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The Australian Taxation Office received a favourable report card from the National Audit Office although there was some room for improvement.
The audit was identified as a parliamentary priority by the joint committee of accountants and audit in 2021–22 as it was agreed that a better engagement between the ATO and tax practitioners would help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the taxation and superannuation systems.
Previous reviews in 2015 and 2018 of the ATO’s engagement with and support for tax practitioners identified concerns with the ATO’s transparency, communication and level of service.
According to the ATO there were 63,950 tax practitioners in March 2022 – 46,751 tax agents and 17,199 BAS agents through which it engages through consultation activities and groups; providing services and support; and through individual interactions relating to specific client or practitioner matters.
It also found that there were 1.5 million tax practitioner calls to the ATO in 2020–21.
Most of the questions in the survey disseminated to tax practitioner received around 4,000–5,000 responses, and revealed that 61 per cent of tax practitioners said the ATO worked effectively with them while just 11 per cent said it was ineffective.
The key findings from the audit found the ATO is largely effective in implementing its tax practitioner engagement activities, and the development of a strategic and performance framework for tax practitioner engagement would allow the impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the taxation and superannuation systems from the ATO’s engagement activities to be assessed.
It also found the ATO consulted largely effectively with tax practitioners to inform its strategies, services and support and that it provides largely effective services and support for tax practitioners.
Two key tax practitioner programs reviewed as part of the audit are supported through largely effective communications. The ATO monitors the performance of its tax practitioner inquiry channels in terms of timeliness of response. Monitoring of service quality through the channels, including whether inquiries were satisfactorily resolved by skilled staff, is less evident. Digital services for tax practitioners are largely fit for purpose.
Following the audit, the ATO has agreed to more clearly link its strategies to its tax practitioner engagement objectives and better communicate its strategic engagement approach with tax practitioners and to consult with tax practitioners to better understand their concerns regarding the registered agent phone line and use this feedback to guide the development of future service offerings.