The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) registered agent phone line is under scrutiny as the Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman has launched a review in response to increased reports of dissatisfaction with the service.

“The ATO is increasingly providing its services online, but 65% of tax agents say they had problems using these services, so many of them pick the phone and call the ATO’s dedicated registered agent phone line to get help,” the Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman Ruth Owen said.

“But the feedback I get from agents is that the service has long wait times and is inconsistent, and that they aren’t confident they will get the right answer when they call, or even the same answer each time they call.”

The new client-agent linking system is also creating dissatisfaction as it rolls out, with agents feeling the phone support they need to troubleshoot issues when they arise is lacking.”

“There’s clearly a mismatch between what agents want and expect, and what the ATO is providing, and I think that’s worth investigating,” Ms Owen said.

“Agents want a certain level of tax expertise on the other end of the line, but that’s not what they say they are getting.”

“My review will look for patterns in the complaints I have received from registered tax and BAS agents, but I also want to hear directly about their experiences, expectations and ideas on how the ATO can improve this important service,” she said.

Registered tax and BAS agents and their professional bodies and associations across Australia are invited to share their feedback, insights and ideas for improvement online and in person as part of the review.

The Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman will host a series of online and face-to-face forums to gather informal feedback and insights, as well as accepting written submissions until 28 March 2025.

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