The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has launched its refreshed ATO charter which serves to reinforce its commitment towards strengthening its relationship of trust and confidence with the Australian community.
Previously known as the Taxpayers’ Charter, the new charter states what people can expect when they interact with the ATO, the ATO’s commitments to them, what the ATO asks of them, and steps people can take if they are not satisfied.
ATO Assistant Commissioner Katherine Philp said community feedback was critical in helping to shape the ATO’s approach to the refresh.
“We’ve listened to this feedback and made sure the refreshed ATO Charter is easy-to-understand and helpful, without changing any of the important commitments we make to the community,” Philp said. “The refreshed Charter aims to provide clarity on what people can expect from the ATO and reflect our relationship of trust with the community.”
Extensive community consultation conducted by the ATO revealed “overwhelming” feedback that the previous 65-page Charter was inaccessible, dense, and did not reference the ATO’s support for people with vulnerabilities or those impacted by difficult times.
Philp said that the Charter had been streamlined but contains links to more detailed information on specific topics and commitments.
“We take our commitments seriously and it’s important for us to know when people feel we may not be meeting those commitments,” Philp said. “We’re very proud of the result in the Trust in Australian public services: 2022 Annual Report which saw the ATO come out on top with 81 per cent of people saying they trust the ATO.
“But it’s important that the community knows what steps they can take if they are not satisfied,” Philp added. “That’s why our refreshed Charter has made this information more prominent. We’d like to say thank you to everyone who provided their feedback, which was critical for us to ensure our Charter hits the mark.”
To view the ATO Charter, visit ato.gov.au/ATOcharter.
