Current SMS and email activities

General email and SMS messages

We use SMS and emails for promotional and information purposes.

ATO online services through myGov

If you have linked the ATO to your myGov account, we will send most of your personal ATO letters directly to your myGov Inbox, rather than through the post.

You will get email or SMS notifications from myGov to let you know there are new messages in your myGov Inbox. These myGov notifications will not contain links.

If you are unsure if a myGov notification you have received is genuine, go directly to myGovExternal Link and sign in to check your myGov Inbox.

General notifications may include:

• advice your application has been received
• progress of return notifications, including refund finalisation
• a reminder to provide documents
• a reminder to attend a meeting
• reminders to meet ATO obligations to avoid penalties or cancellation of role, including
  • lodgment of tax returns, annual returns and business activity statements
  • lodgment of vacancy fee returns for foreign investment
  • payment of debt
  • payment of instalments as negotiated with us
• a request to pay (which will be to pay online rather than by cheque)
• notification that we will be contacting you from a private number
• advice of new tax rates
• important information for your business or industry
• promotion of a product or service we offer, such as myTax, myGov and similar
• tax time information about pre-filling, income, deductions and new measures
• information about superannuation changes
• an invitation or reminder to small businesses to attend a local event run by our staff
• notification of delays and system outages.

myID and RAM

If you use myID to access our online services, such as Online services for business, we may email you to let you know about:

• new features and functions available for myID and Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM)
• improvements to myID and RAM
• upcoming requirements, such as renewing an authorisation in RAM.

When you receive an email about myID or RAM, always check it has been sent from the myID or authorisation manager mailbox.

Specific email and SMS messages

From time to time, we may send you an SMS or email asking you to take specific action, such as:

• provide additional information we require to process a BAS or tax return you lodged
• provide additional information we require regarding an application you have made to us
• verify changes made to your account.

We may use SMS or email to ask you to contact us, but we will never ask you to return personal identifying information through these channels.

Email invitations to participate in a survey

We may use email to invite you to participate in ATO-approved research projects.

We send surveys to gauge your perceptions, gather feedback and improve our service to the community. Participation is voluntary.

Our surveys may ask for general demographic information but will never ask you to provide sensitive personal such as your tax file number (TFN) or bank details.

Emails inviting you to participate in a survey may be sent from an ATO mailbox, or from our trusted research partners. To check the authenticity of a survey invitation you may have received go to current research projects.

Tax and BAS agent emails

If you are a registered agent, we may email you with important updates regarding your clients. Emails may include topics listed under the 'General email and SMS messages' section above, or may be more specific.

Scam SMS and emails

If you're ever unsure whether an SMS or email is really from us, don't reply or click on any links or attachments.

There are some common scam warning signs that will help you check if you have been contacted by a scammer or by the ATO.

You can also find out more information about current scams we're aware of.

Other ways we may contact you

We may contact you by phone call or letter if that is your communication preference. If you are unsure whether a phone call or letter is from us, phone us on 1800 008 540 to check.