Account by Administrators (ABA)

If you are an administrator for a represented person, by law you must submit an Account by Administrator (ABA) each year with details of their financial affairs.

An ABA is a report about the finances of a represented person who is the subject of a VCAT administration order.

As the administrator, you must submit an ABA to us to help us make sure the represented person's finances are well managed.

Submit your ABA

VCAT must receive your ABA and fee payment by 30 September each year.

Start a new or return to a saved ABA

To return to a saved 2024 ABA or upload documents – Retrieve my saved application

Start a new 2024 ABA

To submit an overdue ABA or ask for a hard copy form, contact us: Email humanrights@courts.vic.gov.au or call 1300 01 8228 (press option 2)

When to submit your ABA

When you get a letter from us in July each year with your administrator reference number:

  • make sure you use the new reference number
  • don’t use an old reference number from a previous year
  • submit your ABA by 30 September each year
  • submit your ABA online unless we give you permission to use a hard copy.

If you haven’t received a letter from us with your new reference number by the end of July each year, email humanrights@courts.vic.gov.au or call 1300 01 8228 (press option 2) Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

Annual administration fee

If the represented person's average fortnightly gross income from all sources is $930 or more, you must pay an administration fee each year to VCAT.

The online form tells you if you need to pay the fee before you submit.

You only need to pay one fee, even if there are two or more administrators. Joint administrators must decide among themselves who arranges for payment. 

You pay the annual fee using the represented person's funds.

Annual fee

Find out about eligibility for standard, corporate or Health Care Card fees.

  • Annual fee for administrators Standard fee
    Annual fee for Account by Administrator $147.00
  • Annual fee for administrators Corporate fee
    Annual fee for Account by Administrator $147.00
  • Annual fee for administrators Health care card fee
    Annual fee for Account by Administrator $147.00


If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may be eligible for fee relief.

You can pay by credit card when you submit your ABA online, or using BPAY. We accept VISA or Mastercard only when paying with a credit card. Check the letter we sent you about how to pay using BPAY.

Other fees 

State Trustees Limited (STL) must independently examine ABAs submitted by private administrators. You need to pay a fee directly to STL for this service. VCAT cannot waive this fee. 

If we appoint a professional administrator (for example, a trustee company, a lawyer or an accountant), we specify how much the administrator can charge for their work in the orders appointing them as administrator.

Have these documents ready

You need to give us documents to prove financial information you have entered in the ABA form. It’s best to give us as many documents as you can. 

Documents you can use to support your ABA include:   

  • bank statements for the whole accounting period – these must include the full name of the account holder, BSB and account number 
  • Centrelink PAYG statement 
  • receipts for single expenses or purchases over $1,000 
  • receipts for large combined expenses totalling more than $500 but less than $1,000 (for example, holidays, education or respite care) 
  • dividend or trust statements 
  • Statement of Adjustments (property settlement for sale or purchase of property) 
  • invoices or statements for accommodation or nursing home residence 
  • mortgage statements, loan agreements or credit card statements 
  • sale or purchase contract notes for shares and investments 
  • superannuation account summaries or statements.

Don’t give us receipts for small items under $500, such as food, shopping, entertainment, pharmacy or transport receipts.

What happens next

1 Submit ABA
2 We send your ABA to State Trustees

State Trustees check your ABA and contact us if they have any questions.

3 We contact you

We contact you to:

  • ask for more information if we need it
  • confirm if your ABA is approved  
  • give you a date for a hearing if you need to come to VCAT to resolve any questions State Trustees have.

Other things you can do

Get advice about your role as administrator 

We can help resolve issues and give you advice about your role as an administrator. We can also explain the ABA process and what the form is asking you for.

Contact us by email or post for advice about: 

  • sale of property 
  • purchase of a car 
  • gifts or loans or 
  • any other major purchase or expense.  

We must get these questions in writing. Email us at humanrights@courts.vic.gov.au or mail to:

VCAT Guardianship List
GPO Box 5408
Melbourne VIC 3001

Do not submit your request for advice when you submit your ABA. 

Depending on the advice you're after, we may ask you to formally apply for advice. For example, you're seeking advice about:

  • how to resolve a complex or serious problem in your role
  • circumstances where you may have a conflict of interest between your own finances and the finances of the represented person
  • advice on how to resolve a disagreement between guardians and/or administrators (if you are one of the guardians or administrators).

Educational videos

You can watch videos explaining the role of an administrator, including frequently asked questions about your responsibilities, decisions you can make and more.

Watch videos

Help and support

  • As an administrator, you are legally required to submit an ABA each year.

    If we don’t receive your ABA or fee payment by 30 September, we may reassess the administration order, revoke it or appoint another administrator. 

  • First time ABA form users

    To use the online form, select ‘Create’ to make a new account. Enter your email address and choose a password.

    You need the VCAT Reference Number and Administrator Reference Number printed on your VCAT letter.

    Existing ABA form users

    If you’ve started completing the online form, you can retrieve your application.

    If you’ve already submitted your application and have been asked to provide more information, you can submit additional supporting documents.

    If you’ve submitted an ABA in previous years

    Enter the same login details as you used to submit an ABA in previous years.

    You need the VCAT Reference Number and Administrator Reference Number printed on the letter we sent.

    Some fields will be pre-populated based on information submitted last year. Check and update details that aren’t correct.

  • Public computers or tablets are available at local libraries and community centres.

    We recommend using the online form because they are processed faster and it works out if you need to pay the Annual Administration Fee. 

    If you want to submit a hard copy (paper-based) ABA form, you need to contact us to ask for permission.

    If we allow you to submit a paper-based ABA you need to calculate the fortnightly income of the represented person. This figure is the represented person's annual income from all sources (excluding proceeds from the sale of property or assets) divided by 26. 

    If the represented person's fortnightly income from all sources is less than $930, you must complete the payment slip on the back of the VCAT letter (sent to you in July) and return this with the ABA to confirm no fee is payable. 

    Do not send the payment slip without the ABA. 

    When completing the form, you need to manually calculate the represented person's total pensions. Add each pension payment for the last financial year as they appear on the represented person's bank statements. The figure stated on Centrelink PAYG statements is understated for ABA purposes.

     

  • As a guardian or administrator you’re legally required to tell us in writing. 

    We need proof of the represented person's death, such as a copy of the death certificate or a letter from a doctor involved in their care.

    If you’re an administrator we tell you if you still need to submit the Account by Administrator (ABA). 

    Keep a copy of the ABA and all supporting documents for five years. 

    Email humanrights@courts.vic.gov.au or post to VCAT Guardianship List, GPO Box 5408, Melbourne VIC 3001.

    More help and support about ABA

See more help and support