Finance Referral Income for Accountants: How the Opportunity Works

Quick answer: Accountants can be paid for suitable finance referrals where the arrangement is permitted and properly documented. The value is not one fixed percentage: it can vary by product, transaction, settlement and partner arrangement. The accountant should stay within the permitted referral scope, obtain client consent where required and disclose remuneration as required.

Accountants already hear the finance conversation before many lenders do: a client is buying a vehicle, replacing equipment, acquiring another business, refinancing expensive debt or trying to create working-capital headroom. A referral partnership turns those existing conversations into a finance introduction without requiring the accounting practice to become the broker.

Where can referral income come from?

The commercial opportunity is broader than home loans. Depending on the partner arrangement and the client's needs, referrals can involve:

• vehicle and equipment finance;
• personal or consumer finance;
• business loans and working capital;
• business acquisitions;
• commercial property and refinance.

The amount paid to a referrer is not inherently fixed. The finance product, transaction size, lender economics, amount of work involved and commercial arrangement can all matter.

That is why GPS Finance does not publish one universal percentage. We document the arrangement with the partner and explain when remuneration is earned.

Upfront, ongoing and one-off arrangements

Finance markets use different remuneration structures. Some relationships involve a one-off payment after settlement; some products can involve ongoing lender remuneration; and some partner agreements are structured differently again.

The useful question for an accounting practice is therefore not simply "what percentage do I get?" It is:

What finance opportunities do my clients already generate, what is my permitted role, and what commercial arrangement applies to those settled referrals?

Keep the finance work with the broker

For consumer credit, ASIC draws an important line between a simple referral and regulated credit activity. A professional may be able to rely on a referral exemption when its conditions are met, but recommending or assisting with a particular consumer credit contract can move beyond a simple introduction.

For accountants subject to APES 110, referral fees and commissions can also create self-interest threats that need to be addressed. Written disclosure and professional-independence obligations can be relevant.

What does GPS Finance do after the introduction?

The partner's job can stay deliberately small:

1. identify that the client has a finance need;
2. obtain the client's permission to make an introduction where required;
3. introduce the client and provide agreed factual context;
4. let GPS Finance handle the finance discussion, lender engagement and application process;
5. receive agreed status updates and, where applicable, partner remuneration after settlement.

That is the model: add finance capability around the practice without asking the accountant to perform the broker's work.

Related referral guides

• Can accountants receive referral fees from finance brokers?
• How much can an accountant earn from finance referrals?
• Finance referral rules for accountants and advisers
• How finance referral partnerships work

Sources and verification

• ASIC — FAQs: Does the credit legislation apply?
• ASIC — Regulatory Guide 203: Do I need a credit licence?
• APESB — APES 110 Code of Ethics

General information only. Referral, licensing, professional-conduct, tax and disclosure obligations depend on the activity, profession, client and arrangement. This is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Check the requirements that apply to your practice before relying on a referral exemption or accepting remuneration.