Our Indigenous helpline is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples if you need help managing your tax or super. You can also get free help at tax time.
You can all the Indigenous helpline on 13 10 30 (8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday, except public holidays).
Engage with us
When you phone we may ask for your tax file number (TFN). You don’t have to tell us, but it's easier to help you if you do. If you don't have a TFN, we can help you get one.
You can choose someone to call us and act on your behalf for your tax and super. We call this person an authorised contact. You can add, change, or remove authorised contacts using ATO Online services, by phoning us, or by completing and posting a Change of details for individuals form.
If you're helping a friend, family member or a kinship carer with their tax or super, they must be with you when you phone unless we already have their permission to speak to you.
Find out how you can give permission for someone to speak to us on your behalf at update your authorised contacts.
Indigenous helpline
The ATO Indigenous helpline is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our staff on the Indigenous helpline may not be Indigenous themselves but they specialise in helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. They can help you with things like getting a TFN, lodging your tax return, or finding your super.
You can phone the Indigenous helpline on 13 10 30.
You should have your TFN or Australian business number (ABN) ready when you call. When you speak to a customer service representative, they may ask you a series of questions to help identify you. This helps protect your personal tax records.
Other phone services
If you're running a business or not-for-profit organisation, need help managing a debt, or you have questions about super, you can contact us to speak to a customer service representative.
People who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment can contact us through the National Relay ServiceExternal Link.
Order forms and publications
The ATO has tailored products for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To order forms and publications, you can:
- phone the Indigenous helpline on 13 10 30
- order publications onlineExternal Link (search ‘Indigenous’)
- phone our self-help publications ordering service on 1300 720 092 (if you know the full title or NAT number of the publication).
Free tax help
Each year during tax time you can get free help lodging your tax return.
Tax Help program
Our Tax Help program is for people on incomes around $70,000 or less a year. From July to October each year, trained volunteers help people lodge their tax returns online. The volunteers can also help with creating a myGov account, correcting or amending your previous tax returns and lodging tax returns from prior years.
The ATO has Tax Help centres located across Australia with some centres providing specialised support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Volunteers can also help you online or by phone if you live in a rural or remote location.
Our eligibility information and Tax Help posters are available in 13 Indigenous languages, you can access these from our publication ordering serviceExternal Link by searching 'Tax Help'. You can download it or request a copy by email.
Find out more at Tax Help program or phone the Indigenous Helpline on 13 10 30 for your nearest Tax Help centre.
National Tax Clinic program
If you are not eligible for Tax Help, you may be able to access free advice and support through the National Tax Clinic program. The program is a government-funded initiative to help people who may not be able to afford professional advice and representation with their tax affairs.
Find out more at National Tax Clinic program.
Online education sessions
We also have teams available to provide free tax and super education sessions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Sometimes, we can also attend community events. To book a session or invite us to your community expo, email CommunityEducation@ato.gov.au.
Self-service at Services Australia
You can visit a Services Australia service centreExternal Link to use the self-service facilities for:
- myGov – to access ATO online services
- ato.gov.au.
You can also contact us by phone at the service centres.
Support in difficult times
We have support available for people who have experienced a natural disaster, personal crisis, or financial struggles. We understand that during difficult times, managing your tax and super isn’t your top priority. If you’re having trouble, you can call us to let us know, and we can find a support option that helps you. This might include:
- giving you extra time to lodge or pay
- processing your tax return quickly
- setting up a payment plan.
Find out more information at Tax support for when you need it most.
Natural disaster support
If you’ve been impacted by a natural disaster or extreme weather, such as a bushfire, cyclone, drought, flood or storm, we can help you manage your tax and super.
We usually stop sending letters to people in impacted areas, and once the disaster is over we can help you get back on track. We can help you:
- replace tax records that you may need to claim deductions or government payments
- cancel penalties or interest applied to your tax during the natural disaster
- set up a payment plan.
Find out more at natural disaster support.
Personal crisis and hardship support
If you have experienced mental health struggles, family or domestic violence, serious financial hardship, or a death to someone close to you, we have options to help you. You can call us on 13 10 30 to explain what has happened. We can help you figure out the next steps and give you information for other support services.
If you cannot afford basic necessities for yourself or your family, we call that serious financial hardship. Necessities are things like food, shelter, clothing, medical treatment, and education.
If you’re in this situation, we can help by processing your tax return quickly, or cancelling some or all or your tax debt. If you need to claim serious hardship, we may ask you to provide proof. You can find more detail on this at evidence of serious hardship.