01
'What will it cost me?'
AnchoringIn one vendor survey, too expensive was the top reason businesses considered switching, and over 7 in 10 preferred fixed-price billing.
Show them: How you charge, and fixed fees for common jobs where you can.
Marketing for
accountants.
Marketing for accountants runs to the ATO's calendar and on referrals. In one vendor survey, 7 in 10 small businesses found their accountant through a referral, yet fewer than 4 in 10 firms ask most clients for one. The work is asking for referrals on purpose, being findable for the situations you're good at (tradies, property investors, new companies), timing ads to the lodgment dates, and following the Tax Practitioners Board's rules, which include telling prospective clients how to check your registration.
Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 2 November 2026.The accounting market,
in numbers.
- 63,865Registered tax and BAS agents, June 2025
- 215,500Accountants employed in Australia
- 62.1%Of individual returns lodged by a tax agent, 2023-24
- 7 in 10Small businesses found their accountant by referral (vendor survey)
Registration figures from the TPB annual report 2024-25: 46,900 tax agents and 16,965 BAS agents. Employment from Jobs and Skills Australia. Lodgment share from the ATO's taxation statistics. The referral figure is from Intuit QuickBooks' survey, reported by Accountants Daily. A crowded field where most clients arrive by word of mouth, and few firms work at it.
Source: TPB annual report 2024-25
How people choose an accountant
Most people don't shop for an accountant.
They ask someone, then check.
Someone starts a business, gets a letter from the ATO or decides their tax is too complicated to do alone. They ask a friend or colleague, look the firm up, check it's registered and decide whether the fees make sense.
- ReferralAsks a friend, their bookkeeper or another business owner who they use.Trust architecture
- GoogleSearches 'accountant for tradies gosford' or 'tax agent near me'.Relevance signal
- ChatGPTAsks whether they need an accountant or can do it themselves, and what it costs.AI legibility
- TPB registerCareful clients check the firm is a registered tax agent.Trust architecture
- Your websiteLooks for their situation, how fees work and who they'd deal with.Message match
- First callCalls or books, and judges how quickly and clearly you respond.Friction removal
- New client signedHands over last year's paperwork, or starts a new business with you.Conversion trigger
The psychology
Five worries
before someone changes accountant.
Changing accountant feels like a hassle and a risk. Most hesitation comes down to these.
02
'Do they understand my kind of business?'
Social proofLimited expertise was joint second among the reasons to consider switching in the same survey.
Show them: Pages for the kinds of clients you serve best, in their language.
03
'Is it worth the hassle of moving?'
Loss aversionPeople weigh the effort and risk of switching more heavily than the gain of a better service.
Show them: A clear step-by-step of how you take over from the old accountant, and who does what.
04
'Are they legit?'
Authority'Accountant' isn't a legally protected title. Registered tax agents can be checked on the TPB register.
Show them: Your registration number, a link to the register, and your professional body.
05
'Will I actually hear from them?'
Risk reversalPoor communication was among the reasons businesses gave for considering a switch.
Show them: Response times, who they'd deal with, and how often you'll be in touch.
From my audits
Where accounting
marketing leaks.
These are the patterns I see most in professional services marketing, and the first things I'd check for an accounting practice.
- 1
Referrals left to chance
Happy clients who'd refer you, never asked, and no easy way for them to pass your name on.
- 2
'We offer a wide range of services'
A services page listing every kind of tax and accounting work, written for nobody in particular.
- 3
Ads paying for DIY searchers
Tax-time ads triggered by 'how to do my own tax return' and myTax searches.
- 4
No idea of fees
Not even how you charge, so price-anxious visitors leave without calling.
- 5
Advertising into a full calendar
Ads still running in October when the team can't take on another return.
Demand calendar
When are your clients
actually looking?
Accounting demand follows the ATO's calendar, not yours. Tick the clients you want more of. It shows what each month is for, from the ATO's due dates.
Dates from the ATO: individual and agent lodgment due dates, and quarterly BAS. Checked 2 November 2026. Your own client list may have different dates.
Your year
AI search
When people ask AI
about tax.
