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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
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.
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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.
- Call 1300 01 8228
- Email humanrights@courts.vic.gov.au
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.