For a very small, simple business with minimal transactions — possibly not. But for any business turning over $200k or more, the cost of a good accountant is almost always less than what you save. The value isn’t just in filing your return — it’s in knowing your numbers, structuring your business correctly, and making decisions with the tax consequences already understood.

The businesses that get the most out of professional accounting are those that use it proactively, not just reactively. If your accountant only calls you at tax time, you’re getting a fraction of what’s possible.

A tax return is a record of what already happened. Tax planning is about shaping what happens before the year ends. By the time your accountant is preparing your return, the financial year is closed — the decisions that affected your tax bill were made months earlier.

Tax planning happens in real time, throughout the year: reviewing your profitability, timing income and expenses, ensuring distributions flow to the right entities, and making sure every decision is made with its tax consequences already on the table. Most business owners only ever get the return — they miss the planning entirely.

A few signals to watch for: your tax bill comes as a surprise every June; your accountant has never reviewed your business structure; all your business income flows through a single entity; you’ve never had a conversation about trusts, bucket companies, or income splitting; or your accountant is hard to reach and rarely calls you first.

None of these individually means you’re definitely overpaying — but taken together, they suggest your tax position hasn’t been actively managed. The best way to find out is a tax planning review.

A reactive accountant waits for the year to end, files what happened, and sends a bill. A proactive accountant is in the conversation before decisions are made. That means regular check-ins throughout the year, a mid-year review of your tax position, proactive alerts when something affects your planning, and being available before you buy that asset, take on a new partner, or restructure.

At Pinnacle, we work with clients year-round — not just at EOFY. Clients consistently tell us that the biggest change is feeling like they have someone in their corner before they make a decision, not just someone who processes the consequences of it afterwards.

Pricing varies significantly based on the scope of service. A compliance-only accountant (tax return + BAS) for a small business might charge $2,000–$5,000 per year. A full advisory relationship — including tax planning, management reporting, and year-round access — typically starts from $700–$1,500 per month depending on the complexity of the business.

The better question is: what is the return on that investment? For businesses turning over $500k+, a well-structured tax plan commonly saves $15,000–$50,000 in tax annually. The fee is rarely the constraint — the value of getting the right advice almost always outweighs the cost. We’ll give you a clear scope and fixed fee before you commit to anything.

A Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) is the highest specialist tax qualification in Australia, awarded by The Tax Institute. It’s distinct from a CPA or CA — those are general accounting qualifications. The CTA specifically recognises advanced expertise in tax law, tax planning, and complex tax advice. Fewer than 3% of accountants in Australia hold this designation.

For business owners who want to minimise tax legally and make complex structuring decisions, working with a CTA means you’re getting advice from someone who has gone deep into the tax laws that govern those decisions — not someone who knows just enough to file a return. Mina Baselyous holds both CPA and CTA qualifications, which is rare for a firm of Pinnacle’s size.

Look for these qualities: qualified (CPA or CA at minimum; CTA if tax advice is a priority); proactive in their communication — not just available when you call; able to speak plainly without hiding behind jargon; and genuinely invested in your outcomes rather than just your fee. Check their reviews and ask for referrals from clients similar to you.

Equally important is finding someone who is a good fit for where your business is headed, not just where it is now. The right accountant should be someone you’d call before making a big decision — not just someone you hear from in July. Book a conversation with us and make an assessment for yourself — there’s no obligation.