Accountant for Real Estate Agencies in Melbourne
List it, lease it, sell it, and leave the numbers to us. From commission accounting and contractor agents to payroll tax, rent roll value and foreign resident withholding, Number Visions is the specialist accountant for real estate agencies, principals and property managers in Melbourne and across Australia.
Specialist Accountants for Real Estate Agencies
A real estate agency does not run like other small businesses. It earns most of its revenue at settlement rather than when the work is done, and it pays sales staff on commission structures that the ATO, Fair Work and state revenue offices each read differently. A general accountant will lodge your BAS. A specialist real estate accountant will tell you whether your commission splits, your contractor agents and your structure will hold up when they are reviewed.
We work with agencies and property professionals across Melbourne and Australia, including:
- Agency principals and licensees: profit allocation, business structure, tax planning and succession
- Sales agents and salespeople: commission income, contractor vs employee status, super and PAYG instalments
- Property management businesses: rent roll value, management fee income and ATO data reporting
- Commercial and industrial agencies: leasing commissions, GST on commercial transactions, large irregular settlements
- Buyers' agents and project marketers: retainer and success fees, developer commissions, GST timing
- Rent roll buyers and sellers: valuation, purchase structure, CGT and small business concessions
Accounting Challenges Real Estate Agencies Face
Commission arrives at settlement, often weeks or months after the work is done, and busy selling seasons rarely line up with payroll, rent and BAS. Without forecasting, a profitable agency can still run short of cash.
A sales agent can be a contractor under their agreement but an employee for super, payroll tax or Fair Work. Commission-only arrangements also have strict conditions under the Real Estate Industry Award. Getting it wrong is assessed retrospectively.
BAS, GST on commissions and management fees, PAYG withholding, payday super, payroll tax and annual returns all run on different cycles. Missing one means penalties. Missing the planning window before 30 June costs more than any of them.
A strong year of settlements can push PAYG instalments up for the following year, even if the market slows. Without planning, principals pay tax on income they have not yet earned.
Revenue by agent is easy to see. Profit by agent, office or service line, after commission splits, marketing, vehicles and admin support, is not. Without that view, agencies end up paying for underperforming desks out of their best ones.
Your rent roll is often your agency’s most valuable asset. Without clean data on management fees, churn and income per property, it is hard to value, finance, buy or sell with confidence.
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Our Accounting & Bookeepking Services for Real Estate Agencies
From commission accounting and tax planning to payroll and business advisory, our real estate accounting services gives your agency accurate numbers and clear advice for growth.
Commission & Agent Accounting
We track commission income from listing to settlement, calculate agent splits and draws, and reconcile them against payroll and contractor invoices, so every agent is paid correctly and every dollar is accounted for.
Bookkeeping & Reconciliation
Our bookkeeping services keep your ledger, bank accounts, marketing costs and vehicle expenses up to date, so the reports you make decisions from are always current.
Tax Returns, BAS & GST
As a registered tax agent, we prepare and lodge BAS, income tax returns and instalment statements for your agency, its principals and related entities, with GST on commissions, management fees and marketing recoveries treated correctly.
Payroll, Super & Payroll Tax
We run payroll through Single Touch Payroll, manage payday super and award compliance, and review contractor agent arrangements for payroll tax and super guarantee before an audit does.
Cash Flow & Settlement Forecasting
We forecast settlements, commission payouts and fixed costs together, so wages, super and tax are funded before they fall due, even in a slow quarter.
Business Structure & Asset Protection
We review how your agency, rent roll and principals are structured, model the tax and asset protection outcomes, and document the commercial rationale the ATO will ask for later. See our business structuring advice.
Rent Roll & Agency Profitability Reporting
Monthly reporting shows revenue and profit by agent, office and service line, plus rent roll income, churn and growth, so you know what your agency and your rent roll are really worth.
Outsourced CFO & Advisory
For agencies past the point where the principal can run the numbers personally: budgets, forecasts, commission structure modelling, office expansion and acquisitions, through our outsourced CFO services.
Increase Tax Savings and Keep Your Agency Finances on Track
Commission income is lumpy, and so is the tax on it. Planning before 30 June lets you set PAYG instalments to match the year you are actually having, time bonuses and super contributions, and decide how profits are distributed while there is still time to act. Paired with our tax compliance services, it means fewer surprises and more of each settlement stays in the business.
