The Tax Office uncovered $100 million worth of rorted work expenses last year from audits of fewer than 0.1 per cent of taxpayers, a committee has heard.
The House Economics Committee heard the Tax Office spent $20 millon to recoup $100 million via 100,000 "interactions" with people, such as letters and working with tax agents, and from 6,000 to 7,000 audits of risky returns.
ATO finds $100m from work expense audits of 0.1pc | afr.comAustralian Taxation Office (PDF 4458 KB)
Everyone’s responsibility—
taxpayer engagement in Australia
The Tax and Revenue Committee will hold its first public hearing today with Australia’s Federal Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office.
Committee Chair Mr Kevin Hogan MP said the hearing will provide the opportunity to discuss the framework of the Australian tax and superannuation system and how Australians currently operate within it.
“This inquiry has a wide range of areas to consider. Importantly, it will examine how individuals and small businesses perceive and operate within the tax and superannuation system – and what may impact levels of voluntary compliance and contribute to a best-practice framework,” Mr Hogan said.
The Committee will investigate the impact and considerations of the relatively new and transformative technological changes affecting the tax system. In particular, the ‘digital-by-default’ strategy of the ATO —and the readiness of all stakeholders to fairly, confidently and securely deal with this—will be explored. The digitisation of tax services is a major part of the ATO’s Reinvention Program but behavioural change will also part a key role in the future tax system.
“A specific focus of the Committee’s inquiry reference is on non-compliant activity within Australia’s cash economy,” Mr Hogan said.
“This is an issue which affects all Australians - not merely those required to lodge tax returns”.
The experiences of other comparable taxation jurisdictions – especially in the field of behavioural economics – will be explored during the course of the inquiry.
Public Hearing ProgramWednesday, 29 March 2017
Committee Room 2R1, PARLIAMENT HOUSE
The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live
The Tax and Revenue Committee will hold its first public hearing today with Australia’s Federal Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office.
Committee Chair Mr Kevin Hogan MP said the hearing will provide the opportunity to discuss the framework of the Australian tax and superannuation system and how Australians currently operate within it.
“This inquiry has a wide range of areas to consider. Importantly, it will examine how individuals and small businesses perceive and operate within the tax and superannuation system – and what may impact levels of voluntary compliance and contribute to a best-practice framework,” Mr Hogan said.
The Committee will investigate the impact and considerations of the relatively new and transformative technological changes affecting the tax system. In particular, the ‘digital-by-default’ strategy of the ATO —and the readiness of all stakeholders to fairly, confidently and securely deal with this—will be explored. The digitisation of tax services is a major part of the ATO’s Reinvention Program but behavioural change will also part a key role in the future tax system.
“A specific focus of the Committee’s inquiry reference is on non-compliant activity within Australia’s cash economy,” Mr Hogan said.
“This is an issue which affects all Australians - not merely those required to lodge tax returns”.
The experiences of other comparable taxation jurisdictions – especially in the field of behavioural economics – will be explored during the course of the inquiry.
Public Hearing ProgramWednesday, 29 March 2017
Committee Room 2R1, PARLIAMENT HOUSE
The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live
Time
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Organisations
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4.15 – 5.00 pm
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The Australian Taxation Office
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5.00 – 5.45 pm
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The Treasury
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