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Free for accounting and bookkeeping firms

Make your own ATO agent linking guide

Before you can act for a client’s company, trust, partnership or SMSF, the client has to nominate you as their agent with the ATO. This builder makes a PDF on your letterhead that walks them through it.

Build your guide

Or see what your clients get first:

The examples are for a made-up firm. Your own guide is made in your browser, and your details and logo stay there.

What your clients get

Your firm gets both by default: a full guide with a page for each step, and a cheat sheet on one A4 sheet printed on both sides. You can choose just one. For clients with a company, trust, partnership or SMSF. Steps checked against ato.gov.au in September 2026.

Two pages of the example guide: the letterhead and start page with the agent number and two questions, and the nomination steps with the ATO screens marked
Page 1 of the example guide, and the first page of the nomination steps.

Starts with two questions

The guide’s first page asks whether your client’s myID is set up and whether the business is linked in RAM. Each answer links to the page they need, and they skip the steps they have already done.

Marks each ATO screen

The nomination steps use the ATO’s screenshots of Online services for business, with the button to press boxed and numbered to match the step.

Carries your details

Your logo, address, phone and email head the first page like a letterhead, and your phone and email sit in every footer. The last step asks clients to call or email you when they have finished.

Build your guide

Add your firm’s details and choose a format. The PDFs are made in your browser when you press the button.

Format

Format

Your firm

Your tax or BAS agent number. Clients type it in to find you.

Logo and colours

Main colour
Second colour (optional)None. Step numbers use your main colour.

How it looks in the PDF

Heading font Each option shows a guide title in that font. Body text stays plain and easy to read.

How clients reach you

Phone and email (at least one is required) Printed in the last step, where clients tell you they have finished.

Check it is really us

Optional. Printed in a box with a link to the TPB public register, so clients can check who they are nominating.

Which clients

Client types you work with (tick at least one) The guide names only the types you tick.

Free. We ask for your email before the download.

After a client nominates you

The ATO does not tell you. You can check with the Client nominations on-demand report in Online services for agents, then add the client to your client list within 28 days of the nomination.

A tax agent acting for income tax adds the client by the business TFN. Add a client by ABN and only the activity statement account is offered, which is the account a BAS agent acts on. Ask for the TFN by phone: the ATO says email is not a secure channel.

Sources: Agent checklist for client-to-agent linking and Troubleshooting guide for agents, ato.gov.au.

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General information, not advice. The ATO’s own instructions are at How to nominate your registered agent.

Ideas for this tool, or found a problem? Email [email protected].