Appendix – metric results and analysis

Survey-based metrics

Survey-based metrics S1 - S9

Metric	Description	Measure
S1	Community Confidence factor - Easy	1.1
S2	Community Confidence factor - Helpful	1.2
S3	Community Confidence factor - Timely	2.2
S4	Community Confidence factor - Effective	2.3
S5	Client survey – In the past 12 months, the ATO appears to be integrating its services better with other government departments	4.1
S6	Perceptions of fairness in disputes	5.4
S7	Community confidence in the ATO	5.2
S8	Community Confidence factor - Fair	5.2
S9	Working together - Partner perceptions of how the ATO is working together with them to administer the tax and superannuation system	6.1

Results – Survey based metrics

The performance target for all survey-based measures is improved or broadly stable compared to the previous year result.

Results - metrics S1 - S4

Metric	Result
	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Metric S1 - Community Confidence factor - Easy	n/a	65/100	67/100
Metric S2- Community Confidence factor - Helpful	n/a	68/100	69/100
Metric S3 - Community Confidence factor - Timely	n/a	63/100	64/100
Metric S4 - Community Confidence factor - Effective	n/a	63/100	64/100

n/a – metric not reported

Results - metric S5

Metric	Result
	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
In the past 12 months, the ATO appears to be integrating its services better with other government departments	54% individuals 53% business	61/100 individuals (48% net agree) 61/100 business (46% net agree)	63/100 individuals (51% net agree) 62/100 business (50% net agree)

Results - metric S6

Metric	Result
	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Perceptions of fairness in disputes process was fair   final decision was fair	54%(9)   65%	57/100 (49% net agree) 67/100 (57% net agree	61/100 (52% net agree) 63/100 (65% net agree)

Results - metric S7

Metric	Result
	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Community confidence in the ATO	n/a	65/100	66/100

Results - metric S8

Metric	Result
	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Community Confidence factor - Fair	n/a	61/100	64/100

Results - metric S9

Metric	Result
	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Working together - Partner perceptions of how the ATO is working together with them to administer the tax and superannuation system	63/100 (61% net agree)	64/100 (63% net agree)	67/100(10) (65% net agree)

Note 9: Survey methodology changes were implemented in 2017–18. As a result, caution should be exercised in comparing trends across years.

Note 10: The methodology was refined in 2018–19 and results are not comparable to the Empowerment – partner perceptions of how the ATO empowers and includes them result published in the 2017–18 annual report.

Overall results for ATO survey-based metrics improved in 2019–20. We use community perceptions to understand the changing expectations of the community over time, respond to concerns we are hearing, and build trust and confidence.

We undertook 9 survey metrics, with a total of 11 results (including sub-components of metrics). Of these 11 results:

• 5 improved significantly (that is, increase of 2 index points or more) compared to 2018–19
• 5 showed a small improvement (that is, increase of 1 index point compared to 2018–19)
• 1 declined (by 4 index points).

Across these survey metrics, partner perceptions of how the ATO is working together with them to administer the tax and superannuation systems increased by three points on the previous year, to 67/100. The result captures perceptions from tax professionals, APRA-regulated superannuation entities and digital service providers (DSP). Perceptions across tax professionals and DSPs significantly improved this year.

The improved result reflects the significant investment to enhance our digital partner experience and our response to the bushfires and COVID-19, including:

• supporting our partners and their clients to successfully transition over 1.7 million users to myGovID and RAM, enabling the decommissioning of AUSkey
• helping over 150,000 tax agent users migrate to the new Online services for agents, providing an enhanced experience and significantly more online functionality than previously available
• supporting a 652% increase in machine-to-machine transactions between our clients and the ATO, whilst also improving the performance and resilience of our core systems and infrastructure
• engaging with 2,000 DSP representatives in over 17 sessions within 3 months through rapid and targeted engagement to support delivery of stimulus measure initiatives in software
• over 400 improvements implemented to enhance the experience of Online services for DSPs used by 465 software developers
• developing an improved Tax Time 2020 certification process for DSPs to consume current-year returns
• establishing a dedicated mailbox for queries from tax professionals and DSPs for the stimulus measures
• demonstrating a more empathetic approach when engaging with the tax profession, particularly for debt and compliance activities, as well as granting bulk lodgment deferrals
• recognising the diversity of the tax profession by offering differentiated transition pathways, including visits to assist regional tax practices.

