“We continue to focus on being responsive to our environment and will showcase our strengths in innovation, and in working with integrity, fairness and compassion.”
The 2024–25 corporate plan, my first since commencing as Commissioner of Taxation, reflects the critical role the ATO plays in the Australian community. It outlines the breadth of activities we will undertake to support our purpose and vision, and ensure we continue delivering on our commitments to the community and government.
We have 6 key activities which will continue to position us as a leading public sector regulator known for contemporary service and expertise. These key activities complement the things we do in our everyday work to meet the needs of government and contribute to a strong economy.
Of course, our key role is as the nation’s principal tax collector. We will collect the right amount of tax in accordance with the law in the most efficient way for government and the taxpayer. But, we can’t be a single minded regulator.
This year, we will continue to focus on being responsive to our environment and will showcase our strengths in innovation, and in working with integrity, fairness and compassion. We aim to deliver on our responsibilities in a way that meets community expectations and is in accordance with the law. We will continue to use a tailored approach to engage with taxpayers to ensure they meet their obligations, particularly those with collectable debt, in the most efficient way for government and the taxpayer.
I have welcomed the opportunity to engage with many of our partners, and to see the clear, shared commitment to improving the taxpayer experience, making it easy to comply and hard not to. We will continue to embed best practices into our processes and technology. This means evolving our use of data to strengthen our decision-making and also our digital capability to streamline our interactions with taxpayers.
Integrity is at the heart of all that we do and will be a key focus for me as Commissioner. We need to do what we say we will do and not do what we say we won’t. To maintain high levels of integrity within the system, we will provide tailored education and advice, and target those who promote or facilitate deliberate and persistent non-compliance.
The 2024–25 corporate plan is also the first to bring together the important functions of the Australian Taxation Office listed entity, comprising the work of the ATO, the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) and the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC), including the ACNC Advisory Board. As the Accountable Authority for each of these bodies, I look forward to working constructively and collaboratively with the Chair of the TPB and the ACNC Commissioner to deliver on our collective commitments on behalf of the community and government.
Since re-joining the ATO, I’ve been truly impressed with the capability and expertise of our people, which I have observed at every level across the organisation. These traits, coupled with a strong workplace culture, provides me with confidence in our ability to meet the objectives in this plan and to continue to deliver high quality outcomes for the Australian community.
Rob Heferen
Commissioner of Taxation
Registrar of the Australian Business Register, Australian Business Registry Services, and Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets