Audit Office Report Praises ATO's Handling Of Aggressive Tax Marketing

by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

03 February 2004

A report released by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) last Thursday has praised the Australian Tax Office (ATO) for the way it handles cases of aggressive tax planning.

Tax Commissioner Michael Carmody welcomed the report, commenting that he was pleased to see it concluded that the Tax Office has the strategies, structures and processes in place for the effective management of aggressive tax planning.

"I am pleased the ANAO found the Tax Office has responded positively to the challenges of managing aggressive tax planning, and that in the past four years we have made considerable efforts to improve our management of this priority area," noted Mr Carmody.

The report observed that the Tax Office has learned from its experience with mass marketed investment schemes and has changed the way it manages aggressive tax planning. It also endorsed the Tax Office's improved intelligence gathering techniques and more timely information and warnings for the public.

Agreeing with all of the report’s recommendations, Carmody commented: "We have already started work to implement a number of the report's recommendations, and we will continue to improve our approaches," Mr Carmody said.

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