Chris Tan, Co-Founder.
Co-founder of Tarino. Built and scaled his own mortgage brokerage, recognised as an MPA Top 100 Broker, and hired offshore professionals into his own team before founding Tarino.
About Chris.
Chris is an entrepreneur who loves building businesses and bringing great people together. He’s happiest turning an idea into something real, solving problems, and working with people who care about what they do.
Before co-founding Tarino, Chris built and scaled his own mortgage brokerage, earning recognition as an MPA Top 100 Broker. Hiring offshore professionals into his own team showed him the difference great people can make—and sparked the idea for Tarino.
Today, he’s focused on helping business owners build teams they’re proud of, while creating opportunities for Filipino professionals to do meaningful work and grow alongside them.
Outside of Tarino, you’ll usually find Chris training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or at home with his mini dachshund, Ringo.
Articles by Chris.
Resources
- Accountant salary Australia: what an accountant really costs to hire (2026)The median accountant salary in Australia is $2,003 a week, about $104,156 a year, according to Jobs and Skills Australia. Add 12% super, workers compensation insurance and, for larger employers, payroll tax, and a full-time accountant costs roughly $118,000 to $124,000 a year before equipment, recruitment and leave cover. A Philippines-based accountant you hire directly costs around $1,800 a month.
- Bookkeeper hourly rates in Australia (2026)The average bookkeeper hourly rate in Australia was $79.27 for general bookkeeping in the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers' 2024 survey. A full-time bookkeeper on your payroll on the Jobs and Skills Australia median costs about $36.84 an hour in wages, or about $41 with 12% super. A Philippines-based bookkeeper you hire directly costs around $1,400 a month, roughly $8.50 an hour.
- How to pay overseas staff and contractors from AustraliaTo pay overseas staff from Australia, first settle whether the person is an employee or a contractor and under which country's law, then pay them by international bank transfer, a money transfer service or an employer of record, agree the currency, and keep records for 5 years. The ATO says you don't have to pay super for non-resident employees who work outside Australia, and PAYG withholding is unlikely to be required for most such payments, but confirm your position with an adviser.
- Mortgage broker outsourcing: what to hand off and who to hand it toMortgage broker outsourcing works best for the back office: data entry, document chasing, lender submissions, settlement tracking and CRM work. The best interests duty stays with you, so anything that suggests or helps a client apply for a particular loan should stay with a trained, authorised broker.
- Offshore bookkeeping vs outsourced bookkeeping in Australia: costs and your three optionsOutsourced bookkeeping in Australia comes in three forms: a local bookkeeping firm (the ICB's 2024 survey puts the national average at $79.27 an hour), an offshore bookkeeping agency (one published rate is A$1,099 a month plus A$1,200 per hire, on top of salary), or hiring your own offshore bookkeeper directly (around $1,400 a month in salary plus a one-time recruitment fee).
- Outsourced payroll in Australia: bureau, software or your own payroll officerOutsourced payroll in Australia means handing your pay runs to a payroll bureau, running them yourself in STP-enabled software, or hiring a dedicated payroll officer, locally (Jobs and Skills Australia median $1,606 a week) or offshore. Whichever you choose, from 1 July 2026 super must reach each employee's fund within 7 business days of payday, and you remain the employer responsible for getting it right.
- Real estate virtual assistant tasks, costs and how to hire oneA real estate virtual assistant handles the admin behind sales and property management: listing uploads, inspection bookings, CRM updates, vendor reports, maintenance requests, arrears reminders and lease paperwork. Tarino's typical salary for a Philippines-based real estate assistant is around $1,200 a month. Licensed work, including trust account authorisations, stays with your licensee.
- Hammerjack Alternatives for Australian Professional Services FirmsWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 2 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Account Manager in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 14 September 2026
- Best Recruitment Agencies for Senior AccountantsRenting your staff from an outsourcing agency is a tax on your firm's growth that you can no longer afford to pay. If you want to hire offshore accountants australia has available in the Philippines, you shouldn't have to pay a permanent markup for the privilege. Traditional models keep you on a financial treadmill, skimming off the top while you handle the training and supervision yourself.
- Outsource accounts payable: hire an offshore AP officer directlyHow Australian businesses outsource accounts payable to an offshore accounts payable officer they hire directly: what the role covers, what it costs and how to hire one.
