Furzer Crestani - The ATO and your myGov Inbox

If you have set up a myGov account and have linked the ATO to that account, you have by default agreed to receive certain ATO correspondence into your myGov Inbox rather than having that correspondence come to us, your tax agent. The types of ATO correspondence includes:

• Notices, such as your Notice of Assessment
• Statements of account
• Confirmation and reminder notices
• Activity statements and instalment notices

For the December 2020 quarter, if you have a myGov account, the ATO did not send paper Instalment Activity Statements ("IAS") and instead sent the December 2020 IAS direct to you via your myGov Inbox (as part of their process to deliver all ATO correspondence electronically rather than through the post). 

The ATO did not advise tax agents or clients directly of this change, which has resulted in confusion as to what is happening and why the changes have been made. As a result, the ATO receiving feedback from tax agents, practitioners, accounting professional bodies and direct from clients. Following this, the ATO held a meeting with the Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group and BAS Agent Association Group to discuss the ATO's response to the feedback and have since agreed to send out paper notifications until a better digital solution can be implemented. Accordingly, as an interim solution the ATO will be sending reminders for the December 2020 quarter through an email to remind taxpayers that their PAYG instalment is due on 2 March 2021 and issuing paper June 2021 PAYG & GST quarterly instalment notices.

What this means for you

We suggest you check your myGov account to see what correspondence the ATO may have sent you, as we no longer receive this correspondence on your behalf. Further, you should check that your myGov account contact details are up to date and monitor your myGov Inbox regularly.

Please note, once you have linked the ATO to your myGov account it is not possible to change your mail delivery preference back to us. ATO correspondence will go automatically to your inbox unless you unlink the accounts.

If you have a myGov account but it is not linked to the ATO or your do not have a myGov account, your mail preference and delivery method will remain unchanged. We will continue to receive, review and forward ATO correspondence as usual.

Following on from the above, we anticipate further updates from the ATO regarding delivery of correspondence.

Further information about myGov accounts can be found at: https://www.ato.gov.au/general/online-services/in-detail/mygov/ato-and-the-mygov-inbox/ 

If you have any questions or concerns regrading your tax status, please do not hesitate to contact us.



Keep safe and kind regards

Barrie Pike and Kevin Prout
FC Accountants & Advisors 
furzercrestani.com.au