TERMS OF SERVICE

Effective Date: September 2025

Business Name: True North Accountants Pty Ltd (ABN 67 631 525 034) (“True North”, “we”, “our”, “us”)

Location: Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia

These Terms of Service explain how we work with you, what you can expect from us, and what we expect from you. By engaging our services, you agree to these terms.

1. Scope of Services

We provide:

  • Accounting and bookkeeping

  • Tax preparation, lodgement, and advisory

  • Business advisory and planning

  • Wealth and retirement planning

  • Other related professional services as agreed in writing

We’ll confirm the exact scope of work in your engagement letter or proposal before starting.

2. Your Responsibilities

To help us deliver accurate and timely work, you agree to:

  • Provide all required information and documents promptly

  • Ensure the information you provide is accurate, complete, and up to date

  • Keep your contact details current

  • Respond to requests for clarification when needed

We are not responsible for any delays or errors caused by missing, late, or inaccurate information.

3. Our Responsibilities

We will:

  • Perform our services with due care, skill, and diligence

  • Comply with applicable laws, professional standards, and ethical requirements

  • Maintain confidentiality of your information (see Section 6)

  • Notify you of any significant issues, risks, or changes that affect your matter

4. Fees and Payment

  • Our fees will be outlined in your engagement letter or proposal.

  • Invoices are payable within [insert days, e.g., 14] days of the invoice date, unless otherwise agreed.

  • We may charge interest on overdue amounts at [insert rate, e.g., 2% per month].

  • If work is paused or terminated due to non-payment, you are still responsible for fees incurred up to that date.

  • All fees are quoted inclusive/exclusive of GST (as specified).

5. Changes and Additional Work

If the scope changes or extra work is needed beyond the agreed services, we’ll discuss this with you first and confirm any additional fees in writing.

6. Confidentiality & Privacy

We will keep your information confidential and secure, except where disclosure is required by law or with your consent.

We comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and our Privacy Policy (available here: https://www.truenorthaccountants.au/privacy-policy.)

7. Communication

We may communicate with you by phone, email, video conference, or other agreed methods.

While we take reasonable precautions, we are not responsible for loss or damage arising from intercepted or misdirected communications.

8. Professional Advice

Our advice is based on the information you provide and the laws in place at the time.

It is tailored to your situation and should not be relied upon by third parties without our written consent.

9. Tax Agent Obligations (Australia & NSW)

True North Accounting Pty Ltd is a registered tax agent with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) and complies with the Tax Agent Services Act 2009, the Tax Administration Act 1953, and the TPB Code of Professional Conduct.

This means:

  • We act honestly, lawfully, and in your best interests (except where doing so would breach the law).

  • We take reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of tax work based on the information you provide

  • We comply with all taxation laws and maintain appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

  • We manage conflicts of interest and will inform you if one arises.

  • We maintain the skills, knowledge, and systems needed to competently provide tax services.

  • We protect your confidential information unless disclosure is required by law.

Your responsibilities as our tax client:

  • Provide full, accurate, and timely information needed to prepare and lodge your tax returns or statements.

  • Retain copies of all records supplied to us for your own records.

  • Review any returns or statements provided to you before lodgement, confirming that they are correct to the best of your knowledge.

  • Understand that the legal responsibility for your tax affairs rests with you — even when we prepare and lodge on your behalf.

Important: Failure to provide accurate and complete information may result in Australian Taxation Office (ATO) penalties or interest. True North is not liable for such penalties or interest unless they result from our negligence or wilful misconduct.

10. Information we are required to disclose to you

As a Tax Agent, our work for you is performed in accordance with the Tax Agent Services Act 2009. Under this Act, the Tax Agent Services (Code of Professional Conduct) Determination 2024 requires that we make the following disclosures to you:

  1. Matters that could significantly influence your decision to engage us (or continue to engage us) for a Tax Agent Service from 1 July 2022 onward include the following:

    None Applicable

  2. The Tax Practitioner’s Board maintains a register of Tax Agents and BAS Agents. You can access and search this register here: https://www.tpb.gov.au/public-register

11. Complaints

If you have a complaint about our Tax Agent services, please contact us in the first instance with details by email (hello@truenorthaccountants.com.au). We will provide you with email acknowledgement of receipt of your complaint and our understanding of the circumstances. The email will inform you that we will attempt to resolve your complaint within 14 days and will outline the dispute resolution process. If you are unhappy with the outcome that we propose, you can then make a complaint to the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) using the link listed above. The TPB will send you an email to acknowledge the receipt of your complaint and review and risk assess your complaint. If you are unhappy with how the TPB has dealt with your complaint, the above link includes details about your review rights and who can further assist you.

Please see Information for Clients regarding more information about your obligations to the ATO and our obligations to you, the TPB and the ATO.

Accounting & Tax Matters Privacy Contact

Attention: Director, True North Accountants, 2/61 Centennial Cct, Byron Bay NSW 2481

Email: hello@truenorthaccountants.com.au

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • Our liability for any loss or damage is limited to the fees paid for the relevant service, unless caused by our gross negligence, fraud, or wilful misconduct.

  • We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses.

These limits apply to the fullest extent permitted under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

13. Record Keeping

We will retain your files for at least 7 years after completing the work, as required by law.

After this time, they may be securely destroyed.

14. Termination

Either party may terminate our engagement by giving [insert notice period, e.g., 14 days] written notice.

You must pay for all work performed and expenses incurred up to the termination date.

15. Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises, we agree to try to resolve it through good faith discussions.

If not resolved within 14 days, either party may refer the matter to mediation in NSW before starting legal proceedings.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia, and both parties submit to the jurisdiction of its courts.

17. Acceptance

By engaging our services, you acknowledge you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service.

True North Accounting Pty Ltd

ABN: ABN 67 631 525 034

(02) 6685 5253

hello@truenorthaccountants.com.au