Practical answers for investors, accountants, and counterparties. Three sections — jump to yours.
Everything you need to know before, during, and after your certification.
A wholesale investor certificate confirms that you meet the financial thresholds for wholesale investor status under section 708(8)(c) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Many investment opportunities — particularly unlisted property, private equity, and alternative assets — are only available to investors who hold a current certificate. Your fund manager, responsible entity, trustee, or relying party will request the certificate before allowing you to access these opportunities.
The first certificate is free. No credit card is required to begin. You only pay when you renew — the renewal fee is A$79 per certificate (inclusive of GST). See the Pricing page for full details.
You can start the application before you have arranged an accountant. You have two options: nominate your own accountant and provide their details during the application, or request a platform-supplied accountant who will be assigned by 708C site administration after your evidence is reviewed. If you use your own accountant, they do not need to create an account first — they receive a secure review link by email.
You need supporting evidence for the basis you are claiming:
Net assets ≥ A$2.5M: Rates notice, balance sheet, bank statements, or an NPV statement for the relevant entity or individual.
Gross income ≥ A$250,000 p.a. for two years: Two years of tax returns or financial statements for the relevant entity or individual.
If you are certifying as a company or trust, the evidence must relate to the entity — not just the individual controller.
Once you submit your application, your accountant receives a secure review link immediately. The timeline then depends on how quickly your accountant reviews and records their decision. Most accountants respond within 24–48 hours. If you have nominated a platform-supplied accountant, 708C site administration will review your evidence first before assigning an accountant — this typically adds 1–2 business days.
Your certificate is stored in your private 708C vault. An account is created for you automatically when you submit your application — you will receive an email with a link to set your password and access your dashboard. Once logged in, you can view, download, and share your certificate serial number for validation purposes.
Certificates are valid for two years from the date of issue. You will receive email reminders at 90 days, 30 days, and 7 days before expiry — both to you and to your certifying accountant. To renew, log in to your dashboard and initiate a renewal request. Your accountant reviews the updated evidence and issues a new certificate. The renewal fee is A$79 (inclusive of GST).
708C certificates are issued under section 708(8)(c) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in accordance with ASIC Regulatory Guide 154. Whether a particular fund manager, responsible entity, trustee, or relying party accepts 708C certificates as their form of investor verification is a decision made by that counterparty. We recommend confirming with your investment manager before relying on the certificate for a specific transaction.
Yes. Your supporting documents are stored in a private vault outside the public web root and are never accessible via a public URL. They are served only via expiring, signed download links to you and your nominated accountant. 708C does not sell your information and does not display advertising. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
No. 708C is a certification platform — not a financial adviser. The certificate confirms your accountant's assessment that you meet the statutory wholesale investor thresholds. It does not constitute advice to invest in any particular product, and it does not guarantee any investment outcome. Your investment decisions remain entirely your own.
What to expect when you receive a review request, and how the Professional Accountant Desk works.
Yes. Under section 708(8)(c) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and ASIC Regulatory Guide 154, only a qualified accountant may certify wholesale investor status. A qualified accountant is defined as a registered tax agent, a full member of CPA Australia (CPA or FCPA), a full member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA or FCA), or a full member of the Institute of Public Accountants. Your professional membership credentials are your own — the platform records the certification decision but does not verify your membership independently.
No — not for the first review. When a client nominates you, you receive a secure, single-use review link by email. You can open the application, review the documents, and record your decision without logging in or registering. After your first approval, you will receive a separate invitation to activate your Professional Accountant Desk, which gives you a persistent workspace for future reviews and client tracking.
The secure review link takes you to a page showing the applicant's particulars, entity type, certification basis, and all uploaded supporting documents. You can view each document, add an optional note, and record one of three decisions: Approve & Certify, Request More Information, or Decline. The link is single-use and expires in 48 hours.
Yes. When you approve an application through 708C, you are certifying — in your professional capacity as a qualified accountant — that the investor meets the statutory threshold you assessed. The platform records your decision with your email identity and a timestamp. The certification decision is yours. 708C provides the workflow, routing, storage, and audit trail — it does not perform or override the professional assessment.
No. Accountants are never charged to review or certify through 708C. The first certificate is funded by the platform. On renewal, you receive an A$20 remuneration payment per certificate issued. This is paid by the platform, not the investor. You do not invoice the investor for this amount.
After your first approval, you receive an email invitation to activate your Professional Accountant Desk. Clicking the activation link creates your account, assigns your professional role, and logs you in automatically. Your desk shows your complete client roster, pending reviews, expiring certificates, renewal queue, remuneration record, and audit log — all in one workspace.
Yes. From your Professional Accountant Desk, you can initiate a certification request for an existing client of your practice without requiring the client to begin a new application. This pathway is available only to registered accountants and is restricted to existing clients of your firm. It must not be used to solicit, market to, or acquire new clients through the platform.
You are notified by email 90 days, 30 days, and 7 days before a client's certificate expires. When the certificate expires, it is automatically marked as no longer current on the platform. If the client initiates a renewal, the renewal request appears in your desk queue. You review the updated evidence and record the renewal decision. The new certificate is issued under a new serial number and the old certificate is marked as superseded.
How to validate, rely on, and maintain records of 708C certificates as a responsible entity, fund manager, or trustee.
Go to 708c.com.au/validate-certificate/ and enter the serial number. Alternatively, use the direct shortlink 708c.com.au/v/[serial] — the serial number is printed on the face of the certificate. Validation is free, instantaneous, and requires no login. The result shows the current status, entity name, issue date, expiry date, and — for authenticated verifiers — the certification basis and certifying accountant.
Five statuses: Active (current, may be relied upon), Expiring Soon (within 30 days of expiry — still current), No Longer Current (expired — not current for reliance), Superseded (replaced by a renewal), or Revoked (cancelled by the platform operator). Status transitions are automatic. You can validate at any time to confirm the current status.
708C certificates are issued under section 708(8)(c) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) consistent with ASIC Regulatory Guide 154. Whether a particular certificate satisfies your organisation's specific compliance requirements — and whether you are entitled to rely on it in connection with a particular financial product or transaction — is a legal question for your own counsel. 708C does not provide legal advice.
Supporting documents are not distributed to counterparties by default. They are retained in the investor's private vault and are accessible only to the investor and their certifying accountant. Authenticated verifiers with an active compliance session can generate an evidence pack — a ZIP containing the certificate, uploaded supporting documents, and audit trail — for their own reliance records. Contact us to arrange verifier workspace access.
The evidence pack is a structured download containing: the certificate summary, the investor's uploaded supporting documents, the platform audit trail for that certificate, and a manifest. It is generated on demand from the Verifier Workspace when an active compliance session is running. Every pack generation is logged. Contact us to discuss verifier access for your organisation.
Validation at the time of reliance confirms the current status. If a certificate expires between an investor's initial certification and a subsequent transaction, the status will show as No Longer Current. The investor will need to renew their certificate before you can rely on it for the new transaction. 708C sends renewal reminders to investors and their accountants proactively, but it is the counterparty's responsibility to validate status at the time of reliance.
Contact our support team or go directly to the relevant starting point.