Troubleshooting guide for agents Client-to-agent linking

My client is a foreign resident entity that doesn't have an Australian authorised person who can get a Standard or Strong myID identity strength to access Online services for business.

Lodge a request in practice mail for assistance.

My client is having difficulty setting up their myID.

Refer your client to the myID External Linkwebsite, which provides a full list of help and support topics, including details on error codes or messages.

My client can only achieve a Standard myID identity strength. Can they link their business online in RAM?

A Strong myID identity strength is needed to link to a business online in RAM.

If your client can only achieve a Standard myID identity strength, they'll need to contact the RAM support line on 1300 287 539 to link their business. For more information see Other ways you can link your businessExternal Link.

The client will need to complete proof of identity. We will carry out checks to confirm they are associated with the business.

Once confirmed, your client will receive an email with an authorisation code and summary of the authorisation request. They’ll need to log in to RAM to accept the request and complete the link.

My client meets the criteria of a primary personExternal Link. Can they link to their business online in RAM?

A primary person can’t link to their business online in RAM.

Your client will need to contact the RAM support line on 1300 287 539 to link their business. For more information see Other ways you can link your businessExternal Link.

The client will need to complete proof of identity. We will carry out checks to confirm they are associated with the business.

Once confirmed, your client will receive an email with an authorisation code and summary of the authorisation request. They’ll need to log in to RAM to accept the request and complete the link.

My client is a trust with a corporate trustee. How can the business be linked in RAM?

The director or public officer for the corporate trustee is a primary personExternal Link and will need to contact the RAM support line to link the business in RAM. For more information see Other ways you can link your businessExternal Link.

The client will need:

• a myID with at least a Standard identity strength
• to complete proof of identity.

We will carry out checks to confirm they are associated with the business.

Once confirmed, your client will receive an email with an authorisation code and summary of the authorisation request. They’ll need to log in to RAM to accept the request and complete the link.

My client is trying to link their business online in RAM and receives the following error message – 'Details could not be matched'.

Your client may need to update the details we hold such as:

• name
• date of birth
• personal address (not business address).

Direct your client to update their details with us.

My client is having difficulty linking their myID to their ABN in RAM.

Refer your client to the RAM websiteExternal Link which provides a full list of help and support topics, including details on error codes or messages.

My client doesn’t know how to nominate me. What help can I provide them?

The following information will help your client nominate you as their agent:

• Agent nomination process provides information to clients on how to nominate an agent in Online services for business.
• Client-to-agent linking steps provides a summary of the steps required to nominate an agent and a downloadable PDF guide with screenshots showing how to nominate an agent in Online services for business.
• Set up your access to Online services for business provides help to clients to get set up on Online services for business.

You should not:

• set up a myID for your client
• ask your client to share their myID information with you.

Can a client give me their myID information so I can do the agent nomination for them?

No. Clients can't share their myID information or login code with you.

Clients must do the nomination. You can't do the nomination for your client, but you can assist them to go through the instructions.

I don’t know when a client has nominated me.

You won't receive an automated system notification that your client has nominated you.

Advise your client to tell you when they’ve completed their nomination. Your clients can download a PDF of the agent nomination confirmation they receive in Online services for business and can send this to you.

You can also find any pending nominations in the client nomination report in Online services for agents. This real time report provides you with all nominations pending your action and their expiry dates.

Do clients nominate me and select the accounts that I'll be authorised to access?

Your client is required to nominate you as their agent only. They don't nominate accounts.

You're required to add the accounts that you're authorised to act on behalf of your client for, following the normal practice.

If my client wants me to represent them for both income tax and fringe benefits tax (FBT), do they need to complete separate nominations for each?

No, only one nomination is required. You'll need to add the income tax account first. You can then add the FBT account without your client completing a second nomination.

The FBT account can be added through the Maintain authorisations function in Online services for agents.

My client has tried to nominate me in Online services for business, but it hasn’t worked due to a system error.

Your client should contact us on 13 28 66 and we’ll help them through the process to nominate you as their agent.

My client receives this error message: 'No results found – refine search criteria and try again' when trying to nominate me using my registered agent number (RAN) in Online services for business.

Phone us on 13 72 86 Fast Key Code 3 3. Tell the customer service representative that your client has tried to nominate you using your RAN in Online services for business but receives the error message 'No results found'.

If your client has an upcoming lodgment deadline and they need to be added to your client list immediately, they can also phone us on 13 28 66 and we'll help them through the process to nominate you as their agent.

I've received an error message when trying to add a client to my client list in Online services for agents or practice management software.

You may have received the error message ‘You are not authorised at this time to access this account, contact your client to confirm the agent nomination has been actioned’.

This means your client must complete the agent nomination. Ask your client to complete the nomination. You can then add them in Online services for agents or your practice management software.

If your client has completed the nomination and you receive a different error message, then you or your client can contact us for help.

My client isn’t sure of their business tax file number (TFN). If I'm acting on behalf of this client for income tax, can I add them to my client list by using their ABN instead?

Clients can find their business TFN in Online services for business by following these steps:

• Navigate to the Profile menu
• Select Business details.

Clients will need to provide you their business TFN so you can add them to your client list for the income tax account. Talk with them about secure methods to get their business TFN to you.

The income tax account won’t be displayed as an option to select if you haven't used a TFN to add your client.

Don't add clients to your client list with an ABN if you're representing them for income tax. Doing so may remove any existing agent listed at the activity statement account and will require the client to re-nominate that agent so that agent can re-link.

