As a Tax Agent complying with requirements of the Tax Practitioner’s Board (TPB) (applicable from 2022 – refer joint TPB and ATO publication), as well as best practice, BDO now requires verification of client identities prior to providing tax and BAS services. Proof of identity checks apply on engagement with all new clients AND new authorised representatives thereof. Identity verification involves confirmation of:
Verification is not currently required for well-established clients, though is required for all new authorised representatives.
Identity verification checks reduce the risk of identity theft and fraudulent activity for clients and tax agents alike, in a response to increasing reliance on technology and remote working patterns and are particularly relevant in the field of tax where sensitive personal information is integral to the client services provided.
In undertaking the required identity verification process our BDO team works directly with all new and existing client contacts to gain appropriate access to relevant authentication in the least intrusive way possible. Privacy of our clients is paramount. We aim to conduct the required activities as efficiently as possible, while ensuring that our client’s personal information is managed carefully.
With this in mind, BDO has recently introduced a digital identity verification process through the engagement of Annature, a third party service provider. Using digital verification means, you do not need to upload your personal information to us to enable verification, as this is done directly with Annature. Please refer to Annature’s Privacy Policy for information about how Annature will access and manage your information.
BDO will nonetheless continue to accommodate clients and their contacts who do not wish to undertake proof of identity checks digitally. Clients are able to undertake proof of identity checks with their BDO contact manually (visual sighting of identification documentation) if this is preferred. We request that you do not provide us with copies of any identification documents, electronically or physically.
If you have any questions, reach out to your BDO contact.