CPA Australia welcomes ATO commitment to service improvements

Australia’s largest accounting body, CPA Australia, has welcomed Commissioner of Taxation Rob Heferen’s commitment to improve the ATO’s service operations for tax practitioners.

Mr Heferen addressed CPA Australia’s inaugural Tax Forum in Melbourne today (Wednesday 13 August), where tax professionals, policymakers and industry leaders explored the evolving landscape of tax policy, administration and public practice.

Addressing concerns from CPA Australia members and other tax practitioners on the agency’s front-line services, such as ATO letters and the registered tax agent phone line, Mr Heferen acknowledged the ATO’s performance “has not been where we want it to be”. 

However, Mr Heferen pointed to improvements over the past 12 to 18 months, including the ATO answering 678,000 additional phone calls compared with the previous year and a 21 per cent reduction in call wait times. He noted that the ATO ended the financial year with the lowest backlog of processing for four years.

To help improve service operations, Mr Heferen noted the ATO’s plans for a new platform for its call centre to automate and speed up enquiries, digital two-way communication between the ATO and agents, as well as enhanced online services, including the ATO App.

Mr Heferen also acknowledged concerns from within the profession over the ATO’s perceived inconsistent approach to General Interest Charge (GIC) remission, noting that a review of the ATO’s approach to the charge is now underway.

CPA Australia’s Tax Lead, Jenny Wong, welcomed Mr Heferen’s focus on delivering an improvement in services to CPA Australia members and other tax professionals.

“Effective tax administration is just as important as sound policy or the level of tax rates. Even the best designed tax laws can falter if they’re administered inefficiently, inconsistently, or in ways that are hard to navigate,” said Ms Wong. 

“Over the past year, members have told us that their biggest challenges often come not from the legislation itself, but from the practicalities of dealing with the system – it’s the day-to-day friction points like delayed response times, unclear or inconsistent guidance, repeated requests for the same information, difficulty accessing the right ATO contact, or confusion around administration processes. 

“And for investors and businesses, certainty is the key – they can plan for known obligations, but unpredictable outcomes, complexity, shifting interpretations, and inconsistent enforcement erode confidence and deter investment.” 

The Tax Forum featured keynote addresses from distinguished experts, including the Inspector-General of Taxation Ruth Owen; Secretary and Tax Counsel of the Board of Taxation, Paul Korganow; the author of Mixed Fortunes: A History of Tax Reform in Australia, Paul Tilley; and The Hon. David Bradbury, former Minister in the Australian Government and Assistant Treasurer.

Ms Wong said the Tax Forum underscores CPA Australia’s commitment to facilitating meaningful and impactful discussion between regulators, members and the broader community.

Mr Heferen’s full speech can be found on the ATO website.

 

Media contact

Simon Downes, External Affairs Lead
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