Tax office criticised for resurrecting old debts worth billions and causing Australians distress
ABCTwo federal ombudsmen have joined forces to launch a scathing review of the tax office and call on government agencies to act more fairly when they chase people for debts. The Australian Taxation Office is owed tens of billions of dollars' worth of income tax debts it once dismissed as being "uneconomical to pursue". Tax Ombudsman Karen Payne said there had been an uptick in complaints to her office about the ATO, including about historical debts and debts that had been overstated. ATO revives old tax debts Photo shows A lady sitting on a porch with documents The Tax Office is owed tens of billions of dollars worth of income tax debts it once dismissed as being "uneconomical to pursue". An ATO spokeswoman said the tax office understood that "in making these debts invisible to clients once they were placed on hold, it does come as a surprise to many ".
History of this topic
ATO moves to claw back $50 billion in debt, but during a cost-of-living crisis it's causing turmoil
ABCAs tax and superannuation debts grow, ATO issues tens of thousands of director penalty notices that could send more people bankrupt
ABCThe ATO is reviving old tax debts totalling billions, threatening some taxpayers with bankruptcy
ABCDiscover Related
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