A tax agent practice in Woden, with three accountants and a practice manager, took more calls in the first three weeks of July than in the whole of the March quarter, most of them from public servants and contractors wanting to book their individual return. The practice manager kept a printed checklist of documents by the phone and read it aloud perhaps forty times a day, while the accountants tried to finish the lodgements already on their desks.
The businesses in this article are illustrative examples, not named StartAutomate clients.
Key takeaways
- Australian tax time brings a predictable rush of calls from July to October, mostly to book appointments and ask what to bring.
- An AI receptionist books tax return appointments into the practice's calendar, texts the checklist that fits each caller, and answers the questions about fees and deadlines that the practice manager used to answer forty times a day.
- Tax advice and anything about an ATO debt or audit stays with the registered tax agents.
The July rush in a tax practice
Individuals can lodge their tax return from 1 July, and plenty of them want to do it in the first fortnight, especially those expecting a refund. Clients using a registered tax agent generally have longer than the 31 October deadline for self-lodgers, but they still need to be on the agent's list by then, which puts a second wave of calls into October.
The agent answers every call in the practice name, confirms whether the caller is an existing client, and books a tax return appointment, in person or by video, into the practice diary in Xero Practice Manager, FYI, Karbon or whatever the practice uses.
Document checklists and fees
Most calls in July end with the same question about what to bring. The agent texts the practice's checklist, tailored to what the caller said, so a contractor with an ABN gets a different list from an employee with a rental property in Queanbeyan.
Fee questions are answered from the practice's published fee schedule, and anything that depends on the complexity of the return gets the standard answer that the accountant will confirm the fee before starting.
Questions that go to an accountant
The agent does not say whether an expense is deductible, estimate a refund, or discuss an ATO debt, a payment plan, or an audit letter. Those calls go to an accountant, with a note of what the caller asked, and callers worried about a letter from the ATO are booked in quickly rather than left waiting.
Only registered tax agents can charge for tax advice, and the agent says early in the call that it is an assistant for the practice and cannot give tax advice itself.
Client data and identity checks
Tax information is sensitive, so the agent verifies existing clients before discussing any appointment or lodgement status, using the checks the practice already uses. Tax file numbers are never taken over the phone by the agent.
Call data is stored in Australian hosting under the Privacy Act and the practice's own privacy policy, and recordings are kept in accounts the practice controls.
Common questions
Can an AI receptionist book tax return appointments?
Yes. It books appointments into your practice calendar or practice management software and sends the document checklist by text or email.
Does it work with Xero Practice Manager or FYI?
We connect to common practice systems including Xero Practice Manager, FYI, and Karbon, depending on the access each allows.
Will it give tax advice?
No. It answers administrative questions from your practice's information and sends anything about deductions, ATO debts or audits to your registered tax agents.