Case Study – Bankruptcy and tax debt
A sole trader taxpayer had a dispute (or unresolved complaint) with the ATO concerning its intention to disclose a $590,000 tax debt to Credit Reporting Bureaus (CRB) and had been...
A sole trader taxpayer had a dispute (or unresolved complaint) with the ATO concerning its intention to disclose a $590,000 tax debt to Credit Reporting Bureaus (CRB) and had been...
In a recent IGTO investigation, the complainant asked the Commissioner to exercise his discretion to refund the complainant’s 2023 tax refund instead of offsetting against his tax debt. The complainant...
The ATO issued a garnishee notice to a taxpayer for debts from a former partnership business. The taxpayer was travelling at the time and the garnishee notice resulted in them...
Latest media releases and resources from IGTO.
Posted 31 October 2024
The newly appointed Inspector-General of Taxation, Ruth Owen, has recommended changes to make it faster and simpler for all taxpayers to lodge an objection with the ATO.
The Inspector-General’s report highlights 4 areas of improvement:
Posted 30 April 2024
The Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO) commenced an own-motion investigation into Tax identification (TaxID) fraud on 15 December 2023. This was in response to an increase in complaints and dispute investigations concerning TaxID fraud received by the IGTO.
The IGTO makes thirteen (13) recommendations for ATO improvement in this interim (Phase 1) report – The importance of bank account integrity.
Posted 26 March 2024
Posted 20 December 2023
The Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO), Ms Karen Payne, has today publicly released her report and recommendations following her office’s investigation into The Administration of the Commissioner’s Remedial Power (CRP).
Since March 2017, the Commissioner of Taxation has had a statutory power – the Commissioner’s Remedial Power (CRP) – to modify the operation of certain taxation law provisions that give rise to unintended or unforeseen outcomes.
The report examines this important power and discretion vested in the Commissioner of Taxation – that is the Commissioner’s ability to temporarily modify tax laws where it produces results which are unintended or unforeseen until a more permanent, legislative resolution can be implemented. In addition to providing improved timeliness and greater certainty for taxpayers, the measure was also intended to reduce the pressures on the law reform agenda.
Posted 15 December 2023
The Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO) is concerned about ongoing media reports of increasing instances of tax identity and financial fraud.
Our Office has held recent discussions with complainants and tax practitioners confirming taxpayers have been experiencing heightened instances of identity and financial fraud in relation to their tax affairs and accounts. This includes those relating to the ATO’s systems and processes to address these issues. As a result, the IGTO has commenced an ‘own initiative investigation’ into the important area of Tax Identity Fraud.
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