Removing an existing agent may also result in that agent missing deadlines on behalf of their client including frequent lodgments, such as single touch payroll (STP) reporting or business activity statements (BAS).

If you add a client to your client list with an ABN, you can only add the activity statement account. You'll then need to ask your client to complete an additional nomination so you can also add the income tax account.

I'm acting on behalf of a client for both income tax and activity statement accounts. Do I need to add each account in Online services for agents?

If you add the income tax account, you have access to all your client’s accounts and don't have to add the activity statement account.

However, if there's currently another BAS or tax agent authorised at the activity statement account, they'll need to be removed by unselecting the check box.

Ensure you only do this if your client has told you that the other agent is no longer representing them in any capacity.

I have multiple RANs within my practice linked to the same ABN and need to transfer clients between these RANs. Are these clients required to complete agent nominations?

No. Agent nominations are not required when transferring clients between RANs linked to the same ABN.

My client has asked me to apply for a business TFN and ABN on their behalf. Are they also required to nominate me as their agent?

If you include your RAN in the TFN and ABN application, we will automatically create the client-to-agent link. Your client won’t need to separately nominate you as their agent in this circumstance.

I want to transfer my entire client base to another registered agent or entity as I'm either selling my practice, restructuring my practice, or retiring. Do my clients need to complete an agent nomination?

You can request a whole-of-practice transfer if certain requirements are met. Your clients aren’t required to complete an agent nomination as part of a whole-of-practice transfer.

If I represent a client for FBT only, can I add the activity statement account to obtain information on FBT instalments they've paid during the year?

You'll need to obtain FBT instalment details directly from your client or discuss with them if they want you to add the activity statement account.

Your client will have to nominate you a second time to allow you to add the activity statement account.

If there’s already an existing agent listed at the activity statement account, this action will remove that existing agent. The existing agent will need the client to complete another nomination to add themselves back to that account.

I'm acting on behalf of a client for both the income tax account and FBT account, but not for the activity statement account. There's another agent authorised at the activity statement account.

Can I view the activity statement account to obtain information on the FBT instalments paid by the client during the year?

If you're authorised at the income tax account, you’ll have access to all of your client’s accounts. You will be able to view the activity statement information to obtain the details of the FBT instalments paid by your client during the year.

I can’t link to a client in Online services for agents due to a system error.

Only contact us for help on 13 72 86 if your client has successfully completed the nomination online.

I've added my client to the wrong account type and removed another agent. How do I correct that?

You'll need to contact your client and ask them to re-nominate both:

• the agent you’ve removed, so that agent can re-link to the correct account they're authorised for
• you, so that you can access the correct role.

I've been removed from my client's account by another agent, and now my client's lodgments might be late.

Ask your client to nominate you again so you can add them back to your client list.

If your client is not yet set up to access our Online services for business, they will need to do this first to nominate you.

Once you've got access to your client's account again, you can lodge a deferral request for BAS lodgments and STP lodgments if they were delayed.

If we’ve applied penalties and interest charges, you can request a remission in Online services for agents using practice mail.

If your client uses the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) to meet their super payment obligations, they must take action before the due date to not be penalised. You can use the following process:

1. Ask your client to renominate you so you can add them back to your client list. This will be the fastest option if they already have set up their access to Online services for business.
2. If they can't renominate you in Online services for business, they can phone us on 13 28 66. We'll help them to renominate you or help them to access the SBSCH through Online services for business.
3. If the client will miss the payment due date, they can phone us on 1300 660 048 and we can help them with making their payments to ensure they meet the deadline.

My client is any of the following:

• A foreign resident entity without any Australian authorised persons who can get a Standard or Strong myID identity strength to access Online services for business.
• A foreign entertainer or sportsperson who uses an entity with an ABN for Australian tax purposes.
• A group consisting of many entities moving to a new agent or changing the authorisation of their current agent. The group consists of 20 or more entities and needs help completing the nominations.
• An entity without an ABN (There are a small number of entities without an ABN that were part of the client-to-agent linking pilot. If you try to add one of these clients to your client list you may receive the client-to-agent linking error message).
• Representing a strata title entity, and the authorised representative is unable to complete the online nomination.

If your client is in one of the scenarios listed in here and they need help, you can contact us through practice mail for support to add your client to your client list.

Use these practice mail categories:

• General questions, problems, and help
• Submit client agent linking exception request.

Include the following details in your request:

• client name
• client TFN or ABN (if you can't provide the TFN of your client and you need access to the income tax account, you need to indicate this clearly in your request as we may need to contact you for more information)
• reason why the client has been unable to complete the nomination
• what account access is needed to act for the client i.e. income tax, activity statement, FBT account or other account.
• your RAN
• your contact details, including name, phone and email
• confirmation that you have completed proof of identity requirement steps as part of your normal process (in line with TPB Practice Note 5/2022 and our agent client verification methods)
• name of the authorised representative of the business and their position title – this could include their director ID if applicable
• evidence of authority to act
  • Attach evidence the client has given your practice authority to act for them and be linked to access their information.
  • This evidence would align with the current Tax Practitioners Board requirements and might include a signed engagement letter or signed authority to act declaration from the client.
  • The authorised representative could complete the nomination for the head entity or controlling entity online to assist with the process (if the client is a large entity group).

For strata title entities

Evidencing your authority to act might include:

• a copy of the strata management agreement between the strata plan and strata or property manager, and
• evidence from the strata or property manager confirming they've given your practice authority to act for them
• annual general meeting minutes which includes reference to the authority of the agent.

The service standard for these exception requests only is 14 days.