How an Accounting Firm Offshored BAS and Tax Prep Successfully

An Australian accounting firm offshored its BAS and tax-preparation workload by hiring three offshore team members through Pear Tree — two bookkeepers and a tax-prep accountant — cutting that workload's staffing cost from about $221,000 to $67,200 a year, a saving of roughly $153,800 (around 70%). The registered tax and BAS agents kept full responsibility for review and lodgement; the offshore team handled preparation. Figures are illustrative, based on Pear Tree's published offshore rates.

This article is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm your Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) obligations before changing your operating model.

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How did an accounting firm offshore BAS and tax prep successfully?

The firm succeeded by offshoring the preparation work — not the regulated lodgement — and keeping its registered agents firmly in control. BAS (Business Activity Statement) preparation, bookkeeping and the groundwork for tax returns were handed to three offshore team members placed directly through Pear Tree. The firm's registered BAS and tax agents reviewed, signed and lodged everything with the ATO, exactly as before.

The trigger was capacity. 85% of Australian organisations struggle to find the skills they need (Hays 2025), and accounting sits among the hardest roles to fill on both sides of the Tasman (Hays 2025). Rather than compete for scarce, expensive local juniors, the firm added offshore capacity to clear its compliance backlog ahead of BAS and tax season.

Three principles made it work: offshore staff prepare while registered agents lodge, work flows through the firm's existing software, and security is built in from day one. The rest of this article breaks each down.

What accounting roles can be offshored for BAS and tax prep?

The roles a firm can offshore are the preparation and processing functions that sit beneath the registered agent's sign-off. For this firm, that meant bookkeeping, BAS preparation, and first-pass tax-return preparation — the high-volume work that consumes junior and mid-level hours.

Offshore accountants and bookkeepers work fluently in Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks, and the Philippines ranks #2 in Asia for English proficiency (EF English Proficiency Index 2025) — so written work papers and client-ready documents need little rework.

How much did the firm save?

The firm cut the staffing cost of its BAS and tax-prep workload by about $153,800 a year — close to 70% — by placing three offshore team members instead of three local hires. The saving is the gap between Australian salaries and Pear Tree's transparent offshore rates, before the recruitment fees, superannuation and office on-costs the firm avoided entirely.

Offshore monthly rates are $1,400 for a bookkeeper and $2,800 for a tax-prep accountant. The bigger operational win is capacity: the same review-and-lodge team now clears far more volume, because preparation no longer bottlenecks on local hiring.

Is it compliant to offshore BAS and tax preparation?

Yes, when a registered agent retains responsibility for review and lodgement. In Australia, BAS and tax agent services are regulated by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) under the Tax Agent Services Act. Only a registered BAS or tax agent can lodge on a client's behalf for a fee. Offshore staff prepare the work; the registered agent reviews, signs and lodges it — the same supervision a firm applies to a local junior.

Two safeguards keep the arrangement clean. First, classification: use an Employer of Record (EOR) or Contractor of Record (COR) — available through Pear Tree from about $400 per month — to hold the employment relationship compliantly. Second, documented supervision: record that a registered agent reviews and approves every BAS and return before lodgement, so the offshore role is clearly preparation-only.

How is client tax data kept secure?

Client tax data is kept secure by building access controls into every placement before the first file is opened. For an accounting firm that means a VPN, two-factor authentication (2FA), defined access permissions, and managed devices for sensitive work. Australia recorded 532 notifiable data breaches in the first half of 2025 (OAIC), and financial and tax data is a frequent target.

Every Pear Tree placement includes VPN access, 2FA and optional managed device programs as standard, with compliant cloud workflows configured during onboarding. Client data stays inside the firm's controlled systems — offshore staff work within them rather than holding data locally.

How did the firm maintain quality and accuracy?

The firm maintained quality through rigorous vetting, its own review process, and fair pay that kept good people in their seats. Pear Tree screens 200 to 400 applicants per role to shortlist 3 to 5 candidates, and every placement carries a 6-month replacement guarantee — useful insurance when accuracy is non-negotiable. The firm's registered agents still reviewed every lodgement, so offshore preparation raised capacity without lowering the standard.

Retention did the rest. Pear Tree-placed talent holds a 90% twelve-month retention rate against an industry average near 60% (Outsource Accelerator 2024). A bookkeeper or tax preparer who stays for years learns the firm's clients, templates and standards — which is where accuracy and speed compound season after season.

The bottom line

The firm offshored BAS and tax preparation successfully by keeping its registered agents responsible for review and lodgement, running work through its existing software, and building security in from the start — cutting that workload's cost by around 70% while clearing more volume. Pear Tree places this talent directly, with vetting, security and a 6-month guarantee built in, for 750+ Australian and New Zealand businesses.

Nick is Co-Founder of Pear Tree, a direct offshore talent placement company helping Australian and New Zealand businesses hire skilled Filipino and South African professionals — without the agency markup. With offices in Sydney, Auckland, Cebu, Manila, Cape Town, and Hawke's Bay, Pear Tree has placed talent with 750+ companies and maintains a 90% retention rate.

Frank Knight is Founder and CEO of Pear Tree, with deep expertise in offshore talent sourcing and operations across the Philippines and South Africa.

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