Parliamentary committee to oversee the Australian Tax Office

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Opposition Treasury Spokesman Joe Hockey in his budget reply announced to form a committee assigned to oversee the Australian Tax Office in order to ascertain that the money being paid by taxpayers is not mishandled.

Hockey was addressing to the National Press Club today where he promised to establish a parliamentary committee to watch over the administration of the taxation system. One of the key tasks of this committee would be to keep a tab on the commissioner of taxation and establish an effective organizational structure for the ATO.

“I recognize that the new commissioner of taxation, Chris Jordan, is endeavoring to put in place a more independent dispute resolution process. I welcome this initiative. So our timeframe should allow a proper evaluation of the ATO’s new approach to independent review of disputes. However, if the oversight committee believes it’s necessary, then the Coalition stands ready to break up the tax office, so that its policeman functions are separate to its responsibility for administering the tax system,” Hockey said.

Hockey also voiced his concerns over the agency’s inward-looking culture and overly-aggressive interpretations of tax laws.

“When it comes to its legislated powers it all works in favor of the tax office as well. For example if a taxpayer is assessed for tax, the only way the amount can be disputed is if the tax is paid in full, with few exceptions. And when there is a dispute over an audit, the ATO can often seem to go through the motions, rather than objectively reconsidering the taxpayer’s position. Taxpayers need to know their concerns are heard and they need to be assured that they are being treated fairly,” he added.