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We conducted a review into the ATO’s registered agent phone line in response to increasing complaints of poor service.
Registered tax agents play a vital role in the Australian tax system, representing 62% of individual taxpayers and 96% of other taxpayers.
The ATO encourages registered agents to use its online services but, with 65% of agents reporting problems, there is still a strong demand for their dedicated registered agent phone line.
Our review looked into the differences between what registered agents expect of the phone service and what the ATO provides, as well as how the ATO is consulting with agents, to make recommendations on how the service can be improved.
We undertook widespread consultation with the tax community in early 2025 to inform our review and final recommendations. We thank all those who participated in the review through submissions, an online survey and consultation activities.
Read the report: Review: Systemic review of the effectiveness of the ATO’s registered agent phone line.
We conducted a review into the ATO’s registered agent phone line and service offer to agents in response to increasing complaints of poor service.
Registered tax agents play a vital role in the Australian tax system, representing 62% of individual taxpayers and 96% of other taxpayers.
The ATO encourages registered agents to use its online services but, with 65% of agents reporting problems, there is still a strong demand for their dedicated registered agent phone line.
Our review looked into the differences between what registered agents expect of the phone service and what the ATO provides, as well as how the ATO is consulting with agents, to make recommendations on how the service can be improved.
The ATO agreed to all but one of our 14 recommendations, rejecting the idea of routing agents’ calls to more experienced or skilled staff.
To access the report, visit Review: Systemic review of the effectiveness of the ATO’s registered agent phone line. – Tax Ombudsman
The Tax Ombudsman undertakes systemic reviews on key topics of interest.
We undertake consultation to refresh our work plan every 6 months to ensure that it remains relevant and responsive to changing environmental, social and policy priorities.
Our refreshed 2025-26 work plan, released in December 2025, outlines the status of current reviews, what’s coming up next and necessary changes made to prioritise emerging reviews and to align or avoid duplication with other Government reviews or bodies of work.
The topics we’ve selected are a reflection of the issues that the community told us were the biggest challenges in the administration of the tax system. Thanks to all our stakeholders for contributing to the consultation period in October 2025.
The Tax Ombudsman welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the ATO’s draft Vulnerability Framework. We have been aware of the ATO’s work in this area over the past year and have had the benefit of early insights and briefings as the framework has been developed.
This Plan builds on the considerable progress we made as an agency in the last 12 months, my first as the agency head. While we have changed our brand to the Tax Ombudsman – to increase the community’s awareness and understanding of what we do – our purpose, ambitions and goals remain the same. We exist to improve the fairness and integrity in the administration of Australia’s tax and superannuation systems.