How Do Accountants and Bookkeepers Get More Clients in Australia?

Accountants and bookkeepers in Australia get more clients by choosing a niche they can explain in one sentence, marketing to that niche all year rather than only at tax time, making it easy for prospects to take a small first step, and following up every enquiry quickly. All of it must stay inside the professional rules: registration for tax and BAS services, honesty in every claim, and the Australian Consumer Law.

This guide covers how to choose a niche, how to plan around the tax year, a step-by-step client plan and the advertising rules to keep in mind.

This is general information, not legal or professional advice. Check the current guidance from the Tax Practitioners Board and your professional body for your own situation.

Why do so many practices rely on referrals?

Trust is the product. People hand an accountant or bookkeeper their financial records, so a recommendation from someone they know feels safer than an ad. That is why referrals from clients, banks, solicitors and financial advisers have carried most practices for years.

The limits are the same as in any service business. You cannot turn referrals up when a big client leaves, and the clients they bring are not always the clients you want. A practice that wants steady growth needs at least one channel it controls. We cover the general approach in how to get consistent clients without relying on referrals. This guide applies it to accounting and bookkeeping.

Should an accountant or bookkeeper niche down?

For marketing, usually yes. "Tax returns and BAS for small business" competes with every practice in Australia. "Bookkeeping and BAS for trades businesses with five to 20 staff" gives a specific owner a reason to call you, and gives you a reason to know their industry better than anyone else.

Ways to choose a niche:

Niche type	Examples	Why it works
Industry	Trades, medical and allied health practices, hospitality, e-commerce, property investors	Shared problems, shared language, easy referrals within the industry
Life stage	New businesses, businesses preparing for sale, growing businesses hiring their first staff	A clear trigger moment when people look for help
Service	Cloud accounting set-up, payroll, catch-up bookkeeping, management reporting	A specific outcome that is easy to package
Community	A language group, a cultural community or a professional network you belong to	Trust already exists through shared connection

A niche is a marketing decision, not a rule about who you accept. You can keep serving existing clients while your website, content and ads speak to one group.

How should practices plan around tax time?

Demand in tax practices is seasonal. The ATO reminds individuals each year that the due date for those who lodge their own income tax return is 31 October, and that people who want to use a registered tax agent need to be on the agent's books before then. That makes the weeks leading up to 31 October a natural time for some individuals to look for help.

The mistake is to market only in that window, when every practice is busiest and has the least time to respond. A steadier approach:

July to October: capture demand. Make sure your Google Business Profile, website and booking process are ready before July, and reply quickly to every enquiry.
November to February: build relationships. Publish useful content for your niche, run a lead magnet such as a year-end checklist, and start nurturing people for next year.
March to June: convert. Invite your list to book planning conversations before 30 June, when business owners are thinking about the year ahead.
All year: bookkeeping, BAS and advisory work are recurring, so market them steadily rather than in bursts.

A step-by-step client plan for practices

Pick one niche and one first offer. For example, a fixed-scope "bookkeeping health check" for trades businesses, or a "first-year setup" package for new companies. A clear first step is easier to say yes to than an open-ended engagement.
Fix how you are found. Complete your Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile Help says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, so list your services accurately and ask clients for genuine reviews.
Build one lead magnet for your niche. A checklist, calendar of key dates or short guide your ideal client would genuinely use, offered with clear consent wording.
Reply fast. An instant acknowledgement and a booking link for every enquiry, and a person following up within the hour during business hours. The reasoning is in how fast you should respond to a new lead.
Nurture people who are not ready. A short, useful email sequence, then a regular update. Many prospects are happy with their current accountant today and ready to change after a frustrating tax season.
Formalise referral partners. Identify three businesses that serve your niche, such as a business banker, a commercial lawyer or an industry association, and give them a simple way to refer.
Track clients, not clicks. Record where each new client came from and what they are worth over a year. Our guide on tracking which ads bring clients explains the basics.

Example (hypothetical): a two-person bookkeeping practice has several cafe and restaurant clients and enjoys the work. It chooses hospitality as its niche, creates a one-page "end of month checklist for cafe owners", and offers a fixed-scope bookkeeping review as a first step. It runs a small local ads campaign to hospitality owners in the off-season, follows up every download within minutes, and tracks how many reviews become monthly clients.