People already ask AI tools tax questions. Survey figures vary widely: one by comparison site Compare Club found nearly a third of the 1,000 Australians it asked were using AI tools for their tax return. In a vendor survey by Dext, 75% of accountants and bookkeepers had seen more clients using tools like ChatGPT. The ATO answers the rules. Firms win on situations and judgement.
Answer situations, not rules
The ATO explains thresholds and dates. You can explain what they mean for a tradie, a landlord or a new company, which is what people actually ask.
Be clear who you help
Your niches, location and how you charge, stated plainly and the same everywhere you're listed.
What to do now
- Write a page for each kind of client you serve best.
- Explain how you charge, with fixed fees where you can.
- Link to the ATO for rules and dates instead of copying them.
- Keep your details the same on your site, Google profile and directories.
- Ask ChatGPT who it recommends for your niche in your area. Note who it names.
My take: tax is an area where AI answers can cost people money when they're wrong. Firms that publish careful explanations for specific situations, and say when someone needs advice, are the obvious next call.
Australian rules
The rules
for accountant advertising.
Tax agents have their own rules on top of consumer law. These come up most, checked on 2 November 2026.
Registration
Only registered agents can provide tax or BAS agent services for a fee. Advertising those services while unregistered can attract civil penalties.
Keeping clients informed
Registered agents must tell current and prospective clients how to check the TPB register and how to complain, among other things. The TPB says a public website is one way to do it.
The registered practitioner symbol
If you use it, the TPB's guidelines say it must be used with your registration number, and never in a misleading way.
'Chartered'
CA ANZ says only practices controlled by its members can use the Chartered Accountants description or logo, and Australian members can't use 'Chartered' in a registered business name.
Refund promises
Claims must be accurate under the Australian Consumer Law, and the ATO has warned people about promises of bigger refunds.
A marketer's summary, not legal advice. The full set, with a website disclosure builder, is on the accountant advertising rules page.
The channel mix
What to run,
and when.
MomentChannelsThe job
Something changesSEO, AI search, situation pagesExplain what a new business, a property purchase or an ATO letter means for them.
Tax timeGoogle Ads, Google Business ProfileBe there for hire-ready searches, and stop when you're full.
Checking you outWebsite, fee page, TPB register, reviewsShow who you help, how you charge and that you're registered.
The accounting hub
Everything for
accounting.
- How people choose an accountantReferrals, switching and what tips the decision.
- SEO for accountantsPages the ATO can't write, and local search.
- Google Ads for accountantsHire-ready searches, not do-it-yourselfers.
- Accountant advertising rulesTPB, the symbol, 'Chartered' and refund claims.
- Tax time marketingTiming, capacity and when to stop.
- Fixed fee pricing pagesFee pages that build trust and stay accurate.
- Getting named by AITax questions, ChatGPT and the TPB.
- What to spendWhat a client is worth.
- 30-day planWhat to do first, week by week.
- Lead generationSort every new enquiry by service before you quote.
Questions
people ask.
What is the best marketing for an accounting firm?
For most firms: asking happy clients for referrals on purpose, pages for the kinds of clients you serve best, a clear fee page, and Google Ads timed to tax time and stopped when you're full.
How do accountants get new clients?
Mostly by referral. In one vendor survey, 7 in 10 small businesses found their accountant through a referral or word of mouth. Search is the next most common way people look.
Can I advertise tax agent services if I'm not registered?
No. Advertising that you'll provide tax or BAS agent services while unregistered can attract civil penalties. Check the TPB's rules before you advertise.
Do accountants need to show their registration number?
Registered agents must tell prospective clients how to check the TPB register, and if you use the registered practitioner symbol it must be used with your registration number.
When should accountants advertise?
Around the ATO's dates: July to October for individuals, the agent lodgment program dates for agent clients, and the quarterly BAS dates for business clients. The calculator on this page maps them.
Are accountant fees tax deductible?
Fees for managing your tax affairs are deductible when paid to a registered tax agent, according to the ATO. Worth saying on your fee page.
Keep going
Get a free
accounting audit.
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.