keep the cost base records from day one, and answer the CGT questions in writing before a sale rather than after one.
Do you only work with agents near Brisbane?
No. The practice is based in Brisbane, and the engagement runs by phone and video with documents through the client portal — agents in every Australian state work with us that way.
General information only — not tax, legal or financial advice. Advice specific to your circumstances is provided within a signed engagement.
Related reading
Speak to the person who signs the return.
Consultations are with a registered tax agent — by phone or video, wherever you are in Australia.