Hire an offshore tax accountant for your Australian accounting firm
An offshore tax accountant handles the recurring tax preparation work behind every individual and SME return — workpapers, return prep, BAS prep support, and tax compliance admin under your registered tax agent. Through Lite-Force, they're employed properly via an EOR structure with payroll, compliance, and HR support included. Most hires are live within 2–4 weeks.
Day in the life
A day in the life of an offshore tax accountant.
Typical responsibilities:
- Individual tax return preparation — Xero Tax, Reckon Tax, MYOB AE Tax, HandiSoft
- SME company and trust return prep — including reconciliations and disclosure statements
- Workpaper preparation — bank reconciliations, depreciation schedules, working trial balances
- BAS prep support — quarterly BAS and IAS data preparation
- Substantiation review — checking supporting documentation against claims
- Client query response — drafting initial responses for principal review
- Document collection — chasing missing information from clients
- Tax research — looking up ATO rulings, private rulings, and technical positions
Why offshore
Why tax accounting works well offshore.
Tax prep is structured and rule-driven.
Returns follow defined workpapers and ATO rules. Once your offshore accountant knows your firm's standards and software, they prepare consistently at scale.
Tax software is fully cloud-based.
Xero Tax, MYOB AE Tax, HandiSoft Tax, Reckon APS, plus practice management (Xero HQ, Karbon, FYI Docs) — all browser or cloud-hosted.
Timezone overlap supports tax season.
Philippines hours align with Australian business hours. Client comms, partner reviews, and lodgement coordination happen during your trading week — critical during BAS and EOFY peaks.
Better firm leverage through tax season.
Local tax accountants are scarce and expensive at peak. Offshore tax accountants let firms maintain quality and turnaround during EOFY without burning out partners or refusing work.
Cost comparison
What does a tax accountant cost — local vs offshore?
Indicative comparison based on typical Australian salary ranges for this role.
Local Australian hire
Lite-Force offshore
Indicative comparison based on typical Australian salary ranges for mid-senior tax accountant roles (sources: SEEK Taxation Accountant, Robert Half Tax Accountant Sydney 2026, PayScale). Public practice firms cluster mid-band; specialist tax advisors trend higher. Lite-Force pricing confirmed on a per-role basis during your discovery call.
What's included
What you get with a Lite-Force tax accountant.
Included in the service
- Full sourcing, screening, and shortlisting
- EOR employment contract structured for local compliance
- Monthly payroll and statutory contributions
- Leave tracking and management
- HR support and regular check-ins
- Replacement commitment within initial period
Typical candidate profile
- 3–7 years tax accounting or public practice experience (Australian tax preferred)
- Strong English (written and verbal — client comms and partner reviews)
- Hands-on with Australian tax software (Xero Tax, MYOB AE, HandiSoft, Reckon APS)
- Understands Australian tax law fundamentals — Div 7A, FBT, CGT, BAS
- Filipino or Southeast Asian — timezone-aligned with Australia
Getting started
Three steps to your offshore tax accountant.
Book a discovery call
Tell us about your client mix, return volume, software stack, and current capacity pressure.
We source and shortlist
You review candidates with relevant tax software and Australian experience, interview your favourites.
They start
Employment, payroll, and onboarding handled. You manage the work.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Can offshore tax accountants lodge returns?
Lodgement happens through your firm's registered tax agent number under partner sign-off. Offshore accountants prepare returns; final review and lodgement remain with your registered tax agent — standard practice and TPB-compliant.
Do they understand Australian tax law?
Mid-senior candidates with Australian public practice exposure do — Div 7A, FBT, CGT, capital allowances, BAS implications. For specialist tax (international, complex CGT, R&D), pair with your tax advisor or screen specifically.
What tax software are they trained on?
Common: Xero Tax, MYOB AE Tax, HandiSoft, Reckon APS, ATO Online Services. Plus practice management (Xero HQ, Karbon, FYI Docs). Specific stack confirmed during scoping.
How do they handle client confidentiality?
Same as a local tax accountant — under your firm's supervision, NDA, role-based access in tax software, no local data storage. Bound by TPB Code-equivalent confidentiality obligations through their employment.
What if the hire doesn't work out?
Replacement commitment within the initial engagement period. If technical depth or fit isn't right, we source again at no additional placement cost. Details confirmed in your service agreement.
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