The overall score for community confidence in the ATO for 2019–20 was 66/100, which is slightly higher than the 2018–19 score of 65/100, and slightly above the target of 65/100.

For the first three quarters of 2019–20, community confidence in the ATO was tracking on target, with an average score of 65/100. This is consistent with previous years.

In the final quarter, coinciding with the government’s response to COVID-19, community confidence increased to 69/100 indicating confidence in our ability to deliver COVID-19 stimulus packages, while maintaining the quality of the tax and superannuation systems.

Community perceptions of our fairness also increased by three points to 64/100, reflecting our ongoing focus on improving timeliness. In regard to disputes, perceptions that the process was fair increased by four points, while perceptions the final decision was fair decreased by four points.

Activity-based metrics

The ATO undertakes a significant number of activities that help to deliver outcomes for the community, including the activities noted below. However, such metrics cannot tell us how effective our activities have been as an increase in activities does not necessarily lead to an improvement in performance, nor does a decrease in activities necessarily lead to a decline in performance.

Activity-based metrics A1 - A11

Activity Metric	Description	Measure
A1	Number of matters that have been consulted on	6.1, 6.2
A2	Number of visits to the consultation page of ato.gov.au	1.1
A3	Number of interpretive guidance products provided	2.1
A4	Number of private rulings provided	2.1
A5	Number of public rulings and determinations provided	2.1
A6	Number of class rulings provided	2.1
A7	Number of product rulings provided	2.1
A8	Number of memorandums of understanding	4.3
A9	Number of international information exchanges (including specific, spontaneous and automatic exchanges)	4.3
A10	Number of compliance audits, reviews and other checks undertaken	4.4
A11	Level of compliance with Protective Security Policy Framework mandatory requirements	3.2
Measures with no specific outcome-based, survey-based or activity-based metrics		5.1, 5.3, 6.3

Results – activity based metrics

Results – activity based metrics A1 - A11

Metric	Result
	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Metric A1 - Number of matters that have been consulted on	36	32	32
Metric A2 - Number of visits to the consultation page of ato.gov.au	11,724	12,266	13,408
Metric A3 - Number of interpretive guidance products provided	55,048	51,584	53,191
Metric A4 - Number of private rulings provided	6,459	5,285	4,126
Metric A5 - Number of public rulings and determinations provided	64	54	51
Metric A6 - Number of class rulings provided	87	72(11)	75
Metric A7- Number of product rulings provided	17	13	11
Metric A8 - Number of memorandums of understanding	135	144	178
Metric A9 - Number of international information exchanges (including specific, spontaneous and automatic exchanges)	706 total exchanges (463 incoming, 243 outgoing)	636 total exchanges (393 incoming, 243 outgoing)	518 total exchanges (367 incoming, 151 outgoing)
Metric A10 - Number of compliance audits, reviews and other checks undertaken	3.4 million	4.3 million	3.9 million
Metric A11 - Level of compliance with Protective Security Policy Framework mandatory requirements	Compliant(12)	Compliant - reporting requirements met	Compliant - reporting requirements met

Note 11: Result was incorrectly published as 62 in the 2018–19 ATO Regulator Performance Framework self-assessment report.

Note 12: Result was published in the Commissioner of Taxation Annual Report but not in the ATO Regulator Performance Framework self-assessment report.

A self-assessment of the ATO's performance as a regulator in 2019-20 under the Regulator Performance Framework.

As a regulator, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is required to self-assess its performance against the Regulator Performance Framework.