Accountants Direct vs Etax: which tax agent is right for you in 2026?
Etax is a long-running online tax agent where you complete your return in a web form and an accountant checks it before lodgement. Accountants Direct is a registered tax agent firm where an accountant prepares your return with you live, over a phone or video appointment, usually in under an hour. Both are registered with the Tax Practitioners Board. The real choice is not the headline fee. It is whether you want to do the return yourself with a safety net, or have a person do your tax return with you and answer your questions as you go.
How we compared
This page is published by Accountants Direct, so read it knowing that. Every Etax figure below comes from Etax’s own published pricing and FAQ pages, checked on 14 July 2026, and we link to them in the sources at the bottom. Where Etax is the better fit, we say so. Last updated: 14 July 2026
Accountants Direct vs Etax at a glance
| Feature | Accountants Direct | Etax |
|---|---|---|
| Individual return | From $99 (to $189+ by complexity) | From $87.49 |
| Investment property | From $338 | Adds $59.90 per rental schedule |
| Capital gains and crypto | Quoted upfront in your fixed price | Adds $59.90 |
| Sole trader return | From $399 | Business items from $219.90 |
| Who does the work | An accountant prepares it with you on a live call | You fill in the online form, an accountant reviews it before lodgement |
| Human contact | Phone or video appointment, after hours and weekends | Phone, live chat and secure messages around your self-completed form |
| In-person option | Select locations | No offices, online only |
| Languages | Appointments held in 10+ languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Mandarin, Cantonese and Vietnamese | Help in about 40 languages by callback when a speaker is on duty |
| Pay from your refund | Available, $0 upfront | Available, adds $27.50 |
| Refund advance | $500 of your refund instantly for $50, for approved applicants | Not offered |
| Lodgement speed | Usually same day, finalised during your appointment | You submit when your form is done, then accountant review |
| Registered tax agent | Yes, TPB 2243 3005 | Yes, TPB 69399005 |
| Customer rating | 4.9 stars, 1,200+ Google reviews | 4.7 stars, 8,600+ ProductReview reviews |
| Best for | People who want an accountant to do the work with them, and anyone with rentals, crypto or business income | Confident self-lodgers with a simple return who want the lowest online price |
Where Accountants Direct pulls ahead
- A person does your return with you. You book a time, an accountant calls, shares a screen, and finishes the return during the appointment. Nothing to fill in on your own beforehand.
- Fixed pricing, quoted before you commit. Rentals, capital gains and side income are priced into your quote up front rather than added per schedule at the end.
- Live help in your language. Appointments run in more than 10 languages, booked as normal appointments rather than a callback queue.
- Refund advance. If you are eligible, $500 of your refund lands in your account straight away for a flat $50. Etax does not offer an advance.
- After-hours and weekend appointments for people who cannot deal with tax during work hours.
Where Etax remains strong
- Cheaper for simple returns. A basic return starts at $87.49, and their low-income service from $44.90 is hard to beat on price.
- A very large review base. More than 8,600 reviews on ProductReview at 4.7 stars, built up over 25+ years online. Etax has been a registered agent since 1999.
- A polished self-serve flow. If you like doing your own return and just want an accountant to check it, their form is quick and their prefill is good.
- If you already use Etax and like it, there may be no pressing reason to change for a simple salary-and-deductions return.
Who each option suits
Choose Etax if your return is simple, you are comfortable working through the form yourself, and the lowest online price matters most. Choose Accountants Direct if you want a human to prepare the return with you, you have anything beyond salary income, or you want your questions answered by the person lodging for you.
If you are a sole trader
Etax prices business items from $219.90 on top of your return and you still assemble the numbers yourself. Accountants Direct’s sole trader returns from $399 include the accountant working through your income and deductions with you on the call. Messy records favour the second option.
If you have a rental property or crypto
Each Etax rental schedule adds $59.90 and capital gains adds $59.90. Accountants Direct quotes one fixed price (rentals from $338) with an accountant checking what you can and cannot claim, including crypto tax.
If English is not your first language
Etax offers help in about 40 languages, delivered as a callback when a speaker is available. Accountants Direct holds the actual appointment in your language, bookable in advance in more than 10 languages.
If it is your first tax return
A live appointment means someone explains each step as it happens. That is worth more in year one than any price difference.
Trust and registration
Accountants Direct has been a registered tax agent since 2012 (Tax Practitioners Board registration 2243 3005, ABN 16 155 811 448), is a member of the Institute of Public Accountants, and holds a 4.9-star Google rating from more than 1,200 reviews. Around 46,000 Australians have used the service. Etax Accountants Pty Ltd has been a registered tax agent since 1999 (TPB 69399005). Both firms lodge directly with the ATO.
Common questions
Is Accountants Direct cheaper than Etax?
Not always. Etax starts lower for simple returns ($87.49 against $99). The comparison changes once you add extras: Etax adds $59.90 per rental schedule, $59.90 for capital gains and $27.50 to take the fee from your refund, while Accountants Direct quotes one fixed price up front and takes payment from your refund at no extra charge.
What is the main difference between Accountants Direct and Etax?
Who does the work. With Etax you complete an online form and an accountant reviews it before lodgement. With Accountants Direct an accountant prepares the return with you during a phone or video appointment, usually finalised the same day.
Does Etax use real accountants?
Yes. Etax is a registered tax agent (TPB 69399005) and its accountants review each return before lodgement. The difference is that you complete the return form yourself first.
Is Etax part of the ATO or myGov?
No. Etax is a private company, the same as Accountants Direct. The government’s free option is myTax through myGov, where you lodge entirely on your own with no agent involved.
Which is better for sole traders?
If your records are tidy and you are confident categorising business income and deductions, Etax’s business pricing from $219.90 works. If you would rather an accountant sort it with you live, Accountants Direct’s sole trader service from $399 does the work during the appointment.
Can I switch to Accountants Direct if I used Etax last year?
Yes. Registered tax agents can access your prior lodgement history through the ATO, so nothing from your Etax years is lost. You book an appointment and the accountant picks up from there.
Sources
Etax figures checked 14 July 2026 from Etax’s own pages: pricing, process and support and language help, plus the Tax Practitioners Board register for both firms’ registrations. Ratings from ProductReview.com.au and Google. If any figure here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Talk to an accountant, not a web form
Book a phone or video appointment and have this year’s return done by the end of the call. Book online or call 1300 829 746.