- Hire an Offshore AR Officer in Australia Without Agency FeesWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 25 July 2026
- Hire an Offshore Audit Assistant in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 19 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Billing Coordinator in Australia Without Agency FeesWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 2 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Billing Specialist in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 29 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Client Services Officer for Your Australian Financial Planning FirmWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 12 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Company Secretary Administrator in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 2 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Conveyancing Assistant in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 2 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Corporate Governance Analyst in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 21 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Credit Controller in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 17 July 2026
- Hire an Offshore Financial Controller in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 5 October 2026
- Hire an Offshore Financial Modeller for Your Australian Advisory or Consulting FirmAustralian advisory boutiques, M&A firms, and consulting practices need people who can build transaction-grade models. Finding that person locally takes months, costs a lot, or both. The Philippines has a large, well-credentialled pool of finance professionals, many with experience building DCF valuations, LBO structures and infrastructure project finance models for Australian-client-facing teams at Big 4 affiliates. This page covers what an offshore financial modeller actually does, the qualifications worth requiring, how to screen candidates, and what you will pay through Tarino's direct-hire process.
- Hire an Offshore Financial Planning Assistant in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 2 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Insolvency Administrator in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 11 September 2026
- Offshore Loan Processing for Australian FirmsWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 22 July 2026
- Hire an Offshore Management Accountant in AustraliaWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 7 August 2026
- Hire an Offshore Paraplanner in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 22 July 2026
- Hire an Offshore Payroll Officer in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 29 July 2026
- Hire an Offshore Property Manager in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 23 July 2026
- Hire an Offshore Senior Accountant in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 2 September 2026
- Hire an Offshore Settlements Officer in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 27 August 2026
- Hire an Offshore SMSF Administrator in AustraliaWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 21 July 2026
- Hire an Offshore Tax Accountant in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 24 July 2026
- Offshore Financial Planning Hire That Serves More Clients With Less AdminParaplanner | Financial Planning Admin
- Offshore Mortgage Broking Support: Scale Loans, Not CostsLoan Processor | Credit Analyst
- How to Build a Business Case for Offshoring: The AU Firm’s GuideMost offshore business cases fail because they chase the lowest hourly rate and ignore the monthly management fees and lost quality control that come with it. If you are tired of the revolving door of junior local staff and the hard-to-read invoices of traditional outsourcing, there is a better way to frame the decision. A business case for direct hire offshoring is not about finding the cheapest labour in the Philippines. It is about protecting your firm’s margins and keeping control of your own team.
- Loan For BPOs PhilippinesYou didn't start a brokerage to become a full-time data entry clerk. Yet here you are, buried under loan applications while your local hiring budget disappears. It's a common trap. Local administrative talent is priced for margins you don't have. Generic virtual assistants often lack the technical rigour Australian lending needs. To scale without burning out, you need to hire mortgage broker assistant philippines support that understands the details of a credit policy, not just how to fill out a form.
- How to Hire Offshore Staff Without Markups: The AU Firm’s Guide for 2026Your managed service provider charges a margin on every month your offshore team works. It is a "convenience fee" that drains your firm's margins and can weaken staff loyalty. You see the monthly invoice, but you may not see how much of it reaches your staff member. This model is built around the agency's ongoing revenue, not your firm's growth. It can leave you with high turnover and little control over your own office culture.
- Offshore Agency Markups: What Australian Businesses Really PayMany Australian businesses that use an offshore staffing agency have no idea what the person they've hired is actually paid. They approve a budget, sign a contract, and every month the invoice arrives, but the salary line is nowhere to be found. The gap between what you pay and what your staff member earns is where agency profit lives. On our estimates, for a team of four in a bundled-fee arrangement, it can run well past a hundred thousand dollars a year.
- Dedicated Accounting Staffing Model for AustraliaWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 30 July 2026
- Offshore Staffing for Financial Planning Firms: The Australian GuideWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 8 August 2026
- Offshore Hiring Agencies Growing Faster in 2026Offshore hiring in Australia has crossed a threshold.
- Outsource Accounting in Australia Without Agency FeesMany Australian businesses searching for an offshore accountant end up on a monthly agency contract they can't easily exit. You pay a setup fee, then a monthly margin on top of your hire's salary for as long as they stay. There's a different way to do this.
- Do You Pay Super for Offshore Staff in Australia? (2026 Guide)Note: This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm your specific obligations with a qualified Australian accountant or employment lawyer before you hire.
- Australian Agency in the PhilippinesMost Australian business owners have no idea what Filipino talent actually costs.
