Data matching

Data matching is a powerful administrative and law enforcement tool. Information from a variety of third-party sources is compiled electronically, validated, analysed and used for a range of education and compliance activities.

Data matching allows us to:

• pre-fill tax returns, making it easier for everyone to lodge their tax
• reassure the community that we protect honest people and businesses from unfair competition
• ensure people and businesses    
  • lodge tax returns and activity statements when required to do so
  • correctly declare their income and claim offsets and other benefits
  • comply with their obligations.
• detect people and businesses operating outside the tax system
• detect fraud against the Commonwealth
• recover debt.

We run our data matching programs throughout the year, specifically when you lodge your tax return as well as after you receive your tax assessment.

See also:

• Legislated data collection
• Sources of third-party information
• Validating the data we receive
• Your privacy
• Data-matching programs
• Exchanging data with other Australian Government agencies
• How we use data and analytics