See what slow replies cost your business.

The free Lead Leak Calculator turns your own numbers into a monthly figure in about 60 seconds.

Try the calculator

What are the advertising rules for tax agents and BAS agents?

We could not find a single advertising code from the Tax Practitioners Board. Instead, several rules work together.

Only registered practitioners may advertise tax agent or BAS services. The Tax Agent Services Act 2009 includes civil penalty provisions for advertising tax agent services if unregistered (section 50-10, with a separate offence for advertising BAS services if unregistered in section 51-20) and for representing that you are a registered tax agent or BAS agent if you are not (section 50-15). This matters for bookkeepers: advertising BAS services requires BAS agent or tax agent registration.
The Code of Professional Conduct requires honesty. Code item 1 in section 30-10 of the Act says you must act honestly and with integrity. The TPB's guidance on the Code says these principles include fair dealing, truthfulness and a commitment not to mislead or deceive. Advertising claims fall naturally within that standard.
False or misleading statements to the TPB, the ATO and other agencies. Section 15 of the Code determination and the TPB's guidance statement on false or misleading statements deal with statements made to the Board, the Commissioner and other Australian government agencies, rather than advertising. They are still worth knowing, because the same honesty standard runs through both.
The registered tax practitioner symbol. The TPB's symbol guidelines allow registered tax and BAS agents to use the symbol in advertising, with their registration number, under the terms of use.
Professional body standards. If you are a member of a professional accounting body, APES 110 Code of Ethics says that when undertaking marketing or promotional activities a member shall be honest and truthful and shall not make exaggerated claims for the services offered, or disparaging references or unsubstantiated comparisons to the work of others.
The Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC says a business must be able to prove any claim it advertises.

What should accountants and bookkeepers avoid?

Advertising BAS or tax services before registration is in place, including on social media and in directory listings.
Promising refunds or outcomes. "Maximum refund guaranteed" is the kind of exaggerated claim APES 110 and the Australian Consumer Law warn against.
Disparaging other practices. Compare your service on facts you can prove, or not at all.
Marketing emails without consent. The ACMA says marketing messages need consent, sender identification and an easy unsubscribe.
Marketing only in the busiest weeks. If every enquiry arrives when your team has no time to reply, you lose them.

What we learned in our own business

Two lessons from our team's education business are useful for any practice that starts paying for ads.

First, judge ads on clients, not leads. One set of our ads produced leads at $9.63 each and $0 in sales. A cheap lead that never becomes a client is the most expensive lead of all. For a practice, the numbers that matter are cost per new client and what that client is worth over a year or more.

Second, do not cut too early. We once paused an ad set because its three-day numbers looked poor. Over seven days it turned out to be the second-best performer in the account at $7.18 a lead. Practices often judge a new channel on a slow first week. Give it enough time and data before deciding.

Frequently asked questions

How do accountants get new clients in Australia?

Most rely on referrals, but practices that grow steadily add channels they control: a clear niche, a complete Google Business Profile with genuine reviews, a lead magnet, fast follow-up, referral partners and, for some, paid ads. All advertising must be honest and comply with the TPB rules and the Australian Consumer Law.

Can a bookkeeper advertise BAS services?

Only if registered. The Tax Agent Services Act 2009 includes a civil penalty provision for advertising tax agent services if unregistered, which includes BAS services. Check the TPB's registration guidance before advertising.

When is the best time for a tax practice to market?

All year, with different goals. Capture demand from July to October, build relationships from November to February, and convert planning conversations from March to June. Recurring services such as bookkeeping can be marketed steadily.

Should an accounting practice choose a niche?

For marketing, usually yes. A niche makes your message clearer, your content more useful and your referrals easier. You can still serve existing clients outside it.

Can accountants use client testimonials?

There is no blanket ban for accountants in the sources we checked, but testimonials must be genuine and not misleading under the Australian Consumer Law, and they must not create exaggerated claims under APES 110 if you are a member of a professional body. Ask clients for permission and keep a record.

Next step

To see how many enquiries your practice may be losing to slow replies, use the free Lead Leak Calculator. If you want to build a client system with a niche offer, follow-up and tracking, The AI Marketing Team Accelerator is where owners build it with our team beside them. You may also find how law firms market themselves within the advertising rules useful if you work closely with legal referral partners.