- TOA Global Alternatives for Australian Accounting Firms: The 2026 Direct-Hire GuideWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 2 September 2026
- Offshore Accounting and Bookkeeping Hire Without Agency FeesBookkeeper | Accountant | Tax Accountant
- Hire an Offshore Audit Support Officer in AustraliaWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 1 August 2026
- Hire an Offshore Bookkeeper in Australia Without an AgencyBookkeeping is the most common first offshore hire for Australian accounting and professional services firms. Not because it's the easiest role to fill, but because the numbers are hard to argue with. A bookkeeper who can run Xero, reconcile accounts, handle payroll, and keep your BAS period on track costs around AUD $1,400 a month (about $16,800 a year) in the Philippines. The same person in Sydney or Melbourne, if you can find them, costs more than five times that before you add on-costs.
- Hire an Offshore Financial Analyst in Australia Without an AgencyWritten by Tarino Editorial Team · Offshore Staffing Specialists · Published 8 August 2026
Guides
- Philippines salary guide 2026What Australian businesses typically pay Philippines-based staff in 2026, for 20 roles, in AUD per month. Typical salaries run from about $1,100 to $2,300 a month.
- 13th month pay Philippines: rules and calculationIn the Philippines, 13th month pay is at least one-twelfth of an employee's basic salary for the calendar year, paid by 24 December. Presidential Decree No. 851 requires it for rank-and-file employees who worked at least one month. This guide covers who is covered, how to calculate it, what to leave out and how to budget from Australia.
- Philippines minimum wage 2026: rates by regionThe minimum wage in the Philippines is set region by region, so there is no single national rate. Each regional wage board sets its own daily minimum wage. In Metro Manila, Wage Order NCR-28 sets ₱755 a day for most workers from 26 September 2026, and ₱718 for some smaller employers. Below are the rates for the main hiring regions, and why skilled offshore roles pay far more.
Comparisons
- Best outsourced accounting services for Australian firms (2026)Seven providers that help Australian accounting firms and businesses outsource accounting and bookkeeping to the Philippines, compared on model, published rates and guarantees as shown on each provider's own website on 14 October 2026. Tarino wrote this list and ranks itself first; the disclosure and criteria are below.
- Direct hire vs offshore staffing agencyAn offshore staffing agency hires your staff member and bills you a monthly fee on top of their cost. With direct hire, you hire and pay the person and pay a recruiter once. On Staff Domain's published rates, agency fees reach $27,576 over 24 months, against Tarino's one-time $5,000 excl. GST. The agency does more of the work.
Reviewed by Chris.
Resources
- Medical virtual assistant Australia: a guide for practicesA medical virtual assistant in Australia is a remote receptionist and admin hire who answers the practice phone, manages bookings and recalls, registers new patients and prepares Medicare and private billing for review. Tarino's typical salary for a Philippines-based medical receptionist is around $1,200 a month. Because health information is sensitive information under the Privacy Act, plan the privacy setup before they start.
- What an NDIS virtual assistant does and what it costsAn NDIS virtual assistant handles a provider's back-office admin: intake, rostering, service agreement drafts, payment request preparation for the myplace provider portal, rejected claim follow-up and worker screening records. Tarino's typical salary for a Philippines-based NDIS admin assistant is around $1,300 a month, with direct support and anything needing a decision kept with your Australian team.
- Paralegal salary in Australia vs an offshore paralegalThe median full-time pay for court and legal clerks, the Jobs and Skills Australia group that includes law clerks, is $1,345 a week, about $69,940 a year before 12% super and other on-costs. Tarino's typical salary for a Philippines-based legal assistant or paralegal is about $1,500 a month, or $18,000 a year.
- What is sham contracting? A guide for Australian employers hiring offshoreSham contracting is when a business tells a worker they are an independent contractor when they are really an employee, and the business cannot show it reasonably believed otherwise. It is prohibited by sections 357 to 359 of the Fair Work Act, with maximum penalties of up to $546,000 per contravention for larger businesses.
- Staff leasing in the Philippines explained (and the direct-hire alternative)Staff leasing in the Philippines is the managed seat model: a provider hires the staff member, and you pay a monthly fee per person to have them work for your business. One published rate is A$1,099 per person per month plus A$1,200 per hire. The main alternatives are an employer of record or hiring the person directly for a one-time recruitment fee.
- The Australian Data Privacy Compliance Checklist for Businesses Hiring OffshoreAustralian professional services firms operate on trust. Your clients share sensitive financial, legal, and personal information with you, and they expect you to protect it. Hiring an offshore team member doesn't create a new risk. It just means the controls you should already have in place need to be documented and enforced before day one.
- The Compliant Way to Hire Offshore Talent in Australia Without an Outsourcing AgencyHiring offshore needs to be structured properly from the start. Not because it's complicated, but because the arrangement that works long-term is one where the paperwork matches the reality.
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