A BAS agent is not a bookkeeper with a form lodged. Under the Tax Agent Services Act, only a registered BAS agent or tax agent can prepare or lodge a business activity statement for a fee. This page compares ten real services that do that work for Australian SMEs: what they actually sell, what it costs, and who they suit. It is not a ranking of “best” in the abstract.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Disclosure. Scale Suite publishes this guide and appears first. We are a registered BAS agent (26298194). Weigh that. We have said where a lodgement-only agent or a tax-agent firm is the better call.
Who this page is not for. Individuals lodging their own IAS; businesses that only need a registered tax agent for the annual return; anyone shopping for a $99 dashboard with no agent number on the letterhead.
Check every number on the TPB public register before you sign. Typical clean-file quarterly BAS fees in the market run about $220 to $440; complex or high-volume lodgements $440 to $880-plus; catch-up work is a project. Those figures are lodgement, not a finance function.
Registration first, then whether BAS sits alone or inside bookkeeping, published pricing, and software. Pricing below is indicative from public pages and industry ranges, reviewed September 2026. Confirm directly.
Scale Suite, which is us, lodges BAS and IAS as registered agents (26298194) inside a weekly bookkeeping and payroll engagement, not as a quarterly bolt-on. GST mapping is done in the file all quarter, so the lodgement is a check, not a reconstruction. Chartered Accountant review sits on top for businesses that also want reporting.
Indicative pricing: BAS lodgement is inside the finance package, from $1,500 a month for the function, not priced per form. No lock-in.
Best fit: SMEs that want lodgement joined to weekly books and payroll, typically from about 20 staff or $2 million revenue, on Xero.
The catch: You are buying a function. If you only need a quarterly form and your file is already clean, a lodgement-only agent is cheaper.
See registered BAS agent lodgement inside a weekly finance team.
Onshore AU/NZ bookkeeping teams. Quarterly BAS is inside the published monthly packages, alongside accrual bookkeeping and monthly reports, on Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks.
Indicative pricing: Packages from $545 / $895 a month depending on expense volume; BAS included in those tiers per Visory's pricing page, September 2026.
Best fit: SMEs that want BAS as part of onshore monthly bookkeeping, with a published price.
The catch: Confirm who holds the BAS-agent registration and who clicks lodge. A package that “includes BAS” is not the same as a named registered agent.
Perth-led Xero Platinum Partner, Manila processing, registered BAS agents. Fixed-fee bookkeeping with BAS in the scope, published Melbourne bookkeeping from $850 a month.
Indicative pricing: From $850 a month on published Melbourne bookkeeping; BAS in scope. Confirm the agent number.
Best fit: Xero businesses wanting lodgement bundled with systematised bookkeeping at a published fee.
The catch: Hybrid delivery. Ask who supervises BAS-relevant tasks under TPB rules, in writing.
Chartered-led bookkeeping with Sydney and Melbourne offices. BAS preparation is listed inside standard bookkeeping packages. Hybrid onshore manager, offshore processing.
Indicative pricing: Custom packages. Confirm directly, including who lodges.
Best fit: Owners who want a named Australian manager and weekly books, with BAS prepared in the same engagement.
The catch: Preparation is not lodgement. Get the registration number of the person who lodges.
Melbourne CPAs and registered tax agents. Because they hold tax-agent registration, BAS and the annual return can live in one firm. Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks.
Indicative pricing: Quoted after consultation. Quarterly BAS-only work in the market often $220 to $880 depending on volume; a tax-agent firm will usually quote above a lodgement mill.
Best fit: Businesses that want bookkeeping and tax under one roof, including MYOB files.
The catch: Firm-led. If you only need the form, you may be paying for a partner relationship.
Melbourne accounting firm. BAS sits inside accounting and tax, not as a standalone product. Right when structure and the annual return matter as much as the quarterly form.
Indicative pricing: Quoted. Confirm directly.
Best fit: Established businesses, including foreign-owned, that want one firm across BAS, tax and structure.
The catch: Wrong buy if the only pain is a quarterly lodgement on a clean Xero file.
Melbourne Xero-certified practice. BAS and IAS preparation, payroll including RDO and time in lieu, rectification of historical errors. A hands-on local practice rather than a national platform.
Indicative pricing: Quoted on scope. Confirm directly.
Best fit: Melbourne businesses that want a local practice and may need historical file repair before ongoing lodgement.
The catch: Bookkeeping practice, not a finance function. Forecasting and board packs need to come from elsewhere.
National franchise of local bookkeepers. Many franchisees are registered BAS agents; many are not. The brand is not the registration. Interview the franchisee and check their number.
Indicative pricing: Set per franchisee. Lodgement-only quotes often land in the $220 to $440 clean-file band.
Best fit: Owners who want a local person and a simple quarterly lodgement.
The catch: Quality is the person, not the logo. Do not skip the TPB check.
Xero Platinum and MYOB Diamond partner positioning, online bookkeeping and BAS-agent services with qualified accountants on the team. Cloud-first, national remote.
Indicative pricing: Quoted. Confirm current packages and the agent number.
Best fit: Businesses that want premium cloud-stack setup plus lodgement.
The catch: Partner badges describe software status, not TPB registration. Ask for the agent number separately.
Queensland-focused registered BAS agent and certified bookkeeper, cloud-based, built around local SME files rather than a national platform.
Indicative pricing: Quoted. Regional lodgement-plus-bookkeeping often sits in the low-to-mid hundreds per month plus GST, or per-BAS if the file is already clean. Confirm directly.
Best fit: Queensland SMEs that want a local agent rather than a Sydney or Melbourne platform.
The catch: Local specialisation is the value. A multi-state group file may outgrow it.
If the file is dirty, buy catch-up plus lodgement, not the cheapest quarterly fee. If the file is clean and you only need the form, buy lodgement. If GST mapping is wrong every quarter, buy bookkeeping with a named registered agent, not another form. Always: registration number, what is in the fee, who clicks lodge.
Related: what a BAS agent is, BAS due dates 2026-27.
How much does a BAS agent cost?
Clean quarterly lodgements commonly $220 to $440; complex files $440 to $880-plus; catch-up is a project. Monthly IAS is extra. Bundled inside bookkeeping, you are paying for the file, not the form.
Can my bookkeeper lodge if they are not registered?
Not for a fee. Unregistered lodgement is the thing the TPB exists to stop.
Do I need a BAS agent if I have a tax agent?
A tax agent can lodge BAS. Many businesses still want a bookkeeper-agent on the monthly file so the tax agent is not reconstructing the quarter at $400 an hour.
Scale Suite lodges BAS and IAS as registered agents inside weekly bookkeeping and payroll. Registration 26298194. From $1,500 a month for the function, no lock-in.
See BAS lodgement with the books kept weekly, not reconstructed quarterly.
Reviewed September 2026. Confirm pricing and registration directly. General information only.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance and HR services for Australian SMEs. We deliver bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll processing, fractional CFO support, recruitment, employee onboarding, people and culture support, and fractional HR oversight, all as a fully embedded team that works inside your business.
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