Complaints, compliments and suggestions

Your right to make a complaint

The Taxpayers' Charter outlines the relationship that the ATO seeks with the community - a relationship based on mutual trust and respect. Your rights, obligations and how to be heard are key factors in this relationship.

The charter states that the ATO respects your right to make a complaint. In the simplest terms, a complaint is a statement that you make to us about your expectations that have not been met.

We are committed to treating complaints seriously, dealing with them quickly and learning from them.

We recommend that you:

• first, try to sort it out with the tax officer you've been dealing with (or phone the number you've been given)
• if you're not satisfied, talk to that officer's manager
• if you're still not satisfied, lodge a complaint.

There may be information on another part of our website that will assist you. For example, you can check the progress of your return with our online Progress of return tool. All you need is your tax file number. This free service is available for individual tax returns only and can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Refer to Information about other operating systems for e-tax users. If you wish to report tax evasion, use the Tax evasion reporting form instead of the online Complaints form.

Do you have an enquiry, complaint, suggestion or compliment?

Enquiry	Complaint	Compliment or suggestion
When you contact us to obtain information, request us to take action, or provide you with a service or product.	When you contact us to express dissatisfaction with a service or product and you require a response to your concerns/issues.	When you contact us with comments, opinions and suggestions and you do not require a response to these.
If you have an enquiry, contact us: by phone in person by mail.	If you want to lodge a complaint: use the Complaints form phone 1800 199 010 (free call from a landline anywhere in Australia) if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, phone us through the National Relay Service fax 1800 060 063 write to PO Box 1271 ALBURY  NSW  2640	To provide us with your suggestions use the Feedback form. To provide us with your compliments use the Compliments form. Alternatively you can provide us with your suggestions or compliments by: phoning 1800 199 010 (free call from a landline anywhere in Australia) phoning us through the National Relay Service if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment sending a fax to 1800 060 063 writing to PO Box 1271 ALBURY  NSW  2640

How do we treat your complaint?

We want you to be confident that you can come to us with any problems and complaints and have them resolved quickly and fairly.

Once your complaint is lodged a tax officer will contact you normally within three working days. The officer will work with you to resolve your issue (or issues) and will keep you informed of the progress of the case.

Other avenues available to you

If you have a complaint about the ATO, you should try to resolve it with us first. If you are unable to, or you are dissatisfied with the way we have handled your complaint, the Taxation Ombudsman may be able to help you.

You can contact the Ombudsman:

• on the National Complaints Line:
  1300 362 072
• at ombudsman.gov.au
• by writing to

The Taxation Ombudsman
GPO Box 442
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Read more about your rights and obligations

Find out more about your rights and obligations by referring to the Taxpayers' Charter. To find out more about your right to complain, refer to Taxpayers' charter - what you need to know.

Information in other languages

Taxpayers' charter - what you need to know is also available in other languages in portable document format (PDF).

Are you a registered agent?

If you are a registered agent and you want to lodge a complaint, refer to Registered agent feedback and complaints.