How we work
How One Roof Actually Works
A single practitioner — Chartered Accountant, registered Tax Agent and Credit Representative — scopes your accounting, tax and lending position in one conversation. Here is the engagement, step by step.
- Individuals
- Business owners
- Property investors
- Self-employed
Where information on this page combines tax and lending considerations, tax-related statements are general only and depend on individual circumstances. Eternity Group Accountants is a registered tax agent (TPB 25523469). Mr Rohan Manokaran (Credit Representative 565110) is authorised under Australian Credit Licence 561324. Seek personal tax and credit advice based on your situation.
The principle
One practitioner, both sides of the picture.
The defensible idea behind Eternity Group is structural: the same person who prepares your tax return is the broker who arranges your finance. Decisions on each side are made with full knowledge of the other.
Designed together, not stitched together
Tax and lending decisions are made by the same practitioner, in the same conversation. No information gaps between professionals.
Documented before you sign
Engagement scope, fees, timelines and credit-proposal disclosure all in writing before any work starts. No surprises.
Compliance-first
Registered Tax Agent obligations under the TPB Code, Credit Representative obligations under the ACL, and AFCA membership — built into the engagement, not bolted on.
The engagement
Six steps — from first call to ongoing relationship.
A predictable, document-driven sequence. You always know what is next.
Discovery
A 20-minute scoping call. We listen to what you are trying to do — buy a property, restructure a business, get a return prepared properly, refinance, set up an SMSF — and confirm whether we are the right fit before any engagement letter is signed.
Accounting & tax review
We review your current tax position: entities, income sources, deductions, prior-year returns, ATO lodgement status, and any open items. The output is a clear picture of where you stand and what the tax implications of your next move actually are.
Lending review
In the same conversation, we review your borrowing position: serviceability, deposit, equity, existing facilities, structure and lender appetite. Because the same person sees both sides, the lending plan never contradicts the tax plan.
Integrated recommendation
We document a recommendation that covers both sides — the right entity, the right return, the right loan product, the right timing — written down so you can take it away, think about it, and ask questions before signing anything.
Implementation
Returns prepared and lodged. Loans submitted and tracked through to settlement. Structures set up. Engagement and credit-proposal disclosure documents provided in writing before any application is submitted.
Ongoing relationship
Annual tax review, BAS quarters, loan health checks, refinance opportunities and structure changes as your situation evolves. One file, one practitioner, no information gaps between professionals.
Inside each stage
What you do, what we do, and what done looks like.
Timeframes are indicative ranges. Every one of them depends on document completeness, ATO processing and lender turnaround.
01 · Discovery
You: Describe the goal in plain terms and give the broad shape of your situation — income type, entities, property held, any deadlines already in play. No documents are needed at this stage; rough figures are fine.
We: Listen, ask the scoping questions, and tell you honestly whether the engagement makes sense — including when it does not.
Done: Fit is confirmed both ways. Either an engagement letter is drafted, or you leave with a clear pointer to where you should go instead.
02 · Accounting & tax review
You: Provide prior-year returns, any ATO correspondence, entity details and income summaries via secure upload.
We: Pull the lodgement history, check open ATO items and map how your entities and income sources fit together.
Done: A written picture of your current tax position and the tax consequences of the move you are planning. Typically 3–7 working days once documents arrive complete — the timing depends almost entirely on that word, complete.
03 · Lending review
You: Provide payslips or business financials, statements for existing facilities, an asset and liability summary and a realistic living-expense estimate.
We: Assess serviceability and available equity, review existing facilities and test the intended structure against lender appetite.
Done: A realistic borrowing position — never a promise of approval, which only a lender can give. This usually runs alongside the tax review rather than after it, because it is one file.
04 · Integrated recommendation
You: Read it, question it, take your time. Nothing is signed at this stage.
We: Document the entity, return, loan product and timing recommendations with the reasoning behind each, in one paper covering both sides.
Done: You can explain the plan back in your own words. Typically delivered within a week of both reviews completing.
05 · Implementation
You: Sign the engagement and application documents, and respond promptly when the lender or ATO asks for something extra — they usually do.
We: Prepare and lodge returns, submit and track loan applications, set up structures, and provide disclosure documents in writing before anything is submitted.
Done: Notices of assessment issued, loans settled, structures registered. Returns are typically a matter of days; loans typically 4–8 weeks to settlement; restructures typically 4–6 weeks — all dependent on ATO processing, lender turnaround and third parties.
06 · Ongoing relationship
You: Flag changes early — a new job, a new property under consideration, a shift in the business. Early is when options are widest.
We: Run the annual tax review, BAS quarters where applicable, and periodic loan health checks against the current market.
Done: This stage has no end point by design. Done simply means the file is current and nothing is drifting.
Honest expectations
What can slow things down.
No engagement runs entirely on our clock. These are the friction points we see most often — named up front so the timeline conversation happens at the start, not mid-stream.
Missing or partial documents
The single most common cause of delay. A return cannot be finalised on estimated figures, and a lender will not assess an incomplete file. Complete documents on day one routinely save weeks at the back end.
ATO processing times
Lodgement timing is within our control; assessment and refund timing are not. ATO processing varies through the year and lengthens noticeably around peak lodgement periods.
Lender assessment queues
Each lender runs its own service levels, and turnaround moves with application volume. We factor current turnaround into lender selection, but we cannot override a lender’s queue.
Valuations and third parties
Valuers, conveyancers and — on a refinance — the outgoing lender’s discharge team all have their own timeframes. Discharge delays at the old lender are a frequent, and frequently underestimated, bottleneck.
Changes mid-engagement
A new credit facility, a change of employment or a revised contract price generally means parts of the assessment are redone. Not fatal, but it resets clocks.
Unlodged prior years surfacing
Lenders assessing self-employed income generally want the most recently lodged returns, so if the tax review turns up unlodged years, catch-up lodgement comes first and the lending timeline moves with it. This is a sequencing issue, not a document one — and a reason the two reviews run together.
Credit file surprises
An old default, a forgotten buy-now-pay-later account or a liability that was not disclosed will show on the credit report and trigger rounds of clarification with the lender’s assessor. Whether an explanation is accepted depends on the lender’s assessment. Full disclosure at the start is always the faster path.
Trust deeds and entity paperwork
When a trust or company is the borrower, the lender’s solicitors review the deed in full, including every amendment. A deed that cannot be located, or an amendment that was never properly executed, stalls approval until it is fixed — sometimes by a lawyer, on a lawyer’s timeframe.
The document pack
Assemble it once — it serves the tax review and the lender together.
Most of the delay in any engagement is document gathering, so it pays to know the full list early. These three groups cover the large majority of engagements; the engagement letter confirms exactly what your file needs.
Identity & entity records
Verified once, relied on throughout
Driver licence or passport for identity verification — lenders require this before an application can be assessed. Where a trust or company borrows or lodges, add the trust deed with every amendment, the company constitution or ASIC extract, and ABN and TFN details. Lender solicitors read deeds in full, so the complete signed document matters, not a summary.
Income evidence
The same file serves both reviews
Employees: recent payslips and the latest income statement from myGov. Self-employed: the last two lodged returns with financial statements and notices of assessment — which is why unlodged prior years hold up lending, not just tax. Rental income needs lease agreements or agent statements. Assembled once, this pack feeds the tax review and the lender assessment together.
Facilities & commitments
Every liability, disclosed up front
Recent statements for every existing loan, credit card and buy-now-pay-later account — lenders set their own look-back windows, and an undisclosed facility surfacing on the credit report costs more time than disclosing it ever would. Add a rates notice for any property offered as security and a realistic monthly living-expense figure.