Cloud accounting connected to your agency software keeps sales and operating records reconciled in one place, so your numbers are current every month, not just at tax time.
The Tax and Employment Rules That Apply to Real Estate Agencies
This is the part a general accountant will not raise with you until it becomes a problem. Below are the rules that shape how an agency pays its people, earns its income and reports to the ATO, and what each one means in practice.
Commission-Only Salespeople and the Real Estate Industry Award
The Real Estate Industry Award 2020 applies to agencies nationally. An employee can only be paid commission-only if strict conditions are met. These include a written agreement, holding a licence or registration, at least 12 months of recent sales experience, and earnings above the minimum income threshold, which must be reviewed every year. If the threshold is not met, the arrangement must end and award wages apply. We set up and monitor commission arrangements so they meet the award and are costed correctly.
Contractor Agents: Super Guarantee and Fair Work
Calling an agent a contractor does not settle the question. For super guarantee, section 12(3) of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 treats a person paid mainly for their labour as an employee, and the ATO's view is set out in SGR 2005/1. Since 26 August 2024, the Fair Work Act also looks at the whole working relationship, not just the written contract. An agent can pass one test and fail another. We review each arrangement and document the position taken.
Payroll Tax on Contractor Agents
Payroll tax is set by each state, but every state and territory except Western Australia has relevant contract provisions that can treat payments to contractor agents as taxable wages. Thresholds and rates differ between states, grouping rules can combine related entities under one threshold, and agencies with offices in more than one state have their threshold apportioned across their total Australian wages. We test contractor arrangements against the rules in each state you operate in.
Personal Services Income for Agents Trading Through a Company
Many senior agents invoice through their own company or trust. If the income is mainly a reward for the agent's personal effort, the personal services income rules in Taxation Ruling TR 2022/3 can attribute it back to the agent. Practical Compliance Guideline PCG 2025/5 also sets out when the ATO may apply the general anti-avoidance rule to income split or retained in these structures, with a transition period to 30 June 2027. We review agent structures before the ATO does.
Foreign Resident Capital Gains Withholding
For contracts entered into from 1 January 2025, the buyer must withhold 15% of the purchase price on any Australian property sale, at every price point, unless the seller provides an ATO clearance certificate by settlement. Before this, the rate was 12.5% and only applied to sales of $750,000 or more. It is now a standard step in every campaign. We help vendor clients obtain clearance certificates on time.
ATO Property Management Data-Matching
The ATO collects data from property management software providers on rental income, landlords and properties, and matches it against landlords' tax returns. The program currently runs through the 2025–26 financial year. Your agency's records are now part of the ATO's audit trail, so accurate landlord statements and end-of-year summaries matter more than ever.
GST on Commissions, Management Fees and Agency Arrangements
Commissions, property management fees, letting fees and marketing recoveries are taxable supplies even when the underlying residential rent is input taxed. When you act as agent for a landlord or vendor, GSTR 2000/37 decides whose supply it is and who accounts for the GST. We make sure your software codes each type of income correctly and your BAS is right.
Buying or Selling a Rent Roll
The tax outcome of a rent roll sale depends on how the deal is structured: as a sale of shares, a sale of the business, or a sale of the rent roll alone. The price allocation, retention or clawback clauses, and access to the small business CGT concessions can change the after-tax result substantially. We model the options before you sign.
Supporting Every Financial Aspect of Your Real Estate Business
Improve Cash Flow Management
We track settlements, commission payments and fixed costs together, so you can see slow months coming and plan around them.
Agent and Office Profitability
We measure profit by agent, office and service line after splits, marketing and support costs, so you can set commission structures that reward performance and protect your margin.
Rent Roll Value Tracking
Regular reporting on management income, fees per property, churn and gains keeps your rent roll ready to value, borrow against or sell.
Risk & Compliance Support
Contractor agreements, award compliance, payroll tax, super guarantee and GST coding are reviewed every year, with each position documented in case the ATO, Fair Work or a state revenue office asks.
Succession & Exit Planning
Whether you are bringing in an equity partner, merging offices or selling to a larger group, we plan the structure, valuation and tax outcome years ahead.
Industries We Support
Our Process: A Strategic Approach to Real Estate Accounting
Review and Diagnose
We review your ledger, agent agreements, payroll setup and last two years of returns, and identify compliance exposures and reporting gaps.
