We engage and collaborate with a broad range of external partners to effectively manage and shape the tax system along with aspects of the superannuation system and business registry systems that support and fund services for Australians. Our relationships and cooperation help us respond to changes in our operating environment, while building our understanding of the impact of our regulatory activities.
We lead and participate in multiple forums across government to ensure our administration is fair, efficient, and transparent and we rely on our international partnerships to ensure we maintain effective administration. Working with scrutineers serves to improve our administration and our relationships with industry and the public are paramount to achieving our purpose.
These are the partners we cooperate with in delivering on our purpose.
Government
We work with the whole of government to ensure we fairly, efficiently and transparently administer the Australian tax system and aspects of the superannuation system and business registry systems including relevant policies and legislation. We do this through multiple forums, with a focus on building a more agile and effective public service.
For example, we:
- maintain a close relationship with Treasury, including advising on the implications of policy initiatives and changes that would improve the administration of laws or minimise compliance costs for the community
- exchange data with other agencies in accordance with our legal obligations and data ethics principles to deliver improved services
- work with state and territory revenue offices to collect and administer particular taxes on their behalf
- collaborate with regulatory and law enforcement agencies in Australia and overseas jurisdictions to build our capability
- identify fraudulent behaviour and protect the community from criminal activity
- have a role in the Chief Operating Officers Committee, which reports to the Secretaries Board, supporting consistent delivery of government policies
- have an adviser to the Significant Legal Issues Committee, which brings together the Solicitor General, the Australian Government Solicitor, the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department and the First Parliamentary Counsel, to advance and protect the Commonwealth’s legal interests
- play an important role in the Secretaries’ Digital and Data Committee, including driving the whole-of-government Digital Identity program.
The ATO is committed to working across government to set and maintain strong governance and ethical standards for collecting, using and sharing data and analytics. We are working with other Australian Public Service agencies to ensure integrity and safety in the use of AI by government.
Scrutineers
Our relationships with scrutineers, who are appointed by government, foster transparency and underpin community and government confidence in our administration. The professional and cooperative relationships we have with the Australian National Audit Office, the Commonwealth Ombudsman, the Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Parliamentary Committees and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, serve to continuously improve our administration.
Industry and community
Our relationships with industry and the public we serve are paramount to achieving our purpose. Our Charter outlines the commitments we make to everyone we work with, our expectations of them, their rights and steps they can take if they are not satisfied. We work with representatives across the community, business, tax, superannuation, insolvency and financial sectors to harness their specialist knowledge and experience through our stewardship, partner relationships and special purpose working groups. We also use social media interactions, surveys and other research to better understand perceptions about the way the Australian tax system along with aspects of the superannuation system and business registry systems are administered.
Our partnerships with digital service providers deliver fit-for-purpose services that enable intermediaries, businesses, superannuation funds and individuals to easily interact with us. We also engage with third-party data providers, including banks, employers, online platforms and share registries, to collect information to support registration and reporting, identify fraud and recover debt.
International partnerships
International partnerships play an integral role to ensure we can act when people attempt to use jurisdictional borders to block our effective administration.
We work with governments and organisations around the world to assist with building the capacity of other revenue administrations so that they can meet obligations under the international tax framework, increase their domestic resource mobilisation, and promote stronger economic governance. Under our Record of Understanding with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade our 2 agencies work together to implement joint activities using Official Development Assistance funds under the Australian aid program, with a focus on supporting our neighbours in the Indo-Pacific.
As a member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Forum on Tax Administration (FTA), Australia collaborates internationally with member countries to build effective tax administrations sharing our recognised expertise and best practice, to increase the fairness, efficiency, effectiveness and digitalisation of tax administration globally.
Through our participation in FTA forums, including our leadership of the Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration, we help identify, discuss and influence relevant trends and develop new ideas to enhance tax administrations around the world.
Relationships with international treaty partners work to combat tax evasion through recovery of taxes under mutual assistance in collection provisions in international agreements.
As the chair of the International Debt Management Committee, Australia coordinates international exchange of insights into emerging risks, potential opportunities, and best practices in tax debt management.
We are active participants in the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes and members of the Automatic Exchange of Information Peer Review Group.