The one-roof point here is practical: with separate professionals, this pack is assembled twice and the versions drift. Here the financials your tax work is prepared from are the same financials your lender assessment relies on — one upload, one version of the truth.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about working with us.
Do I have to use both your accounting and your lending services?
No. Many clients use only the accounting side or only the lending side. The One Roof advantage applies when both sides are in play — a property purchase, a restructure, a refinance with negative gearing implications — but neither service is conditional on the other.
Is there a charge for the initial discovery call?
No, the initial 20-minute scoping call is at no cost. It exists so both sides can confirm fit before any engagement letter is signed. If we decide to proceed, you receive a written engagement letter with scope and fee before any work starts.
How long does the full engagement typically take?
It depends on the scope. An individual tax return is typically completed within 5 working days of receiving documents. A loan from pre-approval to settlement is typically 4–8 weeks depending on lender and contract timing. A structure or restructure is typically 4–6 weeks including ATO and ASIC steps.
What should I have ready before the discovery call?
Nothing is mandatory — the call works with rough figures. That said, it moves faster if you know your approximate income, what entities you operate through (if any), what property or facilities you currently hold, and any dates already fixed, such as a settlement or a lodgement deadline. Document gathering starts after the engagement letter, not before the first call.
How is the lending side paid?
Eternity Mortgage Solutions typically receives commissions from the lender for loans arranged on your behalf. The full remuneration model, our lender panel and any potential conflicts of interest are documented in our Credit Guide and Credit Proposal Disclosure document, provided to you before any loan application is submitted.
What if I already have an accountant or broker I want to keep?
That is fine. We work with existing professionals where you want continuity. In those cases the engagement scope is narrower (for example, advisory on a single decision rather than full annual compliance) and we coordinate with your existing team rather than replacing them.
What happens if a lender declines the application?
First we establish the actual reason from the lender, because declines have specific causes — a policy point, a valuation, an assessment of income. Then we advise whether another lender on the panel with different criteria is worth approaching, or whether the better answer is to wait and fix the underlying issue. Every application leaves an enquiry on your credit file, which is why we match carefully before lodging rather than submitting to several lenders at once.
Can you work to a settlement date already fixed in a contract?
Often, but the earlier we see the contract the more honest the answer. Tell us the finance clause date and settlement date on the discovery call — before signing, if possible. Where a timeline is not realistically achievable against current lender turnaround, we say so up front rather than discovering it against a deadline. Extensions to a finance clause depend on the vendor agreeing, so they are never assumed.
How do I send documents securely?
Via a secure upload link we issue once the engagement letter is signed — not as email attachments. Tax file numbers, identity documents and bank statements should never travel by plain email. If a lender or the ATO needs something during implementation, we request it through the same channel, so there is one place your documents live for both sides of the engagement.
Where does the work happen?
Most meetings are by phone or video. Document sharing is via secure upload. In-person meetings are available at the Cherrybrook office by appointment. The practice services the Hills District and greater Sydney; remote engagements across Australia are common.
Explore
Where to go next
The process applies across every service. Pick the entry point that fits where you are.
- Guide
Guide: accountant vs mortgage broker
How the two roles differ, where tax and lending overlap, and why coordinating both under one roof helps. Plain-English explainer.
- Tax & Accounting
Accounting & tax services
Individual, company and trust returns, BAS, business advisory, SMSF compliance.
- Tax & Accounting
Tax planning & strategy
Forward-looking planning across entities, super, CGT timing and pre-30-June actions.
- Mortgage Broking
Mortgage broking & finance
Home loans, refinancing, investment property loans and commercial finance — scoped alongside your tax position.
- Guide
Guide: what an accountant + mortgage broker does
What the combined one-roof role actually does day to day — the practical scope of a coordinated engagement.
- Guide
Guide: working under one roof
What it is actually like having tax and lending handled by one practitioner — shared context and fewer document re-requests.
- Local
Get in touch
Book a 20-minute scoping call. We confirm scope and next steps before any engagement begins.