Tax professionals live stream
Australia's tax agents face intensified scrutiny from the Tax Practitioners Board in 2026 as new compliance priorities target ethical lapses, personal tax defaults, and offshore profit-shifting arrangements.
Key takeaways
- •The TPB's 2026 compliance focus highlights risks from practitioners enabling base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) or failing to meet their own tax obligations, building on stricter Code of Professional Conduct rules effective since mid-2025.
- •Tax professionals risk suspension, bans, or civil penalties if they do not uphold integrity standards, disclose risks to clients, or correct client misleading statements, amid ATO data-matching enhancements.
- •Broader 2026 tax changes—including expanded Reportable Tax Positions Schedules to super funds and crypto reporting frameworks—heighten the need for agents to adapt advice practices or face client non-compliance fallout.
Heightened Oversight for Tax Agents
The Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) released its 2026 compliance priorities in late 2025, signalling a continued push to safeguard the integrity of Australia's tax system through closer monitoring of registered tax agents and BAS agents. These priorities emphasise tackling misconduct linked to multinational profit-shifting to low-tax jurisdictions, alongside ensuring practitioners meet their personal tax duties—a long-standing concern amplified by data-sharing with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
This focus arrives after major updates to the Code of Professional Conduct under the Tax Agent Services Act, phased in from January 2025 for larger firms and July 2025 for smaller ones. The changes impose duties to promote ethical standards, manage government-related conflicts, maintain competence and quality systems, and advise clients to rectify false statements—with notifications to authorities if clients refuse. Non-compliance can lead to investigations, public sanctions, or removal from the register.
The stakes extend beyond individual agents. Clients rely on accurate advice amid evolving rules, such as the expansion of Reportable Tax Positions Schedules to large superannuation funds and collective investment vehicles from the 2026 income year, plus Australia's commitment to implement the OECD's Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and CRS 2.0 amendments, with legislation expected in 2026 and effect from 2027. Agents who overlook these developments risk advising on non-compliant structures or missing disclosure obligations, exposing clients to audits, penalties, and back taxes.
Tensions arise between heightened regulatory demands and the profession's capacity to adapt, particularly for smaller practices juggling compliance costs against client service pressures. While the measures aim to deter avoidance and boost public confidence, critics note they add administrative burdens without always addressing root causes like complex tax laws.
The ATO's routine livestreams for tax professionals, including the scheduled June 2026 session, serve as a channel for direct engagement on these priorities amid ongoing system changes.
Sources
- https://www.ato.gov.au/tax-and-super-professionals/for-tax-professionals/support-and-communication/tax-professionals-livestreams
- https://www.tpb.gov.au/our-2026-compliance-priorities
- https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/business-bulletins-newsroom/upcoming-inclusion-of-super-funds-and-civs-in-rtp-schedule
- https://kpmg.com/us/en/taxnewsflash/news/2026/02/tnf-fatca-australia-feb-19-2026.pdf