ATO Strengthens its approach to

debt collection

We want to bring to your attention some crucial changes in the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) approach to debt collection, which may impact you and/or your business.

 

The ATO has recently adopted a more aggressive stance in its efforts to recover long-term debts. This initiative entails stricter payment plans and a reduced willingness to grant interest and penalty remissions which will now be exception rather than the rule.

 

The ATO has allocated a budget of $82 million to target businesses with debts exceeding $100,000 or debts older than two years. For these clients, concessions will no longer be available, and the ATO will proceed with firmer actions to recover outstanding amounts.  This may include Director Penalty Notices (DPN) and Creditor’s Statutory demands.

Payment plans will be limited, and those that are approved will need to be completed within shorter timeframes aligned with reporting cycles. The lenient approach observed during the pandemic, which led to increased expectations of interest and penalty remissions, will no longer be the norm.

 

Furthermore, businesses with unpaid superannuation or those found exploiting their employees will be held accountable through a range of enforcement actions, including garnishees, directions to pay, director penalty notices, disclosure of business tax debt, and prosecution actions.

 

If your business has a tax debt over $100,000 it is crucial to act now and start to budget your cash flow to repay this debt. We also continue to urge businesses to ensure they lodge all their BAS and super commitments on time.

 

Article Posted - 15 September 2023