Newsletter
July 2014 Newsletter
ATO debt collection approach under review
The Inspector-General of Taxation, Mr Ali Noroozi, has announced that he will review the ATO's approach to debt collection. To facilitate his review, Mr Noroozi has called for interested parties to submit comments. Public consultation closes on 18 July 2014.
"Despite the ATO's debt assistance programs, its approach to collecting taxes has been a persistent source of taxpayer complaint", Mr Noroozi said. He noted that the ATO's approach to collecting debts accounted for 23% of all ATO-related complaints received by the Commonwealth Ombudsman in 2012–2013.
Furthermore, Mr Noroozi said some stakeholders believe that the ATO has recently taken a firmer approach to debt collection despite continuing economic pressures, while others are of the view that the ATO allows debts to accumulate for too long before taking action.