Time to stop standover tactics by the Tax Office against small business

The Federal government’s small business agency, the Small Business Ombudsman, has called for major changes to the way the Australian Taxation Office operates. The Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, says “the time is right for Government to deliver a [tax administration] system that suits the small business sector”.

We at Self Employed Australia totally agree. The ATO’s approach to small business is bullying, unfair and oppressive. We’ve been highlighting this since around 2012 and have been calling for major change. See our 20-minute video.

The Ombudsman has recommended 25 specific changes to the operations of the ATO. (See pages 6-8 of her report) The recommendations are practical and sensible. The one we…