Why Accountants Should Be Referring Asset Finance

Your business clients buy equipment, vehicles, and machinery every year. Most of the time, they go to their bank, or worse, they pay cash and destroy their working capital. As their accountant, you see the numbers before anyone else. You know when a client's gear is ageing, when their cash reserves are dipping, and when they're about to make a purchase that changes their balance sheet. That puts you in the best position to have the finance conversation, and to earn from it.

The opportunity sitting in your client book

Australia has close to 2.6 million small businesses. The average asset finance request sits around $70,000, according to a recent analysis of thousands of loan enquiries. That's not pocket money, and many of these businesses are already sitting in your client list.

Think about how many of your clients have bought a vehicle, a piece of equipment, or a fitout in the last 12 months. Now think about how many of them asked you for a finance recommendation before they did it. For most practices, the answer is "not many", and that's the gap.

The reality is that your clients already trust you with their financials. When they need a solicitor, a bookkeeper, or an insurance broker, they ask you first. Asset finance should be no different. The only reason it isn't is that most practices haven't built it into the conversation.

What a finance referral partnership actually looks like

Referring asset finance isn't the same as giving financial advice. You're not recommending a product or assessing suitability. You're connecting a client with a specialist who can. In most structures, no Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) is required for a simple referral.

Here's how it typically works:

You identify the need. A client mentions they're looking at a new vehicle, upgrading equipment, or planning a capital purchase. Sometimes you spot it first: their maintenance costs are climbing, their depreciation schedule is tailing off, or they're sitting on too much cash relative to their asset needs.

You make the introduction. A warm referral to an asset finance broker, in this case, Emu Money's team. The client's details and context get passed across (with their consent), so the broker already knows the story.

The broker does the work. They compare options across 50+ lenders, find the right structure (chattel mortgage, finance lease, rental, whatever suits the client's tax position), and handle the application through to settlement.

You stay in the loop. A good broker provides the accountant with settlement documentation, contract summaries, and the information you need to reconcile at tax time. No chasing. No gaps in your records.

You earn a referral fee. Commercial arrangements vary, but most finance brokers pay a referral fee per settled deal. On a $70,000 equipment finance deal, that's a meaningful number, and it's recurring if your clients finance assets regularly.

Why this matters more in the EOFY lead-up

With the end of the financial year approaching, your business clients are thinking about tax. And the $20,000 instant asset write-off is front of mind for anyone with turnover under $10 million.

Here's the thing most accountants already know but don't always act on: the write-off only works if the asset is installed and ready for use by 30 June. That means the finance conversation needs to happen early, not in the last week of May when settlement timelines start getting tight.

If a client is going to claim the deduction, they need the asset purchased, delivered, and operational before the deadline. Finance approval can take 24 to 48 hours for straightforward deals, but delivery and installation add weeks. Starting the process early gives everyone breathing room.

This is where accountants add genuine value. You're already having the EOFY planning conversation. Adding "have you considered any asset purchases before 30 June?" takes 30 seconds and could save your client thousands in tax, while earning your practice a referral fee on the finance.

What this means for your practice

Think about the maths for a mid-sized practice. If you have 200 business clients and just 10% of them finance an asset in a given year, that's 20 referrals. At an average deal size of $70,000, that's $1.4 million in finance volume flowing through your referral partnership, without you lifting a pen.

The referral fee varies by broker and deal type, but it's a revenue stream that costs you nothing to deliver. No extra staff, no compliance overhead, no additional software. Just a conversation you're already having, with one extra question added.

Beyond revenue, there's a retention argument. Practices that offer broader business support, whether that's finance referrals, advisory, or commercial introductions, retain clients longer. When your client gets a better finance outcome because you made the right introduction, they remember it. It deepens the relationship in a way that another tax return never will.

How to get started

Reach out to Emu Money. When you become a partner, you'll be paired with a dedicated broker who understands your practice and your clients. With a panel of 50+ lenders, fast turnaround, and full visibility on every deal, your clients get a better outcome, and you stay informed from referral to settlement.

Build it into your client touchpoints. Annual reviews, BAS meetings, EOFY planning sessions: these are all natural moments to ask about upcoming asset purchases. You don't need a hard sell. A question like "are you planning any equipment or vehicle purchases this year?" is enough.

Track your referrals. Even informally. Knowing which clients you've referred and what settled helps you measure the value and improve the conversation over time.

Interested in setting up a referral partnership? Talk to Emu Money's partnerships team about how it works: no licence required, no lock-in, and full visibility on every deal. Become a partner.