Structure and Document
We confirm the right structure for the agency and rent roll, test agent arrangements against super, payroll tax, PSI and award rules, and put the documentation in place.
Run and Report
We take over bookkeeping, payroll, BAS and lodgements, and deliver monthly reporting on cash, commissions, agent profitability and rent roll performance.
Plan and Grow
Quarterly reviews and pre-30 June planning cover instalments, distributions, super, commission structures and your next hire or office.
Why Melbourne Manufacturers Partner with Number Visions
Genuine Industry Specialisation: Commission-only rules, contractor agents, rent roll valuation and agency GST are not things we look up when you ask. They are the framework we build your agency’s accounts within from the first meeting.
Proactive Tax Strategies: We raise instalments, distributions, contractor status and super before 30 June, when they can still be fixed, rather than in a return lodged ten months later.
Registered, Certified and Accountable: Number Visions is a registered tax agent practice, certified across Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB, with a 4.9-star Google rating from Melbourne businesses.
Plain Answers to Technical Questions: You should be able to explain your agency’s structure and commission model to your partner, your bank and your business partner. We make sure you can.
Cloud-Based Accounting: We work in cloud platforms connected to your agency software, so your sales and operating figures are current and accessible wherever you are.
Melbourne-Based, Australia-Wide: Our office is in Yarraville, and we work with agencies across Melbourne, including Footscray, Carlton, Richmond, St Kilda, Fitzroy, Docklands, Box Hill, Dandenong and Cranbourne, and with agencies interstate online.
Your Go-To Accounting Support for Melbourne Real Estate
Manage your real estate business finances with greater clarity and confidence through tailored accounting support built around your operational needs.
FAQ
Frequently Ask Questions.
Agencies earn commission at settlement and pay staff under structures that the ATO, Fair Work and state revenue offices each assess differently. A specialist real estate accountant understands commission-only rules under the Real Estate Industry Award, contractor agent tests for super and payroll tax, personal services income for agents trading through companies, and GST on agency income. A general accountant will keep your records accurate. A specialist will also keep your agency compliant and your structure defensible.
Not necessarily. An agent can be a contractor under their agreement but still count as an employee for super guarantee under section 12(3) of the SGAA if they are paid mainly for their labour, as explained in SGR 2005/1. The Fair Work Act and state payroll tax laws each apply their own tests. We review each agreement and document the position taken.
Only if the Real Estate Industry Award 2020 conditions are met. These include a written agreement, holding a licence or registration, at least 12 months of recent sales experience, being 21 or older, and earnings above the minimum income threshold, which must be reviewed each year. Commission-only employees still receive super and leave entitlements. If the conditions are not met, award wages apply.
They may. If your commission is mainly a reward for your personal effort, the personal services income rules in TR 2022/3 can attribute it back to you, whatever entity receives it. PCG 2025/5 adds a further test for income split or retained in a company or trust, with a transition period to 30 June 2027. We assess your position and recommend a structure that holds up.
Yes. Management fees, letting fees, commissions and marketing recoveries are taxable supplies, even though residential rent is input taxed for the landlord. We set up your GST coding so agency income and landlord disbursements are treated correctly in your BAS.
For contracts entered into from 1 January 2025, buyers must withhold 15% of the purchase price on all Australian property sales unless the seller provides an ATO clearance certificate. The previous $750,000 threshold no longer applies. Every vendor, including Australian residents, now needs a clearance certificate to avoid withholding.
Yes. We review rent roll income, churn and fee data, model the purchase or sale structure, and assess the tax outcome, including the CGT treatment, price allocation, retention clauses and the small business CGT concessions. Getting the structure right before the contract is signed is far cheaper than fixing it afterwards.
Yes. We help new agencies choose a structure, register for ABN, GST and payroll, set up cloud accounting connected to your agency software, design commission and contractor arrangements, and build a first-year budget, so you start with clean records and compliant processes.
It depends on the size of your agency, the number of agents and entities, transaction volume, and which services you need. We scope your requirements in a free initial consultation and quote a fixed monthly fee, so there are no surprises.
Yes. Our office is in Yarraville and we meet Melbourne clients in person, but we work with agencies across Australia online. With cloud accounting connected to your agency software, you can share records, review reports and speak with your accountant from anywhere.