How to lodge your complaint with us
| Special COVID-19 Arrangements |
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| We are responding appropriately to the COVID-19 pandemic, including social distancing, quarantining and self-isolation. We strongly encourage you to lodge your complaint online – especially if your matter is urgent. Online complaints are the quickest way to raise your concerns with the IGTO and you will receive an immediate confirmation that we have received your complaint. You can also leave us a voicemail message to request a call back by calling us on 1300 IGT TAX (1300 44 88 29). If you are calling from overseas, please dial +61 2 7209 2946. Please be advised that you may be charged international call costs when calling us from overseas. Please note that it has been necessary to introduce a triage system due to a high demand for our services. Accordingly, we are reviewing and prioritising taxation complaints which demonstrate urgent circumstances. Prioritisation will be assessed based on the information you can provide for us in your initial complaint and accordingly an online complaint is the most effective means to notify us of your circumstances. To ensure that all Australian taxpayers who use our complaints service are treated fairly and equitably, we are currently placing all complaints in a queue to allocate on a ‘first in, first out’ basis, unless there are exceptional circumstances. This could result in significant delays before we can commence your investigation. We will contact you to advise if you have been placed in the queue (and your position in the queue) as it may be several months before your complaint is allocated to an IGTO Investigation Officer for investigation. As always, we encourage you to continue to try to resolve your complaint directly with the ATO or TPB. We will be in contact as soon as we can. If there are exceptional circumstances, we aim to contact you within 10 business days of receiving your complaint to confirm our understanding of your concerns. Additional delays may be experienced if further actions to manage COVID-19 risks are required. Thank you for your co-operation and understanding. |
When you contact us
Please have the following ready:
- your complaint reference number from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or Tax Practitioners Board (TPB);
- your Tax File Number (TFN);
- your personal details (for example – your name and contact details);
- an explanation of which ATO or TPB actions have caused you concern and how those actions have impacted you;
- the main facts, relevant dates and any supporting documents;
- where you are at now – the result to date; and
- the outcome you want from your complaint.
If you are lodging this complaint on behalf of another person, we will need to confirm that you are authorised by that other person to discuss their affairs. We have prepared a standard authorisation form which may be accessed through the Complaint Form. You don’t need to be a registered tax agent to be a representative – provided you are authorised by that other person to assist them.
Service and Conduct Expectations
We expect our team to be professional, courteous and respectful at all times and we ask that taxpayers and tax professionals who engage with our office to afford them the same courtesy. We have developed a service commitment and conduct expectations policy which can be viewed here.
How to contact us
- This form must be completed in one sitting.
- All fields which are marked with a red asterisk (*) are mandatory.
- You should have on hand electronic copies of any relevant documents you may want to attach with your complaint.
- If you are lodging this complaint on behalf of another person, we will need to confirm that you are authorised by that other person to discuss their affairs. We have prepared a standard authorisation form which may be accessed through the Complaint Form.
- The form is located on a secured external website.
Please note that we are screening all online complaints to prioritise urgent complaints. Prioritisation will be assessed based on the information you provide in the complaint form.
If you are experiencing difficulties using the online form, you may contact us with the alternative methods below.
Although our call centre is operating, we are relying upon a call back service to provide a more efficient and responsive complaint service.
You can leave us a voicemail message to request a call back by calling us on 1300 IGT TAX (1300 44 88 29).
If you are calling from overseas, please dial +61 2 7209 2946. Please be advised that you may be charged international call costs when calling us from overseas.
Please note that we are screening all messages to prioritise urgent complaints. Prioritisation will be assessed based on the information you provide in your message.
Note: messages are recorded for assurance and training purposes
Send mail to:
Inspector-General of Taxation & Taxation Ombudsman
GPO Box 551
Sydney NSW 2001
Please note that we are screening all correspondence to prioritise urgent complaints. Prioritisation will be assessed based on the information you provide in your correspondence.
If you want to lodge a complaint in a language other than English, call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 and ask them to leave a voicemail message for us on 1300 44 88 29 to arrange a time and date for a phone call.
We have information in languages other than English which may help you understand the services we provide.
If you are hearing, sight or speech impaired, please call the National Relay Service on 133 677 and ask them to leave a voicemail message for us on 1300 44 88 29 to arrange a time and date for a phone call.
Please have the following ready:
- your complaint reference number from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or Tax Practitioners Board (TPB);
- your Tax File Number (TFN);
- your personal details (for example – your name and contact details);
- an explanation of which ATO or TPB actions have caused you concern and how those actions have impacted you;
- the main facts, relevant dates and any supporting documents;
- where you are at now – the result to date; and
- the outcome you want from your complaint.
If you are lodging this complaint on behalf of another person, we will need to confirm that you are authorised by that other person to discuss their affairs. We have prepared a standard authorisation form which may be accessed through the Complaint Form. You don’t need to be a registered tax agent to be a representative – provided you are authorised by that other person to assist them.
Service and Conduct Expectations
We expect our team to be professional, courteous and respectful at all times and we ask that taxpayers and tax professionals who engage with our office to afford them the same courtesy. We have developed a service commitment and conduct expectations policy which can be viewed here.