The ATO is urging tax professionals to stay vigilant against an unlawful tax scheme circulating in the community. This scheme involves donating artificial barter credits to deductible gift recipients in an attempt to claim inflated tax deductions. Be aware of clients getting involved in these arrangements. Advise them to reject any approaches to become part of the scheme and report it by making a tip-off.

You now need to use new remission application forms to request a remission for general interest charge, shortfall interest charge and failure to lodge (FTL) penalty. Download the new forms from the ATO website and submit them via practice mail in Online services for agents. While the ATO implement this new process, you may experience delays in actioning your request. They’re working hard to minimise delays and appreciate your patience.

You can now view statistics on the processing times for business activity statement (BAS) refunds on data.gov.au. Since 1 July 2025, the ATO has 30 days to notify a taxpayer that their BAS refund is being retained for verification. This is an increase from 14 days under the Extending the ATO’s BAS Retention Framework measure. Publishing this data fulfills a commitment made in the announcement of this measure. They will continue to publish this data regularly.

Certain supplies made through sharing economy platforms must be reported by their operators.

The ATO has expressed concern about property development arrangements that defer the recognition of income and exploit tax losses.

Learn how to protect your business tax information and reduce the risk of security breaches.

Stay cyber-safe this festive season: secure files, sign out, update software, and back up your business data.

How to apply for a substituted accounting period (SAP), how to lodge a return and what to consider when lodging early.

If your clients have purchased, upgraded or are purchasing an asset that costs up to $20,000, they may be eligible for the instant asset write off for
the 2025–26 income year.

Remissions for general interest charge, shortfall interest charge and failure to lodge penalty will soon need to be requested using the relevant remission application form. From 22 January 2026, download the new forms from the ATO website and submit them via practice mail in Online services for agents. Make sure you’re ready to use the new forms.