Commissioner of Taxation Chris Jordan used his address at a Tax Institute conference on 19 March 2015 as the platform to launch the Reinventing the ATO blueprint to the community. The Commissioner said that the blueprint describes the kind of experience that Australians expect to have when they deal with the ATO.

If you’re a private group, individual or a tax adviser, you might be interested in exploring how the ATO is going to transform your future experience of the tax and super systems (page 20 of the blueprint).

Key features include:

• The value of the conversation – it’s about you, your tax advisers and the ATO having an excellent working relationship.
• Getting what you need when you need it – having the right services means you’re able to access relevant, helpful, timely advice and decision tools that apply to your circumstances.
• Being open about your affairs, you know where you stand and through transparency the ATO will be able to help you and tailor services.
• Your circumstances are understood with tailored engagement based on tax risk, including behaviour and choices.

The full Reinventing the ATO blueprint is available at the Reinventing the ATO site.

The ATO also released Building Confidence earlier this month. This online publication is about the ATO being transparent about their approach in fostering willing participation through improved services and dealing with the small minority that don’t meet their tax and super obligations. The site also includes information about recent developments and what the ATO is concerned about for different businesses.

Would you like to hear from the ATO on other taxation-related stories? Please contact FBA with any suggestions.