North Sydney runs on professional services. The towers along Pacific Highway, Miller Street and Walker Street hold a dense concentration of accounting practices and advice firms, and most of them work with the businesses and households of the lower north shore rather than the wider Sydney market. This page covers both: the financial planners and the accountants working in North Sydney, and how a firm gets listed here.
The North Sydney list is open
Ten spots for financial planners. Ten spots for accountants. Firms are assessed against our listing standards before they go on the page. Businesses can apply to be considered, and anyone can nominate a firm they rate.
Why North Sydney has its own page
A citywide list is built for someone typing “accountant Sydney” into Google. It points them at firms in the CBD, Parramatta or the eastern suburbs. That is not much help if you work in North Sydney and want a meeting you can walk to, or if you live in Crows Nest, Cammeray, Waverton, Kirribilli, McMahons Point or Neutral Bay and would rather not cross the bridge for a tax return.
The client mix here is also different. North Sydney holds a large corporate workforce alongside small professional practices, contractors and family businesses. The questions those people bring to a planner or an accountant are not the same ones a general Sydney page is written to answer.
Financial planners in North Sydney
A financial planner, also called a financial adviser, helps you set and follow a strategy across superannuation, investments, personal insurance, retirement income and estate planning. Anyone providing personal financial advice to retail clients in Australia must be authorised under an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) and must appear on ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register.
That register is public. Look up an adviser by name before you engage them and you can see which licensee authorises them, what they are authorised to advise on, and whether ASIC has recorded a ban or disqualification.
What to check before you engage a planner in North Sydney
- They appear on ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register and are currently authorised
- You are given a Financial Services Guide that sets out their services, their fees and who owns the licensee they work under
- The advice areas they are authorised for match what you actually need, whether that is retirement, insurance, SMSF or investment strategy
- You understand how they are paid, and whether any product they recommend is connected to their licensee
- The Statement of Advice explains why each recommendation suits your circumstances, not just what the recommendation is
Financial planners: 10 spots, open now
This is a new list and the spots have not been filled. Firms are being assessed now. If you run a planning practice in North Sydney, or you know one worth listing, both routes are below.
Accountants in North Sydney
Accountants in North Sydney handle individual tax returns, BAS and bookkeeping, company and trust structuring, SMSF compliance, and advisory work for small and medium businesses. Anyone charging to prepare your return or give tax advice must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board.
Most also hold a professional designation: CA through Chartered Accountants ANZ, CPA through CPA Australia, or IPA through the Institute of Public Accountants. We explain what each designation covers, and what accounting work in Sydney typically costs, on our best accountants in Sydney page. This page is for people who want someone local to North Sydney specifically.
What to check before you engage an accountant in North Sydney
- Registered with the Tax Practitioners Board
- Holds a CA, CPA or IPA designation
- Has direct experience with your situation, whether that is a company, a trust, an SMSF, property or PAYG income
- Quotes in writing before the work starts
- Tells you what they need from you, and when, so lodgement deadlines are not a scramble
Accountants: 10 spots, open now
The North Sydney accounting list is being built. Practices are assessed against the same standards we apply to every OurTop10 listing before they appear here.
Apply for a spot on the North Sydney list
OurTop10 exists so that someone looking for a professional lands on a short list they can trust instead of a page of ads. That only works if the list stays short and every business on it has been checked. Ten spots per category, and firms are assessed before they go up.
What a spot gets you
- A listing on the page people reach when they search for a financial planner or an accountant in North Sydney
- Enquiries from that page passed straight to you
- Your firm shown next to the other businesses we rate in the area, rather than buried in a directory of hundreds
- A profile that a prospective client can check against the public registers before they call you
What we look at
Listing standards for the North Sydney page are being confirmed. The checks below are the ones we already apply and the regulatory checks that are not negotiable.
- Years the practice has been operating
- Verified client reviews across recognised platforms
- Current registration: AFSL authorisation on ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register for planners, Tax Practitioners Board registration for accountants
- Professional designation where it applies (CA, CPA, IPA)
- A genuine North Sydney presence, not a mailbox
Applying does not guarantee a listing. If your firm meets the standard we will come back to you to talk through how the listing works and what happens next.
Nominate a business you rate
Do you recommend an award-winning business? We would like to hear about them.
If you have worked with a financial planner or an accountant in North Sydney who did a genuinely good job, put their name forward. Nominations from clients and from other professionals carry real weight, and they are how we find the firms that are too busy doing the work to chase attention. Use the same form below and pick “nominating a business”.
Apply or nominate
One form covers both. Tell us whether you are applying for your own business or putting another firm forward, and we will take it from there.
Frequently asked questions
Is anything on this page financial advice?
No. OurTop10 is a comparison and listing site. Nothing here takes your circumstances, goals or financial situation into account, and a listing is not an endorsement of the advice any firm gives. For personal advice, speak to a licensed adviser and read the Statement of Advice they give you.
How do I check that a financial adviser is licensed?
Search their name on ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register, which is hosted on the Moneysmart site. It shows their current authorisations, the licensee they work under, their qualifications and any bans or disqualifications ASIC has recorded.
How do I check that an accountant is registered?
Search the Tax Practitioners Board public register. Anyone charging a fee to prepare your tax return, lodge your BAS or give tax advice has to be registered there.
Which areas does this list cover?
North Sydney and the surrounding lower north shore, including Crows Nest, Cammeray, Waverton, Wollstonecraft, McMahons Point, Milsons Point, Kirribilli and Neutral Bay.
How does a business get listed?
It applies, or someone nominates it. Either way the firm is assessed against our listing standards before anything goes on the page. Spots are capped at ten per category, so a listing is something a business qualifies for rather than something it signs up to.
When will the listings appear?
Firms are being assessed now and listings go up as they are confirmed. Both categories are open.
Other OurTop10 lists for Sydney
- Best accountants in Sydney
- Best mortgage brokers in Sydney
- Best conveyancers in Sydney
- Best buyers agents in Sydney
Disclaimer: OurTop10 provides general comparison information only. We are not licensed to give financial, tax or legal advice and nothing on this page is personal advice. A listing does not mean we endorse the advice a firm provides. Check any financial adviser on ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register and any accountant on the Tax Practitioners Board register, and consider seeking licensed professional advice before you act.