If you have searched for the “ATO tax agent portal”, what you are looking for is Online Services for Agents. The old portal has been retired, and this is the system registered tax practitioners now use to lodge, view client accounts and deal with the ATO on a client’s behalf.
This guide explains how to log in (myID plus Relationship Authorisation Manager), what the service lets an agent do, why it is different from myGov, the client-to-agent linking step that trips up new business clients, and how to fix the most common access problems. It is written for 2026 and checked against the ATO’s current pages.
If you are a business owner rather than an agent, the section on nominating your agent is the one that matters – it is the step that holds up most new engagements.
Key takeaways
- The “tax agent portal” is now Online services for agents, at onlineservices.ato.gov.au. Only registered tax and BAS agents and their authorised staff can use it.
- Login needs two things: a myID (the government Digital ID app, formerly myGovID) with at least Standard identity strength, and a RAM authorisation linking you to the practice.
- It is not myGov. Individuals manage their own tax through myGov; agents manage client tax through Online services for agents.
- Businesses must nominate their agent first. Entities with an ABN (except sole traders) nominate the agent in Online services for business; the agent then has 28 days to add them.
- Most login failures come from an unverified myID, a missing RAM authorisation, or using the wrong login page.
Which ATO system do you need?
| You are… | Use | Log in with |
|---|---|---|
| An individual checking your own return or refund | myGov (ATO linked service) or the ATO app | myGov sign-in, or myID |
| A business owner lodging your own BAS or nominating an agent | Online services for business | myID + RAM |
| A registered tax or BAS agent, or their staff | Online services for agents | myID + RAM authorisation for the practice |
| A client wanting to see what your agent lodged | myGov (your own account) | myGov sign-in |
What is Online services for agents?
Online services for agents is the ATO’s secure system for registered tax agents and BAS agents. It replaced the Tax Agent Portal and the BAS Agent Portal. Through it, an agent can see a client’s ATO accounts, lodge returns and activity statements, manage payment plans and communicate with the ATO through practice mail. Access is tied to the practice’s registration with the Tax Practitioners Board, so an individual taxpayer cannot use it.
According to the ATO, agents can use the service to:
- View and update clients’ registration details.
- Prepare, lodge, view and print activity statements for clients.
- View client account information, including income tax and activity statement accounts.
- Request refunds and credit transfers on behalf of clients.
- Communicate with the ATO using secure practice mail.
- View payment options, make and view payment plans and print payment slips.
- Test, lodge and download certain files using the file transfer function.
In practice this is where your accountant checks the progress of your ITR, confirms Single Touch Payroll figures reported through your employer’s payroll, sets up a payment plan on your behalf, or sends the ATO a query that would otherwise mean an hour on hold.
How do you log in to Online services for agents?
There is no username and password. Access runs through the Australian Government’s Digital ID and the ATO’s authorisation service. The three parts are:
- myID. The Digital ID app on your phone, previously called myGovID. The ATO requires at least a Standard identity strength, which means verifying two Australian identity documents in the app.
- Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM). RAM links your myID to the practice. The principal authority (the person responsible for the practice) links their own myID to the practice’s ABN in RAM first.
- Staff authorisation. The principal authority or an authorisation administrator sends an authorisation request to each staff member’s email. The ATO notes this can go to a work email address rather than the myID email. The staff member accepts it using their myID.
Once those are in place, go to onlineservices.ato.gov.au, choose Online services for agents, and approve the login in your myID app. The ATO’s own setup instructions are on its Digital ID and RAM for tax professionals page.
myGovID became myID in November 2024
The app was renamed between 13 and 17 November 2024. Nothing changed for existing users – identity details carried across and no new ID was needed. Older guides, emails and screenshots that say myGovID are describing the same app. Be wary of any message asking you to “re-verify for the new myID”: the ATO has warned that scammers used the rename as a hook.
Why can’t your agent add you as a client?
This is the most common question we get from new business clients, and it is not a portal fault. Under the ATO’s client-to-agent linking process, all entities with an ABN, excluding sole traders, must nominate a new tax or BAS agent before that agent can add them in Online services for agents. Companies, trusts, partnerships and SMSFs are all covered.
The client does this themselves in Online services for business:
- Log in to Online services for business with your myID and RAM.
- From the home page select Profile, then Agent details.
- Under Agent nominations select Add.
- Search for the agent by their registered agent number, select them and check the details.
- Complete the declaration and submit.
The nomination stays active for 28 days. Your agent must add you as a client within that window, otherwise it expires. If they are running late you can use the Extend option, available from the day after you submit until the original 28 days end, to add another 28 days. The ATO’s step-by-step guide is on its client-agent linking steps page.
