How to tell people they owe the government money
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How to tell people they owe the government money – Best practice principles for notifying people about debts
Best Practice Principles Guide
The IGTO and the Commonwealth Ombudsman and ACT Ombudsman have jointly developed a set of Best Practice Principles for Commonwealth agencies, including the ATO, when engaging with people to tell them they owe the government money.
The complete guide and principles can be accessed here.
How the IGTO can help – some recent case studies
Set out below are links to case studies where the IGTO has investigated ATO debt collection to illustrate how the IGTO has and can assist taxpayers.
FAQ information to assist the community
Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) and common scenarios are available here. This information is general information only.
Where possible, taxpayers may wish to seek assistance from a registered tax practitioner or a legal practitioner, particularly where the matters they are managing are complex.
Other helpful reports and information
The IGTO and the Commonwealth Ombudsman (who had oversight of the ATO between 1995 – May 2015) respectively, have conducted a number of investigations into various facets of the ATO’s debt collection practices.
The reports from these investigations are accessible here.