Accountant Referral Fee Calculator
Work out a fair referral fee on any accounting or advisory engagement in seconds. Pre-set for Australian professional services rates.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
Referral fees are regulated in most professions. What you are allowed to pay, receive, or must disclose depends on your licence, your professional conduct rules, the type of work and the state you practise in - and in some categories referral fees are prohibited outright. The figures here are an illustration generated from the numbers you enter, not a benchmark and not a recommendation. Check your own obligations, and get your own advice, before you agree to any referral fee.
First-year engagement value -> referral rate -> referral fee paid to the accountant who sent the deal.
Total fees billed in the first 12 months. Most accounting referrals use first-year fees as the base.
10% to 25% of first-year fees is standard. Pure introductions sit at 10% to 15%; warm pre-qualified referrals sit at 20% to 25%.
Estimates only, based on the figures you enter. General information, not legal, financial or tax advice. Referral fees are regulated in some professions - check the rules that apply to yours.
Want the full breakdown emailed to you?
We will send your result and how to put this referral in place inside Socii - the built-in agreement template and the tracking that makes sure you actually get paid.
People also ask
Can a CPA pay a referral fee to a non-accountant in Australia?
Yes, with disclosure. CPA Australia and CA ANZ rules require the referral arrangement to be disclosed to the client in writing before the engagement begins. The fee can be paid to any party (financial planner, mortgage broker, business advisor, lawyer, real estate agent) provided the disclosure is made and the recipient is not subject to a conflicting fiduciary duty.
How much do accountants typically charge for a first-year engagement?
Australian small business compliance (tax returns, BAS, basic advice) is $3k to $8k per year. Mid-market clients ($1M to $10M revenue) typically pay $10k to $40k per year for compliance plus advisory. Specialist work (R&D tax credit, GST advisory, restructure) is project-based at $5k to $50k. The referral fee usually applies to first-year fees only, not ongoing.
Do referral fees need to be in the accountant engagement letter?
Yes. Both CPA Australia (APES 110) and CA ANZ rules require referral arrangements to be disclosed in the engagement letter or by separate written notice before work begins. The disclosure must include the existence of the arrangement and the basis on which the fee is calculated (percentage or flat amount).
Can accountants refer to each other and split fees?
Yes. Referral between accounting practices is common, especially when a generalist firm sends specialist work (audit, R&D, international tax) to a specialist. The split is typically 15% to 25% of first-year fees, sometimes ongoing for as long as the relationship lasts. Both firms must disclose the arrangement to the client.
Are accountant referral fees GST-taxable?
Yes, if both parties are GST-registered (almost always for professional services). The fee carries 10% GST on top of the headline amount. The paying party claims it back as input tax credit. Tax invoice formalities apply - the referrer must issue a proper tax invoice to the accountant.
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Anyone can run the numbers. The deals get done inside.
Socii is the club where these deals get done - introductions made, agreements signed, fees tracked. Membership is by application. The Directory, our nomination-only inner circle, is the part you earn.
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Built by Socii Book Pty Ltd (ACN 695 597 141), a private deals club for dealmakers. The numbers above are the same math we run inside the club.