Tax agents warned against ‘inappropriate use’ of myGov
Tax agents have been warned by the ATO that using a client’s personal login details to access their online account through myGov in order to lodge tax returns is a breach of the terms and conditions of the ATO’s online services.
In a public update, the ATO said it has identified some registered and unregistered tax agents using taxpayers’ personal login details to access their ATO online account through myGov to lodge tax returns on behalf of their clients.
“MyTax is not an approved lodgement channel for registered agents and is a breach of the ATO online terms and conditions,” the ATO said.
“We will be closely monitoring returns and utilising all of our data-matching and collection tools in an effort to identify suspicious patterns of behaviour with lodgements. We will seek to identify patterns of behaviour that suggest the use of myGov by unregistered preparers.”
The ATO said that online services for agents should be used for managing a client’s tax affairs.
“Agents may risk referral to the Tax Practitioners Board if they are discovered using myGov to lodge on behalf of their clients, or without their clients’ knowledge,” it said.
“If you are concerned about the conduct of a tax professional, you should submit a complaint with the Tax Practitioners Board.”
Miranda Brownlee
Miranda Brownlee is the deputy editor of SMSF Adviser, which is the leading source of news, strategy and educational content for professionals working in the SMSF sector.
Since joining the team in 2014, Miranda has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest superannuation stories in Australia, and has reported extensively on technical strategy and legislative updates.
Miranda also has broad business and financial services reporting experience, having written for titles including Investor Daily, ifa and Accountants Daily.