Sole traders and individuals do not need to nominate; their agent can add them directly with the usual proof-of-identity checks. If you are a business that has not set up Online services for business yet, our guide to the ATO Online services for business login walks through it.
Online services for agents vs myGov
The two are often confused because both show tax information, but they serve different people:
| Online services for agents | myGov (ATO linked service) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Registered tax and BAS agents and authorised staff | Individuals and sole traders managing their own affairs |
| Login | myID + RAM | myGov username and password (or myID sign-in) |
| What you see | All linked clients’ accounts, lodgements, correspondence | Your own returns, income statements, notices and debts |
| Can you lodge? | Yes, for clients, under the agent’s lodgement program | Yes, your own return via myTax |
If you use an agent, you can still log in to myGov to see your Notice of Assessment, income statement and ATO messages. Having trouble linking? See our guide to linking myGov to the ATO.
Common access problems and how to fix them
- “Your identity strength is not sufficient.” Your myID is still at Basic. Open the app and verify two identity documents (for example passport and driver licence) to reach Standard.
- You can log in but see no practice or clients. You have a myID but no RAM authorisation for the practice. Ask the principal authority or authorisation administrator to send an authorisation request, then accept it.
- The principal authority has left the firm. A new principal authority must link their myID to the practice in RAM before staff authorisations can be managed. Plan this before someone leaves.
- A client cannot be added. The client has not completed agent nomination, or the 28 days have passed. Ask them to nominate again or extend.
- Pages not loading or very slow. Check the ATO’s system maintenance and technical support pages before assuming it is your setup. The ATO publishes planned outages, which cluster around weekends and release dates.
- Sharing a login. Never. A myID is personal and the Tax Practitioners Board’s Code of Professional Conduct requires confidentiality of client information. Each staff member needs their own myID and authorisation.
Rule of thumb for business owners
Set up Online services for business and your myID before you need them. Nominating an agent, extending a nomination, authorising a staff member or responding to the ATO all run through that one login, and it cannot be set up in a hurry on 31 October.
Tips for working with your agent through the portal
- Keep your contact and bank details current in myGov or Online services for business so refunds and ATO letters are not delayed.
- When you change accountants, nominate the new agent in Online services for business on the same day you sign the engagement, so the 28-day clock is not wasted.
- Ask your agent to confirm in writing when they have added you and which accounts (income tax, activity statements, FBT) they are linked to.
- Use your agent’s practice mail route for ATO queries rather than calling the ATO yourself – it is written, tracked and faster for anything involving your account.
- Check your myGov inbox: even when an agent lodges, some ATO correspondence is sent to the client, and not reading it is how due dates get missed.
FAQ about the ATO tax agent portal
Is the Tax Agent Portal the same as Online services for agents?
The old Tax Agent Portal has been retired. Online services for agents is the ATO’s current system for registered tax and BAS agents, and it is what people usually mean when they search for the “tax agent portal”. It is accessed at onlineservices.ato.gov.au with a myID and a Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) link to the practice.
Can I log in to the tax agent portal with myGov?
No. myGov is for individuals managing their own tax. Online services for agents uses myID (the Australian Government Digital ID app, formerly called myGovID) plus a RAM authorisation for your practice. A client who wants to see their own return uses myGov; their agent uses Online services for agents.
What identity strength does myID need for Online services for agents?
The ATO says you need a myID with at least a Standard identity strength. Standard requires two Australian identity documents to be verified in the app.
Why can’t my agent add me as a client?
Since the client-to-agent linking rules came in, all entities with an ABN other than sole traders must nominate their agent in Online services for business before the agent can add them. Go to Profile, then Agent details, then Add, search the agent’s registered agent number and submit. The agent then has 28 days to add you, and you can extend by another 28 days.
Do I need to do anything because myGovID became myID?
No. The app was renamed myID between 13 and 17 November 2024. Existing users kept all their identity information and did not need to set up a new ID. If a website or guide still says myGovID, it means myID.
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Talk to a registered tax agent
Nanak Accountants is a registered tax agent (TPB registration 26113345) using Online services for agents every day for individuals, sole traders, companies, trusts and SMSFs across our offices. If you want an agent who will set up your client linking properly and handle the ATO on your behalf, call 1300 626 258 or book a consultation. New to choosing an agent? Read how to find a registered tax agent in Australia.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or tax advice. Login requirements, the myID rename and the client-to-agent linking rules were checked against ATO sources on 6 October 2026.
