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Our service principles

What you can expect of us, and what we expect of you, when you dispute or object to a decision we’ve made.

Last updated 23 June 2024

Our core service principles

When you dispute or object to a decision we’ve made, it is passed to an officer who specialises in tax law and wasn’t involved in the original decision. We’re here to work with you to get the right result, resolve any issues and help you understand the reasons for any decisions we make.

Our service principles operate alongside the ATO Charter.

Client focused

We treat you with courtesy, consideration and respect, and listen to your circumstances and concerns. We want to resolve disputes in a timely manner.

Fair and reasonable

We believe in your right to have an impartial review of our decisions. We are clear about our processes. We treat you as being honest unless we have a reason to think otherwise, and provide the opportunity for you to respond to any concerns we may have.

Accountable

We understand the importance of an objection for you and treat your contentions seriously. We let you know what to expect, deliver what we say we will, and support you to feel safe while working with us.

Professional

We value integrity and set a high professional standard for ourselves and others.

Our expectations

Timely engagement

We expect you to be committed to timely engagement, recognising that getting the right outcome can sometimes take more time and persistence than originally expected. You will provide information in a timely manner so disputes can be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Openness, transparency and accountability

We expect open communication and for you to raise concerns so we can see if we can address them. We are accountable for what we tell each other. Having mutual respect and fostering cooperation will ensure our decisions produce the right outcome.

Preparedness

We value each other’s time and effort. We expect you to take reasonable steps to be prepared ahead of time. You can expect us to respond efficiently when presented with required information. We encourage you to engage early if you are uncertain or need more information at any point during the process.

 

QC47949