Small-business owners are advised to urgently contact the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprises Ombudsman (ASBFEO) if they have experienced heavy-handed tactics by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
“Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Kelly O’Dwyer, has requested an inquiry into the allegations raised in the joint Fairfax/Four Corners investigation,” said ASBFEO Kate Carnell. “Under the direction of Treasury, my office and the Inspector-General of Taxation, Ali Noroozi, will examine cases of unfair conduct by the ATO.
Our timeframes on this inquiry are extremely tight, so its important small-business owners tell us their story as a matter of urgency – within the next week or two. My office is interested in examples where the ATO has targeted small businesses unfairly and the business owner has been affected financially.”
Ms Carnell noted that, according to the ATO’s latest annual report, there are 3.8 million small-business taxpayers, including sole traders, in the tax system.
“The Inspector-General says in roughly five per cent of cases, the ATO gets it wrong … which on the face of it is way too many,” Ms Carnell pointed out. “We want to gain a better understanding of how the ATO is adversely interacting with small businesses so we can provide government with constructive and realistic advice.”
With complete anonymity assured, small-business owners can explain their situation by emailing [email protected].
