BAS agents, are you ready for the changes to CPE hours?

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From 1 July 2022, the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) are increasing the CPE requirements for BAS agents and Tax Agents in Australia. These are the first changes in ten years to the TPB’s policy on CPE requirements. Do you know what these changes are and how you can ensure you meet your professional requirements?

According to the TPB, the increase in the number of CPE hours is necessary to reflect the increase in services offered as well as obligations and compliance required by BAS agents over this period. BAS agents play an increasingly important and professional role within the accounting and tax industry.

What is the minimum number of CPE hours needed after 1 July 2022?

BAS Agents will need to complete a minimum of 90 CPE hours over a 3-year registration period and with a minimum of 20 hours in a given year.

This is an increase from 45 CPE hours over a 3-year registration period and with a minimum of 15 hours per annum.

What activities qualify as CPE?

Continuous Professional Education (CPE) activities can include:

  1. seminars, workshops, webinars, courses and lectures
  2. structured conferences and discussion groups (including those completed by telephone or video conference)
  3. tertiary courses provided by universities, registered training organisations (RTOs), other registered higher education institutions or other approved course providers (including distance learning)
  4. other educational activities, including podcasts, webcasts and blogs, provided by an appropriate organisation
  5. research, writing and presentation by the registered tax practitioner of technical publications or structured training
  6. peer review of research and writing submitted for publication or presentation in structured training
  7. computer/internet-assisted courses, audiotape or videotape packages
  8. attendance at structured in-house training on tax-related subjects by persons or organisations with suitable qualifications and/or practical experience in the subject area covered
  9. attendance at appropriate ATO seminars and presentations
  10. relevant CPE activities provided to members and non-members by a recognised tax or BAS agent association

What other changes are there?

There are several additions under the new policy to allow great flexibility to enhance industry standards.

  • Record keeping of CPE hours will be reduced from 6 years to 5 years.
  • 10% of your CPE hours can include health and well-being activities, e.g. attending a webinar on managing stress, self-care.
  • BAS agents can apply to have uncompleted CPE hours waived under exceptional circumstances (e.g. family/caring commitments).
  • Members of a recognised professional association will be able to align their CPE period with the CPE period of their professional association.
  • CPE topics can also include practice management, ethics, digital literacy and cyber security if these topics assist in managing your business efficiently and effectively.

Short courses with CPE hours

You can choose any of our short course bundles or just a single course to suit your professional learning requirements. All our short courses are written by in-house experts, come with 12-months full online access and Certificates of Achievement with CPE hours included. Choose any short course or bundle, including:

Approved tertiary training courses

Applied Education is a registered training organisation and experts in Bookkeeping and Payroll; we have been successfully helping people from all levels of payroll experience understand their obligations. We offer nationally recognised qualifications that specialise in payroll, FNS50422 Diploma of Payroll Services and FNSSS00012 Payroll Administrator Skill Set.

We also offer the TPB BAS Agent Skill Set if you already hold a relevant accounting qualification and are looking to become a BAS agent or the FNS4022 Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping if you have experience but no qualification.

Our qualification courses are approved by the Tax Practitioners Board.

If you are looking to re-skill or up-skill but unsure of which course best suits you, get in touch with one of our consultants today and we will endeavour to help you.

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